World War I: The Great War Practice Flashcards

Overview and Timeline of the Great War

  • Total Duration: World War I, historically referred to as "The Great War," lasted from 1914 to 1918.

  • Global Impact: The conflict involved major world powers divided into two opposing military alliances.

The Underlying Causes of World War I

  • Militarism: This involved the intense growth in the size and power of national armies and military establishments across Europe.

  • Alliance System: The formation of rigid diplomatic and military blocks, specifically the Triple Alliance versus the Triple Entente.

  • Imperialism: Spiraling competition between nations over the acquisition of overseas territories and resources.

  • Nationalism: An intense form of patriotism or the belief that "My country is better than yours," which fueled international tensions.

The Alliance System: Triple Alliance vs. Triple Entente

  • The Triple Alliance (Central Powers):

    • Germany

    • Austria-Hungary

    • Italy

  • The Triple Entente (Allied Powers):

    • France

    • Great Britain

    • Russia

    • (Note: The United States joined the Allied effort in 1917).\n

The Spark: The Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand

  • Date of Event: June 28, 1914.

  • The Location: Sarajevo, Bosnia.

  • The Victim: Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

  • The Assassin: Gavrillo Princip, a member of the Black Hand.

  • The Black Hand: A secret organization of militant Serbs seeking to end Austro-Hungarian rule in the Balkans.

The "Blank Check" and its Consequences

  • The Diplomatic Pivot: Following the assassination of Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary (A/H) sought the immediate support of its strongest ally, Germany.

  • The German Response: Germany pledged 100% support for any conflict Austria-Hungary might have with Bosnia. This unconditional support is historically known as the "Blank Check."

  • Long-term Significance: This pledge would eventually serve as the basis for the "Guilt Clause" at the end of the war, where Germany was held solely responsible for initiating the conflict.

Questions Regarding Warfare and Technology

  • Trench Warfare: The transcript prompts an investigation into the nature of trench warfare, which defined the stalemate on the Western Front.

  • The Machine Gun: The transcript questions the impact of the machine gun's introduction on the battlefield, which revolutionized defensive capabilities and increased casualty rates.

  • Submarine Warfare: The transcript highlights the significant impact of submarine (U-boat) technology on the progression and expansion of the war.

The Schlieffen Plan

  • Developer: German General Alfred von Schlieffen.

  • Strategic Rationale: Germany faced the threat of a two-front war with enemies on both sides: France to the West and Russia to the East.

  • The Strategy: German forces would rapidly sweep through neutral Belgium into France, capture Paris, and then quickly swing East to confront the Russian forces.

  • Assumptions: The plan relied on the assumption that Russia would be very slow to mobilize its military forces.

Naval Conflict: The Sinking of the Lusitania

  • Date of Sinking: May 7, 1915.

  • The Incident: The British passenger ship Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine off the Irish coast.

  • Casualties: Approximately 1100 people perished in the disaster.

  • American Involvement: Among the dead were 120 Americans, which sparked intense diplomatic protests from the United States government.

  • German Reactionary Policy: To appease the United States and avoid their entry into the war, Germany temporarily decided to have submarines surface before firing on vessels.

  • Media Coverage: Headlines from the New York Times Extra noted the ship sank in 15 minutes and reported figures such as "probably 1,260 dead" with notable missing persons including Frohman and Vanderbilt.

The Russian Revolution of 1917

  • Leadership: Vladimir Lenin led a socialist revolution that successfully overthrew Tsar Nicholas II.

  • Military Withdrawal: Internal turmoil forced Russian forces to abandon the battlefield and return to Moscow.

  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk: Signed on March 3rd, 1918, this treaty officially closed the Eastern Theater of the war.

  • Fate of the Monarchy: In 1919, Tsar Nicholas II and his entire family were executed.

United States Entry into World War I

  • Primary Drivers for US Involvement:

    • German Aggression: General hostile actions by German forces.

    • Cultural Sympathy: A shared heritage and sympathy for England.

    • Unrestricted Submarine Warfare: Germany utilized this tactic before 1915 and resumed it after 1917.

    • Economic Interests: A perceived threat to international commerce and trade.

    • Debt Repayment: The need to ensure the Allies could repay their substantial war debts to the United States.

    • The Zimmerman Telegram: A secret diplomatic communication from Germany to Mexico.

    • Ideology: The war shifted into a struggle of "democracies vs. brutal monarchies" following Russia's exit.

    • Domestic Pressure: Influence from "War Hawks."

Mobilization and the Selective Service Act

  • Legislation: The Selective Service Act of 1917.

  • Function: Authorized the federal government to conscript (draft) men into the military specifically for World War I.

  • Executive Action: Signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

  • Statistics: Approximately 2.8 million men were drafted, and nearly 117,000 died during service.

Soldier Identity and Nicknames

  • Doughboys: The origin of this nickname for U.S. infantrymen is debated among several theories:

    • Uniform Appearance: Cavalrymen used the term because the brass buttons on infantry uniforms resembled flour dumplings or "dough cakes."

    • Pipe Clay: Soldiers used white pipe clay or flour to polish their white belts.

    • Geographic Dust: During the 1916 expedition in northern Mexico, infantry were covered in chalky dust that looked like unbaked dough or the "adobe" (transformed to 'dobies' then 'doughboys') bricks of the region.

    • Cooking Methods: Derived from the 1840s/1850s method of baking doughy flour-and-rice concoctions in campfire ashes.

  • Yankees (Yanks):

    • Defines a citizen of the US, particularly from the Northeast, often characterized as a shrewd businessman.

    • Adopted by Europeans to refer to all US soldiers during the war.

    • Associated with the song: "Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pony; he stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni."

War Propaganda

  • Visual Messaging: Propaganda was used to mobilize public support and funding.

  • Examples:

    • "HALT the HUN! BUY U.S. GOVERNMENT BONDS - THIRD LIBERTY LOAN."

    • "YOU buy a LIBERTY BOND LEST I PERISH."

The End of the War: Armistice

  • The Date: November 11, 1918.

  • The Timing: "The eleventh month, the eleventh day, the eleventh hour…"

  • Armistice Day: Defined as a "laying down of arms."

  • Evolution of the Holiday: In 1954, following the Korean War, Armistice Day was renamed Veteran’s Day to include those who served in World War II and the Korean War.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919)

  • The "Big Four" Participants:

    • Lloyd George: Representing Great Britain.

    • Clemenceau: Representing France.

    • Orlando: Representing Italy.

    • Wilson: Representing the United States.

  • Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points:

    • This was the President’s framework for a peace settlement.

    • The central feature was the creation of a League of Nations, intended as a forum for major powers to discuss conflicts before they escalated (similar to the modern United Nations).

    • Outcome: Although Wilson strongly advocated for the League, the United States Congress voted not to join.

  • Article 231 – The Guilt Clause:

    • Explicitly stated that Germany was responsible for the war.

    • Punitive Measures against Germany:

      • Forced to pay massive financial reparations to the Allies.

      • Army reduced to a maximum of 100,000 men.

      • Severe cutbacks to the Navy.

      • Total elimination of the Air Force.

    • Territorial Losses: The territory of Alsace-Lorraine, taken by Germany in 1871, was returned to France.