Blueprint for Armageddon Flashcards
(76 cards)
1
Q
What is the key issue that leads the assassination of Franz Ferdinand causing the Great War
A
- the web of alliances between various nations
- Germany is allied with Austro-Hungary, Russia is allied with the Serbia, France is allied with Russia, the UK is loosely allied with France, etc.
2
Q
What was the factor that led to the grand increase in the scale of warfare?
A
- mass conscription of the populace into the war effort, that really began with the French Revolution, and France deciding that war was the only affair of state, in its fight for survival
- in this nations could take a large loss of life and continue fighting
3
Q
What factors led to the fast escalation of hostilities after Franz Ferdinand’s assassination?
A
- states and generals believed in the idea that in order to win you had to be in the field first with the biggest army
- the thinking was that Russia was disorganized and would take a while to build up its war machine
- Germany felt that if Serbia and France could be neutralized before Russia got going the greater war could be avoided
4
Q
What was Germany’s main existential concern after its creation in the 19th century?
A
- it felt that it was surrounded by enemies, which in fact it was. it was surrounded on all sides by rival empires.
5
Q
What are some of the qualities of Otto Von Bismarck?
A
- talented diplomat and statesman
- in large part held the European powers together before the Great War
6
Q
What are some of the qualities of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
A
- bad roll of the dynastic dice
- low to average intelligence and competence
- inferiority complex
- tendency towards militarism
- fired Otto Von Bismarck
7
Q
What is the British perspective prior to the war?
A
- there is generally no advantage to going to war
- they are the greatest economy in Europe through trade, they are isolated from the mainland and thus not in Germany’s immediate way, and they have the greatest navy in the world to defend them
8
Q
When goods don’t cross borders…
A
armies will
9
Q
What happens to change the British attitude towards entering the conflict?
A
- part of the German plan to defeat both France and Russia involves going around the hardened border between France and Germany and through Belgium and Britain pledged to defend Belgium’s neutrality
- this practically ensures Britain entering the war, as British opinion on the war changes overnight after the invasion of Belgium
10
Q
Describe the German army in the Great War
A
- incredibly effective and efficient with superior logistics and planning
- it is incredibly large (2M+)and they have the organization and efficiency to manage it
- it is very well-trained and prepared specifically for the scenario at the beginning of the war
11
Q
What was the significance of German uniforms?
A
- they were the first major army to adopt the drab, practical, functional colors of modern armies
- they were gray and dark where many armies still wore brightly-colored uniforms with gaudy decorations
12
Q
What happened in the German first assault on the Belgian forts?
A
- utter carnage
- the combination of fortifications, machine guns, and German charges led to carnage on the German side
- this happened repeatedly, wave after wave
13
Q
How was Liage, Belgium taken?
A
- Ludendorff took a dead German general’s troops, led them around the fortifications and into the undefended city
- He knocked on the door of the citadel with his sword hilt, ordered a surrender, and got it
14
Q
How were the Belgian forts eventually taken?
A
- artillery cannon fire from massive German cannons
- they were so big they had to be transported piece by piece and then assembled on the battlefield
- they had crews of over 100 men
- it had to be fired electronically from over 300 yards away with extra protection and precautions
- it had a 4000 foot arc and took a minute to reach its target
15
Q
How did the German army treat civilians while taking Belgium?
A
- they committed atrocities
- they killed hundreds of civilians as punishment for real or imagined resistance, blowing bridges/tunnels, firing on Germans, etc
- they practiced “collective responsibility” wherein the community was held responsible for the actions of one
- this is seen as an extension of the severe and authoritative/obedient nature of German culture
- the Entente press wildly exaggerated these atrocities to effectively demonized the Germans
16
Q
What is the first ideas introduced in Part II in regards to arms?
A
- that the power of technological warfare was increasing at an exponential pace, dramatically changing modern warfare
- that to keep up with this pace was very expensive to the point that it could bankrupt a nation and they could still be behind
- and suddenly if you were technologically behind by 20 - 30+ years it could mean defeat
- a stark contrast between warfare prior to the 20th century where even ancient armies could potentially defeat a 19th century army
17
Q
What did Russia introduce at the 1899 Hague conference?
