World War I

A great turning point in history, Europe becomes center stage for World War I.  Historical forces and twists of fate combined to set off a power keg of conflict leaving a legacy of death and destruction from the "great war".  Conditions leading to the war included imperialism, new technologies, rising nationalism, conflict over territory, strong leadership, rival alliances and a naive sense for a quick victory.  The course of the war although bogged down in the trenches, becomes more destructive than ever before.  At the war's conclusion, the flawed peace at Versailles ironically sets the stage for yet another war.

Title:  World War I

I.  World War I - The Causes

A.  Militarism - arms race

1.  European nations stockpiled weapons and built up armies

2.  weapons included u-boats, machine guns, poison gas, gas masks, tanks, airplanes, flame throwers, pistols, mortar shells

B.  Alliances - military alliances leading to the war

1.  Triple Entente - France, England and Russia 

2.  Triple Alliance - Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (Italy does not continue with the alliance and later joins the allies)

C.  Imperialism - Empires worked to maintain control over territories 

1.  Austria-Hungary attempts to maintain its control over the Balkans

2.  Serbian nationalist work to gain independence

a.  nationalist extremist group, the Black Hand plot to assassinate the heir to the Austrian throne

b.  Gavrilo Princip is successful in murdering the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie as they tour the streets of Sarajevo

D.  Nationalism - loyalty, pride and a intense desire to break from imperialist control 

1.  The Balkan region is full of nationalist tension leading to the assassination of the Austrian heir

 

2.  multi-ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups advocate for their nationalist rights

II.  Events of the War

A.  Central Power include Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria

B.  Allies include England, France, Russia, Italy, Japan and later the U.S.

 

C.  Trench Warfare - fighting got bogged down by soldiers digging in and fighting over "no land's man" 

 

 

D.  Warfare technologies included -boats, machine guns, poison gas, gas masks, tanks, airplanes, flame throwers, pistols, mortar shells

 

 

E.  U.S. ends its policy of neutrality

1.  Germany practiced unrestricted submarine warfare 

2.  Sinking of the passenger liner The Lusitania, killed over 1,100  people including Americans (U.S. was secretly transporting weapons)

3.  Zimmerman note - Britain intercepted a secret message to Mexico from Germany asking them to join the Central powers

III.  World War I Ends

A.  Russia withdraws from the war signing the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk due to social and political unrest at home (beginning of the Russian Revolution)

B.  U.S. soldiers entering the war prove to be the difference and defeated German troops

C.  Kaiser Wilhelm II is forced to step down and Germany is forced to sign an armistice

IV.  The Peace Plan developed at Versailles

A.  The "Big Four" meet at the Paris Peace Conference 

1.  President Woodrow Wilson from U.S.

2.  France's Premier George Clemenceau

3.  Italy's Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando

4.  Great Britain's Prime Minister David Lloyd George

B.  Wilson's 14 Points, a plan for peace

1.  Plan called for freedom of the seas, an end to secret treaties, a reduction in military weapons, free trade, concept of self-determination, and the creation of the League of Nations

2.  Europeans did not share President Wilson's optimism and liberal plan for peace

C.  Treaty of Versailles

1.  Led by France and Great Britain, the treaty harshly punished Germany

a.  Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war (war guilt clause)

b.  Germany was forced to pay enormous war reparations

c.  Germany was forced to dismantle its armies and navies

d.  Germany was forced to give up its overseas colonial possessions

2.  League of Nations created 

a.  International organization used to maintain peace

b.  U.S. developed its concept, however the U.S. Senate refused to ratify American participation for fear of being pulled into another European conflict

V.  World War I Effects

A.  Creation of the "Lost Generation"

1.  horrors of war left all effected with a sense of disillusionment

2.  greatly impacted literature and art (i.e. Remarque's All is Quiet on the Western Front)

