World War 1 Flashcards
“The war to end all wars” 32 nations
The Great War
World War One
How many nations were in the world war?
32
What were the four major causes of World War One
- ) rise of nationalism: deep devotion to ones country that creates a desire for self rule.
- )imperialism: (colonial conquest) created rivalries between nations of power.
- ) militarism: (glorification of war) created an arms race or a military build up of forces and weapons.
- ) alliance system: (military allies) created a world conflict out of a minor incident
What was the purpose of the alliance system.
The purpose of the alliance system had been to create a balance of power* throughout Europe - they believed this would help to prevent war! - FAILED
Who came up with the alliance system?
Otto von Bismarck (was in Germany) created the alliance system
Name the major alliances
Triple alliance: empire of Germany, empire of Austria-Hungary , country of Italy
Triple entente: made up of Great Britain, France, and Russia
Most of the countries were ruled by _____ who were __________
Kings, related
Ww1 was a bug family feud.
What was the powder keg of Europe
Ready to explode, was the Balkan Peninsula
Who lived in the balkans?
Were made up of mostly Slavic peoples who wanted their independence. They were controlled for centuries by the ottoman Turks.
What happened to the Turks in 1900
Eventually the Turks were driven out by the Austria-Hungarian empire. Promoted freedom, but did not deliver.
What was the nationalist movement
Was created to bring independence to the region, - the movement was called pan-slavism- goal was to create a large Slavic state (country) called Yugoslavia.
The tiny independent country of Serbia led out in this movement.
What is the incident that sparked the war?
The archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie, * visit Sarajevo for a “goodwill tour” to open a new hospital.
Sent by his uncle - franz Joseph (king of Austria-Hungary)
Birth the archduke and his wife are assasinated by a Serbian terrorist group known as the black hand.
Who was gavrilo princep
The Assassin who killed Franz and Sophie
What does Austria Hungary give Serbia?
Gives them an ultimatum! Does this or else war
Serbia has a powerful ally - Russia
They refuse ultimatum
The alliance system kicks in and a minor incident becomes the Great War
What is mobilization
Countries begin preparing for the war
What is propaganda.
How was it used (3 things)
Propaganda is information used to influence public opinion
Used:
- )recruitment of men
- )promote patriotism at home
- ) make enemy look evil
What does balligerants mean?
What were they?
The warring sides.
Allied forces,
Central powers
Name the allied forces
Great Britain
Russia
France
Later the USA
Name the central powers
Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman tusks
Major players.
What was the schlieffen plan
Alfred von schlieffen
German plan of attack was to attack France through neutral Belgium
What was the first battle of the war?
Was the battle of the Marne - German tempt to capture Paris! - it failed
The war was fought on two major fronts. What were they and describe them
1.) western front
Extended from the North Sea to Switzerland (500 miles) - between the borders of France and Germany.
2.) eastern front - extended from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, (1000) miles - between the borders of Russia and Germany/Austria-Hungary
Trench warfare
Yep
What was the area between the trenches.
Two ways that it was called
No mans land
Terrain of death.
After the first year of the war the war turned into a:
The war turned in to a bloody stalemate. Neither side could win!
Examples of the symbolized the heroes of trench warfare
Describe the battle of the Somme
Describe the battle of verdin
Over 1.2 million casualties and gained about 7 miles of turf!
Verdin:
Largest and longest battle of ww1 - over 1.25 million casualties.
What caused the slaughter of World War One
- ) outdated tactics
2. ) new modern weapons.
World War One turns into a war of ——-
What does that mean?
War of attrition
Goal was to wear the other side out.
Why so many,casualties?
The industrial revolution had created new modern deadly weapons!
- ) machine gun - most deadly
- ) artillery — launch exploding shells over 10 miles
- ) poison gas - “mustard gas”
- ) tanks
- ) flame throwers
- ) zeppelins - “blimps”
- ) airplanes
- knights of the sky, housing in the sky! “Dogfights” aerial combat
- manfred. Von Richthofen - “Red Baron” had eighty confirmed kills.
- eddie rickenbacker - top American ace from Columbus Ohio - 26 kills.
