Ch. 25 - Unit 8a: WW| & Russian Revolution Flashcards
MAIN Causes WWI (long term causes)
-M: Militarism = states desire to increase military capacity in order to defend & pursue national interests
*Technological advancements in weapons & transportation, etc
*Demonstrate power & nationalism
*Large standing militaries (conscription)
*Influence of military leaders
–> Russia: 1.3 million men in army, France & Germany: 900,000, Austria & Hungary, Italy, etc 250-500,000
–> Leaders insisted that complex military plans for deployment & mobilization could not be changed–lead political leaders to make decisions on military basis rather than political
–> Schlieffen plan: attack stronger enemy first w/80% & then once immobilized attack weaker→wanted to keep main focus on growing colonies, wanted quick war. Plan failed.
-A: Alliances
*Shifting alliances after Congress of Berlin (Russo-Turkish treaty)
*Triple Alliance (1882): Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
*Triple Entente: French, British, Russian
–> Congress of Berlin–Bismarck really emphasizes use of alliances to promote peace & prevent major issues —>Germany creates several alliances to promote it’s own peace & safety–Especially to avoid war w/French & avoid two-front war w/France & Russia
–>William II removes Bismarck from power & begins to shift alliances–more activists foreign policy–find “germany’s place in the sun”
-I: Imperialism
*Increased european competition for imperial power
-N: Nationalism
*Increased desire for autonomy/nation hood for ethnic groups (esp Slavic minorities)
*Increased nationalism = increased competition amongst European nation-states
*Brinkmanship diplomacy: defend self & allies up to the point of war
*Serving own self-interest at the cost of war?
“The Spark” WWI
-Assassination
*Serbia determined to create large state in Balkans
–> Supported by Russians
–> Threat to Austria-Hungary
*Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand (June 28, 1914)
–> Member of the Black Hand
‘'’Serbian terrorists group dedicated to creation of pan-Slavic kingdom, advocate Serbian nationalism
*Austria-Hungary saw opportunity to wipe out Serbia
–> Turned to German ally for support
‘'’Blank check: Germany’s full support, even if it means war
*Declared war July 28, 1914
*Russia supports Serbia
–> Tsar Nicholas II orders mobilization of army in response to Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war
*Germany declares war on Russia (8/1)…. And France? (8/3)
*And then we’re off
*Germany invades Belgium & marches to France (8/2 to 8/3)
*Great Britain declares war on Germany (8/4)
*Issues of militarism–Russian military leadership informed Tsar that partial mobilization was not possible b/c plans were based on full mobilization based on war w/Austria-Hungary & Germany–forced tsar to mobilize all troops
–German plan (Schlieffen plan) was based on two front war w/France & Germany (had alliance)
Trench Warfare
*Trenches dug along front
Soldiers rotate in service in trenches
Extremely poor conditions
Death from exposure
No Man’s Land between the trenches
-Employed primarily on Western Front, long, narrow, trenches were dug into ground by soldiers who would occupy them for long periods of time, they were designed to protect troops from machine-gun fire & artillery attack from the air
-Opposing trenches were close together w/”no man’s land” - an area that was dangerously unprotected & filled w/mines & barbed wire as territory between the trenches
-Conditions were inhumane as trenches were exposed to elements, often infested w/rats & lice & soldiers would die of exposure
-Cost of lives was staggering & often resulted in minimal territorial gain & a stalemate
World War I Technology, New Technologies
-Planes were used at first to observe troops & then armed w/machine guns
-Tanks were used by both sides & while they moved slowly, could crush barbed wire & cross trenches
-Poisonous gases such as chlorine & mustard were used by both sides & while they resulted in a small # of deaths, their use was psychologically devastating
-Machine guns were widely used by both sides due to their portability & power
-Flamethrowers were first used by the Germans near Vurdun, France in 1915
-Submarines known as Germany U-boats, sank merchant ships throughout war
Medical Advancements :
-Deadly & destructive weapons & developments in medicine significantly changed how soldiers were treated