B.  Total War - warfare becomes incredibly more dangerous and destructive than previous wars

C.  Self-Determination - many new nations were created out of the peace treaties following the war

D.  Treaty of Versailles - the flawed peace greatly humiliates Germany and plants the seeds for the rise of fascism

E.  League of Nations - proposed by Wilson to provide nations with diplomatic forum to work out differences

Key Terms

Alliance	association of nations with a military agreement for mutual aid
Allied Powers	or allies during WWI; Great Britain, France, Russia and joined later by Italy and the United States and others
Armistice	agreement to stop fighting
Balkan Crisis	intense rising nationalism among ethnic groups on the peninsula and increasing imperialism rivalry among the European nations brought the conflict to a head
Big Four	Wilson (U.S.), Clemenceau (Fr.), Lloyd George (G.B.), and Orlando (It.) the framers of the peace plan following WWI
Black Hand	Serbian Nationalist group responsible for the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Central Powers	during WWI, the side of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and others
Eastern Front	WWI border between Germany and Russia
Fourteen Points	Woodrow Wilson's peace plan following WWI;  included the League of Nations, self-determination and slowing militarism
Imperialism	control of a stronger nation over a weaker one
League of Nations	international diplomatic peace seeking forum proposed by Woodrow Wilson's 14 points
Lusitania	American passenger liner sunk by a German U-Boat leading to the U.S. entering WWI
Militarism	the state of glorifying and preparation for war
Nationalism	loyalty and devotion to one's nation
"No Man's Land"	territory between opposing trenches during WWI;  huge casualties during vicious battles over very little land
Neutral	not taking sides
Powder Keg	metaphor describing the volatile multi-ethnic Balkan region leading up to WWI
propaganda	one-sided information used to influence or change a way of thinking; may use exaggeration
Self-determination	freedom to choose one's political destiny
Schlieffen Plan	German attack plan aimed at first defeating the French to the west then turning on the Russians to the east
Total War	engaging a nation's full resources in supporting a conflict
Treaty of Versailles	peace treaty concluding WWI
Trench Warfare	slow moving, costly style of fighting used during WWI whereby enemies fought from deep elaborately dug trenches
Triple Alliance	military alliance prior to WWI held between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
Triple Entente	military alliance prior to WWI held between France, England and Russia
U-boat	early submarine used effectively by the Germans during WWI
Ultimatum	forcing one to make choice
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare	the practice of sinking any ships in the line of fire of submarines regardless of neutrality or civilians
War-Guilt Clause	article 231 of the Versailles Treaty which placed full blame of  WWI on the shoulders of Germany
War Reparations	money paid by the loser for war damages
Western Front	WWI border of fighting between Germany and France
Zimmerman Note	a secret message intercepted by Britain stating that Germany offered to help Mexico retake land lost to the U.S. if it allied itself with Germany;  this note finally broke U.S. neutrality and it entered the war against Germany

Before and After

Before (Causes) Industrial Revolution new technology and capital resources were used to build strong armies and empires increased competition among strong nations Nationalism common bonds, loyalty and devotion to one's nation throughout the 19th century increased tensions among nations and broke apart empires Imperialism empires desperately tried to hold onto their conquered lands competition remain strong between industrialized nations national groups were willing to fight and die for their cause Alliances Systems agreements between nations to military assist one another in the event of conflict increased tensions and gave leaders a false sense of security

After (Effects) Creation of the "Lost Generation" horrors of war left all effected with a sense of disillusionment greatly impacted literature and art Total War warfare becomes incredibly more dangerous and destructive than previous wars Self-Determination many new nations were created out of the peace treaties following the war Treaty of Versailles the flawed peace greatly humiliates Germany and plants the seeds for the rise of fascism League of Nations proposed by Wilson to provide nations with diplomatic forum to work out differences

People to Know

Must, Good & Nice to Know

Must Know Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism Franz Ferdinand Black Hand Total War Treaty of Versailles Trench Warfare War Guilt Clause Big Four Wilson's 14 Points League of Nations Self-determination Balkans Allies / Central Powers Armistice Reparations

Good to Know Triple Entente Triple Alliance Kaiser Wilhelm II Sarajevo Poison Gas Tanks Barbed wire Airplanes Ultimatum "Blank Check" "No Man's Land" Lusitania U-Boat Machine Gun Gavrilo Princip Pan-Slavism 1914 Treaty of Brest Litovsk

Nice to Know Duchess Sophie Schlieffen Plan Zimmerman Note Article 231 "Doughboy" Hall of Mirrors November 11, 1918

Regents Questions

From the June 2000 Exam...

 

"Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassinated!"

"Germany Declares War on Russia and France!"

"Peace Treaty Signed at Versailles!"

23.  Which event is referred to in these headlines?

1.  Franco-Prussian War

2.  Crimean War

3.  World War I

4.  Cold War

 

ANSWER:  3

From the June 2003 Exam...

 

32.  The Treaty of Versailles contributed to the economic collapse of Germany after World War I by

1.  mandating economic reforms in Germany

2.  requiring that Germany pay for war damages

3.  placing a quota on goods exported from Germany

4.  devaluing German currency

ANSWER:  2

From the June 2001 Exam...

 

31.  The Balkans were referred to as the "Powder Keg of Europe" in the period before World War I because of their

1.  manufacturing ability

2.  stockpiles of weapons

3.  nationalistic rivalries

4.  economic strength

ANSWER:  3

From the August 2002 Exam...

 

Base your answers to questions 32 and 33 on the maps below and on your knowledge of social studies.

32.  In 1919, European boundaries were changed in an attempt to

1.  satisfy the demands for self-determination by ethnic nationalities

2.  allow for communist expansion in Eastern Europe

3.  establish a European common market

4.  balance economic needs and natural resource

 

ANSWER:  1

 

33.  Which nation lost the most territory as a result of World War I?

1.  Belgium 

2.  France

3.  Austria-Hungary

4.  Germany

 

ANSWER:  3

Links

Regents Practice Questions	Oswego City School District's regents exam preparation website.  Offers short review summaries and drill and practice questions
Interactive Geography	Interactive political maps set up in a fun quiz format.  Terrific way to practice identifying world regions, the continents, oceans and countries.  Do you know where Paraguay is?
Interactive Timeline	Interactive timeline that is great for researching quick biographies or reviewing important events.