7.2 Causes and 7.3 Conducting WWI
What was the immediate cause of WWI?
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Gavrillo Princip
WWI lasted from 1914 to 1918.
Why is it called the Great War?
Due to the immense scale of the fighting
WWI fundamentally weakened the Western European powers, encouraging the growth of nationalism and appeals for self-rule within European colonies in Asia and Africa.
What was the immediate cause of WWI?
The immediate cause of WWI was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
What was the Black Hand?
A nationalist organization devoted to ending Austro-Hungarian presence in the Balkans.
Why did Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia?
Serbia rejected Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum
Describe who declared war on who:
Germany declared war on Russia and France, Britain declared war on Germany and on August 6 Austria declared war on Russia.
Long Term Causes of the Great War:
Define the causes of WWI (use the MAIN acronym! And INCLUDE A LOT OF DETAIL!)
Militarism: Aggressive military preparedness, celebrating war and the armed forces. European powers have been competing for dominance to prove their strength and military. GB and Germany spent a great deal of money to build their army & navies.
Alliances: Groups whose members secretly agree to protect and help one another when attacked. If one was attacked; others in the alliance were expected to stand up for that member. (Reason why Germany and Russia were ready to fight Serbia and Austria-Hungary.
Triple Entente (Allies): Britain & France were allies with Russia and viewed Germany as a rival (for different reasons) (( France was bitter over a loss, and Britain and France competed w/ Germany for colonies in Africa )) Later known as Allies when joined by other countries.
Triple Alliance (Central Powers): Rival alliance against the Allies, Composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. Italy was neutral when the war happened and in 1915, it switched over to the Allies. Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria soon joined the Triple Alliance and it became known as the Central Powers.
Neutral Countries: Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Albania
Imperialism: A driving force behind tensions in Europe leading up to the archduke’s assassination. Was how nations could assert their dominance and generate wealth from overseas colonies. Once W. European countries had gained enough land from the European Scramble, they started to attack the other countries for their colonies.
Nationalism: Feeling of pride in one’s identity; Ottoman’s and Austro-Hungarian Empires had to contend w. Different nationalist movements. Princip had wanted to get rid of A.Hungary’s domination and Arabs were tired of the limits the Ottomans had put on them.
Self-Determination Idea that people of the same ethnicity, Language, culture, and political ideals should be united and have the right to form an independent nation-state.
Consequences of the Great War:
WWI led to the downfalls of which monarchies?
Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire.
Which empires disappeared after the map of Europe was redrawn after WWI?
Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
What happened to Germany after the close of WWI?
Germany had lost all its overseas colonies to various Allied nations.
New technologies made WWI what?
The deadliest and most destructive war in human history.
What were some social consequences of WWI?
Rise of communism & fascism, colonial revolts, and genocide.
Power shifted from Europe to The U.S. after WWI.
Germany was forced to do what after WWI?
Forced to take full blame for the war ( Austria-Hungary started it) and forced to agree to make reparations
Define Reparations: Impossibly large payments to its opponents to make up for their losses.
WWI gave rise to: Authoritarian regimes and an even greater world war.
Why did Great Britain create “Pals Battalions” during WWI?
They didn't have universal conscription
By the end of the war, 1 out of 4 men had served in the British army.
Changes in Warfare
What was the attitude toward war in the first few months of WWI?
They saw it as an opportunity to be a hero as the assemblies sounded like pep rallies and the speakers spoke highly about the ‘easy’ victories. Only a few knew of how brutal the war was.
Who were the only group to openly talk out about WWI in the beginning?
Leaders of socialist parties.
What were some of the horrific new advancements in war?
Trench Warfare, poison gas, machine guns, submarines, airplanes, and tanks.
Describe and define the following:
Trench Warfare (how did many of these men die?)
Soldiers were in long ditches dug in the ground to avoid enemy fire, Many died from diseases due to the unhygienic conditions.
Poison Gas:
Chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas were used during WW1 and these attacks can be extremely painful and long-lasting. It was then outlawed after the war.
Machine Guns:
Fired more than 500 rounds of ammo per minute, made it difficult for either side to gain territory and increased the deadly impact of warfare.
Submarines:
Used briefly in the Civil War but in WW1 it wreaked havoc on the shipping lanes of the Atlantic Ocean.
