Great War (lecture)

ID Terms

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to Hapsburg Austro-Hungary throne

Killed by a Serbian nationalist group on June 28th, 1914

Failure of diplomacy and military mobilization leads to war

Siegfried Sassoon

Triple Entente

France, Britain, Russia

Formed in 1894

Triple Alliance

Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy

Formed in 1882. Italy eventually leaves

The Somme

Multiple little battles from Britain and France to Germany

Many casualties, 20,000 first day

1 million total injured or killed

Lots of lives lost, little ground gained

Fought along French Somme River

July 1st to Nov 8th 1916

Many dead due to volunteers being undertrained

Schlieffen Plan

Germans travel through Belgium to attack France rather than head-on

Did not work; got themselves stuck

Christmas Truce

1914 Christmas Eve

Fighting stops and Britain and German soldiers venture out their trenches to play soccer and sing together

More in common with each other rather than their governments that sent them.

Trench Warfare

Sides dig into the ground and focus on defending their position and attacking enemy trenches

Exclusive to great war

War of Attrition

Military strategy where nobody moves/hardly moves. Wait out the enemy.

Wear down enemy from loss of supplies, men, and morale

Global 1914-1918

How great was the Great War?

Very, everyone involved. New military mobilization. Far reaching social, political, and economic effects. 4 empires gone. Ended Europe’s preeminent status in global economy. Government more involved. Women propelled. Disrupting current political alliances and formed new ones

How do we explain the scale of violence that Europe experiences during the 20th century?

Under what conditions is violence of this sort made possible and expressed?

Why did the war happen during 1914-1918?

To what extent did domestic tensions predispose statesmen to go to war?

Geopolitical rivalries/Multiple alliances born from nationalism

  1. France and Britain vs Germany

    1. Industrial competition

    2. Germany runs out of colonial opportunities and squeezed by hostile neighbors

  2. Russia vs Austro-Hungary

    1. Ottomans destabilized

      Competition over territories

    2. Kingdom of Serbia involved as the only independent southern slavic state

Domestic Tensions

  1. Suffragettes on the rise (Britain)

  2. Trade unions (Britain)

  3. Ethnic nationalism issues (Austro-Hungary)

  4. European statesmen believe war success would strengthen their positions at home (Europe)

  5. War would wash all former stressors

  6. Everyone happy and excited when war starts, even bored

    1. Men experience war excitement for honor and valor

  1. British Naval Blockade of Germany

    1. Cut off supplies

    2. Effective

    3. Food riots in Germany

  2. Russian Revolution occurs

    1. Troops desert front lines

Sassoon

  1. British poet/soldier in WWI

  2. Young soldiers eager to go to war for honor and a test of masculinity

  3. Come out of the war angry and disillusioned at society