A
- an arms deal proposing that no further technological advances be made in war weaponry or technology
- this was partly because Russia was falling behind in the arms race
- and also because the czar wasn’t very talented
18
Q
Why did arresting development of military technology seem feasible in the early 20th century?
A
- because it had been done in the past by powers such as the Catholic Church and dynastic China
- also when great empires like the Egyptian and Roman fell it was followed by a regression in technological and cultural knowledge
- it was a very familiar idea to people of the time and was borne out in their history books
19
Q
What was the Schlieffen plan?
A
- it was a plan to engage both France and Russia in a war
- engage France first through Belgium, trap French forces, then swing the sledgehammer around to face the slow-mobilizing Russians
- however when Schlieffen constructed the plan Russia was less potent than it was in 1914
- it was a massive gamble though and required flawless execution
20
Q
What was the tactical situation that led up to the Battle of the Frontiers?
A
- the hammer of the German army was making its way through Belgium to northeastern France
- the British force of about 70,000 veteran soldiers was landing on the continent
- the aggressive Serb army of 180k smashed into the Austro-Hungarian army of 200k and routed them, depriving Germany of an army to screen their western flank and keep Russia busy
- French forces were engaging the anvil German forces, who were ordered to give way and keep them busy
- and Russia mobilized its army early
- in all bad for Germany
21
Q
What “lost Germany the war” prior to the Battle of the Frontiers?
A
- general von Moltke allowed prince Ruprecht, leading part of the anvil forces, to counter attack the advancing French
- German artillery with superior range to the French artillery smashed the advancing French army
22
Q
What was the Battle of the Frontiers?
A
- following prince Ruprect’s attack and smashing of French pursuit forces general Joseph Joffre decides to commit French forces to the mid point between the anvil and sledgehammer of the German forces
- Joffre assumes that German forces will be in inferior numbers here
- however they will be in equal number and dug in and waiting for the French advance
- 27,000 French soldiers died on 8/21/1914 alone along with countless injuries and maiming
- the carnage was so great that it drove men insane
- Charles de Gaulle fought in this battle and wrote about it
- the entire complexion of the war and warfare changed during this battle
23
Q
What was the attitude towards war before and during The Great War?
A
- war was highly romanticized and to die in war was thought highly honorable
- it was a glorious death to do so charging headlong into the enemy
- this would change after the carnage of the war and much of that generation of romanticized war was killed
24
Q
What happened to the idea of mechanized warfare?
A
- it takes predominance in the conducting of war, much more than the force or courage of soldiers
25
What happened after the German victory at the beginning of the Battle of the Frontiers?
- von Moltke decides to commit forces to chase the defeated French soldiers in the center
26
What is the Battle of Manse?
- the advancing 70k British forces run into the tip of the German spear, the sledgehammer
- about 160k Germans are involved
- this British force makes up the majority of the British army
- the Brits are eventually forced to retreat and miraculously escape across the channel
- the entrenched British position smashed the advancing Germans with rifle fire
- the veteran British forces had great rifle fire discipline
- however this German advance eventually forced a British retreat, and it's possible that the German forces acted very skillfully and professionally the entire time
27
When do most casualties occur in modern battle?
- in the pursuit after the battle
28
What is The Great Retreat?
- the pushing back of British and French forces at the beginning of the war
- this is in the Battle of the Frontiers and the Battle of Manse
29
What is the state of Russia's military in the lead up to the war?
- prepared to engage
- in general Russian wanted the war and was prepared for it
- they took only 2 weeks to mobilize, as opposed to the 6 weeks in the Schlieffen plan
- they fielded 500k initially
- however organizationally and logistically, they were a mess in the beginning
- also the Russians aren't using good secrecy with their planning. the Germans get so much information on Russian plans they think it's counter-intelligence
- but historically once they get going they are very formidable
30
What happens in the first engagement between the Germans and Russians?
- using a multitude of poorly-guarded intelligence on Russian movements, the Germans set a trap and route half the Russian army of over 160k
- the Germans then do the same to the other half of the Russian pincer attack force
31
Describe the Battle of the Marne?
