Studied by 7 people
Quick Causes of WWI
Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism
Militarism
Out of control arms race - be aware of the naval arms race between Germany and Great Britain
Alliances
The increasing complexity of alliances meant it wouldn't take much to pull a nation into war.
Imperialism
There was still a race to amass colonies and war was an opportunity to get more -> Britain had the most and best colonies (this means that many other European countries thought they had to go to war with Britain).
Nationalism
This was a potent force in Europe bringing nations together in support of war and others in support of independence.
Bismarck's Foreign Policy
Bismarck was probably the most effective statesman of his era - he was incredibly competent and set up a brilliant system to Germany's benefit. He wanted to make sure Germany would be safe. His concern after the formation of Germany was France - to that end he wanted to isolate that nation and makes alliances with others. Created the League of 3 Emperors. He also refused to build much of a navy to keep Britain appeased - they (GB) wouldn't ally with anyone.
League of 3 Emperors
Alliance between Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany that was created by Bismarck. This fell apart after the Russo-Turkish War, and was replaced by the Triple Alliance
Russo-Turkish War 1877
Revolts against Ottoman rule broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina that were supported by Serbia and Montenegro - Russia got involved over seeing itself as a defender of the Slavic people and its interests in carving up more of the Ottoman Empire. Russia won and got everything it wanted with the Treaty of San Stefano to the dismay of Austria and Britain. This led to the Berlin Conference of 1878.
Treaty of San Stefano
Treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1878 where Russia gained Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish War.
Berlin Conference of 1878
Where Russia was forced to give up quite a bit and in particular, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which would be "administered" by Austria.
Triple Alliance
The alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy that replaced the League of 3 Emperors.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
In 1888 Kaiser Wilhelm II became the leader of Germany and by 1890 had fired Bismarck (idiot). He was young, arrogant, and wanted to put his mark on Germany. Wilhelm wanted to do everything Bismarck warned against. He wanted, and built, a massive navy that worried GB - the British and French, ancient enemies, now made an alliance in 190, The Entente Cordiale. He thought the Russians were backwards and didn't care to work with them 0 this push Russia into an alliance with France (also heavy French investment in Russian industrialism).
Triple Entente
By 1907, Wilhelm II had so annoyed the British that they even made an alliance, at French urging, called the Triple Entente that included Russia, GB, and France. This led to a rising conflict between the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance, which was Bismarck's worse nightmare. The Triple Alliance had far less going for it.
The Balkans
In 1908, the old Ottoman Empire was overthrown by a revolutionary group called the Young Turks - Austria and Russia agreed that Austria could annex Bosnia-Herzegovina and Russia would get access to the Dardanelles. Austria moved quickly to annex Bosnia-Herzegovina and the British and French refused to let Russia get what it wanted - most importantly Serbia was super upset about this and Russia would not forget this situation and what Austria had done.
1st and 2nd Balkan Wars (1912 + 1913)
The Balkan states attacked and successfully took more land from the Ottomans and then fought amongst themselves - This was eventually settled with most Balkan states gaining something. Austria felt annoyed and humiliated by the whole situation - Serbia gained land and seaports and occupied parts of the new Albania which they did in defiance of what the other powers of Europe demanded.
The Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austro- Hungarian throne was assassinated by the Black Hand in Bosnia's capital city , Sarajevo. This is thought to be the major cause of WWI. Following this, Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an unacceptable ultimatum and Germany gave Austria-Hungary the so called "blank check." On July 28th, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, putting everyone but GB into war.
Black Hand
A Serbian terrorist group supported by the Serbian government. Assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand.
Blank Check
Germany agreed to ally with Austria-Hungary, mainly because they (Germany) needed allies.
European Thought on WWI
many Europeans were broadly supportive of the war - unfortunately most Europeans still saw war as good for society - it was a place for nations to challenge themselves.
Schleiffen Plan (1914)
The Schlieffen plan was the German to quickly take down France before GB could join the war so it could solely focus on Russia. Germany failed to keep GB out of the war, Russia mobilized quicker than anyone thought, and France was able to resist Germany. It was a failure.
