3Y: Europe of WW1 Flashcards
What was the cause of WW1?
WW1 was caused by intense rivalry which developed between
European Powers in the early 1900s.
Who were the pre-WW1 tensions with?
Military tensions between Germany and Austria-Hungary on the one hand and Britain, France and Russia on the other led to the formation of two armed camps in Europe.
By 1914 the political situation in Europe was very tense.
What happened on the 28th June 1914?
On the 28th June 1914 – the heir to the Austrian throne the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were shot dead at Sarajevo in Bosnia.
This single event lit the spark that started the greatest war the world had ever seen.
It lasted for over four years and resulted in the deaths of over 14 million people.
Who were the 2 groups in WW1 ‘The Great War’?
There were two groups,
- the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and USA) and,
- the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey).
How did the first years of the war progress?
By the end of 1914 a stalemate existed between both sides but, despite heavy casualties, the war continued for over four more years.
What was the major breakthrough in WW1?
The middle of 1918, over a million American troops landed on the Western Front and this proved to be a major turning point in the war and the stalemate was finally broken.
The Germans, who had seemed poised for victory, collapsed over the summer as the Allies reclaimed northern France with a series of counter-offensives culminating in the Second Battle of the Marne in July.
When did WW1 end?
At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month November 1918, a defeated Germany signed a ceasefire bring the Great War to an end.
Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne from the place where it was signed.
What was the Treaty of Versailles?
Much of Europe was destroyed, the war had cost huge sums of money and the leaders were looking for revenge of the Nations that lost the war.
28th June 1919, at the Palace in Versailles, a treaty between Germany and the victorious powers was signed. Germany was harshly treated.
How was Germany harshly tretaed in the ToV? (5)
- Germany had to sign that the war was all their fault.
- £600 Million pounds of reparations had to be paid for all the damage that was caused.
- The Provinces of Alsace-Lorraine were to be returned to France, who had lost it to Germany in 1871.
- Germany lost land to the recreated state of Poland, Denmark and Belgium. As a result over One Tenth of Germany’s population now lived in foreign countries.
- German army was to be reduced to 100,000 soldiers and the border area between Germany, France and Belgium; The Rhineland; became a demilitarised zone. This meant German troops were forbidden from being stationed there.
What was the League of Nations?
- The Treaty of Versailles had included the setting up of a League of Nations.
- It would be a body of the World’s Nations where countries could discuss their quarrels without going to war.
- The League would stop powerful countries from attacking weaker countries.
- It meant all Nations would act together to protect any member that was being attacked.
Why did the League of Nations fail?
- No America: it was President Wilson who proposed setting up the league. But most Americans did not want to get involved. As a result, Wilson lost the 1920 US election and America never joined the league.
- Only victorious Nations were allowed join. As a result, those Nations left outside felt no need to abide by the rulings.
- No army: The league had no army to impose sanctions. It ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of a Second World War in 1939.
What is Democracy?
Democracy – a political system that allows people to elect their own government and to join political parties of their choice.
What is a Dictatorship?
Dictatorship – when a country is completely under the control of one ruler or one political party.
What is Socialism?
Socialism – a political system that tries to reorganise society so as to give more rights, wealth and political power to poorer people.
What is Nationalism?
Nationalism – puts the interests of the state or nation before individuals.
What goverment trends emerged in the 20s and 30s?
- In the 1920s and 1930s new forms of government emerged in some Western European countries.
- A fascist dictator named Benito Mussolini took over Italy, while Adolf Hitler, a Nazi dictator, took over Germany.
- European dictators, however, were not all the same.
What was the Communist/Socialist system of goverment?
- This is a system of government which believes that the wealth of a country should be in the hands of the government for the good of all its people.
- The state, rather that the private owners, controls all land and industry.
Where was the first communist government?
- The first communist government was established in Russia in 1917 following a revolution.
- Russia suffered greatly during the war, resulting in the royal family, the Romanovs, who had ruled for over 300 years, to be overthrown.
- A communist government under Vladimir Lenin came to power in its place.
Who emerged as leader in 1924 following Lenins death?
- Lenin died in 1924 and a new, extreme communist leadership emerged under Josef Stalin.
- Stalin, until his death in 1953, ruled Russia with an iron fist, killing anyone that stood in his way.
How did Stalin oppress the Russian people?
- Millions were sent to their deaths in prison camps that opposed Stalin.
- Millions more starved in the 1930s when Stalin forced unwilling peasants to hand over their farms to government control.
- His brutal nature sent a wave of fear across Europe with
many political powers terrified that he would attempt to spread
communism else where.
What was the Fascism system of government?
- Fascists believed in a strong government headed by a dictator.
- Fascism encourages national pride and the ordinary people to put the interest of the state ahead of their own personal freedom.
- Unlike Communism, which they strongly opposed, fascists believed
in private business and ownership of land and industries. - Some fascist leaders were racist, that is they believed that their own
nation and its people were superior to other nations.
Why did Fascism become popular in Europe? (4)
Fascism became popular in Europe during the years 1919 to 1939 for a number of reasons:
- Some countries like Germany and Italy were dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles.
- There was so much unemployment and inflation in Europe at the time.
- Many land and factory owners were scared of communism.
- Hitler and Mussolini made use of clever propaganda.
Most democratic governments were unable to offer quick solutions to these problems and gradually people began to place their trust in fascist leaders, like Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany, who promised to solve all the problems and restore national pride and power.
Democracy tended to survive only in countries such as Britain and
France where such a system had been well established before WW1.
Why did Fascism rise in Italy? (5)
People in Italy had many problems after WW1;
- Half 1 million Italian soldiers were killed in the war.
- Unemplyment was very high. Former soldiers could not get jobs.
- The Communist party was very popular and this worried rich people, who feared for their wealth.
- The church also feared communism, who were against organised religion.
- Members of Italy’s democractic government seemed to be weak and corrupt.
Who was Benito Mussolini?
- Before WW1, Mussolini was a socialist like his father, but Mussolini turned his back on socialism, when they had objections to Italy joining the war.
- He himself enlisted in the war but was largely unimpressive.
- He was intelligent, arrogant and hungry for power.
- He liked uniforms and parades and was prepared to use violence to achieve his aims.
