The Alliances / Battles and Challenges
Triple Alliance
The prewar alliance system that included Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy
Militarism (definition and Schlieffen)
The buildup of powerful militaries that involved increases in men and improvements in weaponry. It often led to arms races and strict military plans, like Schlieffen Plan, a German plan for a five-pronged attack through neutral Belgium that would knock out the French and allow Germany to the turn attention to Russia
British Blockade
Affected US trade and decreased American trade with central powers because the British were seizing cargo. Americans were outraged but overtime the increase in trade with Britain made the US see Britain more favorably
The Big Four
Woodrow Wilson of the US
David Lloyd George of UK
Georges Clemenceau of France
Victoria Orlando of Italy
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
When Russia became communist, Lenin wanted to get them out of the war. Lenin gave up massive territory, including lands rich in natural resources in order to make peace with Germany.
Central Powers
In the beginning, Austria-Hungary and Germany. In the end, the Ottomam Empire and Bulgaria Join Central
Alliances
An agreement of mutual support. The prewar alliance system meant that a local conflict could escalate to a much larger one.
German Submarine Warfare / Sinking of Lusitania
Ships were sunk and people died. American outrage over German blockade made the Germans stop using their submarines. In May 1915, German u-boat snake British passenger liner Lusitania, killing ~1,200 people
Territorial losses
Germany lost all claims on overseas territories, all landed gained in Treaty of Bresk-Litovsk, and has to demilitarize western border (Rhineland)
Armistice (definition and date)
An agreement to end fighting
WWI ended on 11/11/1918 (Veteran’s Day)
Allied Powers
In the beginning, UK, France, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro and Belgium. In the end, included US, Italy and several others
Nationalism
A strong belief in the right and superiority of one’s own nation. Led to self determination, the right of an ethnic group to its own territory or nation-state.
Zimmerman Telegram
A German foreign minister Zimmerman proposed that if US entered war, German makes an alliance with Mexico, and Mexico would go to war against the US and gain back lost territories. British leaked to US public and they went ballistic.
War Guild Clause
Article 231 of the Treaty blames Germany for the war, despite it being Bosnian Serb that killed Fran’s Ferdinand
Wilson’s Plan for Peace - Peace without victory
Wilson made public the fact that he did not want a harsh peace, and asked for peace without victory to end the war
Characteristics of trench warfare
Long, brutal battles over long periods of time
Heavy artillery shelling and machine gun fire
Causalities in the hundreds of thousands
Very little land gained
Imperial Competition
Competition over influence and control over territory in Asia and Africa. Almost caused war several times before 1914.
Uses of Propoganda
Reparations
Payments in return of war. Germany is told to pay 100,000 tons of gold in reparations (~$44 billion)
Wilson’s plans for peace - 14 Points for Peace
Freedom of the seas, an end to secret agreements, limits on armaments, self determination for Poland and others, and the creation of a League of Nations to ensure security and independence of all nations
1918 German Peace Offensive
Germany was able to take troops from Eastern Front and launch one final attack to win the war on the Western front. They got within miles of Paris but were unable to sustain offense and were clearly losing by September
Assassination of Archduke
The murder of Fran’s Ferdinand, hero to the Astro-Hungarian throne by Bosnian-Serbia terror group. Led to the July Crisis, where eventually Alk knowing it had Germany’s full support, declared war on Serbia, activating most of pre-war alliances and beginning the war.
Changes for the homefront / African Americans / Women
The US drafted soldiers, sold war bonds, encouraged victory gardens, and suppressed free speech with the Sedition and Espionage Acts
On the battlefront, they were mostly put in support roles due to racism. The Harlem Hellfighters earned French military honors.
Women began to take jobs in factories and had support roles in military, never in combat roles.
American Rejection
The Senate never ratified the Treaty of Versailles because they feared it would violate US tradition of isolationism and drag US into a conflict it had no state in
Wilson’s Plan for Peace - Allied reaction to Wilson’s plans
Internationally, Wilson was an idealist who envisioned the world working together to maintain peace. The other three primary negotiators of Versailles were there to protect their nations interested, and dismissive of Wilson.