ww1 Flashcards
name one practices used in ww1, there strengths/weaknesses, and how effective they were
(poison gas)
poison gas
- strengths: inflicted pain, caused significant casualties, reduced enemy’s ability to respond
- weaknesses: wind change suddenly could cause gas being blown back towards trenches of those who fired it, gas masks were quickly developed
- effectiveness: somewhat effective ( caused panic, but wind could send gas in your direction)
name one practices used in ww1, there strengths/weaknesses, and how effective they were
(machine guns)
machine guns
- strengths: large number of losses, could fire over 500 rounds per minute
- weaknesses: lack of manoeuvrability, prone to jamming, very heavy/hard to handle due to its size
- effectiveness: effective ( one of the deadliest weapons and caused many casualties)
How trenches worked in ww1
the typical trench system consisted of trench lines running parallel to each other and being at least one mile in depth, trenches were built in zigzags. There were front line, support, and reserve trenches. A dugout was a shelter dug into the side of the trench.
why use trenches?
Trench warfare posed difficulties for attacking side, as they would have to cross the exposed ground of no-mans land, enemy trenches were also protected by barbed wire making it nearly impossible to traverse, and making enemy soldiers easy targets for machine gun/sniper fire, trenches also provided protection for soldiers.
advantages and disadvantages of trenches
advantages:
- easy to make, and cheap to build
- allowed protection of soldiers
- hindered troops advancing and easy to defend
disadvantages:
- poor living conditions
- hard to get in/out of without being seen by enemy
- shell shock
conditions of trenches ww1
poor living conditions
- muddy/wet/cold
- trench foot (foot swells and begins to decay)
- infested with lice and rats
- smelled and filled with dead bodies and blood
what was the purpose of the treaty of versailles?
the treaty formally ended ww1 and punished Germany for the war
who signed it and when was it signed?
signed on june 1919 by:
- George Clemenceau from France (wanted to pay/punish Germany for the war)
- David Lloyd George from Great Britain (wanted justice not revenge, not too harsh)
- Woodrow Wilson from USA (wanted peace)
war guilt clause
forced Germany and other central powers to take all of the blame and responsibility for initiating ww1. This meant loss of land, reduced military forces, and reparation payments to the allied powers.
two conditions of the treaty of versailles
Germany had to pay 6600 million to the allies to cover damage caused by war
Germany navy was greatly reduced only allowing 6 battle ships and 1500 men
Germany had to hand over all of its colonies to the allies
two changes of territory as a result of ww1
the Austria-Hungary Empire dissolved into Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
Russia became the soviet union and lost Finland, Lithuania, and Latvia, which all became independent countries.
the Ottoman Empire was replaced by Turkey and many of its territories became mandates under French or British rule
who won ww1
the triple entente (France, Russian, British Empire, Italy, USA)
how did they win ww1
the triple entente won ww1 because the central powers (Germany, A-H, Bulgarian and Ottoman Empire) signed a cease fire, and the triple entente had better source of food, material, and manpower
social changes from ww1
- women contributed and were offered more opportunities
- changed how people viewed war
two economical impacts of ww1
- Germany lost land and most of its merchant ships as a result of the treaty of versailles and was essentially bankrupt, there was hyperinflation of the German currency
- USA economy further expanded/accelerated as the US mobilized for war, after war ended excessive borrowing and collapsing agriculture prices led to the great depression
