Why did the Allied Forces change in 1917? Flashcards
How many Russian soldiers had been killed by 1917?
Over 1 million
(Russia) Why had both soldiers and civilians began to turn against the idea of war?
- Huge casualties
- Food shortages in Russia
What was set up by rioters/protesters (soldiers + civilians) in Russia?
Provisional government
1917 - What caused lots of the Russian army to desert war?
Huge defeat by Germans
What was signed in March 1918? Who was this between?
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk - Germany and Russia
Who did the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Britain and France
How did the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk affect Russia
Very harsh on them - lost best farmland and natural resources
How was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk a good thing for Germany?
- Ends war on two fronts -> concentrate on fighting Allies on Western Front
- Gained resources they were short on due to blockade
How did the USA benefit from the war before joining?
Selling food, weapons and other resources to Allies
When was the Lusitania sunk?
1915
How many Americans died in the Lusitania sinking?
128
How many more US ships were sunk by Germans in 1917?
8
Who was smuggled back to Russia during the Bolshevik revolution?
Lenin
What happened to the Russian government?
Overthrown and established Communist government
BR: who was arrested and imprisoned?
The Tsar and family
How did the Bolshevik Revolution lead to the Russian withdrawal?
Lenin was smuggled into Germany -> believed revolutionary ideas would cause Russia to create peace with Germany
How did the Russian withdrawal impact the Allies?
- Britain struggling as had little resources
- France had to take on full German army
How much Russian farmland did Germany gain?
27%
How much of Russian railways did Germany gain?
26%
How much of Russian coal and iron did Germany gain?
74%
What happened in March 1917 (USA and Germany)?
USA discovered German’ys plan to ally with Mexico
Why did the Germans want to ally with Mexico?
Mexico would provide money to Germany to attack USA
What would Mexico gain from German allyship?
Take over US land
How did the USA joining the war positively impact the Allies?
Boost in support for B + F and gained resources they were short on such as coal, iron, cotton, wheat
How did the USA entry impact Germany?
Forced them to quickly act and launch Spring Offensive
What was the aim of Ludendorff’s Spring Offensive?
To overpower British with rapid bombardment and force French to surrender
What were German “stormtroopers”?
Soldiers trained to carry out a sudden attack
Why was the Spring Offensive a failure?
- Stormtroopers advanced too quickly so supplies too far behind
- USA troops arrived and pushed Germans to near defeat
How many German men were lost during the Spring Offensive?
220,000
