allies/triple entente
Russia, Britain, France
what did commanders say when it was time to attack?
“send them over the top”
triple alliance/central powers
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, but Italy remained neutral in 1914
what was Schlieffen’s plan?
in case of the outbreak of war, Germany would attack France first and then Russia. they would then go through Belgium bringing England into the war
what was trench warfare?
opposing armies dug extensive networks of trenches to protect themselves from enemy fire, they stretched from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps, the Western Front
what did trench warfare cause?
trenches caused a deadlock as both sides found it difficult to gain ground. it became a war of attrition
technological advances
- machine guns - widespread use of machine guns changed dynamics
- artillery - became a dominant force on the battlefield, with heavy bombardments causing the majority of casualties
- chemical warfare - poison gas was introduced, leading to the invention of gas masks
air warfare
- bombing - first significant use of aircraft in combat, dogfights and bombing raids
- zeppelins - Germany used airships for strategic bombing, targeting civilian areas in Britain, though they were vulnerable to anti-aircraft and adverse weather
naval warfare
- submarines - u-boats by Germany changed naval combat, could attack without warning
- blockades - both the British and German navies implemented blockades to starve the enemy of resources
psychological impact
- shell shock
- propaganda and morale
what signified the end of traditional warfare?
- decline of cavalry - rendered obsolete by machine guns
- mass mobilisation - required mass mobilisation of troops and resources, leading to the concept of total war, where entire nations were engaged in the war effort, both on the battlefield and at home.
total war
A conflict is when a nation mobilises all its resources, including civilians, to achieve victory.
recruitment
enlisting new people in the armed forces, voluntary
conscription
compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the armed forces
what is censorship and who is it determined by?
suppression of free speech, public communication or other info that may be considered sensitive as determined by governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions.
propaganda
an attempt to spread or encourage a particular idea, though it may be a lie it relies on a seed of truth, even though they may exaggerate that truth.
what was the Lusitania
- civilian carrier with American civilians onboard
- sunk by a German U-boat (submarine), unrestricted sub-warfare
what was the Zimmermann telegram
- telegram to Mexico from Germany intercepted by the British
- If the US entered, Germany would ally with Mexico
what were some political changes after/during WWI
- the collapse of Romanovs, the rise of communism in Russia
- reparations and “war guilt” clause from the Versailles treaty beings about political and economic issues for the Weimar Republic/German Reich
- lack of trust in governments to deliver peace and security
- push for international body to avoid future conflicts (league of nations)
