Exit Card 2 Flashcards
Define cause
The reasons why an event took place
Define immediate cause
Generally the thing that ‘appears’ to make the event happen. Generally takes place just before the event
Define underlying cause
The things that are important in explaining why an event happened but are harder to see and may build up over time.
Define militarism
Competition and love of the military
Define alliance
An alliance is an agreement made between two or more countries
Who was apart of the Triple Alliance
Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy
When did Germany sign the treaty called the Triple Alliance
1881
When did France and Russia sign an alliance in response to the Triple Alliance
1892
Who’s was apart of the Triple Entente
Great Britain, France and Russia
Why did the European countries think empires were a good thing
They had a belief that their particular culture and way of life was superior for all countries
How big was Britain’s Empire
1/3 of the globe, including Canada and India
What was the ‘Scramble for Africa’
In the 1890s European countries competed to seize as much of the interior of the continent of Africa as they could
What was ‘A Place in The Sun’
Kaiser Wilhem II believed Germany deserved the biggest Empire, but by the time Germany was fully created in 1871 it was too late - nearly everything was already taken!
Why did the Kaiser of Germany decide to build up the German navy
He felt he could pressure Britain and France into giving him some of their colonies. This worried Britain as they were used to having the biggest navy.
Define Nationalism
belief that your ‘people’ are deserving of their own lands and are the preferred group. Nationalism was growing in the years before World War I in every country in Europe
Why is nationalism a problem for the countries apart of the Empire of the European countries
the nations controlled by the Imperial countries wanted to break free and control their own territory. Also, many of the people living in the powerful countries often saw themselves as a separate and special ‘race’ - they were overconfident in their own strength and many wanted a chance to prove their superiority
What does M.A.I.N stand for
Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism
What was the immediate cause of WW1
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand
Who did the assassination
Gavrillo Princip
Why did Gavrillo Princip do the assassination
Bosnia was controlled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire but many people who lived there did not want to be. This was because they identified as ‘Slavs’, an ethnic group that had just gained an independent country next to Bosnia called Serbia. There was therefore a desire among the Bosnian Slavs to escape from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and join their ‘brothers’ in Serbia.
Who helped Gavrillo Princip do the assassination
The Black Hand, the terrorist group from Serbia that helped Princip plan the assassination, felt that the popular Franz Ferdinand would be an obstacle in achieving this goal.
What was the ‘chain reaction’ of consequences that lead to WW1
1 Austria-Hungary blames Serbia and decides to crush them through war.
2 Austria-Hungary asks Germany (a powerful ally) if it will support them. German Kaiser Whilhelm II, says yes.
3 Austria-Hungary gives Serbia an ultimatum - let us into your country and essentially control your government or face war. Serbia refuses.
4 Russia desires to have influence in the Balkans and also sees itself as a ‘Slavic’ nation too. It therefore wants to keep Serbia independent. In order to scare Austria-Hungary into backing off, it starts to get its army ready (mobilise).
5 Germany is now freaked out as it sees Russia’s army getting ready for war - Germany shares a border with Russia.
6 Germany decides it must implement its Schlieffen Plan and World War 1 begins
What was the 1st reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
Germany had long made plans for war against the Triple Entente due to all the tension that had been building between them (see M.A.I.N causes)
What was the 2nd reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
They knew that if war happened they would likely have to fight both Russia and France at the same time (as France and Russia were allies with each other).
What was the 3rd reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
To do this Germany would have to split its army in two - sending half to fight France in the west and half to fight Russia in the East. Neither army would be big enough to win.
What was the 4th reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
German General Schlieffen noticed something. The Russian army was slow to get itself organised. He estimated it would take 6 weeks, while the French army would be ready straight away.
What was the 5th reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
Schlieffen decided that the only way to win would be to send the whole German army against France, smashing them quickly. The whole army would then be free to travel to the east to defeat Russia. This could work only if France could be defeated within the 6 weeks that the Russian army needed to get ready (or the Russians would simply walk into the east of Germany).
What was the 6th reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
The French had built fortresses along the border with Germany after the 1871 war. These would take a long time to break down. However, the French had not built anything along the part of the border that they shared with Belgium. The Germans realised that if they went through Belgium they might just have a chance of defeating France within the 6 weeks (as they would bypass the French fortifications).
What was the 7th reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
However, Britain had promised to defend Belgium in an agreement. It also seemed likely it would support France. However, the Kaiser (and German army) had a very low opinion of Britain’s trustworthiness - they believed that Britain would not honour its promises, as it had nothing really to gain. So they ignored Britain in their plan.
What was the 8th reason Germany started WW1 by invading Belgium
It is important to remember that all countries kept their plans secret. So Russia did not know that by mobilising its army Germany would invade Belgium. Nor could Germany know that Britain was, in fact, committed to defending Belgium (even if it might not have helped France!)
What happened when Germany invading Belgium of August 4th
Britain, France and Russia were at war with Germany and Austria-Hungary. Italy, for its own reasons, did not support the Triple Alliance.
Why did Canada join the war
It was part of the British Empire (a ‘Dominion’). This meant that it was independent in most things, but had to follow what Britain did when it came to war and foreign policy
What’s true about Canadians during the start of WW1
A high proportion of Canadians had either been born in Britain or self-identified as British - this meant that there was a lot of support for Britain and many thousands enthusiastically volunteered to fight
