US History WWI Test

WWI or The Great War

MAIN
1) Militerism (glorification of war): created an “arms race” or a build-up of forces and weapons
2) Alliance System (military allies): created a world conflict out of a minor incident. Its purpose was to create a “balance of power” and to prevent war, but it failed!
3) Imperialism (colonial conquest): created rivalries between empires for power
4) Nationalism (deep devotion to one’s country): created a desire for self-rule

Alliance System

1) Germany
2) Austria-Hungary
3) Italy

1) Great Britain
2) France
3) Russia

there were six major empires: British, German, French, Austria-Hungary, Russian, and Ottoman.
- most of the rulers were relatives!

Balkan Peninsula
- the Slavics wanted independence from the Ottoman Turks
- Austria-Hungary drove out the Turks and promised the Slavics their freedom but they did not deliver

Pan-Slavism

The Archduke of Austria-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife, Sophie were assassinated on a “goodwill” tour.
- they were killed by a Serbian terrorist group called the “Black Hand”
- Austria-Hungary gives Serbia an ultimatum (do this or war), and Serbia refuses. But they have a powerful ally, Russia
- alliance system kicks in and a small incident becomes WWI

mobilization

propaganda

1) Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Turks
2) Allied Forces: Russia, France, Great Britain, and later the USA

Schlieffen Plan (Alfred Von Schlieffen)

Battle of the Marne

1) Western Front - extended from North Sea to Switzerland (500 miles) - between borders of France and Germany
2) Eastern Front - extended from Baltic Sea to the Black Sea (1000 miles) - between the borders of Russia and Germany/Austria-Hungary

• hundreds of miles of parellel trenches between the opposing armies

• hundreds of miles of parellel trenches between the opposing armies

• hundreds of miles of parallel trenches between the opposing armies

• “No Man’s Land” - area between the trenches known as the terrain of death

• hundreds of miles of parellel trenches between the opposing armies

1) Battle of the Somme (1.2 million killed for 7 miles of turf)
2) Battle of Verdun (largest battle of WWI over 1.25 million casualties )

the goal was the wear the other side out

the Industrial Revolution created many modern, deadly weapons
- machine gun: most deadly
- artillery: launches exploding shells over 10 miles
- poison gas: “mustard gas”
- tanks: crosses trenches and breakdown barbed wire
- flame throwers: designed to get men out of trenches
- zeppelins (blimps): used for reconnaissance
- airplanes
- submarines - “U-Boats” mainly used by Germans to sink supply ships

known as “knights of the sky”
- “Flying Ace” (5 or more kills) - greatest of the aces was Manfred Von Richthofen (The “Red Baron”) - 80 kills
- top American ace - Eddie Rickenbacker (26 kills)
- very dangerous job (“suicide club”). life expectancy of 14 days, 75% death rate
- poster boys of the war!

Germans = Huns
British = Tommies
French = Frogs
Americans = Doughboys

Russia was on the verge of collapse due to lack of supplies and equipment.

• the Gallipoli Campaign - Czar Nicholas II asked allies for help and this was the British attempt to rescue Russia. failed miserably.

1) corrupt, inefficient government
2) poor living conditions for peasants
3) war had destroyed the economy
4) slaughter of the army

• leader of the Bolsheviks (Vlademir Lenin) offered peasants two things if they joined the revolution: LAND and to take Russia out of the war

• the Czar abdicated and him and his family were executed

• The socialist party (Bolsheviks) took over and pulled Russia out of the war in October of 1917

• Germany was able to put all of their forces into the Western front

Reds (Bolsheviks) vs Whites (Czarists and the Democratic countries such as GB, France + USA)

• Reds win and Russia becomes the USSR or the Soviet Union

Joseph Stalin

• the "Great Purge" killed over 1 million and imprisoned 1 million of his own party

• overall killed 20 million of his own people!

1) striking of the Lusitania (1915) - British luxury liner that was sunk by a German U-Boat. had 128 US passengers
2) German Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
3) Zimmerman Telegram - German ambassador Arthur Zimmerman sends a telegram to Mexico promising their lands back that were stolen by the Americans if they join the war on their side

1) boosted Allies morale
2) fresh manpower
3) supplies and equipment

• Turning point of the war!

General John Pershing

"Operation Michael"

• almost works and was successful at first, but then the Americans come pouring into Europe in the summer of 1918 and turn the tide of the war

Fall of 1918, German Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates

• on November, 11 at 11 a.m - the armistice is signed (Veteran's Day)

• King George V (British) accepts surrender and war is over!

the Spanish Influenza Outbreak (1918)

• 50 to 100 million die!

Great Britain (David Lloyd George), France (Georges Clemenceau), USA (Woodrow Wilson), and Italy (Vittorio Orlando)

first five points:
1) open diplomacy
2) freedom of the seas
3) free and equal trade
4) decrease of arms/military
5) end colonial conquest
points 6-13: deal with Self-Determination
point 14: establishes the League of Nations

• international peacekeeping organization

• Wilson wanted a "peace without victory" (no winner, no loser)

• the European powers wanted revenge!

1) had to accept all blame for war
2) they had to pay war reparations (32 million)
3) forced to greatly reduce the size of their military

• it was unfair to Germany

• Wilson refused to sign it and therefore was not in the League of Nations that he himself created

• caused bitterness in the German people and later led to people like Adolf Hitler wanting revenge

1) death toll: 20 milliion died "Lost Generation"
2) Bolshevik Revolution - Russia becomes Communist
3) 4 major empires collapse (German, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman, and Russian) and 9 more countries form!
4) USA becomes a respected World Power
5) WWII - treaty caused bitterness in Germany