General Knowledge Flashcards
long-term causes (5)
nationalism; imperialism; militarism; system of alliances; arms race
short-term causes (2)
28.06.1914 (assassination of Franz Ferdinand); policies of high risk
Schlieffen Plan
quick, two-front war, first against France, then Russia
The Wilhelmine Era
(when? age of? emperor? way of ruling?)
1888-1914/18
age of modernity, progress, innovation; young, aspiring emperor;
very conservative attitude, authoritan style, militarism, anti-democratic behaviour, believes in his divine right; German “Weltpolitik” (colonies, naval power –> growing tensions with Great Britain and others)
New weapons in World War 1 (7)
=> ?
tanks; airships; airplanes; submarines; machine gun; gas; flame-thrower
( => insdustrial warfare, battles of material)
Trench Warfare (3)
new weapons (superiority of defence); artillery|material crucial; trench systems
life in the trenches (4)
extreme weather conditions; diseases|bugs; malnutrition; psychological stress ( –> PTSD, “shell shocked”)
Homefront (8-9)
Germany was economically unprepared; focus on war industry + naval blockade; –> shortage of food, fuel, consuming goods; =>rationing; turnip winter 1916/17; hunger|starvation; compulsory labour service; shortage of labour; –> women take over “male” jobs
German advance in France to Paris
-German troops under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke
–> France defended Paris well, G had to turn east of it
Western Front, stalemate, 1914 (3)
- September
-German advance halted at River Marne
-at Belgian Coast of English Channel via Verdun to Swiss border
-November: clear that German advance had failed
Western Front, 1915 (2)
-front lines did not move significantly
-trench warfare intensified
Western Front, Spring 1916 (4)
-Germans attempt large scale offensive against French positions
-commander in chief Erich v. Falkenhayn
-planned “battle of attribution” at fortress city of Verdun
-supposed to kill many soldiers and collapse fighting morale
(21. February)
Western Front, February 1916 (4)
-21. February
-German artillery began firing on fortifications
-fierce battle
- ~700.000 died
Western Front, Autumn 1916 (6)
-Germans stopped offense, gave up conquest piece by piece
-retreat behind old lines
-Verdun became symbol of freedom for French
–> defended at all costs
-Falkenhayn forced to resign
–>HIndenburg & Ludenoff took over supreme command
Western Front, Summer 1916
Battle of Somme
-Allied offence suffered similiar fate to German’s “battle of attribution”
-bloodiest day in British military history
-no significant gains
Western Front, 1917
advances by France and Great Britain initially failed because of still weak new weapons
Western Front, Spring 1918
oberste Heeresleitung attempted to achieve decisive turnaround through military defenses
–> not successful
(Western Front) end of September 1918
-threat of military collapse
–> OHL called on Reich government to make Allies immediate offer of armistice
- US president Wilson refused to negotiate with represantatives of German Kaiser’s government
November 1918
-“November Revolution”
–> abdication of William II
- 11.November: armistice agreement signed in Compiège, France
1919-1920
-Paris Peace Conferences
–>Peace Treaty of Versailles
-Germany assigned sole responsibility
-(not involved in negotiations)
Eastern Front, 1914 (not Tberg)
-Russian advance faster than expected
–>German troops had to be transferred from West
Battle of Tannenberg
-Russian advance haltet
-gave rise to “Hindenburg myth”
–>alleged invincibility of commanders in East (Paul v. Hindenburg, Erich Ludenoff)
Eastern Front, 1915
-Austria-Hungary lost bulk of army in Carpathian offense
–> dependent on German army
-another defeat of Russian army at “Battle of the Masurian Lakes”
-Serbia, defeated, under control of Central Powers
