The First World War Flashcards
What did Britain want before the war?
They wanted to maintain their large empire and to be the most powerful nation on Earth however Germany was in the way because they also wanted to expand their empire
What was France’s problem before the war?
They wanted to gain back Alsace Lorraine from Germany however they already had previous feuds with Germany
What did Germany want before the war?
They wanted to create an empire like Britain however France, Britain and Russia were preventing this as Russia were stronger than them
What did Austria-Hungary’s problem before the war?
They wanted to take over the Balkan states eg. Serbia (they already had taken over Bosnia)
What did Russia want before the war started?
They wanted to built their army to beat Germany
What did Serbia want before the war began?
To remain independent and to join with Bosnia, however Austria-Hungary were trying to take over Serbia
Why was it called the world war?
Britain had such a large empire it ended up involving the world
Who was part of the Triple Entente?
Britain, France and Russia
Who was part of the Triple Alliance
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
Why did alliances make war more likely to happen?
- They caused a domino effect so if one country was involved other would have been too
- It gives countries too much confidence and they know they will be backed up
- It leads to more enemies
Why did alliances make war less likely?
- some countries were close and got along so they would have fought eachother
- countries had protection is the were attacked
- countries were put off as there would have been mass destruction
What was the race between Britain and Germany?
The Naval Race this occurred in 1906 because Germany wanted to overcome Britain with the number of ships they had, but Britain won this race
What was the name of the race that al the countries in Europe were competing in?
The arms race was a race when european countries competed to produce the most amount of weapons such as guns to prepare themselves for war
What is nationalism?
When countries believe that they are stronger and greater than other countries
What is imperialism?
When countries desire an empire to give them a greater position in the world
Who was the Archduke Ferdinand?
He was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire and was killed by a Serbian terrorist
When was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand?
28th June 1914
What was the Schlieffen plan?
It was a plan that Germany would use if ever faced the prospect of a war on two fronts
What was the Schlieffen plan based on?
mobilisation times
How ddid the Schlieffen plan operate?
- Alfred von Schlieffen created this plan
- Germany was sandwiched between France and Russia which were both part of the same alliance
- This meant if they attacked one of them they would also be attacked on the other side, this was a war on two fronts
- He estimated it would take Russia 6 weeks to mobilise and France 4 weeks
- This meant he thought Germany could attack France then make it to Russia before they were ready
why was Belgium a crucial part of the Schlieffen plan?
The Germans were going to go through Belgium as the land was flat and not mountainous
Why did the Schlieffen plan fail?
- Britain and Belgium were allies so when Germany entered Belgium Britain attacked them
- Schlieffen also did not predict the mobilisation times correctly so Russia attacked Germany whilst they went to attack France
When was conscription introduced?
January 1916 the bill was passed
March 1916 men were forced to join the war
What was conscription?
Joining the army was not compulsory for men in Britain however conscription meant that it was compulsory for men to join the army
How many conscientious objectors were there?
16,000 men
What were conscientious objectors?
Men to refused to partake in war
Same some methods men were recruited into the army?
- propaganda
- guilt
- pals battalion
- songs (conscientious lament)
- patriotic duty
Why were trenches dug?
They didn’t realise how long the war would take so the were made to provide shelter at first
But eventually they were made for defense
Which country cam up with the idea of trenches first?
Germany
Name parts of a trench
- parados
- parapet
- sand bags
- duck board
- barbed wire
- fire step
- ammunitionstep
Name the 4 types of trenches?
- Frontline trench
- Support trench
- Communication trench
- Reserve trench
Why were trenches built in a zigzag pattern?
to protect the soldiers so an enemy couldn’t shoot straight down it
What was the name of the area of land in between two trenches
no man’s land
Why was the parados higher then the parapet?
The soldier would be silhouetted and less likely to be shot
