History - WWI Flashcards
Main causes of WWI
M - Millitarism
A - Alliances
I - Imperialism
N - Nationalism
Millitarism
The belief that all nations should build and maintain strong militaries to defend themselves once attacked.
Britain competed against Germany for what?
To see who could have the most ‘Dreadnaughts’
Arms Race
Where countries compete to get the most weapons/military power.
All major European countries except for ____ introduced conscription before WWI
Britain
Why were alliances made before WWI?
The alliances, (Triple Entente and Triple Alliance) were initially made to prevent large scale war.
How did alliances affect WWI?
Small conflicts easily snowballed into larger conflicts between more and more countries.
Imperialism
A policy where a country increases its power by gaining control over new territories to create an empire.
Nationalism
A sense of pride in, and a love of one’s nation. However, it can also become a belief that one’s nation is superior to another
Which event is often cited as the catalyst for the start of WWI?
The assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Gavrilo Princip
A 19 year old Serbian nationalist who assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
The black hand
A group of sebaian nationalists who assassinated Franz Ferdinand
The July crisis
A 1 month period of bluff, threats and negotiations between key European powers. (Austria-Hungary and Serbia)
Schlieffen Plan
Germany’s plan for war that was based on the following assumptions:
1. Russia would take at least 6 weeks to get its army ready for war
2. Fance would be easily defeated in 6 weeks
3. Belgium would not resist any German attacks
4. Britain would remain neutral
Australian attitude towards the war before 1914
Believed to be a short and glorious affair
Australian attitude towards the war after 1917
Embraced with the harsh reality and high death tolls of war
Triple Entente
France, Britain and Russia
Triple alliance
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
Trench Warfare
Where both sides dig trenches deep enough that they could hide in them.
How would trench warfare progress?
Each side would shell the other side to force them to retreat so that they could cross no mans land. The enemy side would emerge from their bunkers and open machine gun fire on the people crossing no man’s land
Fronts of WWI
- Eastern
- Western
- Alpine (The Alps)
3 bad experiences that trench soldiers experienced
- Trench Foot
- Animals
- Shellshock (PTSD)
Trench foot
A fungal infection aquired by standing for long periods in wet, muddy water. Serious cases could require amputation.
Animals in the trenches
- Rats that grew to the size of cats
- Fleas and lice that spread many diseases such as trench fever
Shellshock
PTSD - fighting conditions produced feelings of hopelessness manifesting as various mental symptoms
Reasons for conscription
- Australia’s duty to support Britain
- Equality of Sacrifice
- Voluntary recruitment had failed
- Protect Autsralia’s reputation
- Other allies had already introduced conscription.
Reasons against conscription
- No person had the right to send another to be wounded
- Not enough farmers would be left over
- Working class would bear the burden
- Too many australian deaths already
- Conscription would harm and divide Australia
Political parties for conscription
All but Labor
Political parties against conscription
Labor
Enlistment rates throughout the war
Going downwards
ANZAC day commemerates ____
The massive loss of life in WWI (esp. Galipoli)
Rememberance Day commemerates____
Sacrifices made in all wars
Australian War Memorial
Australia’s national memorial to all who have died or participated in the wars of Australia
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A tomb of a soldier found without his ID tags and was the only corpse bought home from WWI
War Precautions Act
An act that put restrictions on the lives of people of German descent. They had to report weekly to local police, pledge their alleigence to australia, and inform the authorities of any change of adress.
Internment camps
A prison camp set up to confine mostly people of German or Austro-Hungarian descent.
Central powers during WWI
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman empire
Allies during WWI
France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, and Japan