WWI Weapons
Machine guns, rifles, artillery, poison gas, etc. The Industrial Revolution made this possible - nations had the people and resources to fight much longer.
Trench Warfare and Stalemate: Western Front
Not much movement - Germany, GB, France evenly matched. Germany fired first. GB gets involved due to Germany breaking Belgian's neutrality.
Eastern Front
A lot of movement but Germany can't overtake Russia.
Allied Powers (WWI)
Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, and later the US
Central Powers
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
February/March Revolution
Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. There was no faith in his government: Rasputin, failure in the Russo-Japanese war, centuries of oppression, strikes everywhere.
Provisional Government
The Duma took over, but made key mistakes. Russia stayed in the war: financial obligations to Allied Nations (they had borrowed way too much from GB and France and had to keep the finances of the country good or fair). People needed food and supplies that were being directed to the war.
Duma
Russian Parliament
October Revolution
Lead by Lenin and Trotsky, the Bolsheviks took Petrograd with the help of the Petrograd soviet.
Peace, Land, and Bread
Promise made by Lenin to the commoners if they put him in power.
Lenin and the Bolsheviks after the October Rev
The Red Army was formed and used to keep the Bolsheviks in power.
Lenin immediately took Russia out of the war
A brutal civil war ensued in Russia after the October Rev that lasted beyond the end of WWI.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The treaty Russia signed with Germany that got Russia out of the war, but gave Germany most of Eastern Russia. Allowed Lenin to give the people what they wanted for the first few months of his leadership.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
A policy that the Germans announced in January 1917 which stated that their submarines would sink any ship in the British waters. Lead to the sinking of the Lusitania.
Sinking of the Lusitania
Cruise ship that was sunk by German submarines and helped bring the US closer to involvement in WWI
Zimmerman Telegram
A telegram sent to Mexico from Germany that offered a Germany-supported invasion of the US if the Mexicans agreed. Never got to Mexico, and was instead released to the press, which forced the president of the US to bring the country into the war. Mexico probably wouldn't have attacked, but it made the German's clear enemies of the US.
End of WWI
With Russia out and US not ready to fight the Germans tried one last offensive on the Western Front in March 1918 - it failed. When the US started landing soldiers on French soil, that was it for Germany. The US brought enormous supplies and hundreds of thousands of fresh soldiers. Summer of 1918, the German army/navy and civilian population were revolting. Wilhelm II abdicated and November 11, 1918 the war ended.
Wilson's 14 Points
Woodrow Wilson's plan for post-war peace: no secret treaties; freedom of the seas; removal of economic barriers; reduction of arms; adjust colonial claims. Wilson was initially hailed as a hero, but unfortunately his plan offered peace without any victors, which were not options for France and GB since their people had been promised reparations. The reality in Europe was there wasn't going to be a good or easy peace. The British and French had made conflicting offers with people of the Middle East, themselves, and Zionists who had been promised a homeland in Palestine under the 1917 Balfour Declaration - much of the region was divided in problematic ways. Russia was invited to the peace conference - fears of communism and radicalism spreading - the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was annulled and the Red Army tried to reclaim this land.
League of Nations
Wilson's idea, but it turned out to be a failure in the long run.
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty that ended WWI. It blamed Germany for WWI and handed down harsh punishment. Pretty much in all regards the treaty was a failure.
War Guilt Clause
Germany was forced to accept total responsibility for the war and was given harsh reparations: loss of territory, loss of army/navy, and occupation. Poland was also carved out of Germany.
Affect of WWI on the Central Powers (besides Germany)
Austria-Hungary was dismantled and broken up into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. The Ottoman Empire ceased to exist - Turkey would emerge as the largest and most stable state in the region - numerous other states would be created.