Airplanes:
Mainly used to observe enemy lines but in 1915 they were fitted with machine guns and would engage in ‘dog fights’ with enemy aircraft.
Tanks:
Made to protect troops as they moved across difficult terrain and over trenches, with the ability to fire at the enemy.
What was the result of both sides using such brutal weapons?
Neither side could defeat the other, resulting in a four-year stalemate where the death toll and suffering rose higher.
The US Enters the War:
Why did the US enter WWI in 1917?
Economic ties
Allied nations were more democratic than the Central Powers were
Growing resentment against the Germans, esp. For U-boat attacks on ships that carry civilians.
Lusitania: An ocean liner that carried more than 100 U.S. citizens that was sank by the Germans.
Interception of the Zimmermann Telegram where the German government had offered to help Mexico reclaim the territory they had lost to the United States.
Total War
Define total war: Committing all their resources to the war effort.
Describe the actions taken by governments to ensure they won the war:
They set up planning boards that set up production quotas, price and wage controls, and the rationing of food and other supplies. They censored the media and imprisoned those who spoke out against the war effort.
What is propaganda? How and why did governments invest in propaganda?
Propaganda is communication meant to influence the attitudes and opinions of a community around a particular subject by spreading inaccurate or slanted information. To recruit the army and navy.
What increased hatred across borders?
The use of highly emotional and often misleading information spread by propaganda
A Global War
Where was WWI fought?
In Europe, Asia, Africa and the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
Competition for colonies was a major cause in the war
What impact did imperialism have on WWI?
It extended the boundaries of the war
Why did Japan enter the war on the side of the allies? Who took most of Germany’s colonies in Africa?
So it could take control of German colonies in the Pacific. The British took most of Germany’s colonies in Africa.
Who was ANZAC? Where did they fight and what was the result?
Australians and New Zealander troops formed a special corps known as ANZAC, they fought in Gallipoli which resulted in heavy Allied losses with little to show for the effort.
Who did Britain begin drafting?
Americans and Indians for combat roles in Europe.
Where did many Arabs fight? Why?
They fought with the Allies because the British had promised self-rule after the war if they were victorious.
Women and the War
How and why did women's lives change during WWI?
Women had started to replace men on farms and in factories, many served on the front lines as nurses, ambulance drivers, and switchboard operators.
Which countries allowed women to enlist?
Russia, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria
How did Russia utilize women in the war?
They created an all-female battalion as propaganda to shame men into continuing to fight.
The Paris Peace Conference
What was the Paris Peace conference? Who attended and which country did they represent?
A peace conference attended by the Big Four, Woodrow Wilson ( U.S. ), David Lloyd George (GB), Georges Clemenceau (France), and Vittorio Orlando ( Italy )
Why did Italians walk out of the peace conference?
They would not get Dalmatia and other territories that they were promised for joining the Allies.
Why were Russians not invited to the peace conference?
It had undergone a communist revolution and refused to honor Russia’s financial debt to the Allies, who in return refused to recognize the Bolshevik government.
Describe what the following leaders believed should happen at the Paris Peace Conference:
Woodrow Wilson: Established ‘peace without victory’ and that no one country should be severely punished or greatly rewarded.
David Lloyd George: Supported Clemenceau’s ideas but acted as an intermediary between the two points
George Clemenceau: France was in need for special considerations to be protected from Germany and that the victorious powers should be able to seek revenge on the Central Powers that started the war.
Vittorio Orlando: Italy should receive their promised land.
What were the Fourteen Points?
Wilsons Principles
Define League of Nations:
Where all nations would discuss conflicts openly as a way to avoid simmering tensions.
Did the US join the league of nations?
No, they ratified the Treaty of Versailles
What did Wilson think should happen to the former territories of the Central Powers?
They deserved the right to self-determination
What new nations were formed after WWI?
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia
The Treaty of Versailles
Germany took the entire blame for WWI at the Treaty of Versailles. What were the terms in the treaty against Germany?
Pay billions of dollars in reparations for damage caused by the war
Give up all of its colonies
Restrict the size of its armed forces
What effects did the Treaty of Versailles have on Germany?
It humiliated the leaders to sign the blame on their part and caused tremendous hardship as their economy suffered from sky-high inflation due to the reparations they were forced to pay.
The Treaty of Versailles set the stage for what in the future?
An extreme and militaristic political party known as the Nazis.