World War I Flashcards
when was world war 1
July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918
what is total war?
military conflict where nations dedicate entire resources and energy to the war effort.
who became unified nations in the 19th century?
Italy (in 1861) and Germany (in 1871)
who were the great European powers in 1910?
Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire
what was the policy that Britain preferred to maintain and what did this lead to?
they preferred ‘splendid isolation’, meaning they remained away from European affairs yet maintained power and continental peace - this consequently left them without European allies
why was Britain’s ‘splendid isolation’ abandoned?
pressure to maintain balance of power due to German naval expansion.
what is nationalism?
a feeling of pride and loyalty towards one’s nation
what is imperialism?
extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force
what is militarism?
the belief that a country should use military force, to gain power and defend/promote national interests.
what and when was ‘the arms race’?
the build-up of military technology & personnel in Europe, between 1871-1914
what did the arms race strengthen, and what type of environment did this create?
strengthened alliances and the formation of defensive war plans, creating a militaristic environment
what was the size of armies and navies seen as a reflection/indication of?
a reflection of national pride, and an indication of power & domination
what were the German aims pre-World War 1?
peace to consolidate new power; French isolation
what was Bismarck’s policy and did this work?
maintain a 3:2 balance of power in Germany’s favour to isolate France - backfired; the creation of the Triple Entente meant Germany was essentially surrounded
who was Bismarck and what did he do?
he was a Prussian politician who united Germany
who was a part of the Triple Alliance, and when was this alliance formed?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy joined together to form the Triple Alliance in 1882
when was the Triple Entente formed, and between whom?
(what differences were resolved)
1907, Britain, Russia, France – Britain & Russia resolved differences due to fear of German attack
what were Britain’s aims pre-WW1?
peace in the continents
what were the French aims pre-WW1?
regain Alsace Lorrain (lost to Germany in 1871), and gain allies against Germans
what were the Russian aims pre-WW1?
enlarge Balkan interests and stop Austria-Hungary from gaining influence
what were the underlying purposes of these alliances?
originally defensive, but then offensive
what fears did the formation of these alliances bring?
brought the danger that a minor clash could result in a war between the major powers
who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne
when was Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife assassinated, and where?
Sarajevo, Bosnia on 28 June 1914
who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and what group was he a member of?
Gavrilo Princip, member of the anti-Austria-Hungary organisation, the Black Hand
what did the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand allow Austria to surpress and then declare based on guaranteed support?
suppress Serbian nationalism → Austria assured of German support and declared war on Serbia.
however, as an ally of Serbia, what did Russia do, what was the German reaction to this, and what did this result in?
Russia mobilised her forces in support of Serbia. Germany demanded that Russia demobilise. this was refused and Germany declared war on Russia.