Download Notes: World War I

Notes: World War I
Chapter 13, Section 1
Causes of the War
In 1914 Western European nations were the most technologically advanced, wealthiest nations
on earth. As a result of the _____________ Revolution, Western European nations
experienced much growth in _____________ (transportation, medicine, food production,
education…). Modernization created feelings of ____________ in Europe, and many Europeans
considered their industrialized way of life to be the peak of world civilization.
Imperial Tensions
To maintain a strong industrial economy, European nations competed for _________.
Why? _____________, potential markets, cheap labor
In the 1900s it was a race to obtain colonies which nearly led to war between European
countries.
Example: In 1898, Britain and France argued over control of the Upper Nile in a dispute called
the Fashoda Incident. Eventually, the French backed down and Britain claimed a part of Africa
known as the ___________.
Militarism
In order to protect and acquire colonies, as well as dissuade aggression by rivals,
European nations adopted a militaristic stance. _____________ is the glorification of
armed strength and the ideals of war.
The idea of militarism led to a rise in large, sophisticated ___________ and navies.
Ex: Britain’s enormous colonial empire, which was 140 times the size of Britain, was maintained
and protected by a huge navy. Britain followed a strategy known as the two-power rule which
suggested that its navy had to be as big as the next two biggest navies on the continent. In the
1890s, Germany decided to increase the size of its navy which Britain considered a threat and
began an arms race to demonstrate naval superiority. In 1906, Britain introduced the first
dreadnought, a battleship fitted with enormous cannons and protected by thick armor.
Germany began immediate production of its own dreadnoughts.
Nationalism
Nationalism is the devotion to the interests of one’s nation. Great feelings of national
________ were felt in Germany and Italy in the late 19th century because both countries
had recently become united, independent countries: Italy in 1870, Germany in 1871.
An example of nationalism: Many Europeans kept maps of the world in their houses that showed
their nation’s colonies tinted with the national colors.
Nationalism can also be defined as “aspirations for independence in a country under foreign
domination.” So, while nations such as France, Italy, and Germany used nationalism to _______
their populations, other countries were torn apart by ___________ tensions.
Example: Austria-Hungry had serious problems with nationalism because so many of its peoples
were ethnic minorities. The Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Croats, and Serbs were just some of the
groups that resented Austrian dominance of Central and Southeastern Europe.
Other Examples: Russia had problems arise with its harsh treatment of ethnic minorities such
as Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, and Finns. Even Britain had to contend with Irish claims for
Independence.
The System of Alliances
Imperialism, militarism, and ______________ all contributed to a sense that war was an
inevitable end to European competition. European powers did not want to be left by
themselves to fight _________ with no diplomatic or strategic allies, so a web of
interlocking treaties, known as the system of ____________, was formed.
The mastermind of the first alliance was Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of _________
from 1861 to 1890. Bismarck had two main policy goals:
1. to keep Germany out of a __________ war in Europe
2. to diplomatically _____________ France
Bismarck maintained good relations with Britain in hopes of blocking an Anglo-French
treaty, and he created the Three Emperors League in 1872, which brought together
____________, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. However, imperial rivalries between
Austria-Hungary and Russia over the Balkans, led to the downfall of this alliance. This
forced Bismarck to construct another alliance with the Austrians. After Italy also
signed this treaty, it became known as the ______________.
So, wait, who is part of the Triple Alliance? _________, ______________________, and ____________.
After 1888, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany succeeded his grandfather and fired
Bismarck to employ a more aggressive foreign policy. As a result: _________, feeling
alienated, signed a mutual-defense treaty with ___________. They promised to support
each other in the case of a war against Germany.
Wilhelm II reversed Bismarck’s policies towards ___________, and so, Britain sought
alliances with France and Russia.
In conjunction with the Franco-Russian treaty, these agreements are referred to as the
______________. However, unlike the Triple Alliance, the Entente was not a formal,
three-way binding treaty; however, it did create two rival sides in European politics.
