America and WWI Part B

1.What is nationalism? An intense devotion to the well-being, status, and glory of a nation, often to the detriment of the interests and glories of other nations Nationalism often involves a belief in the goodness of one’s own country, plus the belief in the badness of certain other countries

2. What is imperialism? The control of another land/country by a more powerful country 3. What is militarism? A devotion to the military might and glory of a given nature Militarists often measure a nation’s worth in terms of its military power and military success

4. What was the Alliance System? In the late 1800s and early 1900s there emerged in Europe a web of obligations in which various nations promised to defend certain other nations, in the event of war In short, a limited war between two European nations was capable of triggering a larger continental war…or a world war, if you will.

5. Why was the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe considered the “powder keg of Europe?” There was a great deal of ethnic conflict between various Balkan groups Russia (an ethnically Slavic country) tended to back fellow Slavic countries like Serbia Germany wanted access to the Mediterranean Sea by rail via the Balkans to the Ottoman Empire Slavic peoples within the Austrian-Hungarian Empire resented their Hapsburg rulers Thus the mixture of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism, along with the tensions in the Balkans, combined with the entangling Alliance System, became an explosive fuel when the spark that came from the assassination of Austria-Hungary’s heir to the throne was struck

6. On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on whom? Serbia Serbia was backed up by Russia Austria-Hungary was backed up by Germany 7. What western European country was allied to Russia? France

8. Hence, in August 1914, what pulled much of Europe into a world war? The Alliance System 9. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on whom? Russia Germany declared war in the wake of Russia’s mobilization for war

10. On August 3, 1914, Germany declared war on whom? France Again, France was allied with Russia 11. When Germany invaded Belgium on August 3,1914, with what ally of Belgium did Germany now find itself at war against? Great Britain

12. What was the Schlieffen Plan? It was a German military strategy to invade France via an invasion route through Belgium The idea was to pass through Belgium, cross into France, conquer Paris quickly, and force France out of the war It almost worked…but came up short in 1914

13. In September 1914, where did the French Army stop the German advance toward Paris? At the Battle of the Marne 14. After the French victory at the Marne River, what became of the Western Front for the next four years? The French and British dug in (i.e. trenches) their armies into defensive postures The Germans did the same thing Trench warfare continued for four years until November 1918

15. What happened on the Eastern Front? Germany and Austria-Hungary proved unable to knock Russia out of the war as well Russian armies, however, did not perform very well The losses and privations of war greatly weakened Czar Nicholas II of Russia By 1917, Russia was ripe for revolution

16. What other European power entered the war on the side of the Allies? Italy 17. What Muslim country in Asia Minor entered the war on the side of the Central Powers? The Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

18. From August 1914 until April 1917, what major world power was NOT a member of either the Allies or the Central Powers? The United States of America For over two and a half years during WWI, the United States was officially neutral, and DID NOT join the war That would change in April 1917

Next…we will turn to the topic of how the United States entered WWI on the side of the Allies, and changed the dynamic of the war!