- a massive engagement between German forces and French and British forces on a front stretching from Paris to the eastern frontier
- it is initiated when German forces expose their flank on the way to Paris and Joffre sees the opportunity to strike
- this is France's last stand. troops that were exhausted and spent from battle and marching were ordered to attack
- in all the retreating French and German forces turn around to attack the German flank and eventually penetrate, forcing a German retreat
- the Germans could have crushed this advance if they were able, but they were "pinned" where the entirety of the German army was engaged in one way or another
- by the end of the Marne 1M people would be dead and this was only 3 weeks in
32
What was the effect of ammunition usage on the conduct of the war?
- ammunition usage was far outpacing production
| - armies had to ration ammunition to compensate and this strongly affected the ability to deploy troops and be effective
33
How close was military leadership on both sides to the actual conflict?
- very far removed from the battle and situation on the ground
- at best they were 10s of miles behind the front and staying in lavish accommodations, drinking wine, sleeping in beds etc
- the effect was a significant disconnect from the human situation on the battlefield as well as the capacity of armies to carry out their commands
34
What happened to von Moltke after the Battle of the Marne?
- he has a nervous breakdown
| - he is replaced by General von Folkenhayn
35
What is the difference between the Entente forces and Central forces in terms of reinforcing their ranks?
- the Entente powers are able to call on troops from their colonies and territories across the world
- troops are called in from Scotland, India for Britain and from Africa for France
- the Germans can only call on other Germans who are nowhere near as well-trained as the existing troops
36
How does trench warfare evolve?
- it is a natural effect of trying to deal with the "Storm of Steel" from artillery and machine gun fire from both sides
37
What is the fundamental difference in the Great War in terms of length of engagements with the enemy?
- engagements are persistent instead of intense short engagements then retreats, which was the norm over human history
- on the western front especially it becomes a protracted killing ground of constant close contact and engagements, with permanent trenches where antagonists are only hundreds of meters away from each other
38
After the Battle of the Marne and the stalemate sets in on the Western front what happens in the German command?
- the new commander General von Folkenheim asks the civilian leadership to sue for peace with at least one of the powers to break up the Entente and especially so they can deal with Britain
- Germany sees Britain as their primary enemy and the other powers as just "swords in the hands" of Britain
- enemies of von Folkenhayn like Lundendorff see this as almost treason
39
What does von Folkenhayn propose when the civilian leadership refuses his proposal?
- he tells his troops to dig in even deeper, to reinforce their fortifications
- one of the major innovations was the use of barbed wire as a defensive measure
- up to this point it was primarily used in the American west to keep cattle
40
What happened on the Western Front on Christmas 1914?
- spontaneous humanity
- the German troops broke into Christmas carols across from the Brits
- both sides eventually emerged from their trenches and talked, exchanged goods, and even played soccer in no-man's land
41
What other nations entered the war early on?
- Turkey entered against Britain, partly because Britain didn't give Turkey two warships that it had to beg its population to pay for
- Japan entered against Germany, largely for opportunistic reasons, to take some German holdings in and near Asia
42
What was the status of the war entering 1915? What did it lead to?
- stalemate, particularly on the western front. defense strongly outclassed offense and neither side could make headway without significant losses
- this led to generals seeking methods and technologies to break the stalemate
- this included the use of air power (bi-planes, zeppelins, etc.), submarines to counter Entente blockades, and poison gas usage
43
What was significant about the second Battle of Ypres?
- it was the first use of poison gas in the war, specifically chlorine gas
- to get around Hague war rules the Germans released the gas from planted canisters on the battlefield and let the wind carry the gas, instead of firing it with artillery
44
How was airpower used during the war?
- largely for surveillance, to see what enemy troops were doing on the battlefield
- there was also very pedestrian bombing with hand held devices that were not at all effective
- Germany had a great advantage here because of their Zeppelin fleet of about 10+ ships
45
How did Germany deal with the naval blockade by Britain?
- though Britain had the far superior navy, Germany was able to counter with as yet undetectable and relatively cheap submarines
- submarines due to their stealth could take out a massively powerful and expensive battleship without being detected
- this led Britain to be more and more careful about naval deployments
46
How did naval war escalate?