Ok, so who is part of the Triple Entente? ________________, ___________,
and _______________.
What do these alliances mean? If an argument erupts between two countries, all of the
countries could be pulled into war.
Crisis in the Balkans
Balkan Peninsula- mountainous peninsula in South Eastern corner of Europe
Many ____________ groups
Long history of _____________ uprising
Balkans aka “_____________” in Europe
By early 1900s the Ottoman Empire, which included the Balkan region was declining.
Many Balkan groups were struggling to free themselves.
A few had already succeeded in breaking away: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro,
Roman, Serbia
________________ becomes powerful as each group wished to expand its borders.
EX: __________, large population of Slavic
Russia itself, mostly Slavic nation, supported Serbia nationalism (Why?)
But, Serbians northern neighbor, Austria-Hungary, opposed for fear that its Slavic population
would want its own state.
In 1908, Austria annexed Bosnia & Herzegovina (2 Balkan areas with large __________
populations) but in the process angered _____________ leaders who had sought to obtain
these areas.
Serbians vowed to take these lands from Austria & Austria-Hungary vowed it would not
let this happen.
Dislike existed between Serbia & Austria-Hungary
An assassination sets off the spark which ingites war:
On June 28, 1914 the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, Archduke _______
_____________ & his wife, Sophie paid a visit to the capital of Bosnia, _________.
The royal pair was ________ as they rode through the streets in an open car.
The killer was Gavrilo Princip, a 19 year old ________, a member of the _______ Hand
(a secret society committed to removing Austrian rule from Bosnia.
Because the murderer was _________, Austria-Hungary uses this as an excuse to punish
Serbia. Austria presented Serbia with an ultimatum that contained many demands.
Knowing Austria was stronger Serbia agreed to most of the demands, however, offered
to have several others settled by an international conference.
Austria, seemingly already set on war, rejected Serbia’s offer &
declared war on ___________ on July 28!
______________, an ally of Serbia, mobilized troops.
Chapter 13, Section 2
By 1914 Europe divided into two rival alliances:
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance
Great Britain
Germany
France
Austria-Hungary
Russia
Italy
____________, being Serbia’s ally, mobilized troops along the Russian-Austrian Brother.
Anticipating Germany to join Austria, Russia moves troops along border of ___________. This
move is taken as a declaration of war by Germany and so on August 1, ___________ government
declares war on ____________.
2 days later, _____________ declared war on ___________. Soon after _______
__________ declares war on Germany
By mid August 1914, battle lines were drawn:
On one side: _____________ (due to their location @ the heart of Europe): Germany &
Austria-Hungary, Bulgarian & Ottoman Empire would later join the _______ __________
in an attempt to regain lost territories
Other side: _________ or _________: Great Britain, France, Russia joins Allies within
weeks. Italy joins later. (Wait! Weren’t the Italians part of the Triple Entente? Yes,
however they joined the allies after accusing their former partners of unjustly starting
the war).
As war began, many thought the war would end quickly, but some did foresee the horrors that
that would ensue. One example is Britain’s foreign minister, Sir Edward _________.
The summer of 1914 turned to a __________ or dead lock along the battlefield of France. This
dead lock region was the ___________ front.
Schlieffen Plan:
Germany faced with a war on two fronts, developed a battle strategy known as the
Schlieffen Plan.
The Plan: attack and defeat France in the __________ and then hurry over to the
_________ to fight Russia.
Why might this work? Russia lagged behind the rest of Europe in its railroad system
and so would take longer to supply its front lines. So, _________ was crucial to the plan.
How did the plan work? The First Battle of the _________ (France vs.
Germany) resulted in a German retreat which left the Schlieffen Plan in ruins.
By early 1915, opposing armies on the Western front dug miles of parallel trenches
to protect themselves from enemy fire.
___________ warfare-soldiers fought each other in trenches.
How were the __________?
Fresh food non-existent
___________
Sleep near impossible
Gun shells would rain upon soldiers
Those ordered over the top of trenches met machine fun fire
The Western Front stretched about 500 miles from the North Sea to the Swiss border.
