The Great War (World War I): 1914-1918

Not finished/lmk if anything is wrong

Militarism

The policy glorifies military power and keeps an army prepared for war. European nations believed truly great nations = having a powerful military.

Nationalism

Pride for one's country/Angry about loss of land. Desire to create a political state for a particular group of people.

Otto von Bismarck

Used war to unify Germany & declared it a "satisfied power". Believed France was the greatest threat to peace because they still wanted revenge for Franco-Prussian war.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Ruler of Germany. MILITARISM, breaks alliances causing people to be dragged into war. Forced Bismarck to resign and cut Bismarck's treaty with Russia, so Russia joins the Triple Entente. Germany signed an armistice and citizens blamed him for all troubles.

The Balkans

“Powder-keg” of Europe bc they had a long history of nationalist uprisings and ethnic clashes. Bosnia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece. A mountainous peninsula in the SE corner of Europe. Broke away from Ottoman Turk rule.

The Black Hand

A secret society committed to ridding Bosnia of Austrian rule. Gavrilo Princip (Serbian nationalist), Franz Ferdinand’s assassinator, was a member.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austria-Hungary throne, assassinated by Gavrilo Princip (Serbian nationalist) in Sarajevo, Bosnia. - in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The assassination was a mere coincidence in their paths.

Schlieffen Plan

German plan to quickly knock out the French on the Western Front, then a single-front war with the Russians

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire.

Allied Powers

Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Italy.

Mobilization

Preparing troops for war. Russia was moving all its troops to Germany, which made Kaiser Wilhelm II scared.

Western Front

Northern France, a deadlocked (stalemate) region. - France, Belgium, Germany.

Eastern Front

Along the German and Russian border. - Russia, Austria-Hungary; Russians and Serbs battled Germans and Austro-Hungarians. MANY RUSSIANS DIED

Trench Warfare

Opposing armies dug miles of parallel trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire. Had horrible conditions for the soldiers. Necessitated by new weapons, no man’s land - space between the 2 sides’ trenches, mostly used on the Western Front, barbed wire between the two.

Stalemate

A situation in which neither opposing countries have the upper hand. Nothing is advancing.

Unrestricted submarine warfare

Submarines sink ships (including civilian ships) without warning. Used mainly by Germans.

Zimmerman Note

German foreign secretary sent a telegram to Mexico to get Mexico on the Germany/Central Powers side with General financial support and reconquering land. Decoded by Britain, but hesitant to give the telegram to the US to protect its knowledge from being detected and to capitalize on the growing German hate in the Us. final action that compelled the US to join the Great War.

Total War

Countries devoted all their resources to the war effort.

Rationing

People could only buy small amounts of items that were also used for the war effort.

Propaganda

One-sided information designed to persuade and keep up morale and support for the war. Used by governments.

Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting. The one between Germany and France

Reparations

Payments for war damages; Germany was forced to pay Allies $33 billion over 30 years.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

The treaty between Russia and Germany ended Russia’s involvement in the war. As a result, Russia lost Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, some of Poland, and some of Romania.

1^st Battle of the Marne

It destroyed the Schlieffen Plan.

2^nd Battle of the Marne

The beginning of Germany’s downfall.

Woodrow Wilson

Created 14 points of peace proposals, main idea of SELF DETERMINATION. “peace without victory”

Georges Clemenceau

Wanted Germany to have a smaller military and lose their land. He lived near Germany so he was scared of invasions and wanted some of Germany’s land.

David Lloyd George

Wanted Germany to pay reparations bc his country did not fight a lot but he wanted Germany to pay.

Fourteen Points

A plan for achieving a just and lasting peace. MAIN idea was self-determination.

Self-determination

Allowed people to decide for themselves under what government they wished to live.

League of Nations

From the 14th point. International peace organization; enemy and neutral nations excluded. Germany and Russia were excluded. Punished Germany w/ territory loss, military restrictions, Article 231 - war guilt reparations. If it had almost all countries followed the rules it would make progress, it failed bc a lot of countries rejected it like the US.

Treaty of Versailles

League of Nations, territorial losses, military restrictions, and war guilt; essentially benefited all the Allies except Germany who had much to pay back.