- to deal with submarines, merchant ships became armed, and exploited the wartime rule that a ship had to be warned that it would be sunk before doing so, making usually undetectable submarines vulnerable
- this led to "unrestricted" naval warfare where German subs would sink any ship without warning
- however some of these ships were civilian liners like the Lusitania, further shaming Germany on the world stage, though these ships could have been shipping arms to the allies in addition to carrying passengers
- some ships also had American passengers, bringing the US closer to entering the war
- it is rumored that Churchill knew about and encouraged shipping arms on civilian vessels so that Germany would sink them and bring the US into the war
47
What was the role of the US in the early war?
- it largely served as a lender of funds to the Entente powers and a supplier of goods and arms
- however there was a policy of isolationism from the conflict that the US strongly wanted to adhere to
48
What is the attitude towards PTSD in the war?
- it was treated as cowardice and those who were worse-affected were executed
49
What is the first key idea introduced?
- people are uncomfortable with the idea of a nobody, like Lee Harvey Oswald or Gavrilo Princip, having such a dramatic effect, shaping the course of history
- people are uncomfortable with the idea of random catastrophic events. they like the idea of control, even malicious control, better than chaos
49
How did trench fortifications evolve in 1915?
- already deep defenses were further deepened
- 5 foot high meters deep barbed wire fences, trenches, etc were deepened further into multiple lines of defenses with tunnel systems, communication lines between each front and bunkers built like fortresses with wood paneling, carpeting, wallpaper etc.
50
What was the predominant thinking amongst the Entente generals in 1915 for breaking the stalemate?
- they felt they could just throw up erupt numbers at the ever-deepening German defenses and eventually break through
52
What was the counter proposal to the idea of simply throwing more men at the problem in the Entente camp in 1915?
- the predatory approach. instead of attacking the strongest opponent (Germany), attack the weakest, Turkey, the old Ottoman Empire.
53
What did the British plan to attack Turkey involve?
- it was a plan created by Churchill's cabal to use the segment of the British fleet that had become obsolete, with the introduction of the Dreadnaught class in 1906, to take the Dardenelles
- there were many reasons for this 1) Turkey was the weakest of the Central powers 2) these ships were obsolete and thus expendable 3) the Entente needed to break the stalemate and wanted to do so without massive loss of life 4) the Russians wanted pressure from the Turks taken off of them 5) the Dardanelles have access from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea
54
What was the overall plan go the taking of the Dardanelles?
- this was the Gallipoli Campaign
| - a fast overwhelming naval strike with limited ground support that would take the Turks by surprise
55
What happened during the Gallipoli Campaign and what was the result?
- instead of striking quickly it took the British fleet several weeks before making a decisive strike on the forts and defenses of the Gallipoli peninsula
- also during the attack several ships hit mines so that 6 of the 18 ships were sunk without making any progress
- the delay allowed the Turks ample time to build up formidable defenses and the Turks fought much harder and more skillfully than anticipated
- after this thousands of Entente infantry were deployed on in an amphibious landing, including Australian and New Zealand forces
- however this landing was very disorganized with Troops landing miles from where they should have and lack of communication led to confusion about what to do next
- in the end the Gallipoli Campaign devolved into the same situation as the Western Front, where there were hardened defenses on each side, no progress was made and thousands of lives were lost
- pressure was taken off of the Russians at the border however
- and Churchill eventually lost his job because of the debacle
56
What recruiting tactics did the British military use early on in the war?
- the White Feather Movement, recruiting attractive patriotic girls to find young men not in uniform and berate and shame them to force them to join the army. they ended the abuse by putting a white feather in the man's lapel
- there was also the policy of allowing friends or co-workers to join together and fight in the same squad, Pals Battalions. they even picked out colorful names for their squads. full neighborhoods of men could be in the same group.
- however this also meant that full neighborhoods could be decimated in a single battle
57
What was the Entente philosophy towards breaking the stalemate in 1916?