Battle on the Eastern Front
Stretched along the German and Russian border
Russians and Serbs vs. Germans and Austro-Hungarians
By 1916, Russia’s war effort was near collapse. Unlike Western nations, Russia had
yet to industrialize, so, the Russian army was continually short on food, blankets,
guns, ammunition, clothes…There were times members of the army were sent into
battle with no weapon and told to just pick up the weapon from the dead.
Also, Allied supply shipments were limited by the ___________ control of the
____________ plus the German submarines in the North Sea and elsewhere. The
______________ still controlled the straits leading from the Mediterranean Sea
to the Black Sea.
Russia’s army’s asset? _____________
Russia had an enormous population that made up for the lost lives.
For more than three years the battered Russian army managed to battle hundreds of thousands
of German troops so that Germany couldn’t fight full force on the west.
Germany and allies were worried not only about the Eastern and Western Fronts but fighting
had spread beyond Europe to Africa and Southeast and Southwest Asia.
It had indeed become a world war!
Chapter 13, Section 3:
A Global Conflict
World War I was much more than a European conflict.
Ex: Australia and Japan entered the war on the Allies side. And,
India supplied troops to fight alongside their British rulers.
The Gallipoli Conflict
Strategy for the Allies
How it works? Attack a region of the Ottoman Empire known as the Dardanelles (small sea
which was the gateway to the Ottoman capital, _______________.
Object: defeat the __________
Goal: To create a supply line to Russia via Constantinople.
The effort to take the Dardanelles began in February 1915 and is known as the Gallipoli
campaign. British, Australian, New Zealand, and French troops battled Turkish troops until the
end of the year. In December, Allies gave up their campaign and began to ___________.
They had suffered about 250,000 casualties.
Germany’s colonial possessions in Asia and Africa came under assault.
Examples:
Japanese overran outposts in China and also captured Pacific Island colonies.
English and French attacked 4 African possessions, seizing 3.
The British and French recruited subjects in their colonies to fight.
 Ex: India, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Indochina
Many fought in hopes of independence.
 Ex: Mohandas ____________ supported Indian participation in the war.
America Joins the Fight.
Why?
1. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
In 1917, Germans announced that their submarines would sink without warning any ship in
the waters around Britain—this policy is known as unrestricted ____________
warfare.
The Germans had tried this policy on May 7, 1915 when a German sub (aka _________)
sunk the British passenger ship __________. 1,198 people died (128 were U.S. citizens).
Americans were outraged and President Woodrow Wilson sent a strong protest to
Germany. However, Germans resumed unrestricted submarine warfare in hopes for an
advantage in 1917.
The Germans knew: this would lead to a war with the U.S.
The Germans hoped: to starve __________ before the U.S. mobilized
What happened? Germany ignored President Wilson’s warnings and German U-boats sunk
three American ships.
2. The Zimmermann Telegram
In February 1917, officials intercepted a telegram written by Germany’s foreign secretary,
Arthur _________. Zimmermann stated that the Germans would help _________ “reconquer”
the land it had lost in the United States if _________ allied itself with ____________. On
April 2, 1917 President Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The U.S. entered
the war on the side of the Allies.
When the U.S. joined the war, the fighting had been going on for about three years.
Europe had lost more men in battle then in all the wars of the previous three centuries.
World War I became known as the ________________.
Total War
World War 1 soon became a total war which meant that _____ countries devoted ______ of
their resources to the war effort.
Governments such as Germany, France, Austria, and Russia were focused on winning
Governments told factories what to produce
Many facilities were converted to munitions factories
Most able-bodied people were employed and so unemployment became non-existent in
many European nations.
Many goods were in short supply that governments used ______________ (people could
only buy small amounts of items that were also needed for war)
To gain support governments censored news about the war
_______________: one sided information designed to persuade, to keep up morale and
support for the war
Total war meant women were involved:
They replaced men in _________, offices, and shops
Built tanks and munitions, plowed fields, paved streets
Kept troops supplied with clothing, _________, and weapons.
