12-1+USH

Abby Regan 1/24/12 USHCP Mr. Masterson

Key Terms: Militarism: The glorification of military strength Allied Powers: World War I alliance that included Britain, France, Russia, and later the USA, who fought against the Central Powers. Central Powers: World War I alliance that included Austria-Hungary, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. The First Battle of Marne: World War I battle where the Allies stopped a German advance near the Marne River. No-man's-land: A thin strip of bombed-out territory with lots of barbed wire and land mines that separated the two sides. Trench Warfare: WWI military strategy of defending a position by fighting in the protection of deep ditches. Battle of the Somme: WWI battle where the British lost 60,000 troops in a single day.

Key People: Franz Ferdinand: The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Gavrilo Princip: Killed Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Manfred von Richtofen: A successful skilled pilot (known as the Red Baron), who had a reported 80 kills. Edward Rickenbacker: An American ace with 26 kills.

Summary:

The Causes of the War
 * One long term cause was the growth of nationalism in Europe (Italy wanted freedom from Austria, German states joined together to form Germany).

Nationalism and Territorial Rivalries
 * The four main ethnic groups: Albanians, Greeks, Romanians, and Slavs each wanted independence from the Ottoman Empire.
 * Serbia saw Bosnia as part of it's territory, and the hostility from the annexation of territories by Austria-Hungary encouraged the Slavs to "push for independence."

Militarism and Alliances
 * Leaders of major European powers believed that war was the answer to solving problems, so many nations formed alliances with each other in order to make their armies stronger.
 * Germany had a long time alliance with Austria, and the alliance between France and Russia threatened to surround Germany with enemies.

The Great War Begins
 * In 1914 Franz Ferdinand visited the Bosnian capital, and was shot by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip.
 * Because of this, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and Germany sided with Austria, while Russia sided with Serbia.
 * Germany had a strategy which involved a massive attack on France, so they had to avoid the heavily defended border and go through Belgium.
 * The Belgian Army held back to Germans long enough for the British and the French to rush their troops into battle.

The War Reaches a Stalemate
 * Leaders thought this would be a quick victory, but the war instead reached a brutal stalemate.

Trench Warfare
 * Both armies occupied many trenches, and soldiers ran across no-man's land to attack enemy trenches, but were shot down by machine guns.
 * Each side strengthened their offense for the next year, and Germany made an attack on the French city of Verdun.
 * The Allied Powers also attacked Verdun to "exhaust enemy reserves", and the four month long battle caused many casualities.
 * The trench conditions were bad, as lice, rats, mud and disease plagued the troops.

New Weapons
 * Machine guns that fired hundreds of rounds per minute were countered by the Allies's tanks.
 * Poison gas, which could be released silently or in explosions suffocated many soldiers to death.
 * Modern machines, which included submarines and airplanes, encouraged fighting in the seas and skies.