WW1 Flashcards
Life pre-WW1
Life for many in Europe was peaceful and prosperous. The Industrial Revolution have occurred which improved many living conditions positively in areas excluding Austria-Hungary, the Balkans, and the Russian Empire. There was still a large wealth gap in industrialised countries. Socialist movements increasingly demanded political reform of Europe’s rule by monarhcies, and uprisings had swept through many countries.
MAIN of WW1: M
Militarism is when a country builds up its military or allows leaders of the military to begin to make government decisions. There was a cultural paranoia to enhance power.
- Britain and Germany between 1870-1914 naval race
- military spending in European countries went up by 300% on average
MAIN of WW1: A
Alliances are treaties made between countries that promise to help their allies if they were attacked.
- The Triple Alliance (1882) between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
- The Triple Entente (1907) between France, Britain, and Russia
There were meant to create a balance of power, but ended up pulling every nation into war.
MAIN of WW1: I
Imperialism is the practice of extending the power of a nation, especially by acqurring the territory of another nation.
- there was need for raw resources post Industrial Revolution
- the need to expand power over colonies caused conflict between Austro-Hungary Empire and Russia in Balkans (Balkan War)
MAIN of WW1: N
Nationalism is the sense of pride/love for ones country, particularly the want for self-determination and supremist ideas which can cause tension.
- In the Balkans, this lead to division
The July Crisis of 1914
The Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were shot at close range by a gunman as they drove through Bosnia on the 28th of June 1914.The immediate consequence was a series of threats, bluffs, and failed negotiations known as the July Crisis.
Tensions in the Balkans earlier meant that Austria-Hungary was ready to lay blame on Serbia for the assassination so they made a 10-point ultimatum. When Serbia couldn’t comply, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July 1914.
What happened after the July Crisis
Alliances came into effect; Russia mobilised their army to support Serbia, Germany threatened war with Russia to support Austria-Hungary on the 1st of August, Germany declared war on France on the 3rd of August.
The Schlieffen Plan
The long-held strategy if it had to fight a war on two fronts since Russia and France’s alliance left Germany surrounded.
The plan was that German forced would spend 6-8 weeks invading France facilitated by Russia’s slow army mobilisation. Troops would be put on the Eastern Front to put Russia at bay. This meant that Germany would have to invade Belgium to secure the French/German border Alsace Lorraine from behind.
To facilitate this, the Germans built train tracks from different points of Northern Germany to the border for efficient mobilsation.
Schlieffen Plan timeline
Aug-sept: Germany rolls through Belgium and effectively chases French and some British troops to the Marne River. Going through Belgium condensed German troops.
September 5th: French army (200,000) noticed that Germany had exposed their flank
September 6th-12th: First Battle of the Marne, German forces separated so French Army and BEF could go on the offensive. 2 million fought, 1 million died. It stopped the plan from succeeding and established the Western Front.
November: Germany entrenched themselves in western Belgium and northern France.
Battle of the Marne (17th Sept-30th Nov 1914)
One of the most important battles in modern European history. It halted the German advanced and forced them into a defensive position which created trench warfare. It caused the ‘race to the sea’; the confused struggle between the German and Franco-British Army as each side tried to attack the rear of the other which resulted in a series of movements which pushed towards the North Sea.
The race came to a halt in October when the war of movement became one of position. The Germans almost always had the initiative which forced the allies to fill the breaches which threatened channel port and vital comms. with Britain.
Battle of Tannenberg
halted the Russian advance into Germany in August 1914. Germany’s 150,000 troops were outnumbered by Russia’s 250,000 although:
- 78,000 Russian soldiers were killed/injured
- 90,000 Russian soldiers became POW
It took Germany 60 trains to carry away Russia’s equipment that was captured which stopped any further advanced into Germany.
Battle of Verdun motives
Verdun was a French fortress that occupied a large salient on the Western Front and because of its significance to the French, it became a target of German General Falkenhayn.
He wanted to draw the French army in one place so that they would be weakened and surrender.
Battle of Verdun events (Feb 1916-Dec 1916)
Massive artillery bombardments (up to 100,000 shells per hour) from German assaults. 2/3 of the French army defended Verdun. Casualties at Verdun:
- 315 000 French
- 281 000 Germany
Both French and German military commanders were destroyed in the campaign. The fortress was defended, but it exhausted both armies and mutiny of the French army occurred in 1917 due to low morale.
- Phosgene gas was introduced and flame-throwers used
Battle of the Somme motives
- The Somme was the British response to Verdun as the most costly battle the British had ever fought.
- Haig planned to break through the Somme River Valley but preparations became known to the Germans.
- The date was pushed forward to relieve the French at Verdun.
Battle of the Somme events (July 1916-November 1916)
- A week of artillery bombardment came before the attack.
- troops went ‘over the top’ confident trenches were empty
- Germans emerged from their deep shelters, wounding 40,000 and killing 20,000 British troops on the first day.
- 3/4 of the officers were gone.
- The campaign turned to attrition.
- The British used tanks for the first time
- Germany was at a point of total collapse
- by 1916, the glory of the war had gone and many believed it to be unwinnable
Battle of Passchendaele motives
Was the most horrific failure of the British campaign as Haig was again seeking a decisive breakthrough to capture Belgian ports.
Battle of Passchendaele events (July 1917-November 1917)
- The rainy season made it hell on the battlefield
- men fell into trenches and drowned, or had their backs broken being pulled out
- 4.5 million shells in 10 days preceded the attack
- British lost 360,000 casualties for 11km gain, and the Germans lost 245,000
- the British had successfully used the tank in November
science and industry developments in WW1
By 1914, experts in all nations had become familiar with the basic concepts of propellants, explosives, and shell manufacturing. Organic chemistry developed in the 19th century. Key developments included:
- development of different machine guns: German Maxim guns and British Vickers were very heavy so liter models were developed
- light-rail networks replaced horses
science and industry developments in WW1: trenches
- hand grenades well suited to trench warfare conditions
- invention of steel helmets: the French ‘Adrien’, the British ‘tin hat’, and the German ‘coal scuttle’
- higher calibre artillery pieces: German ‘Big Bertha’ gun and long range ‘Paris Gun’ in 1918
- Mechanical digging machines for trenches replaced human labour
science and industry developments in WW1: gas warfare
- German was a leader in the development of gas warfare until 1918
- Mustard gas appeared in 1917 which caused temporary blindness and severe burns, foam caused suffocation
- Phosgene gas first used in 1915 attacked the lungs
science and industry developments in WW1: aircraft development
- Germany focused on developing the Zeppelin before the war
- The German Fokker E1 monoplane was the solution to firing without shooting the propeller
- by the end of the war, both sides were developing larger bomber aircraft
science and industry developments in WW1: tanks
- first used in the Somme but were unreliable
- by Mid-1918 tank technology had advanced and they were being used in large numbers
- key to allied success
