History - WW1 Flashcards
main causes of war
- militarism
- ideology
- imperialism
- alliance
- nationalism
militarism - meaning
- countries race to build up their armies, navies, weapons and strategies for defense or attacks
ideology - meaning
- set of beliefs, deciding how the country is run
- aggressive / racist ideology can cause war
imperialism - meaning
- countries build large empires by conquering other countries
alliances - meaning
- agreements countries make to support each other
- can drag each other into war
nationalism - meaning
- when the countries citizens do things to support their countries but don’t realize they are hurting other places too
central powers - who?
- Germany
- Austria-Hungary
- Ottoman Empire
- Bulgaria
allied powers
- France
- United Kingdom
- Italy (1915)
- Japan
- US (1917)
- Russia (1917)
advantages - central powers
- ottoman empire
- German + Austria = combined power (close together)
- multiple empires -> taxes from colonies (economically powerful)
- nearby each other
- separating France + Russia
advantaged - allied powers
- Russia = powerful
- many places / allies (bigger)
- access to the Black Sea
- Romania, Serbia and Greece are splitting the Central Powers
- spread out
reasons why alliances made war more likely
- made in secret => more suspicion
- all european countries made alliances with each other => small agruements can lead to big disagreements
- formation of the allied powers made Germany feel threatened => caused Germany to become aggressive
- allied countries had more confidence => have back up and support
imperialism - long term causes
european powers competed for colonies and territories around the world => increasing tensions and rivalries => created a sense of national pride and competition among european nations
- contributed to the arms race and alliances that formed prior to the war
nationalism - long term causes
common across Europe (many ethenic groups aspiring to self-determination and independence) => led the formation of alliances based on the ethnic/national identities
- contributed to the desire for expansion and dominance
militarism - long term causes
Europeans heavily invested in their militaries => lead to arms race characterized by the development of advanced weaponry and expansion of military capabilities => race increased tensions between nations
- contributed to the readiness for war
alliance system - long term causes
European nations formed various alliances to secure their interests and protect themselves => 2 main alliances were made (Triple Entente, Triple Alliance)
contributed to escalating conflicts and ultimately drew multiple counties into war
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- immediate trigger for WW1
- sparked a diplomatic crisis and led to Austria - Hungary’s declaration of the war against Serbia triggering a chain reaction of alliances
july crisis
- the period following the assassination saw a series of diplomatic maneuvers and ultimatums between the major powers (Austria-Hungary and Serbia)
blank check
- germany’s unconditional support for Austria - Hungary
- encouraged them givea harsh ultimatum to Serbia
- contributed to the trigger of WW1
military plans
each major power has elaborate military plans => contributed to the rapid escalation of the conflict => mobilization schedules and wars heightened the sense of urgency => made it difficult to de-escalate the tensions
schlieffen plan
- germanys greatest fear was being sandwiched between enemies -> wars on two fronts
- even tho germany had the largest army they were weakened (because they split up)
- planned a rapid invasion in frace then turn east to invade russia
why where trenches used
- protection
=> from enemy fire
=> able to take cover in trenches - defense
=> different positions along front line
=> fortified with barbed wire, sandbags. eg - strategic
- stalemate
=> both sides, unable to make progress
=> defense was too good
how did the trench warfare end up in a stalemate
- had good defense strategies
=> barbed wire - reinforcing troops
=> made it difficult to fire at opponents - limited mobility
=> movement outside of trenches were dangerous
no mans land
- plot of land in between opposing trenches
- extremely dangerous to cross
why did the schlieffen plan fail
- miscalculations
=> Germany thot Russia would take longer to mobilize its forces
=> underestimated troops - British Intervening
=> allied defense for Belgium and France - Exhaustion
=> German troops were tired and weakened their ability to fight