- the prevailing though was that the Germans should be attacks in force on multiple fronts simultaneously
- the idea was that German troops moved around the theater to reinforce battles, and they wouldn't be able to do this if they were attacked on multiple fronts at once
58
What was the prevailing thought for the Germans on breaking the stalemate?
- the German general von Folkenhayn saw the meat grinder of the war and decided to lean into it and make the most efficient meat grinder possible
- this culminated in the Battle of Verdun
- the idea was that the only way to defeat one of these nations was to kill so many men that the society would be pushed to the breaking point and crumble, as every side suffered catastrophic defeats and kept coming
- this is in stark contrast to most historical nations where any one of these WWI defeats would have broken it
- the Romans are an exception to this rule as they could take huge defeats in the same war and keep coming, one of the reasons they were successful
59
What was the Battle of Jutland?
- a massive naval battle between Germany and Britain in 1916
- set off by British Intel gathered through breaking German codes about the German fleet heading out
- the Brits intended to trap and crush the German fleet and the German fleet was heading out intending to do the same to the Brits
- the Germans were trying to break the naval blockade that was slowly choking Germany's economy
- it evolved into a series of traps, counter-traps and open encounters between the fleets
- the British battle cruiser class proved very vulnerable and several exploded after taking a few hits
- in the end both sides lost a number of ships, but the Germans never deployed their fleet in this way again and were very conservative navally from then on
60
What was the Battle of Verdun?
- a massive battle conceived of by General Folkenhayn to bait the French into a massive ambush
- the battle ends up taking 10 months and claims 1M lives
61
What are the overall collective assets of the Entente and Central powers?
CENTRAL POWERS
- Germany, best army in the world
- Austro-Hungarians, poor communicators, poorly disciplined, and constantly needing Germany to bail it out
- Turkey, tough and determined, but not a 20th century power
- Overall 150M people to bring to bear on the war effort
ENTENTE
- Britain, 1st rate power with the best Navy in the world
- France, 1st rate power with close to the 2nd best army in the world
- Russia, largest army in the world
- 750M people to bring to bear on the war effort
62
What are the overall collective assets of the Entente and Central powers?
CENTRAL POWERS
- Germany, best army in the world
- Austro-Hungarians, poor communicators, poorly disciplined, and constantly needing Germany to bail it out
- Turkey, tough and determined, but not a 20th century power
- Overall 150M people to bring to bear on the war effort
ENTENTE
- Britain, 1st rate power with the best Navy in the world
- France, 1st rate power with close to the 2nd best army in the world
- Russia, largest army in the world
- 750M people to bring to bear on the war effort
63
What did the Germans offer to the Mexicans and Japanese ahead of their late 1916 peace offer?
- to support them in efforts to take territory owned by the United States, specifically the Texas and New Mexico territories for Mexico, and general support to Japan in what they might want to take
- this was done essentially to keep the US out of the war once Germany started unrestricted submarine combat, which would undoubtedly cost American lives and ships
64
What was the Battle of the Somme?
- a massive offensive led by the British against the Germans over the river Somme
- it was catastrophic and cost countless lives on both sides, but especially the British
65
Who was Grigori Rasputin?
- peasant religious man who the Czar and Czarina of Russia employed to save their son who was afflicted by hemophilia
- was a notorious drunk and highly promiscuous even though he was married
- was alternatively hated and seen as an entertaining oddity by the Russian court
- there is apparently a Russian Christian Orthodox tradition that said that you needed to sin in order to really resist it
- eventually became very influential over Russian politics and conduct of the was because of his success in saving the boy on a number of occasions
- the way in which he healed the boy was a mystery to the physicians of the time and is still a mystery today
- was eventually assassinated while the Czar was away. It took poisoning, shooting, shooting again, with a shot to the head, and drowning to assure he was dead
66
How did the Entente combat unrestricted submarine warfare from the Germans?
- large military convoys that protected the ships
| - it was remarkably successful with several submarines being lost and very few shipping boats lost
67
What was the significance of the Battle of Arras?
