World War I: Key Events, Causes, and Consequences
World War I History
Who was Bismarck?
He was the Chancellor of Germany. His ideology involved a system of alliances between Germany, Austria, and Russia, which later included Italy.
What was the period of Armed Peace?
This period covers international relations between 1890 and 1914.
What were the two main features of this period?
- Creation of two major power blocs.
- A military arms race.
What two military blocs emerged?
- Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
- Triple Entente: France, Russia, Great Britain
What did new members want regarding colonies?
They desired their own colonial empires.
What happened during the two Moroccan Crises?
Germany acknowledged that France would not attempt to establish a protectorate in Morocco.
What happened on June 28, 1914?
The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated.
Who supported Serbia?
Russia supported Serbia.
What happened when Serbia rejected the ultimatum?
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
How did Germany react?
Germany declared war on Russia because Russia began to mobilize troops against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and then on France.
Why did the war become a world war?
Because it involved the major global powers and their empires.
What was Germany’s war plan?
Germany aimed for a quick victory over France before turning to attack Russia.
Where were the Germans stopped?
The Germans were stopped at the Battle of the Marne.
How did the Russians act?
The Russians responded to French requests and attacked, but were defeated at the Battle of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes.
What two major battles took place on the Western Front?
- German offensive: Battle of Verdun
- British offensive: Battle of the Somme
What other areas did the Allies attack?
In the Mediterranean, the British attacked Turkey. The German colonies in Africa were conquered by the British, and those in Asia by Japan. In the Middle East, the Allies took possessions from the Turks.
What was agreed upon in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Russia left the war after the 1917 Revolution and ceded a significant amount of territory to Germany.
Why did the U.S. enter the war?
The sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat influenced the United States to enter the war, supporting the Allied side.
How did the war end?
In the spring of 1918, the Germans launched an offensive, but it failed. An Allied offensive followed. Austria-Hungary and Germany faced serious internal problems. Civilians began to protest, and these two countries could not withstand the pressure and surrendered. The war ended in November 1918.
What was the war called?
It was called The Great War because of its unprecedented scale.
What was the cruelty of the war?
The war was particularly cruel; soldiers spent months in trenches with mud and were subjected to constant bombings.
Why was it so bloody?
Because it resulted in approximately 8 million deaths and over 9 million injuries.
Why did states become involved in the economy?
In order to ensure the supply of troops.
What is a war economy?
In a war economy, freedoms were suspended, and the state made all decisions regarding production.
What did Serbian advertising do?
It served to control the morals of the population.
What new weapons were introduced?
Aviation, tanks, submarines, artillery, and chemical weapons were introduced.