Chapter 27

Question 1

What were Bismarck’s post-war motives?

Answer 1

Germany was newly formed- no more expansion, wanted only peace
Keep the embittered France (Alsace-Lorraine) isolated
Conflicting interests with Austria Hungary and Russia in the Balkans
Worried they will be dragged into a war
Creates peaceful alliances

Question 2

How did Bismarck achieve his goals?

Answer 2

Three Emperors League- link the monarchs or Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Germany together in an alliance against radical movements
Russian victories create major tensions in the Balkans- Bismarck plays peacekeeper- balancing efforts infuriate Russia
Triple alliance- defensive military alliance with Austria and Italy against Russia
German-Russian Reassurance Treaty- neutrality if the other one was attacked

Question 3

Who called the Berlin Conference?

Answer 3

Bismarck- want to catch up to the other countries

Question 4

How did William II screw everything up? (Two Rival Blocs)

Answer 4

Fired Bismarck due to his friendly policy with Russia and refused to renew the Reassurance Treaty
As a result, Russia and France made a military alliance

Question 5

Who was the Triple Entente?

Answer 5

Russia, France, and Britain

Question 6

Describe the tensions of the Balkan conflict and the Outbreak of war

Answer 6

Ottoman Empire was weak and nationalists were rising up in the Balkan states
Austria wants to expand but Russia was backing up the Serbs
1914- “Powder Keg”- Serbian “Black Hand” assasinated Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and ignited the spark to war
Austria wanted to destroy Serbia- enact a harsh ultimatum
Serbia refuses and Austria goes to war in one last attempt to stem the hostile nationalists
Germany, needing allies, issued a “blank check” to Austria
Russia continued to back the Serbs
Fearful of falling behind, all major powers rushed to ready for war
BREAKING POINT- Germany attacked neutral Belgium in order to attack France
Britain joins France and the war begins

Question 7

Why did the why start (origins)?

Answer 7

Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism
Germany encouraged Austria and entered Belgium
German leaders felt that their “Great Power” status was threatened
Domestic issues and social tensions on German diplomacy

Question 8

What was the significance of the First Battle or Marne?

Answer 8

French army stopped the initial German advance and stayed put for most of the war
Stalemate afterwards
Trench-warfare

Question 9

What was the Eastern front like in the very beginning?

Answer 9

More mobile

Russians and Austrians both took heavy casualties

Question 10

Who were the central powers?

Answer 10

Germany and Austria and Ottoman and Bulgaria

Question 11

Who were the allied powers?

Answer 11

France, Britain, Russia, Serbia, Italy, and eventually USA

Question 12

What brought the US into the war?

Answer 12

Unrestricted submarine warfare- Lusitania

Zimmerman telegram

Question 13

How did people at home react to the war?

Answer 13

At first- enthusiastic- even socialists

Later frustrated

Question 14

What was Total War?

Answer 14

War even impacts the home front
Demands for materials meant planned economies in many places
Women- shortages of men due to the war created more opportunities for women to work in the labor force: industry, transportation, and offices
Rationing

Question 15

Government efforts to wage total war resulted in…

Answer 15

Destructive war on both sides
Blurred distinction between soldier and civilian
Socialism is a realistic economic blueprint
Censorship of the press

Question 16

Social impact of total war

Answer 16

Greater power and prestige for labor unions
Role of women changes
Greater social equality
Full employment

Question 17

Why did war blur social distinctions?

Answer 17

Death at the front
Rationing of scarce goods
Shared hardships
Full employment

Question 18

Who was Walter Rathenau?

Answer 18

Directed the War Raw Materials Board
Inventoried and rationed for useful raw materials
Synthetic rubber and nitrates for explosives
Food rationing
Recycling
Originally owned important electrical company

Question 19

What was the Auxiliary Service Law?

Answer 19

Germany
All men between 17 and 60 must work at jobs crucial to the war
Women take over old work

Question 20

What led to Nicholas II’s abdication?

Answer 20

Russian armies suffered from a lack of supplies and equipment because the political system left over from the Revolution of 1905, a weak Duma and a strong Tsar, failed at total war mobilization
Fatal decision- Nick leaves to the front and leaves Alexandra and Rasputin in charge
March 1917- St. Petersburg mutinied when women rioted for bread
Duma formed a provisional government and the Tsar abdicated

Question 21

What was Petrograd Soviet’s Army Order No 1?

Answer 21

Total collapse of discipline in the Soviet army because soldiers no longer followed their officers
Under Provisional Government

Question 22

What were Lenin’s contributions to Marxist theories?

Answer 22

Importance of violent revolution
Possibility of social revolution in a backwards country
Historically determined nature of revolution
Necessity of a disciplined workers’ party

Question 23

What happened in Russia 1917?

Answer 23

Trotsky and the Bolsheviks seized leadership from the Provisional Government

Question 24

Why did the Bolsheviks succeed?

Answer 24

Anarchy made power available to grab
Superior leadership to the imperial and provisional governments
Appeal to soldiers and urban workers
Gave land to peasants

Question 25

What was the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 25

Ended the war with Germany but suffered great territorial losses
Lenin and Trotsky

Question 26

When was the Russian civil war? Why did the “Red” Bolsheviks win?

Answer 26

1918-1921
Controlled the center
Whites lacked a single clear political program
Trotsky was a superior leader
Bolsheviks mobilized the home front with labor, grain, and rationing
Bolsheviks used terror as suppression of opposition
Allied intervention gave the Red’s fierce nationalism

Question 27

What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 27

Creation of the League of Nations
German colonies went to France, Britain, and Japan
Alsace-Lorraine to France
German army limited to 100,000
Blame Germany
Huge war reparations
Demilitarize the Rhine