-Soldiers often able to survive severe wounds
*Way better at surgery & we know about germs
*Successful amputations & soldiers are young enough to still live a long life & contribute
–> Need for prosthetics
–> New medical developments
–> New societal developments to include amputees in economy, society, etc
Colonial Soldiers
Colonial Soldiers:
-Over 4 million non-European men mobilized during WWI
*1.5 million Indian soldiers
*1.3 Other British colonies
*5% of 15-49 year old men in New Zealand died
*France recruited 500,000 colonial troops
–> Most African soldiers served as laborers (10-20% died)
-Colonial empires used people & materials from colonies to fight war
Armenian Genocide:
-Minority in Turkish Ottoman Empire
-Sporadic massacres prior to WWI
-Increased to genocide during WWI
-Ottoman Turks feared Armenian resistance to Turkish aims in war
-1915-1916 mass genocide
*Group of armenians driven from homes & hanged in Istanbul
*Others forced to march into desert
*~1 million died
*Some forced to assimilate to Turkish culture
Total War
-Total war demands participation & support of all citizens both on & off battlefields
-Govs centralized their power, controlled economies & used propaganda to manipulate public opinion, most Euro powers already had some level of conscription but it increased greatly
*Wartime govs expanded their powers over economies, sometimes nationalizing industry & transportation needed 4 war effort
-Governments will persuade their citizens that everyone, in a way, is a soldier
*Peacetime comforts like food (coffee is among the first to go in many European nations), cloth, leather & other materials have military priority
*This is important—suffering gives civilians a sense of “belonging” to war effort
–>textiles factories turned into ammunition factories, rationed food etc, = since ppl at home were sacrificing for what seemed to be an unwinnable war w/devastating casualties, discontent began growing & that led to protest + insurrection at home
-Planned economy Price controls (even more so in WWII) : *Rationing
*Top priority for war industry
-Propaganda: *used 2 manipulate public opinion & rally enthusiasm 4 war
*Enemy must be portrayed as a barbarian (connection to social darwinism, extreme nationalism)
*European side is portrayed as civilized & heroic
*Main purpose: get people to enlist→ often used guilt to do this, also used sex appeal, volunteer labor at home
-The World War I Home Front serves as a “textbook” for dictators who will come to power in 1920s & 1930s.
*Governments would wage total war
*Governments would plan their economies.
*Governments would master manipulating public opinion –> These are the factors that will empower later dictators
Morale weakens
-Morale weakens : *Two key events—one in Ireland, one in France, show that Europeans are growing sick of the War
*A rebellion—the “Easter Rising”–in Ireland is crushed by British troops.
*While thousands of Irish soldiers are dying in France… The British gov. is moving no closer to granting Home Rule—let alone giving Ireland its independence.
Even though rebellion is not welcomed by many Irish…
–> …When the British quickly shoot the captured rebel leaders (the execution site is at right)
–> …The rebels become martyrs, & Irish hatred of English—& “their” war—intensifies
*In 1917, the French General Staff orders a new offensive
–> Guaranteed to end War in 48 hours, & at a cost of at most 10,000 casualties, it is instead just another disaster.
–> 120,000 French soldiers are killed or wounded in five days of combat that accomplishes nothing
–> The poilus are so disgusted w/their generals…That they “baa-a” like sheep as they go into battle, as if they were animals bound for the slaughterhouse.
–> Now, in April 1917, they mutiny: The mutineers will fight to defend France, but no more than that
–> Some of their leaders will be shot.
*But French Army reforms itself, too
–> Better pay, better food, more rest—& no new offensives until Americans, now in the War, start to arrive in numbers.
–> The army is forced to concede that French soldiers are citizens, not animals
*It is perhaps the German and the Russian people who suffer the most.
–> The great British advantage—their navy—blockades Germany
–> The average German consumed about one-third of calories a typical American teen consumes today.
*Russia’s suffering mirrored that of Germany.
