World War I Flashcards

Flashcards to review key concepts related to the causes and context of World War I.

Concert of Europe

A period in the 19th century when major European powers maintained a balance of power.

Splendid Isolation

Britain's policy of avoiding alliances and entanglements in European affairs.

Otto von Bismarck

The rise of Prussia under his leadership challenged the Concert of Europe.

Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

The war that allowed Bismarck to consolidate a German Empire.

Avenge defeat in Franco-Prussian War

France's primary policy goal after 1871.

League of the Three Emperors

The group that included Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany, negotiated by Bismarck in 1873.

Austrian concerns over Russian influence in the Balkans

The reason for the dissolution of the League of the Three Emperors.

Germany and Austria-Hungary

The two countries that formed the Dual Alliance in 1879.

Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

The three countries that formed the Triple Alliance in 1882.

Isolate France

Bismarck's overall purpose of the alliances.

Reinsurance Treaty (1887)

The secret agreement between Germany and Russia to remain neutral if either were attacked.

Wilhelm II

The leader who forced Bismarck to retire in 1890.

Leo von Caprivi

The Chancellor who persuaded Wilhelm II not to renew the Reinsurance Treaty.

Franco-Russian Alliance

The alliance agreed to in 1894 by France and Russia.

Entente Cordiale

The agreement between France and Britain in 1904.

Britain, France, and Russia

The three countries that formed the Triple Entente.

Agadir Crisis

The crisis in 1911 where British and Russian support for France against Germany was accentuated.

Alfred von Tirpitz

German admiral who sought to build an Imperial German Navy.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

The US naval author whose work influenced Tirpitz.

HMS Dreadnought

The technological advantage the British gained in 1906 concerning naval ships.

Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg

The German Chancellor who acknowledged defeat in the naval arms race in 1911.

Rüstungswende

The 'armaments turning point' where Germany switched expenditure from the navy to the army.

Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912)

The war that demonstrated Ottoman weakness and led to the formation of the Balkan League.

Balkan League

The alliance of Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Greece.

Treaty of London (1913)

The treaty that created an independent Albania while enlarging the territories of other Balkan states.

Second Balkan War

The war where Bulgaria attacked Serbia and Greece in 1913.

Most of Macedonia

The territory lost by Bulgaria to Serbia and Greece in the Second Balkan War.

Southern Dobruja

The territory lost by Bulgaria to Romania in the Second Balkan War.

"Powder keg of Europe"

The phrase used to describe the Balkans before 1914 due to its instability.

1908

The year Austria annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Pan-Slavic and Orthodox Russia

Who considered themselves the protector of Serbia and other Slav states?

Bosporus

What straits did Russia prefer be controlled by a weak Ottoman government?

The Balkans

What did Austrian statesmen view as essential for the continued existence of their empire?

Unilateral

What type of action was the Austrian annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Bosnia and Herzegovina

What was annexed by Austria concurrent to the Bulgarian declaration of independence?

The Italo-Turkish War

What war demonstrated the weakness of the Ottoman Empire?

Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece

Which countries were part of the Balkan League?

Ports on the Adriatic

What territories did Serbia capture during the Balkan Wars?

November 21, 1912

When did Austria start partial mobilization during the Balkan Wars?

Albania

What country was created by the Treaty of London in 1913?

June 16, 1913

When did Bulgaria attack Serbia and Greece during the Second Balkan War?

Serbia and Greece

To whom did Bulgaria lose most of Macedonia?

Romania

To whom did Bulgaria lose Southern Dobruja?

Germany and Austria-Hungary

What country relied on faster mobilisation to compensate for their numerical inferiority compared to Russia?

170,000

By how many troops did Germany expand its standing army in 1913?

Compulsory military service

What did France extend from two to three years?

Over 50%

By what percentage did military spending by the six major European powers increase?

The Balkans

What region was marked by a series of crises before 1914?

Diplomatic relations

What was damaged between Serbia and Italy due to the Bosnian Crisis

Austrian Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

What was the Bulgarian Declaration of Independence timed to coincide with?