Imported Grazel Deck via CSV

Question 1

Why is World War important and what has the ongoing study of World War I revealed?

Answer 1

WW1 is important because it marked a turning point in European and world history

The ongoing study of WWI over the past 35 years has expanded our understanding of the war and its consequences

1. New and revised scholarship on the Ottoman Empire and war in eastern and southeastern Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, has provided a better understanding of war experiences
2. Between 2014 and 2018, studies appeared that aimed to identify why the war happened, what it meant, especially in its aftermath

Question 2

Why was WWI a revolution?

Answer 2

WWI and the peace settlement constituted a global revolution because:

1. The war destroyed Tsarist Russia, the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, imperial Germany, and the Ottoman Empire
2. helped to solidify the United States and Japan as Global powers
3. WWI’s unparalleled sacrifices and challenges helped to reshape warfare, politics, society, and culture in ways that reverberated in 20th Century and today
   Monarchies to republics, including:Universal suffrage ans Increased roles for women and labor
4. provided valuable lessons about “Total War”
   The casualties and loss of life was massive, not only in terms of military casualties, but through deaths caused by malnutrition, chemical weapons, and grief

foreshadowed even greater losses in WWII

The death tolls, economic expenditures, social dislocations, political upheaval and other damage make the war look like an avoidable mistake, but the conflicts that preceded it likely made it seem like the only solution in 1914

Question 3

What caused WWI?

Answer 3

No single event of movement caused WWI; it was the result of multiple contributing factors, including

imperial conflict

growing nationalism and militarism

an arms race on land and sea

a willingness to accept government justifications for waging war, especially in defense of a nation

Question 4

What was the significance of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand?

Answer 4

The assassination triggered a series of events that led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, setting off a chain reaction that brought multiple nations into World War I.

Question 5

What is Nationalism?

Answer 5

The concept of belonging to an “imagined community” that could compel loyalty to a geographic entity larger than a locality, to the leaders of a larger nation, and to the symbols that embodied in (flag, anthem, etc.)

Question 6

How did Nationalism contribute to WWI?

Answer 6

Forty years before the start of WWI, new nation-states in central and southern Europe came into being and changed (1) the shape of Europe, and as a result, the globe and (2) political power in Europe

Nationalism emerged and grew throughout the 19th Century.

Conscription and emphasis on group identity rooted in bloodlines and a common ethnic heritage, sometimes through the use of ethnic identifiers (“fratelli” in Italy and “volk” in Germany) united otherwise divided populations

By 1871, Germany and Italy had united as new states, and in the decades that followed, Germany’s size and economic success made it a potent force
new and old nations competed for size and supremacy, and the resulting arms buildup reflected and exacerbated national tensions
warfare became more industrialized and military spending in every major European power increased between 1890 and 1914, and the size of conscript armies grew

Question 7

What is the historian’s first task?

Answer 7

The historian’s first task is finding evidence such as documents, letters, memoirs, and pictures.

Question 8

How does a historian interpret sources?

Answer 8

The historian questions, compares the sources, and looks for answers, considering different perspectives.

Question 9

What was a significant turning point in European and world history, according to the preface?

Answer 9

World War I marked a significant turning point in European and world history.

Question 10

Describe the events of the 1914 Crisis

Answer 10

The Assasignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, upon their arrival in the Bosnian capital of sarajevo in June 1914, a time of nationalist tensions triggered a series of events that threw Europe into turmoil

Austria-Hungary became determined to halt Serbia’s aggression in the Balkans, secured German support (the “blank check”) and issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Serbian government on July 23, 1914

Serbia rejected the ultimatum on July 25th, 1914, and both sides began to mobilize for armed conflict

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, with key figures in Germany and Austria Hungary assuming that Russia would not intervene

Russia mobilized its forced in support of Serbia, and Germany responded by mobilizing its military, which alerted Belgium, France, and Britain that war was imminent

Germany assumed that it would be able to concentrate forces on one foe at a time (pre-war Schlieffen Plan), and aimed to first attack France (by way of Belgium) and then focusing on the eastern border;

Germany tried to persuade Britain to stay out of the war, even if Belgium’s neutrality was violated
Britain asked Germany and and France for guarantees to safeguard Belgium’s neutral status; Germany refused and France began to mobilize

The Alliance system held to some extent: France backed Russia, which offered to support Serbia and Germany assisted Austria-Hungary
Italy’s choice to stay out of the conflict suggests that the alliance system MAY not have been as significant in causing the war as sometimes thought

When Germany crossed into Belgium, Britain demanded that Germany halt its attack on neutral Belgium and then declared war on Germany
By the end of the first week of August, 1914, Europe was a conflagration, pitting the Allied forces led by Britain, France, and Russia against the Central Powers, dominated by Austria-Hungary and Germany

Question 11

How has scholarship on World War I expanded over the past 35 years?

