Exam 1 Essays Flashcards
How and why did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand lead to a global war between August 1914 and December of 1915? - Introduction
- Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sarajevo) to review Austro-Hungarian troops after their annexation from the Ottoman territories
- Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina saw them as foreign invaders and wanted to become part of Serbia
- Visited on the anniversary of the First Battle of Kosovo, where Serbia was defeated by the Turks - led to the death of Serbian leader and the downfall of the nation
- Shot by Bosnian Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip
How and why did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand lead to a global war between August 1914 and December of 1915? - How
- Austria-Hungary sent a telegram to Wilhelm II for support of ultimatum
- Austria-Hungary waited until the harvest was over before sending the ultimatum (food, French Pres. and Premier were in St. Petersburg)
- Sent ultimatum with three demands
- Alliance systems
The demands of the ultimatum
- suppress anti-Austria-Hungarian propaganda
- allow AH military intelligence into the country and hand over Black Hand members
- Austria-Hungary would reserve the right to name people to be handed over later
Alliance systems
- Germany supported AH; Russia supported Serbia
- After AH declared war on Serbia, Russia declared war on AH
- Germany declared war on Russia, France declared war on Germany, Britain declared war on Germany
How and why did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand lead to a global war between August 1914 and December of 1915? - Why
- Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government for the attack of the Black Hand
- Didn’t want to appear weak
- Wanted there to be repercussions
- Serbia declared that they would agree to all but allowing AH military intelligence into the country because it would be a violation of the Constitution and the law of criminal procedure
- German Foreign Minister delayed sending telegram to AH saying they should work it out by 12 hours (after war was declared)
Russia’s initial strategy
outflank Germany to even out the hard to defend salient
- battle of Tannenberg
Austro-Hungarian initial strategy
wanted to take out the Serbs first, then move on to Russia (Austro-Serbian War)
German initial strategy
- wanted to knock out France quickly, wipe out the western front, then focus on Russia
- told Austria-Hungary to focus on Russia before Serbia so Russia wouldn’t have enough time to mobilize their manpower
- Schlieffen Plan
Schlieffen Plan
- Five German armies
- Counterclockwise
- Through the Ardennes Forest
- Take control of the channel so the English couldn’t send troops over
- siege Paris within 40 days
France’s initial strategy
attempted to retake Alstrash Lorain and didn’t expect Germany to move through the forest
- french forces were south, while german forces were north (Plan 17)
Later Russian strategies
declared war on Ottoman Empire on Oct. 31, OE declared war on Britain and France in mid-November
Later Entente strategy
find a supply route to Russia
- Germany held Baltic sea
- Murmansk lacked railroad connections
- Vladivostok was too distant
Later Russian Czar Nicholas
Czar Nicholas II asked for Western Allies to put pressure on the Turks because they were defending the front single-handedly
Straits of the Dardanelles
Thin strip of water from the Mediterranean to Black Sea - defended with mines
Later German strategy
- wanted to divert attention away from the eastern front
- disrupt GB/Fr plans for offensive before the Canadians arrived and eliminate the salient
- Knock Russians out of the war by taking Brest Litovsk
