The Great War COPY Flashcards
What are the four M.A.I.N. causes of World War I?
Militarism, Alliance System, Imperialism, and Nationalism
What is militarism?
Countries’ focus on having giant, powerful militaries
What were the complex web of alliances in Europe supposed to stop?
wars from happening in Europe
Which countries were in the Central Powers?
Ottoman Empire, Germany, Austria-Hungry
Which countries were in the Allied Powers?
France, Great Britain, Italy, United States, Russia
How did imperialism contribute to the start of WWI?
Germany wanted to get colonies, and England and France wanted to keep theirs. The winner would get control of all of them
What is nationalism?
Intense pride in your country
How did nationalism contribute to the start of WWI? (two ways)
-Made countries feel superior and were sure they would win a war
-Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in an attempt to free Bosnia from Austria-Hungary
What was the name of the terrorist organization that killed Franz Ferdinand?
The Black Hand
Why did Gavrilo Princip assassinate Ferdinand?
He was trying to free Bosnia from Austria-Hungary, and thought they would join with his native Serbia
How did Austria-Hungary respond to the killing of their prince?
They threatened Serbia, and then invaded them
Which were the first two countries to go to war?
Serbia and Austria-Hungary
How did the fighting in WWI differ from previous wars in Europe?
New technologies made the war more defensive and more deadly. More people in the world made a lot more people fighting. IMperialism made colonies come which made it a world war.
Why were machine guns important?
They were so good at defending, they forced soldiers to dig trenches to keep from getting shot.
THIS IS WHAT CREATED STALEMATE AND TRENCH WARFARE
What was artillery used for?
To destroy trenches and kill the people in them
What was the original purpose for tanks?
To transport troops across no man’s land without getting shot
What was the purpose of aircraft originally in the war?
To gather information about the enemy (reconnaissance)
How effective was gas in the war?
Not very effective- killed less 1% of the deaths
What was the other effect gas had on soldiers?
Caused blisters on skin, lasting effectives
What did Germany use submarines for?
Sinking supply ships
What are ways that you could be killed in a trench? (5)
Sniper fire, machine guns, artillery attacks, cave-ins, poison gas, disease, shell shock
Where were the trenches (which front, and describe the area of the world)?
Western front, between France and Germany.
What is “no man’s land”?
The land between the trenches. Completely destroyed by artillery, filed with barbed wire. Very dangerous to try and cross.
What is Trench foot?
A disease that happens when feet are too moist and get infected and rot
Why did the Russians get out of the war early?
Russia hadn’t industrialized, and they weren’t able to have the allies ship them goods and weapons. They were doing so bad in the war, their people overthrew their government to get out of the war.
How did unrestricted submarine warfare help to draw the US into the war?
Germans changed from targeting supply ships, to targeting passenger ships and trying to kill civilians, which turned Americans against them
How many troops died overall? Which side had more killed?
8.5 million, the Allies
Besides the death rate, what are two other effects of WWI?
Shell shock, lost limbs, gas scarring
What treaty brought the war to a close?
Treaty of Versailles
Who was involved in making the treaty to end the war?
France - Totally destroy Germany
Britain - Gain colonies and make Germany weaker
Italy - Gain some land
United States - Be fair to everyone, let people decide for themselves who rules them, and create the League of Nations
Who was NOT involved in making the treaty?
Germany - They lost, so they weren’t able to be in the negotiations
Russia - They quit early and were communist now, so we didn’t trust them
What was the War Guilt Clause?
Germany forced to admit being solely responsible for WWI
What was the effect of the War Guilt Clause on Germany?
It made Germans resent the allies, and were forced to pay $64 billion to the allies to rebuild
What happened to Germany’s colonies?
They all got taken away from them- given to the winners of the war
What happened to Germany’s military?
-German army reduced to 100,000 troops, no Air Force, Navy, or tanks
-Germany was no longer allowed to produce any kind of war materials
