Unit 2 (WW1) Flashcards
“A tragic and unnecessary conflict”:
-Unnecessary because WWI could have been avoided.
-Tragic because it resulted in millions losing their lives.
Cause and effect:
•History is often a story of cause and effect – events trigger other events and then things happen!
•WWI is a perfect example: July 1914, very few saw this war coming.
•Lurking in the background, powerful forces were bringing Europe towards the greatest bloodbath the world had ever seen.
M.A.I.N. Causes of WW1:
•By the early 1900’s the great powers of Europe were on a collision course.
•Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia were in a race to become more powerful.
•the 4 main causes of WW1 were: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism.
Imperialism:
•One way European powers tried to become stronger was by building Empires.
•This meant they had control over colonies outside Europe around the world.
•Colonies supplied cheap raw materials like minerals and lumber for factories in the homeland.
•Also provided a place to sell finished goods.
Imperialism part 2:
•This ideology says that it’s natural for one country to dominate another using military force and make them part of a larger empire.
•Britain and France already had large Empires in Africa and Asia.
•Germany was the newcomer to the game and felt she was being denied her proper place and should get more.
•Besides being a center for imperialistic ambition, the Balkans was a region that had many overlapping claims to territories, spheres of influence, and growing nationalistic interest in sovereignty – this is why this region was called the POWDER KEG OF EUROPE.
Imperialism and conflict:
•Countries like France and Britain made lots of money from their empires so they were not willing to ‘make room’ for Germany.
•Protecting imperial interests led to building larger armies and navies and created a lot of tension in Europe.
Alliances:
•European powers feared above all else being attacked by their rivals in Europe.
•To protect themselves they formed military alliances – agreements to cooperate.
•Britain, France and Russia were allies in the Triple Entente.
•Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed the Triple Alliance.
•Members of both alliances agreed that an attack on one ally would be treated as an attack on them all!
What countries did the triple entente include?
France, Britain, Russia.
What countries did the triple alliance consist of?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.
Militarism:
•Militarism is when the military is seen as a very important part of a country’s strength.
•It is also a belief that using your military is a positive & effective way to pursue national interest.
•Because the European powers feared attack from their neighbors they began furiously strengthening their militaries.
Militarism part 2:
•Believing strong militaries was important led to an arms race in Europe.
•After Britain built the HMS Dreadnaught, the Germans began building their own massive battleships – the Bismarck.
•All European countries had forced military service creating huge standing armies ready to fight – Called CONSCRIPTION.
•High taxes for civilians.
•By 1914, Europe was armed to the teeth with the largest military force the world had ever seen.
Nationalism:
•Belief that your country is superior to all others and that you must be 100% loyal at all times.
•Fighting to defend your nation was a noble thing.
•This gave people a sense of national pride.
Nationalism on a smaller scale:
•Smaller countries like Serbia also felt a strong sense of nationalism.
•Serbia wanted to exercise its sovereignty, and wanted to be left alone by Austria-Hungary.
•This geographic region, called the Balkans had seen years of conflict before 1914 (WWI).
•Russia wanted to protect Serbia from Austria-Hungary in the same way a big brother wants to protect his little brother.
The start of WW1:
•June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were shot and killed while visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
•Bosnia-Herzegovina was part of Austria-Hungary but neighboring Serbia wanted to take it over.
What comes next…
•After the assassination, Austria-Hungary threatened war on Serbia.
•Strengthened by German support, Austria-Hungary issues an ultimatum (final proposition/demand) to Serbia on July 23, 1914.
•They set out some very harsh demands that Serbia must meet.
•Meant to humiliate Serbia.
•This is the final offer of diplomacy that threatens severe penalties if it is not accepted.
•Russia sided with the Serbians
Serbian pride- nationalism:
•Many Serbian nationalists – people who felt strongly about their homeland – believed they shared strong religious, cultural and ethnic ties with the people of Russia.
•The assassin who killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife belonged to the Serbian nationalist group, The Black Hand.
•Austria-Hungary used the assassination as an excuse to invade Serbia.
Dominoes falling:
•One month after the Archduke’s assassination – on July 28, 1914 – Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, with the backing of Germany.
•Germany then declared war on Russia on August 1, and on France August 3.
•On August 4, 1914, German troops marched on France by taking a route through Belgium.
•Since Britain had agreed to maintain the neutrality of Belgium, they immediately declared war on Germany.
Schlieffen Plan:
•Germans did not expect strong Belgium resistance.
•Belgium army was 1/10 of Germany’s.
•Brought Great Britain into the war.
•Previous treaty promised Britain would protect Belgium’s neutrality.
•Though they lost many battles, they slowed the German advance, forcing them to “dig in” in France.
Falling recap:
•1. When Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia.
•2. Russia honored an agreement with Serbia and came to their defense.
•3. Germany then backed its ally, Austria-Hungary.
•4. While Britain and France backed their ally, Russia.
•5. Just over a month after the assassination all of Europe was at war.
Let the battles begin:
•British and German forces first fought at the Battle of Mons in Belgium.
•This was the first of many battles between Britain and Germany on the Western Front, and is when World War One started for Britain.
The Ottoman Empire:
•Late in 1914, the Ottoman Empire was brought into the mix as well.
•Began with a surprise attack on Russia’s Black Sea Coast.
•As a result, much of 1915 was dominated by Allied actions against the Ottomans in the Mediterranean.
•Britain and France launched a number of failed attacks & invasions in Turkey.
•Although the British had some successes, the campaign and the attacks resulted in primarily in British defeats.
Enter USA:
•Despite the stalemate on both fronts in Europe, two important developments in the war occurred in 1917.
•In early April, the United States, angered by attacks upon its ships in the Atlantic, declared war on Germany.
USA entrance continued…
•May 7,1915 - U-boat torpedoed (sank) and sank the RMS Lusitania.
•Played big role in turning the US public opinion against Germany.
•Germany sunk four more U.S. merchant ships.
•April 2 – USA declares war.
Russias exit:
•The war had become hugely unpopular in Russia.
•Popular confidence in Tsar Nicholas II was also at an all-time low.
•March 1917 - the tsar’s entire regime unexpectedly collapsed.
•Nicholas II gives up the throne.
•The situation in Russia remained highly unstable, especially in the military.
•Enter Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Party.
