Major Developments in the First World War Flashcards
The first world war
WW1 -> 4 years (1914-1918)
Allied Powers (Triple Entente; France, Britain, Russia) VS Central Powers (Triple Alliance; A-H, Germany)
Italy joined 1915 -> switched to Allies
spread throughout EU -> into far east
Central Powers defeated -> war end
How did WW1 end?
When the central powers (Austria-Hungary, Germany) lost in 1918.
WW1 time period
1914-1918
The Schlieffen Plan
feared attack on two fronts; France from west and Russia from east -> Germany’s clear plan for war by 1905
drawn by General con Schlieffen
1. strike France quickly
2. attack Russia on Eastern front
Russia needs 6 weeks time to mobilise army -> time to knock out France out of the war before fighting Russia
1914 declare war on France -> Germany carried Schlieffen Plan + attacked through Belgium
drawback:
Germany forces met Belgium resistance + advance to France was successfully resisted by the French and British forces
Trench Warfare
Failure of Schlieffen Plan -> each side dug long trench:
Belgian coast through Northern France to Switzerland
~600 miles of trenches
-» Stalemate: neither side could advance
Russia’s defeat to withdrawal
August 1914:
Eastern Front -> Russian armies invaded the East of German Province Prussia
-> Germans concentrated forces in East, trying to defeat Russia
1917
1. 2 million Russian soldiers dead
2. widespread dissatisfaction on the war
3. repeated defeats from Germany -> worsened Russia’s internal problems
March -> revolution -» czardom overthrown
New provisional gov decided to continue war
soldiers tired -> didn’t want to fight anymore
Lenin understood -> took leadership of the Bolsheviks (a group of revolutionaries) -> overthrew provisional gov
-> ended war against Germany
March 1918 -> Russia withdrew from war -> enable Germany to concentrate on Western front
reasons for Russian Revolution in 1917
- 2 million Russian soldiers dead
- widespread dissatisfaction on the war
- repeated defeats from Germany -> worsened Russia’s internal problems
March -> revolution -» czardom overthrown
Entry of Italy
April 1915 -> Britain + France + Russia (The allies) signed secret treaty with Italy
-> promise territorial gains
Italy was originally uninvolved in the war -> ally of Germany of A-H
switched sides (BETRAYAL) -> joined allies
entry didn’t help the war at all
Fighting at sea
1915 onwards -> Germans tried to break Britain naval supremacy;
cut supplies from other parts of world using submarines (U-Boats) -> sink ships bringing supplies to Britain
May 1915 -> German U-Boat sank passenger liner Lusitania
sailing between US and Britain -> killed over 1k people (most were Americans)
death of Americans -> anti German in US
kaiser promised it wouldn’t happen again -> US remained neutral
February 1917 -> Germany began new campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant ships trading with Britain + her allies -> threaten security of shipping that had neutral states (US)
April 1917 -> President Wilson declared war on Germany (last straw)
Us support -> sent large amounts of supplies and soldiers to the allies -> reenergised them
US entry to war
February 1917 -> Germany began new campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant ships trading with Britain + her allies -> threaten security of shipping that had neutral states (US)
April 1917 -> President Wilson declared war on Germany (last straw after sinking of Lusitania
Us support -> sent large amounts of supplies and soldiers to the allies -> reenergised them
the End of the War, 1918
Germany -> running low on men + supplies
US troops poured back into France -> decline German morale
German troops driven back everywhere -> Allies superior
Central powers defeated:
1. Bulgaria
2. Turkey + A-H
3. Germany (November 1918)
Kaiser William abdicated (resigned)
END
When did Germany surrender
November 1918
November 1918
Germany surrenders
April 1915
The Allies sign a secret treaty with Italy promising territorial gains
The Allies sign a secret treaty with Italy promising territorial gains
April 1915
Lusitania sinks
April 1915
April 1915
Lusitania sinks
February 1917
Germany begins campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant ships trading with britain and her allies
Germany begins campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare on merchant ships trading with britain and her allies
February 1917
President Wilson declared war on Germany
April 1917
April 1917
President Wilson declares war on Germany