Affect of WWI on the Colonial Empires
The German colonies and former parts of the ottoman Empire became mandates and were guided by one of the Great Powers - many became independent between the wars. France and GB saw the immense value of their colonies and sought to dram them into closer relations - they (the colonies) would not gain independence until after WWII. Nationalism and the rights the Allies had proclaimed the war was fought for were emerging in their colonies.
What caused WWI?
MAIN was a big part of this war, as it divided Europe and made it more of a powder-keg. Without intense militarism, alliances that brought more countries into war, the tensions from increasing imperialism, and the rise of nationalism in many countries, there maybe wouldn't have been as much tension in Europe. The removal of Bismarck definitely took away most of the rope holding Europe back from war, as he was the only one who could really control the system he had created (or Wilhelm II was just simply not competent to hold together the system). The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand just took away any chance of no war and brought all of the European powers into the war due to alliances that required them to join the war.
Could WWI have been prevented?
Probably not. While there's no definite answer, if Bismarck hadn't been removed and the Serbian government hadn't agreed to support the Black Hand (as well as a lack of wars in the Balkans), the war could have at most been set back. Tension in Europe was already extremely high, and either imperialism or the militarism seen would have been enough to set off a war of this scale, mostly due to the alliances that would force other countries into war.
How did alliances form between the great powers of Europe?
Most European powers decided that the enemy of their enemy was their friend. France, England, and Russia all joined together because of their annoyance with Wilhelm II. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have joined up. Same with Germany and Austria. Both countries, and the Ottoman Empire, were upset with what was happening in the Balkans or in their country, and were willing to ally if it meant taking down the British, French, and Russians.
What made WWI such a modern and devastating war?
The new weapons that came from the industrial revolution such as machine guns and artillery created more destruction, as well as grenades and toxic gas. Chemical warfare was never used before, and never used again, though modernized weapons that were used in this war still are seen today and still can cause mass destruction. Industrialization created a more dangerous battlefield, and a more destructive one.
How and why did the Russian monarchy fail?
There were no competent leaders. Tsars didn't know how to make their people happy, and continually made mistakes that led to even more unrest. Entering war was simply the last straw for Nicholas II. His reign was already marked with corruption, especially with the Rasputin affair. He also put too much money towards wars, such as the Russo-Japanese war and WWI, that lead to more hardships for the people. Years of oppression did not help, and the lack of representation that the Duma brought led to more unrest.
What brought the US into the war?
The sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram. The sinking of the cruise ship with American people on it fired up citizens in the US, and brought the country to the edge of going to war as tensions increased. Germany had made the fatal mistake of showing themselves as an enemy of the US. The Zimmerman Telegram and its publicity was simply the last straw. It showed that the Germans most definitely were enemies of the US. The public outcry to go to war put enough pressure on the president to declare war on Germany and join the battle.
In what ways was the Treaty of Versailles problematic?
It put all the blame on one country, leaving it in crippling debt that would later present even more problems and led to the second world war. It also wasn't followed by the League of Nations, who did nothing to stop Germany when it came to WWII. It really only put a pause on war.
The Great Depression
The 1920s were rough but looked like Europe was rebuilding - Major problems existed however. The war had completely decimated the European economy - there simply was no way to recover the sheer loss of life and wealth. The production and distribution of goods was a monumental problem. No western European nation or the US provided the financial leadership needed for true stability and recovery. The US was helping to prop up and stabilize much of Europe. The Treaty of Versailles didn't exactly make everyone happy. The collection of money spent on the war was all predicted on Germany paying reparations it simply could not afford to do. In 1923 France invaded and occupied the Ruhr area of Germany, angering pretty much everyone. By 1929 this whole system was collapsing and the economies of the major powers of Western and Central Europe were falling apart.
War Communism
Lenin and the Bolsheviks assumed their revolution would spread worldwide, but it didn't and was view with horror by the West. In order to deal with the civil war and establish a stronger powerbase the Bolsheviks instituted this. This was a dictatorship directed by Lenin and basically swept away al the "peace, land, bread." Whatever was necessary to keep the Bolsheviks in power was done. The Red Army brutally crushed dissent and numerous revolts of workers, farms, and soldiers occurred - this (the revolts) was being supported by Western nations as well. The Cheka (secret police) was created.