Answer 11

Scholarship has expanded to include better understanding of the war’s consequences in regions like the Ottoman Empire, eastern and southeastern Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia.

Question 12

What were the global impacts of World War I and the peace settlement?

Answer 12

The war and peace settlement constituted a global revolution, destroying Tsarist Russia, Austria-Hungary, imperial Germany, and the Ottoman Empire, while solidifying the US and Japan as global powers.

Question 13

What political and social changes were spurred by World War I?

Answer 13

Monarchies shifted to republics, universal suffrage expanded, women’s and labor roles increased, and total war reshaped warfare and politics.

Question 14

What were the long-term effects of the war on casualties and society?

Answer 14

Massive casualties were caused not only by combat but also by malnutrition, chemical weapons, and grief, foreshadowing the even greater losses of WWII.

Question 15

How did nationalism contribute to World War I?

Answer 15

Nationalism, particularly in central and southern Europe, fostered the creation of new nation-states, increased military conscription, and created tensions between emerging and established powers.

Question 16

What lesson did the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) teach?

Answer 16

The war demonstrated that rising states could defeat established European powers, signaling potential for future conflicts.

Question 17

How did Social Darwinism influence pre-World War I conflicts?

Answer 17

Social Darwinism promoted the belief in racial competition, justifying imperialism and nationalism, and encouraging anti-Semitic and racial superiority ideas.

Question 18

How did the alliance system contribute to pre-World War I tensions?

Answer 18

The alliance system, with its competing blocs and treaties, divided Europe into two armed camps, escalating tensions and leading to the eventual conflict.

Question 19

What military conflicts contributed to WWI? What lessons did those conflicts seem to provide?

Answer 19

European conflicts in the 50 years prior to 1914 suggested that short and simple victories could be achieved in future wars

Crimean War (1853 - 1856),

Franco-Austrian War (1859), defeat of Austria, Denmark, and France by Germany

Other wars taught different lessons:

Russo Japanese War (1904-1905) - the potential of rising states to defeat established European powers

Toghese conflicts -suggested short and simple victories could be achieved in future wars

Other Conflicts offered different lessons
Boer War (South Africa) - Conflict between Dutch Colonial Settlers and the British; British prevailed only after facing guerrilla warfare, and using ruthless tactics, such as putting the wives and children of the Boers in camps, where many died; the British tactics provoked international outcry, likely in part because their ruthless tactics affected white civilians - this was a costly war for Britain, and it emerged from the was with antagonism for Germany, which had supported the Boers;

Imperial entanglements intensified; European powers “scrambled” to expand their territories in Africa, and in some cases, encountered resistance; they also sought to use colonial subjects in their military
competition for colonial territories contributed to conflict between European powers

Question 20

What is Social Darwinism?

Answer 20

Social darwinism is a theory rooted in the belief that ongoing competition among races, men, and nations was inevitable, and that some humans were more “fit” to survive and rule, so society could not remedy the suffering of the “unfit”;

loosely inspired by Darwin’s theory of the origin of species (natural selection), which were used to bolster beliefs that Europeans and European descendant populations as superior to to the indigenous populations of Asia and Africa

white supremist ideas were connected to this thinking

Question 21

How did Social Darwinism contribute to WWI?

Answer 21

Social Darwinism, combined with nationalism and imperialism, contributed to conflicts

The conflicts between Anglo-saxon and Teutonic races were sometimes used to characterize other populations, such as Slavs (from Poles to serbs) as inferior and to encourage anti-semitic views that separated Jews from other populations in the nations where they lived

Racial nationalism emerged among certain groups and overshadowed civic nationalism - the emergence of this view coincided with “survival of the fittest” thinking

Question 22

Briefly describe the emergence of the alliance sustem in Europe in the fifty years preceding WWI

Answer 22

Concerns about international competition supported the growth of multinational treaties and alliances that grouped European nations into competing blocs
This system, together with growing militarism, gave rise to Europe’s two “armed camps” in the decades leading up to WW1

Began when German Chancellor Otto Von Bismark who wanted to isolate France and avoid war, pursued the Three Emperors League, uniting Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia in 1879

1879 - the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria Hungary emerged

1888 - Kaiser Wilhelm II ascended the German throne, strengthened ties with Austria-Hungary, and rejected associations with Slavs, including the Russians

1890’s - France responded by pursuing closer ties with Russia, and seeking to resolve its conflicts with Britain through secret arrangements

1904 -Entente Cordiale in which the French agreed to British control of Egypt, and Britain agreed to French control of Morocco

1907 - Franco Russian Alliance, and Anglo-French Entente, and Anglo Russian Entente (entente means understanding)

Various diplomatic associations led to France, Britain, and Russia became linked through what was known as the Triple Entente

Question 23

How did nationalism and militarism emerge and grow in the years preceding WWI?

