History - WWI Flashcards
T1 & T2 Content
Acronym for long-term causes of the First World War?
M - Militarism
A - Alliances
I - Imperialism
N - Nationalism
Militarism
The belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.
Alliances
Mutually Beneficial Truce
State of being joined or associated; a relationship based on similarity of interests, nature, or qualities.
Triple Entente/Allies - Britain, France, Russia, later Italy switched into
Triple Alliance/Central Powers - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy(neutral), Bulgaria (1915), Ottoman Empire/Turkey (1914)
Imperialism
The policies of extending a country’s power and hold through colonization, invasion, etc.
Nationalism
Belief that one’s country is superior and/or special in some way to the detriment of the others.
Strengths of Triple Entente
Spread out around the globe More territory Much larger populations More dreadnoughts Empire : 390mil
Weaknesses of Triple Entente
Harder to communicate
Smallest army
Strengths of Triple Alliance
Easier to communicate
Empire : 15mil
Weaknesses of Triple Alliance
Less land
Smaller population
Easier to surround
HMS Dreadnought
Battleship that changed naval battle, built from 1906.
Developed by ‘Committee of Designs,’ founded by Admiral Fisher, appointed First Sealord in 1904
Construction cost £1, 785, 683.
Timeline of July Crisis 1
28 June 1914 - Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and wife, buried on 4th July
7 July - Austro-Hungarian Ministerial Council decides to initiate military action on Serbia
23 July - Austria issues ultimatum to Serbia
25 July - Serbia meets almost all demands and diplomatic relations are broken
Timeline of July Crisis 2
28 July - Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
30 July - Tsar Nicholas II authorizes Russian mobilisation
1 Aug - Germany declares war on Russia
2 Aug - Germany invades Luxembourg and issues ultimatum to Britain
3 Aug - Germany invades Belgium, declares war on France
4 Aug - Britain declares war on Germany
Descriptive Paragraph on ‘no man’s land’.
No Man’s Land was open land that was covered in shell holes which were often water-filled. It separated the forward trenches of both sides. It was protected by fire from machine guns and had to be crossed to reach the enemy.
3 Steps of the Schlieffen Plan
- Invade Belgium - Germany had advanced railway systems at the time.
- Attack Paris, then go back to Germany within 6 weeks.
- Use transport to meet Russian steamroller.
Assumptions of the Schlieffen Plan
Russia would take 6 weeks to mobilise
France would be defeated in 6 weeks
Belgium wouldn’t resist
Britain would stay neutral
Italy and outside countries wouldn’t interfere
Treaty of London 1839 between Britain, France and Belgium wouldn’t affect
What was Plan XVII
Plan 17 was developed by the French General Staff to counter the Schlieffen Plan in 1911,
Involved major offensive by French across Alsace-Lorraine into German industrial areas,
Sponsored by General J.J.C. Joffre,
Estimated Germany had a maximum of 68 infantry divisions.
7 Reasons for the Failure of the Schlieffen Plan
Poor leadership, Belgian resistance, British interference, Russian mobilisation, failure to capture Paris, exhaustion, unplanned fight for the sea
Belgian Resistance
Germans assumed Belgian would not resist, but Belgium fought back, destroying paths, routes and bridges to stop progress, causing the schedule to change as they did not expect to spend so long in Belgium and suffer loss.
British Interference
British turned up in Belgium and effected fights, changing schedule and plan.
Russian Mobilisation
Russia invaded Germany on Aug 17th 1914, 2 weeks after the Germans began the Schlieffen Plan.
Failure to capture Paris
Germans suffered a defeat at the Battle of the Marne and had to retreat, leading to a race to the sea.
Race to the Sea
Fighting for control of port towns to stop British escaping, led to stalemate.
Exhaustion
14 Sept. Germans began digging trenches and set up machine guns to begin stalemate, as the soldiers could fight no more, leading to the end of the plan.
Leadership
Moltke, Joffre and Command were too far away from front lines to control events and communication was too slow, effecting knowledge of changes in plan and planning.
Battle of Liege
4-16 August The Battle of Liege was the first battle on the Western Front, between Germans and Belgian armies. Liege surrounded by 12 main fortresses, sited ~5km apart, Germans expected to capture in 2 days but took 11 days.
Namur
20-24 Aug. Germans lost 900 men, Belgians lost 15,000.
Antwerp
28 Sept. - 10 Oct. Belgians had no hope of victory despite support from British navy and delayed Germans needed at first battle of Ypres.