New Economic Policy
This basically allowed capitalism to exist and flourish in Russia, and it seemed to work fairly well as people could buy and sell on an open market.
Third International (Comintern)
This was founded in 1919 and Lenin said anyone associated with it had to acknowledged Moscow and Bolshevism as the corrected path - this angered socialists/communists all over the world and caused fighting everywhere - Right wing extremists would use this to their advantage.
The Rise of Stalin
Lenin suffered a stroke in 1922 and died in 1924 - 1922 was also the year Russia became the USSR or Soviet union. After a power struggle, Stalin emerges as the new leader. Stalin wasn't an intellectual like Trotsky. Trotsky urged more industrialization and collectivization while Stalin promoted NEP. As the party secretary he had appointed people to positions of power that left him in a commanding place. He knew how to get appeal to the wide base of the Soviet people and used this to secure power. Trotsky was forced out and eventually murdered.
Socialism in One Country
Stalin said the revolution elsewhere didn't matter. It was the revolution in the USSR that was most important.
5-Year Plans
Starting in 1928, Stalin instituted under the Gosplan (State Planning Commission) 5-Year Plans. These were quotas to meet every five years that were supposed to rapidly industrialize the USSR. Huge focus on coal mining, steel/iron production, and electricity. It was highly effective in industrial production but appalling in the human misery and death Stalin instituted to make it a reality. 10s of millions died.
Collectivization
Stalin claimed Soviet agriculture was ineffective and kulaks were class-enemies speculating on grain. Stalin wanted the government to run agriculture, which also meant there would be no private property. Peasants resisted this and millions died of famine (he starved his people so that he could sell food to the West). This was especially bad in Ukraine and the Holodomor. Both of those places had a lot of food production and Stalin didn't allow people to leave and starved them. It was pretty much a genocide of the two places. Stalin was good at hiding stuff and no exact figures can be given about how many people died.
Soviet Purges
Stalin was insanely paranoid and as a matter of course regularly killed those near him.
December 1, 1934: Sergei Kirov, the party chief of Leningrad and important member of the Politburo, was murdered. Stalin probably had this done but it can't be known for sure.
1936-1938: Most high ranking Soviet officials were arrested and put on trial. They all confessed to crimes against the party and state. Stalin tortured them and held their families. Millions of common Soviets were arrested and killed or sent to gulags.
When this was done, no opposition of Stalin remained. All that remained was Stalin and whatever he wanted the USSR to be. Few people have ever had this kind of absolute power and he's one of history's greatest monsters.
Fascism
Authoritarian style of government that's based on militaristic, nationalistic, and some form of racism and discrimination that places the values of the state above all else.
Fasci di Combattimento
Italian fascist organization created by Mussolini that rose to prominence through its veteran support and argues against the Treaty of Versailles and difficulties of Italian life.
Mussolini
Through Fasci di Combattimento, he gained a lot of support in northern Italy by supporting middle and upper class people who wanted their property and factories away from socialist/communist movements. By 1921 he and numerous Blackshirts had been elected into the Italian Chamber of Deputies. In 1922 he and thousands of his followers marched on Rome - Victor Emanuel III refused to send out an army and instead offered him a job as prime minister. Over the coming months the Blackshirts bullied and intimidated most of the dissidents. Between 1924-26 he slowly dismantled all parliamentary government and made himself into a dictator.
1929 Lateran Accord
Mussolini made peace with the Catholic Church by giving it tax exemption, power over the Vatican, and recognized Catholicism as the state religion.
Weimer Republic
This was the new government in Germany after WWI. Many people held it responsible for the Treaty of Versailles. It was quite enlightened with a Parliament elected through universal suffrage and proportional representation. There was a president who appointed a chancellor from the Reichstag and in an emergency the president was allowed to rule by decree. The early 1920s were marked by revolts and political violence along with demands from the Allied Nations for Germany to pay its reparations. The government experienced constant economic issues that would eventually lead to most wealth and savings being wiped out - In the era of violent upheaval and financial crisis, Hitler was the man who claimed to have the solution.