Major causes of World War I

MANIA, Militarism - extreme emphasis on military power; Alliances - made for political, economic, and military reasons; Nationalism - pride for one’s country; Imperialism - competition over trade and territory, Assassination - Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary assassinated

How was World War I a global conflict?

Ottoman empire, Japan, Unrestricted submarine warfare - US, Major imperialist powers drag their colonies into the war (Africa and Asia)

How did total war affect ordinary citizens?

Unemployment rates decrease (women become employed and have a front seat to war), propaganda, rationing.

How did machine guns impact World War I?

War is more destructive. War is no longer fought in close proximity to one another.

How did trench warfare impact World War I?

Slow paced war. Traded many lives for small land gains.

How did the Russian Revolution impact World War I?

Civil unrest bc the high death toll, civilians were dying, lack of food bc of rationing. People were trying to create a communist society (wouldn’t have gotten support if they weren’t suffering from war) WWI is one cause of it. CInfluenced Russia to leave the war.

How did American participation impact World War I?

After the sinking of Lusitania and finally the Zimmerman note, they assisted Britain and France. It led to an Allies victory over Germany and Austria-Hungary

What did England want at the end of the war?

Reparations, not a lot of involvement in fighting, but they wanted Germany to pay.

What did France want at the end of the war?

Germany’s demilitarization and loss of land. They were near Germany, so they were afraid of invasions. They wanted land bc they were near Germany.

What did Italy want at the end of the war?

They wanted Austrian lands that they were promised by GB in the Triple Alliance.

What did the United States want at the end of the war?

Lasting peace without victory. Not involved with European conflicts anymore.

What did Germany want at the end of the war?

They did not want to be punished too harshly. A lot of civilians died - TOTAL WAR.

What did Poland want at the end of the war?

To be a country; wanted Germany and Russian land to gain independence.

Which empires collapsed?

Ottoman, Austria-Hungary, Russia

Which new nations formed?

Austria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Yugoslavia

Who gained territory?

Who lost territory?

Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Russia

Who lost the most territory and why?

Russia because they pulled out of the war early when they signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Which nation’s land had the most new countries?

Russia

Country created from Serbia, Montenegro, and part of Austria-Hungary.

Yugoslavia

Nation on the Black Sea enlarged by land take from Austria-Hungary and Russia.

Romania

Nation that includes a corridor to the Baltic Sea taken from Germany.

Poland

Nation bordering Poland and Germany which was formerly part of Austria-Hungary.

Czechoslovakia

Nations Russia gave up in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, some of Poland, some of Romania.

Two landlocked nations created from the heart of the former Austrian Empire.

Austria and Hungary

What caused the US to end relations with Germany?

Germany breaking its pledge to limit submarine warfare.

Which ally of the US did Germany try to pull into the Zimmerman note- how did they respond?

Japan refused to betray the Allies.

The nation that lost the most soldiers in WWI.

Russia

The nation that lost the fewest soldiers in WWI.

United States

The nation that spent the most money in WWI.

Germany

The nation that spent the least money in WWI.

Italy

Paris Peace Conference

Postwar meeting to create a settlement. The Big Three: Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, George Clemenceau. Two main treaties: were the Fourteen Points for Us and the Treaty of Versailles for England and France. European Allies: intent to punish more than to seek peace.

How did the Schlieffen Plan shape the overall war?

Forced both the Central and Allied Powers to fight on two fronts, exhausting them (especially Germany) and expanding the reach of the horrors of the war.

What happened at the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?

June 28, 1914. When the first assassin threw his bomb, it bounced off the car’s hood and injured two of the Archduke’s men which led to him visiting them in the hospital. - On the way there, the car had to stop with toute confusion which led to Gavrilo Princip crossing paths with Sophia and Franz.

After the Assassination

Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Serbia was difficult to meet ad the failure to comply would lead to war, Serbia did not respond by the deadline, so Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

War of Attrition

attempt to wear down the enemy

Battle of Verdun

longest battle of the war, war of attrition - to see who lasts loger

Battle of Jutland

only sea battle, British naval dominance continues

Battle of Somme

Almost 1 million dead, an Allied victory.

Franz Ferdinand's Assassination

June 28, 1914. In Sarajevo (Bosnia), Austria-Hungary