Women in WWI
-Women played important economic role during war –> taking over new jobs & responsibilities, led to improvements in women’s wages though they remained unequal to men after war, many gains temporary
*Gained some temporary independence & status, but does not last
*Most do gain right to vote following the war
Treaty of Versailles: The Victorious Powers did not at all agree how peace should be administered
-WWI armistice (agreement for cessation of active hostilities between 2 or more belligerents) AKA war not over but fighting is over, establishes peace, November 11, 1918
-US, Great Britain, & France main leaders at Paris Peace Conference
*How do we officially end this war? Series of treaties but focus is Treaty of Versailles (eventually signed w/Germany with other countries)
*Brought different goals/ideals to the table
*US=Woodrow Wilson, IDEALISM, protect & prompt democracy, wants to see natural rights of ppl, believes we should not punish Germany too much, just make sure we establish peace & democracy but nothing too intense for Germany
–> Fourteen Points: included provision for reduction of arms among nations, open diplomatic relationships rather than secretive treaties & most important of all = right of self-determination among nations (nation/group of people w.similar political ambitions can seek to create its own independent gov. or state)
–> Proposes League of Nations to promote diplomacy & solve disputes that way instead of war
*GB & France=focus more on punishment for Germany, strip Germany of power & influence
–> David Loyd George, prime minister of GB won his office by campaigning a platform to punish Germany
–> France’s George Clemenceau wanted to punish Germany for all destruction in France, main goal was to uphold National Security of France against future German aggression
–> Come with different ideas of peace b/c most of fighting is occurring in Europe, Aka France/Western Front, US doesn’t join until the end & destruction/level of involvement is significantly less than France b/c France was there from beginning & suffered casualties mostly due to Germany
Treaty of Versailles
-Treaty of Versailles= Peace treaty w/Germany & Creates League of Nations governing body to avoid warfare & maintain diplomacy (Wilson had to go back to US to propose to Senate abt it, they are very concerned abt US autonomy & foreign affairs, rejects it & create separate treaty w/Germany & do not join League of Nations)
–> Consequences for Germany: war guilt clause, reparations, loss of territory, etc.
*Demilitarization (Most countries do but Germany specifically has to do so a lot) No Air-force, standing military small, no new weapons, shrinks military etc.
*Loose a lot of land in Europe, France has Alsace-Lorraine region returned, when Russia withdraws from War, loose land to Germany but they give it back after WW|
*Loose colonies in Africa
*Forced to pay back so much money to mostly France but also GB for damages inflicted from WW|, set up payment plan & do so continuously but had been getting loans from US to pay reparations & when US economy collapses due to Great Depression, Germany in debt !!
*War Guilt Clause: Germany must assume all responsibility for WW|
Treaty of Versailles: How did it effect the global balance of power?
- United states emerged far more wealthy & far more powerful than before the war, became true global power
-Strained relationship w/Russia: they dropped out of war to have Communist Revolution & now very much communist –> Western Euro powers distrusted them
*Powers at peace table bolstered states neighboring Russia like Poland & Czechoslovakia & along w/other states like Hungary & Yugoslavia became known as democratic successor states bc they were newly formed of the rubble of larger empires
-European empires were disbanded after war
*Austro-Hungarian Empire & Ottoman Empire dissolved
-Germany was severely punished & lost position as major euro power
-Under Mandate System –> Victorious powers took control of Germany’s colonial possessions
All of this balancing led straight to WW||!!!!