Reichstag
the German Parliament
Article 48
Gave total emergency powers to the German president.
Nazi Party
The Austria born Hitler had found purpose in WWI and became disillusioned like so many Germans after the war. He joined the Nazi Party soon after the war ended and became its leader. the party formed itself around rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, Anti-Semitism, and state-enforced control. In 1923 they had tried to overthrow the Weimer government in the Beer Hall Putsch - and failed. In Hitler received a light sentence, the whole ordeal gave him national recognition, and he wrote Mein Kampf in jail. Hitler resolved to work within the system moving forward.
SA (Brownshirts)
Hitler's parliamentary followers.
Gustav Stresemann
Elected to chancellor and then foreign minister in 1923. He stabilized the economy by introducing a new currency and rebalancing the value with the old one. Political disturbances were put down - both left and right. The reparation payments were negotiated and the US Dawes Plan provided a path for reasonable payments. Things were going reasonably well until the Great Depression sent everything out of control.
1925 Locarno Accords
France and Germany started their relations - the new borders were recognized and accepted with France agreeing to leave the Rhineland 5 years early.
1928 Kellogg-Briand Act
War was rejected as an instrument of national policy (failed).
Dawes Plan
A plan to revive the German economy, the United States loans Germany money which then can pay reparations to England and France, who can then pay back their loans from the U.S.
Hitler Comes to Power
1923 and 33 were critical years where Nazis gained seats in the Reichstag and Hitler brought into the inner circle of power with von Papen as chancellor and Hindenburg as president. The conservative elements in Germany disliked the Weimer government and needed Nazi support on the right to push their agenda - critically they underestimated Hitler and the Nazis, thinking they could be controlled. In January of 1933 Hitler was made chancellor. In February the Reichstag building was set on fire - possibly by a communist or by the Nazis - either way the Nazis used it as an excuse to enable Act 48 giving Hitler complete power.
Enabling Act
Passed in 1933, it allowed Hitler to rule by decree.
Nazi Control and the Police State
Quickly in 1933, Hitler was able to dismantle or outlaw any elements of opposition in German society. The Nazis and their rise were not inevitable - a precise series of mistakes and blunders allowed this to happen and Hitler recognized this. Hindenburg died in 1934 and the office of chancellor and president were combined into the fuhrer. The army was jealous of the SA (Brownshirts) power and as such Hitler murdered must of the officers in it, thereby satiating the army who was probably the only real obstacle left - after this the army willingly worked with Hitler. The SS became the surveillance and execution organization in the new police state
SS
Must be pure believer in Nazi ideology. Some people from the army. It was a secret police organization that was militarized.
Main Ideology in Early Nazi Germany
Anti-Semitism was promoted and was ubiquitous and it became a scapegoat for any and all problems.
Hitler Youth Program
This was voluntary initially, but mandatory by the end of the decade
Nuremberg Laws
Passed in 1935, these were race laws that slowly took Jewish rights.
Kristallnacht
(Night of the Broken Glass) November 9, 1938, when mobs throughout Germany destroyed Jewish property and terrorized Jews. This was all allowed and even encouraged.
Women in Early Nazi Germany
They were literally the backbone of Nazi plans. Hitler wanted to engineer a near perfect society. To do this, those who were considered racially fit were encouraged to have large families. Women were encouraged to work in what the Nazis called "natural" labor: agriculture, teaching, and domestic service.
Economy in Early Nazi Germany
This recovered rapidly. Hitler shut down any and all opposition including labor groups, unions, and much of the control wealthy industrialists had. Time and effort was poured into rearming projects and public work projects that put people back to work.
Poland
Created in 1919, it was politically fractured and both economically and militarily weak.
