Final stage and legacy of the war
Explain the term Iron Harvest
The ammunition found by farmers when ploughing their fields
Which French city was targeted by the German offensive in 1916?
Verdun
The Big Three leaders who dominated the negotiations represented the United States, Britain, and this third country.
What is France?
Name three major fronts of WWI.
Western, Eastern, Italian, Balkan
What secret nationalist group did
Gavrilo Princip belong to?
The Black Hand
When exactly and where was the armistice signed (+ what countries signed it)?
11.11.1918 (at 11 o´clock) in a railway car in the Compiegne Forest (Germany and Allies
Which country mostly prepared and led the attack at the Battle of the Somme?
Great Britain
This treaty was signed in June 1919. officially ended the war with Germany and included a clause forcing Germany to accept blame for the war.
What is the Treaty of Versailles?
What was the biggest difference between the Eastern and Western Fronts?
Fighting on the Western front developed into full-fledged trench warfare, whereas on the Eastern front it did not.
Which countries made up the Central Powers, and which nations formed the opposing side of the Allies?
The Central Powers were Germany and Austria-Hungary, later joined by the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. The Allies included the United Kingdom (with dominions like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India), France, Russia, Belgium, Serbia, and later Japan, Italy, Romania, and the USA.
Explain the term Lost Generation
Whole generation of young men died during the war, those who returned had trouble blending back into the society because of the horror they encountered
What did the Germans have to do after the Allies stopped their advance at the Battle of the Marne?
They had to withdraw
This treaty dealt with Austria specifically, and confirmed the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into separate independent states.
What is the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye?
The Western front is well known for its trench warfare. Give a short explanation of trench warfare.
Warfare conducted in dugouts, contained the front mostly along a long strip of land where most battles would be fought, not much land would be gained nor lost, but the casualty rates would be exorbitant. The hygienic conditions were catastrophic, and life in a trench is considered living hell. Trench lines tend to have multiple sections with differing functionalities
What major event served as the catalyst for the conflict, and who was the primary royal target?
The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand (and his wife) in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip.
Which major empires collapsed by the end of the war and what countries were formed?
Ittoman Empire (Turkish state), Russian Empire (Russian state, later Soviet Union), Austro-Hungarian Empire (many countries including Czechoslovakia, Austria,...), German Empire (German republic)
Why did the Allied artillery bombardment at the Somme fail to destroy most of the German defences?
Many shells were of low quality and failed to explode.
This treaty was imposed on Hungary and stripped it of roughly two-thirds of its pre-war territory, leaving large Hungarian-speaking populations outside its new borders.
What is the Treaty of Trianon?
Name the three most important battles on the Western front we learned about and give a 1-2 sentence explanation of each of them.
Battle of Marne - Stopped the German advance towards Paris, over half a million casualties
Battle of Verdun - One of the longest battles in history (lasted over 300 days), over million casualties
Battle of Somme - 60 000 casualties in one day, whole battle was a disaster for the allies (even more for the British)
What were the key underlying factors and systemic causes that built up tension in Europe before the start of World War I?
Militarism, nationalism, territorial disputes, and regional rivalries (such as the conflicts in the Balkans).
Describe how the USA joined WWI
Germany turned to submarine warfare sinking American ships, Zimmerman note
What was the main purpose of the German offensive at Verdun according to General Falkenhayn?
To kill as many enemy soldiers as possible.
This new international organization, created as part of the peace settlement, was intended to prevent future wars through collective security but was weakened when its chief architect's own country never joined.
What is the League of Nations?
What was the Schlieffen Plan and how did it fail? What role did Russia play in it failing?
Schlieffen Plan was a plan to quickly defeat France going through previously neutral Belgium in order to avoid having to fight through Northeastern France (that would later become the Maginot line) as the Belgian border was way less defended and Germany needed a quick victory in order to avoid a prolongued two-front war before Russia could mobilize. It failed mainly due to the catastrophic Battle of Marne, after which the whole Western Front started turning into trench warfare therefore preventing any quick victories. Another big problem was the fact that Russia managed to mobilize surprisingly quickly and Germany was split between two massive fronts way sooner then they had anticipated.
After Austria rejected Serbia's offers and declared war, how did the system of alliances immediately trigger a larger chain reaction involving Russia, Germany, and France?
Russia mobilized its army to support Serbia, leading Germany to view Russia's mobilization as an act of aggression and declare war on Russia Consequently, France (as Russia's ally) mobilized its army, prompting Germany to declare war on France and activate the Schlieffen Plan through Belgium.