ww1 Flashcards
What is militarism?
when countries race to build up their navies, armies, weapons and strategies to attack others or defend themselves
What is nationalism?
when one country thinks its better than others and feels very patriotic
What is imperialism?
when countries build up empires by conquering other countries
What are alliances?
the agreements countries make to be friends with and support one another
Who made up the triple entente?
1) Great Britain
2) France
3) Russia
Who made up the triple alliance?
1) Germany
2) Austria-Hungary
3) Italy
Why were countries angry with Austria-Hungary?
Austria-Hungary was very powerful and had colonised many balkan countries , who wanted their independence back
Who was the Black-hand gang?
A serbian terrorist organisation who wanted independence for the balkan countries and led the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand ( the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne )
Explain the assassination of Archduke ferdinand and how it was the catalyst of WW1:
- Archduke ferdinand was the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne and went on a tour of Bosnia
- he travelled through the streets in an open top car, vulnerable to attack
- the Black hand gang attempt to assassinate him by throwing bombs but they miss
- they finally shoot him on the third attempt and both he and his wife, are killed
- Because of this, the Austria-Hungarians are furious and desperate, so look to their ally, Germany, for help
- Once they’ve ensured Germany will help protect them, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
- Serbia’s ally, Russia, gets involved
- Britain and France get involved a few months later after Germany invades Belgium and commits horrific war crimes
What year did WW1 start?
1914
What year did WW1 end?
1918
What is no mans land?
The uncontrolled land between the two sides
What is trench warfare?
type of warfare involving trenches and more advanced weapons such as machine guns and rifles - focused on defense and strategy rather than offense
What is cavalry warfare?
type of warfare using horses
Why was trench warfare used by both sides?
Both sides realised that sending troops into the face of weapons like rifles, artillery and machine guns was useless and instead built trenches as forms of defense and focused on pushing forward to gain land
What are three negatives of trench warfare:
- Soldiers could get trenchfoot - due to the cold, the wet, muddy floor and the lack of hygiene supplies, soldiers would get infections on their feet that could cause numbness or rashes
- Poisonous gases such as chlorine gas were used - was mainly used by the Germans and could cause burning pains in the throat and chest
- there was very little food in the trenches and soldiers had to eat rations of tinned beef ( often got ill due to it being undercooked or contaminated )
What was the battle of the Somme?
A battle taking place in France, near the river Somme, organised by the British to push back on the Germans after they went months making barely any ground
Was the Battle of the Somme a failure or a success for the British?
A failure- it is known as the bloodiest day in the British military and more than 1 million soldiers from both sides were wounded, killed or captured ( 57000 British men were wounded or killed on just the 1st day )
Why was the Battle of the Somme a failure?
General Haig ( the man who organised the Battle of the Somme ) was receiving delayed information from the soldiers and was unaware of how badly it was going. When he finally realised what was happening, he still refused to back down and sent thousands more troops into battle unprepared
- On top of this, Germany anticipated the attack and was able to defend itself from British bombardment
What is the home front?
Term used to describe activities of people living at home during the war.
What is munition?
Weapons, bullets and bombs
Name 2 jobs that women did in WW1:
- farmers
- fire fighters
What are munitinettes?
Women who worked in factories developing munition
Why did women have to work during WW1?
A majority of men were expected to be away at war, leaving the jobs they usually did, unoccupied + there was a greater need for resources like medicine and weapons so women had to help fulfill that need