Untitled Flashcards Set

Race to the Sea- Series of battles fought between the Allies and Germans, both sides tried to outflank each other and stretched the front from Marne to the North Sea. Ended in a stalemate, which led to trench warfare on the Western front.

1st Battle of Marne: Marked the end of the German advance into France and the beginning of trench warfare. Germany was prevented from a quick victory and forced then to retreat to the Aisne river. 

Battle of Verdun: One of the longest and bloodiest battles of WWI. The French repelled the German offensive but both suffered heavy casualties.

Battle of Somme- One of the largest battles of WWI, a lot of trench warfare and 1 mil+ casualties. The 1st day was the bloodiest in British military history.

Brusilov Offensive: Major Russian offensive named after the general Alexei Brusilov. They were initially successful but failed to achieve a decisive victory because of a lack of supplies.

Battle of Gallipoli- A failed Allied campaign that tried to capture the Dardanelles Strait and open a sea route to Russia. Lots of heavy casualties.

Armenian Genocide: Massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire and happened during the chaos of WWI.

Arab Revolt/Lawrence of Arabia- The Arab forces revolted against the ottoman empire, led by Emir Faisal and advised by TE Lawrence. 

Significance of the colonies in Asia and Africa for the war effort: Colonies provided soldiers, laborers and raw materials. They contributed to the economy.

Impact of Machine Guns: They increased the lethality of the battlefield and made frontal assaults more expensive. They contributed to the stalemate of trench warfare.

Impact of Poison Gas- They caused psychological trauma and were mainly used in the battle of Ypres.

1st/2nd Battle of Ypres: 1st battle marked the end of the race to the sea, but the second battle introduced the use of poison gas.

Impact of Tanks- Introduced in Battle of the SOmme and were initially unreliable. They became more effective late for breaking through enemy trenches.

Impact of Airplanes: Used mainly for reconnaissance and later for dogfights. 

British Blockade : Naval blockade by Britain to cut off supplies to Germany. This prompted Germany to use unrestricted submarine warfare.

Battle of Jutland: The only major naval battle of WWI between Britain and Germany, the result was inconclusive but Britain maintained control of the seas.

Impact of U-boats- Very effective in sinking allied ships, they also sank the Lusitania which influenced the USA to join the war.

Bolshevik Party: A radical socialist party led by Vladimir Lenin, that seized power in Russia during the October Revolution of 1917. They established a communist government and withdrew Russia from WWI.

Russian Women’s Battalion of Death: All female military units that were used to encourage men to join the war effort, they only managed to fight one battle and disbanded after the Bolsheviks took power. 

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Signed between the USSR and the central powers, ending Russia’s participation in WWI. The treaty resulted in a large territorial loss for Russia.

Reasons for U.S. Entry (Zimmerman Note/Lusitania): Interception of the Zimmerman note and the sinking of the Lusitania.

Ludendorff Offensive: Germany’s final offensive which aimed to break through the allied lines before American reinforcements arrived. 

Spanish Flu- Killed millions worldwide and also soldiers on both sides of the battlefield. It disrupted military operations.

Weimar Republic: The democratic government established in Germany after WWI. It led to political instability, economic hardship and resentment over the treaty of Versailles.

Armistice: Ended the fighting of WWI, signed November 11, 1918. The terms were harsh for Germany.