The League of Nations
-Treaty of Versailles essentially redrew map of Europe especially Eastern Europe (Russian empire lost sig land & Austro-Hungarian empire dissipated & so did Ottoman empire, new borders drawn were done by vistorious powers of the war w/no consideration for ethnic minorities who lived in them –> caused probelms)
-Established Mandate system
*In order to gain support for their cause, Allied powers in war promised several Arab nations ruled by Ottomans that they would recognize their independence HOWEVER desire to have control & prodigious amounts of oil in middle eastern states & opportunity was too tempting
–> Under authority of League of Nations, France took control of Lebanon & Syria while GB took control of Iraq & Palestine HOWEVER were not colonizing these nations, they were just mandates administered by these countries for League of nations
Problems in Russia
-Political Stagnation: Revolution of 1905 (some liberal reforms enacted, then taken away, revolt largely failure, when WW| rolled around Nicholas || = Tsar & very much leaned on military & bureaucracy to calm discontent & bolster his regime)
-Social Inequality:Though serfdom was abolished, landed elite still maintained great deal of power in many places + increasing gap of wealthy & poor so ppl were not happy! all of this just worsened w/Russia’s involvement in WW|
-Incomplete Industrialization: Though significant gains in Industrialization were made in past decades, WW| showed how deficient they really were –> Russian troops didn’t have enough guns, enough ammunition & some lacked adequate clothing & footwear
-Food & Land Distribution: Despite abolition of serfdom most peasants were landless & food shortages were common (led to first Rumblings of Russian Revolution in March 1917)
Russian Revolution: Pre 1905
-1853-1856: Crimean war (lost)
-1861: Russia ends serfdom
*Peasants still struggle, landless, many move to cities looking for jobs
*Early industrialization increases populations of cities→ allows for easier organization of people
-December 1895: Lenin (future leader of Bolsheviks) is arrested & kept in solitary confinement for 13 months & then exiled to Siberia
-1904-1905: Russo-Japanese war (lost) –> Tsar Nicholas || wanted to show Euro they were powerful, industrialized by defeating Japan & not allowing them to overtake their colonies
-1880s-1917
*3 March (19 Feb) 1861: Tsar Alexander II passes Emancipation Edict, ending serfdom in Russia (but keeps peasants tied to land through continuing labour obligations)
*17 (5) Feb 1880: Failed attempt (no. 5) to assassinate Tsar Alexander II by blowing up his palace dining room kills 11 and wounds 56, Tsar survives thru being late to dinner
*13 (1) March 1881: Tsar Alexander II is assassinated by a member of radical group People’s Will, succeeded by his son, Alexander III, who enacts anti-terrorism measures that curb civil rights & freedom of the press.
*1882: Pogroms against Jews spread across Russian Empire, leading to mass emigration of Jewish pop.
*1891–1892: Famine in Russia kills between 375,000 & 400,000 & affects millions more
*1 Nov. (20 Oct) 1894: Tsar Alexander III dies after sudden illness; his son Nicholas (Nicholas II) assumes throne
*20 (8) December 1895: Lenin, future leader of Bolsheviks, is arrested to be kept in solitary confinement for 13 months & then exiled to Siberia
-The Khodynka Tragedy: 30 (18) May 1896: A stampede in Moscow occurs during festivities following Nicholas II’s coronation, as crowds, worried that supplies of free souvenirs would run out, rushed for stalls to get them, results in deaths of over 1,300 people
Russian Revolution: 1905 Revolution
-1905 Revolution: *January 22/9, 1905: Bloody Sunday: troops & police open fire on peaceful demonstration outside Winter Palace, ~1,000 casualties
–> Outbreak of soldier protests & unrest
*Press blames Nicholas II
-October 1905: *Nicholas is forced to give some strength to Duma & grant some civil liberties
–> Freedom of speech, elections, etc.
–> Will dismiss Duma several times when they disagree
*30 (17) October 1905: October Manifesto – Tsar Nicholas II issues October Manifesto, promising civil liberties (such as freedom of speech) & an elected parliament (Duma), As a result, restrictions are implemented on absolute power of Russian monarch, & a de facto constitution (the Fundamental Laws of 1906) is issued
*16 June (3 June) 1907: Coup of June 1907, which led to dissolution of Second State Durma of Russian Empire, arrest of some its members & a fundamental change in Russian electoral law
Outbreak of First World War: 1914: *1 Aug. (19 July) 1914: Germany declares war on Russia, w/Russia entering the First World War.
*18 (31) Aug. 1914: St Petersburg is renamed Petrograd to make it sound less German.
*30 (17) December 1916: Grigorii Rasputin, the controversial ‘holy man’ & close friend of Tsar Nicholas II’s family, is murdered after several failed attempts