Worked as nurses near the front lines
Germany gains a victory on Eastern Front due to problems in Russia.
March 1917-Civil unrest due to shortages of food and fuel force Czar ___________ to
step down
A ______________ government replaced him and continued participation in the war.
BUT, by 1917, Russia had about 5.5 million Russian soldiers wounded, killed, or taken
prisoner.
Fatigued, Russian army refused to fight any longer.
November 1917, Communist leader Vladimir _________ seized power.
Lenin wanted Russia out of war, so, he offered a ___________ with Germany.
March 1918, Germany and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which ended war
between them.
Now, with Germany no longer needing troops to fight on the Eastern Front, where would they
go? ______________ Front
In March 1918, Germany launched a final attack on France. Germans crushed everything
in their path to the Marne River. Within about 40 miles from Paris, Germans had
exhausted themselves and supplies.
Allies sensed weakness, so, with U.S. troops, they launched an attack known as the
Second Battle of the Marne.
On November 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II stepped down and Germany declared itself a
republic. Germany and France signed an armistice (an agreement to stop fighting).
World War I came to an end!
Top Reasons Why We Need to Remember World War I: 
9. New _______________ invented
8. Entered an idea of war on a ____________ scale
7. About 8.5 million soldiers died
6. About 21 million wounded
5. Numerous civilian deaths due to starvation, disease, and slaughter
4. European treasuries drained (calculation of the total war cost amounted
to about $338 billion)
3. Acres of farmland, homes, villages, and towns destroyed
2. Art and literature reflected insecurity and despair experienced
1. The peace agreement: The _____________ Treaty
Chapter 13, Section 4
Representatives from ______ different countries met at the Palace of Versailles (outside
___________) to discuss peace terms. This was known as the ______________ Conference.
Even though many countries’ representatives attended, “___________” dominated decisions:
Woodrow _________-United States
George Clemenceau-__________
David Lloyd George-Great Britain
Vittorio Orlando-___________
NOTE: ___________ (in a civil war) were not represented. And, interestingly, neither were
___________ nor its allies. What might be a problem with this?
Fourteen Points
President Wilson drew up a series of proposals known as the _______________. The Fourteen
Points outlined a plan to achieve ___________.
What was it?
Proposals 1-4: end ___________ treaties, freedom of the seas, free _________, and reduced
national armies and navies
Proposal 5: adjustment of __________ claims with fairness towards colonial people
Proposals 6-13: suggestions for changing ___________ and creating new nations with the
guiding idea being ________________ (allowing people to decide what kind of government)
Proposal 14: an _______________ that allowed peaceful negotiations to world conflict
The Versailles Treaty
Britain and ____________ did not see eye to eye with Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Versailles Treaty ___________ on June 28, 1919 (5 years to the day after Franz
Ferdinand was assassinated in ___________).
Adopted Wilson’s 14th point, created _________________
*International organization with goal to maintain peace
How did this treaty punish Germany?
Lost substantial land
Restrictions on military operations
Harshest, the “war guilt clause”- placed sole responsibility on Germany and made them
pay ______________ to the Allies.
All of Germany’s territories in Africa and the Pacific declared mandates (territories to
be administered by the League of Nations).
Creation of New Nations
Western powers signed about 5 treaties between 1919 and 1920 with defeated nations:
Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.
These treaties also led to large land losses for the _________________.
Ex: Out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire came _____________, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and
Yugoslavia.
Ex.: Ottoman Turks had to give up almost all of their land. They only maintained what is today
known as __________.
____________ also lost land to Poland and Romania. Portions of their land were made
independent states: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Treaty effects?
____ being a dominant power basically rejected the treaty.
U.S. citizens thought we should stay _______ of Europe’s affairs.
Germans left with bitterness and _______ due to the ___________ clause.
Other countries felt betrayed.
European colonialism continued in Asia and Africa