- it was the first successful use of combined arms in WWI, and the first battle that resembled how WWII battles would be fought
- combined arms utilized the coordinated efforts of several different combat elements, infantry, artillery, armor, and air power to defeat entrenched enemy defenses
- tactics included aerial reconnaissance and the creeping artillery barrage which cleared the path of defenses for infantry
- it was very hard to maintain due to the amount of coordination needed, communication, and how the battlefield could change moment to moment
- was unsuccessful far more than successful, but when it worked it worked very well
68
What was one of General Ludendorff's controversial total war tactics?
- scorched earth
- retreating German armies would destroy cities they occupied before fully retreating so advancing enemy forces couldn't use them and would set booby traps as part of psychological warfare to keep the enemy on edge and uncertain
69
What was the Russian Revolution of 1917?
- a pair of revolutions in Russia in 1917 during WWI that ended Czarist autocratic rule and led to the rise of the Soviet Union
- the first revolution was in February I Petrograd, the then capital, and led to the abdication of Nicolas II and the second was in October which removed the Provisional Government and put the people's Bolshevik Communist government in place
- largely triggered by the strain the war was putting on the population and army both in terms of lives lost and the deterioration of living conditions. this triggered revolts by both the army and general populace
70
What was the key idea introduced about individuals and ideas?
- that it is less important that an idea reach a massive audience than it is that a particular idea attracts an influential individual or group
- the example given is Vladimir Lenin being influenced by the writings of Karl Marx
- however it is also stated that Marx would probably be dismayed at how his ideas were interpreted or implemented
- it's the difference between the architect and the builder
71
What started to happen to the Russian army during 1917?
- open revolts started within the army, with soldiers killing officers, and squads battling each other behind the lines
- this was an extension of the overall unrest and revolution at home
72
What documents were revealed by the Bolsheviks after they took power?
- they revealed secret treaties with the other Allied powers that promised lands of conquered empires to Russia
- specifically for Russia they were promised the Dardanelles
- this revelation was essentially the Wikileaks scandal of the time
- in addition to repudiation from the communist Bolsheviks who were gaining popularity in Europe, America also ostracized these treaties
- however, these kinds of treaties and deals between nations were very common in conflicts in Europe up to this point
73
What was the "disease" that Germany helped unleash in 1917?
- they helped strongly spread communism and socialism by assisting Vladimir Lenin and his comrades in getting back to Russia from Switzerland to intensify the Russian revolution
- the hope is that this would take Russia out of the war, which it essentially did
- however, it also gave a competing political system led by radicals control over one of the major powers of the world, helping to spread anti-capitalist, anti-monarchy doctrines throughout Europe and the world
- this was very much like the French revolution which conjured up fears of a Napoleonic style time of unrest
74
What was the 1918 Spring Offensive?
- the Kaiserschlacht, or Ludendorff Offensive
- this was a series of attacks along the Western Front meant to take France and Britain out of the war
- the catalysts were the surrender of Russia, freeing up Eastern Front troops, the impending arrival of the United States in Europe, and the incredible strain on German manpower and resources due to the war, essentially a last-ditch offensive
- it resulted in the biggest advances into enemy territory on the Western front of the whole of the war
- however the inability of supplies to keep up with the advance of the German army and overall fatigue of the army due to the pace of the advance meant that it ultimately was not successful
- ultimately the expenditure of the Spring Offensive led to the collapse of Germany and the end of the war
75
What led to the end of the war?
- ultimately the failed Spring Offensive of Germany and the collapse of Bulgaria in the east
- the initial battles of the offensive didn't go as well as they needed to and the rest of the offensive was called off
- this was followed by an Allied counterattack, the Hundred Days Offensive, with a series of battles against retreating German troops
- these battles still cost 100s of 1000s of lives on both sides, but put Germany especially in dire straits
- later Bulgaria was crushed in the east, after which they dropped out of the war
- Austria-Hungary soon followed and this led to Germany seeing no way forward
76
What was the Hundred Days Offensive?
- a series of offensives from August 8 to November 11 1918 against the Central Powers on the Western Front by Allied forces
- this offensive served as a counter-attack to the Spring Offensive, after the Spring Offensive had petered out
- the offensive effectively pushed Germany out of France and led to Germany suing for peace and the end of the war