Czechoslovakia (During the Interwar Years)
This was a powerful new country with strong liberal values, a middle class, and industrial base. There were numerous groups here that challenged stability, especially those living in the Sudetenland.
Hungary
A failed communist uprising occurred here after WWI and an anti-Semitic aristocratic government was put in place.
Austria
Numerous political groups arose here (some were Nazis) and the economies of the country were in absolute shambles which is why many pushed for unification with Germany but the Treaty of Versailles forbade it.
Mein Kampf and Unification of the Volk
Mein Kampf was the autobiography by Hitler that he wrote in prison. It outlined his plans for the future of Germany, including many of his ideals on race. Another thing included in the book was the unification of the volk (German people inside and outside of Germany).
Lebensraum
Hitler's expansionist theory based on a drive to acquire "living space" for the German people. Required conflict/war.
Seeds of WWII
By 1935 Hitler had completely violated the disarmament in the Treaty of Versailles and wasn't really stopped. The League of Nations was unable to stop Hitler or Japanese conquests, as it wasn't powerful enough. In 1935 Italy attacked Ethiopia, which had resisted Italian imperialism in 1896, and had started speaking of a Rome-Berlin Axis (Axis Powers). In 1936 Hitler took the Rhineland back with military force - the British refused to act and the French wouldn't act without the British support - important to note that Hitler could have been easy to stop. The Rhineland conquest was Hitler's first military operation. The British and French followed a policy of appeasement, or concession, rather than risk a war - the French also felt safe behind the Maginot Line.
Maginot Line
Fortification built after WWI between France and Germany.
Invasion of Poland
The West was outraged by communism and thus pushed the USSR away. In 1939 the seemingly impossible happened and Hitler and Stalin formed a non-aggression pact to split up Poland. The 1939 September invasion of Poland prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany.
Battle of France
In the spring of 1940 Norway, Denmark, and Belgium, and then France fell easily to Nazi surprise attacks - it took Hitler only 2 months to defeat France.
Battle of Britain
Summer-fall of 1940 the British resisted the German attacks of the Luftwaffe and Germany backed off. GB was the only country left standing against the Nazis in Europe.
Spain
In 1931 the Spanish monarchy collapsed and a democratic republic was established. Elements of the fascist resistance led by Francisco Franco refused to accept this and started a bloody civil war. Supporting Franco were the Italians and Germans, opposing him were the democratic forces supported by the USSR, but not the US, France, or Britain. In 1939, Spain fell to the fascists, though it didn't participate in WWII.
Austria - Anschluss
Hitler wanted unification with Austria, and despite the Austrian government resisting, he invaded in the spring of 1938 to no resistance and annexed it in what became known as Anschluss.
Czechoslovakia (During WWII)
There were a lot of nationalities living here with millions of Germans in the Sudetenland. In the fall of 1938 Hitler made speeches that pushed these Germans to riot and the Czech government to declare martial law. In late September the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy met in Munich to discuss what to do about this.
Munich Conference
Hitler was allowed to take the Sudetenland in return for guarantees he would do no more. Czechoslovakia was told to accept this or the British and French would not defend them. By the spring of 1939 Germany invaded and took all of Czechoslovakia and no one stopped him.
Neville Chamberlain
Great British prime minister who advocated peace and a policy of appeasement
Germany and the USSR (Early WWII)
In the spring of 1941 Hitler ordered an invasion of the USSR. Mussolini, however, ordered invasions of Greece and British controlled Egypt - these were failures that diverted critical German supplies from the east. Simultaneously with Operation Barbarossa, Hitler instituted his policies of his Third Reich, crushing and squeezing everything he could from conquered territories and instituting his programs of mass murder.
Operation Barbarossa
Focused on taking Leningrad, Moscow, and Stalingrad. It came very close to succeeding, crushing most of the Soviet army. However, the Soviets were able to hold the Germans at each of these cities until the start of winter. The Germans were completely unprepared for winter, which brought their offensive to a grinding halt and gave Stalin time to recuperate and seek out new allies.
Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, Japan
Note 
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