Modern World History

• WW1 took place from July 28th, 1914-Nov. 11, 1918
• The war was fought between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire) and the Allied powers (France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy)
• Imperialism is when countries expand their territory by colonizing other lands or taking over existing empires.
• The Causes of WW1 were Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.
• WWI began with Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination by Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914.
• Nationalism is an intense feeling of pride in one's country that can lead to conflict with neighboring nations.
• Austria declared war against Serbia on August 1st, 1914
• Alliances are agreements among nations to support each other if attacked.
• Militarism involves an emphasis on military strength as a means of achieving political goals.
• Russia mobilized its army to defend Serbia on August 3rd, 1914
• Alliances are agreements among nations that commit them to support one another if attacked.
• German troops invaded Belgium on August 5th, 1914.
• Germany invaded Belgium on August 4th, 1914
• Britain declared war on Germany on August 5th, 1914
• The Triple Entente was formed between Great Britain, France, and Russia.
• The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
• The terrorist group that was responsible for the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was called "The Black Hand"
• The first battles of the war began on the Western Front in 1914.
• The Allied Powers were formed by Italy, Britain, France, and Russia
• The Central Powers were formed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire
• Italy was part of a different alliance before the war. It was part of the Triple Alliance.
• The US and Britain did not use conscription (draft) before the war
• The Archduke of Austria-Hungary: Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on June 28th, 1914 in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
• The country that was blamed for the assassination of the Archduke was Serbia.
• Total War: All the resources go to the war effort.
• 3 changes that came from WW1 were increased government power, women's rights and use of propaganda.
• The conditions in the trenches were: Rats, floods, dead bodies, bared wire, diseases, trench foot, lice, and fears.
• The propaganda was used by the government to create a period of enthusiasm among citizens and troops during the first months of the war.
• No Man's Land was the effect that the new, incredibly deadly, military technology that was used in the trenches of WW1 had on the battlefield.
• The reasons why the US entered WW1 were the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman telegram (A message to Mexico from Germany and Germany wanted Mexico to wage war against the US so the US wouldn't enter WW1)
• The person who led the Bolshevik party that was dedicated to violent revolution was Vladimir Lenin.
• The role of WW1 in the Russian Revolution was that it drained Russia's treasury, and demonstrated the poor leadership skills of a czar as he tried to lead the military, numerous deaths on the battlefield, and prepared troops not well equipped with proper weapon training.
• Germany became a democratic republic after German emperor William II fled the country in 1918, which made the signing of the armistice possible.
• The reason why Germany was so unhappy about Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles was that it established that Germany had to take full responsibility for starting WW1 even if it was Austria-Hungary.
• The peacekeeping organization that was created at the Peace Settlement of 1919 was called the League of Nations.
• Besides Article 231, Germany had to pay for reparations, they had to reduce their army size to one hundred thousand, they had to end their air force, they had to cut back their navy to five ships, they had to take their land back, and also lose land along the Rime River.
• The definition of "ultimatum" is that it is a statement of a set of actions that must be taken by a certain time to avoid war.
• Russia's mobilization plan was to go to war with two countries at the same time (Germany and Austria-Hungary). Germany's plan (Schlieffen's plan) called for them to go through a neutral country (Belgium). These actions brought two more countries in, France and Britain.
• 3 specific types of military technology used in WW1: Biplanes and triplanes: Small planes with one or two seats. They were used to know details about the enemy's position. Artillery field guns: Long tubes with support wheels and a shield. They were used to shoot the enemy from very far away. Submarines: Long boats made of strong metal. They were used to sink enemy ships and battleships.
• At the first battle of Marne, taxis were the ones that hindered Germans from advancing.