World War

WORLD WAR 1 A. MAJOR ALLIANCES FORMED DURING WW1 * Started by Germany * Triple Alliance/Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy / Turkey & Bulgaria * Triple Entente (treaty of friendship, not yet an alliance): Britain, France and Russia * Allies: Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Serbia, USA B. MILITARISM * Attitude of powerful class of military leaders on their countries’ policies * Glorification of war and urged the build up of weapons and armies * New high tech weapons later increased greater causalities * This caused problems in the use of diplomacy: temptation to start war C. SARAJEVO INCIDENT * Serbians is Serbia wanted to create a Greater Serbia by attacking Austria-Hungary * Archduke Francis Ferdinand’s assassination by Serbian Gavrilo Princip triggers the war * Serbians hoped to increased tensions within the Hapsburg and cause a revolution * Austria saw it as an excuse to attack Serbia: issued an ultimatum (demands that Serbia has to answer or Austria will declare war) * Answered all but one: only Austrians officials are allowed to investigate on the Sarajevo Inc D. CHAIN REACTION * Conflict between two nations was likely to expand and involve those countries’ allies * Austria called on Germany and said yes: believed that they would be superpowers once Russia and France are defeated * To attack France, Germans must go though Belgium –> involvement of Britain E. TRENCH WARFARE/ WESTERN AND EASTERN FRONTS a. Western Front: Germany vs. France in Verdun * No man’s land: wasteland * Stalemate: no one was winning/advancing * Hoped to capture France but troops in Russia were advancing sooner than expected -> French counterattack b. Eastern Front: Germany vs. Russia * Victory of Germany because of * Russia’s lack of morale, poorly equipped weapons, bad leaders, German blocked ship supplies, heavy