Answer 23

The development of strategic alliances led to a Europe more focused on alliances than the “concert of Europe” that had prevailed since the Congress of Vienna and the napoleonic Wars in 1815

Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire competed for territory and influence in the balkan peninsula, which erupted into a series of wars in the years preceding 1914

Austria-Hungary’s annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly part of the Ottoman empire, but administered by Austria Hungary after 1882) aimed to stop the nationalist ambitions of Serbia; Opposition to the annexation from Russia and other Slavic states, including Serbia intensified tensions throughout the Balkans

The Ottomans responded by attempting to form an alliance with a more powerful country by approaching Britain and then Germany, and stepped up their efforts for power in the Balkans and elsewhere and felt the need for a staring state to safeguard their territory when the Russians backed the Serbs

In 1908, the Young Turks (nationalist reformers) overthrew the sultan, they sought an ally to bolster their ambitions and viewed the faltering Ottoman Empire as an opportunity for territorial expansion in the Balkans

Question 24

What international incidents and trends in thought contributed to WWI?

Answer 24

The cumulative effect of international incidents between 1904 and 1914, which took place outside Europe and in the Balkan Peninsula strengthened some alliances between European powers, disrupted the balance of power, and served as justification for mobilizing for war in 1914. These entanglements limited the flexibility of states to respond to international provocation

List:
Japan defeated Russia in 1905, revealing that the imperial holdings of Europe in Asia could come under threat, which contributed to the climate that sparked revolution in Russia;

Russian Revolution of 1905 - forced the Russian monarchy (the most autocratic in Europe) to create a legislative body for the first time; Served as a reminder that violence within national borders could topple regimes and states - also prompted Germany’s leaders to test French imperial power in Morocco

First Moroccan Crisis -1905, ended with an international conference that confirmed France’s control in that region and brought French and British international interests closer together

The Second Moroccan Crisis (1911) set off a series of events shed light on Germany’s growing power and the increasing weakness of the Ottoman Empire

As France consolidated its control of Morocco in 1911, Germany threatened the Port of Agadir and demanded concessions from France; France gave Germany considerable territory in the French Congo to preserve its stake in Morocco

Germany’s use of military force ratcheted up British and French fears about Germany’s imperialist ambitions

Italy then demanded Tripoli from the Ottoman Empire, which led to the Turco-Italian War (1911-1912), which ended in 1912 when Italy annexed Tripoli and the Treaty of Lausanne affirmed Italy’s imperial holdings and confirmed the political and military weakness of the Ottoman Empire

Italy’s victory over the Ottoman Empire inspired nationalist movements in the Balkans;

Prompted the Balkan League (Montenegro, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece) to declare war on the Ottomans in 1912,

First Balkan War (1912) - the Balkans prevailed, but there was disagreement about the spoils;

Second Balkan War (1913) - Bulgaria lost to Serbia and Greece, aided by the Romania and the Ottomans - led to the creation of Albania, divided macedonia between Serbia and Greece and increased the territory of Greece, Romania, and Serbia; Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia all had interests in the outcome of the war, but none intervened, but Austria-Hungary was supportive of Bulgaria, Germany supported Serbia and Greece

Europeans sometimes looked back on the period before 1918 as the Belle epoque, - nostalgic view b/c that era brought with it threats to a relatively stable social and cultural order

Concerns about urbanization, industrialization, and the growth and energy of socialist parties across Europe plagued conservatives

The self-proclaimed avant-garde aimed to shock the establishment and push the limits of acceptable behavior

Many viewed decadence, licentiousness, criminality, and radical politics (such as anarchism) as diminishing borders between classes and sexes

Critics of 19th century views of respectability and liberal values, such as F.T. Marinetti (founder of the Futurist movement), Thomas Mann (German novelist), and Max Beckmann saw war as a way to return Europe to its heyday (FTM), as a “moral necessity” (Mann) and as a way to rejuvenate Europe.

Question 25

Identify foreshadowers of WWI

Answer 25

Treatises and works of literature anticipated what a world war would look like and foreshadowed what was to come

Some focused on political rivalries, while others, such as the works of British writer HG Wells focused on how technology and science changes the nature of war, and how the triumph of machinery over humanity and the devastation that would follow from industrialized warfare.

Others aimed at curtailing international conflict, such as Bertha Von Suttner’s Lay Down Your Arms (1889), which helped to launch a movement for disarmament, may have played a role in the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, which offered an opportunity to curtail the destructiveness of future wars by creating international laws to regulate warfare on land and sea - but had limits.

Mutual suspicion emerged between the two main allied bodies in Europe - Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy and Britain, France, and Russia, while the leaders of those nations were distracted by issues developing within their nations
These states faced actual or potential internal strife
Nationalism could inspire the break-up of borders (e.g., Ireland, national groups within the Hapsburg empire or Austria Hungary)
Volatility in France (Dreyfus Affair) and Russia’s 1905 revolution
Vibrant socialist and feminist activity