- flying was so dangerous. Called themselves the “suicide club”
Life expectancy was 14 days. 75% death rate.
15 out of the top 20 aces in World War One died in combat.
8.) submarines (u boats) - “unterwasser boot”
-mainly used by the Germans - used to sink supply ships.
Nicknames for all of the soldiers
Germans = Huns British = tommy French = frogs Americans = doughboys
By the end of 1916, the Russian army was on the verge of what
Why?
Casualty rate
Collapse.
Because of the lack of supplies, was a major problem!
76% casualty rate
Who was the Russian czar? What did he ask for?
Nicolas II
He asked the allies for help.(British)
This opened the Gallipoli campaign
Describe the Gallipoli campaign
Why did the British decide to help Russia?
What was the result?
- british attempt to rescue Russia.
- a Two front war kept the German army split over two years
It failed miserably
Who do the Bolsheviks get to support them in Russia?
The common peasants
Who were the bolsheviks
Small group, promises that will pull out of war and free bread and land.
Russia was near collapse, tired of the war casualties, famine, etc.
Led by Vladimir Lenin - overthrew and kill the czar and his family
The Bolsheviks pull Russia out of the war
Why was Russia leaving the war bad for the allies?
What happened to counter balance this?
Germany can now concentrate all its forces on the western front
USA joins
USA had policy known as isolationism
What it mean?
Stay out of European affairs, remain neutral
Events that brought the sun in to the war
- ) sinking of the Lusitania (british luxury liner) 128 Americans dead (sunk by a German u boat)
- ) Unrestricted submarine warfare - German u boat sinking every ship in sight.
- ) Zimmerman telegram, telegram where Germany promised to help them get their land back from the Americans if they joined them as an ally.
What was president ——- ———.’s purpose for the war?
Woodrow Wilson’s declarat8on for the purpose of the war was to make it “safe for democracy”
What were the American impacts on the war
- ) counter balance Russia pulling out
- ) boosted morale of the allies
- ) fresh manpower (fresh troops)
- ) supplies and equipment
USA joining is the turning point in the conflict
What was the turning point for the allies
USA joining
Who was in charge of the American expeditionary force (US army)
Gen. John Pershing
What did the Germans do as a last desperate attempt
Result?
A massive offensive “operation Michael”
They hoped to defeat the allied forces before the Americans could make a difference.
It almost works! The Americans pour in to Europe in the summer of 1918 and the tide of the war turns!
In the fall of 1918 what does the king of Germany do?
What does this signal?
the king of Germany Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates the throne (steps down)
This signals that they are ready to surrender
November 11, at 11 am
the armistice (agreement to stop fighting) is signed - signed veterans day
Who accepts the surrender?
King George V, (England) accepts surrender! The Great War is over!
What happened RIGHT after the war
Spanish influenza/flu outbreak
Greatest medical holocaust in history
50 to 100 Millin died!
What happened in Paris?
Who were not invited
Who were
Peace talks. (Peace treaty)
Losers are not invited to the peace talks!
The winners (BIG FOUR) were Great Britain - David Lloyd George France - George’s Clemenceau USA - Woodrow Wilson Italy - vittorio Orlando
Describe Wilson’s fourteen points
(Peace plan to address the causes of the war and solution for world peace)
First five points dead with ways to prevent future wars
Points 6 - 13 deal with self-determination - Nations should have the right to govern themselves
Point 14 - establishes the League of Nations (peace keeping organizations) the goal of the organization was to prevent future war,
What did Wilson want?
What does it mean?
A “peace without victory”
*no winner or looser WHY? it heals the wounds faster
Describe the Versailles Treaty (Germany was forced to sign)
- ) Germany had to accept all blame for the war
- ) Germany had to pay for the war reparations (*damages) $33 billion dollars
- ) Germany lost all of its colonies and some German territories
- ) forced to greatly reduce the size of its military
Results of ww1
- ) death toll. 20 Millin died “lost generation”
- ) Bolshevik/communist revolution - Russia becomes communist
- ) map of Europe changed: 9 new countries added.
- ) United States becomes a world power.
- ) Ww2 - caused by bitterness of the Germans! - revenge for the Versailles treaty.
