FINAL EXAM WRITING 15

II. The Coming of the Great War
A. The Long March to War
1. Tension rose among European Powers.
i. Alliances came about; Russia & France.
ii. Germany was powerful, helped out France.
iii. Germany’s new ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm II enlarged threats.
2. France loses Germany.
i. Franco-Prussian war was defeated
ii. Germany becomes threatened overseas.
3. Triple Entente Powers
i. Britain, Russia, and France join together to become powerful as one.
ii. Confronted the “Central Powers”
4. The Alliance System
i. European powers were involved with empire-building overseas.
ii. Rivalries heightened sentiments in each country.
iii. Germany threatened war towards France.
iv. Jingoism- war-like nationalist sentiments
v. alliance system was linked with imperialism.
5. Naval Rivalry
i. Germans built a navy that threatened Great Britains ` control of the worlds nation.
ii. Dreadnought launched in 1906, set off German’s to build ships in response.
iii. Military buildup put them on the path to war.
B. The Outbreak of War
1. Continuing Tensions/ Rivalries.
i. Balkan area had the same issues as Europe did.
ii. Lead up to the First World War in the Balkans.
iii. German leaders went against Serbia
iv. Austria-Hungary wanted it all to stop, at least in Serbia.
v. Were forced into war.
2. Russians promised support.
i. Alliance systems would come into play.
ii. It was believed this would stop the tension.
3. Germans mobilization meant war.
i. Germans took on the first attack plan towards France
ii. France made attack plans on Europe.
iii. General conflict in Europe turned bigger and spread to other parts of the world.



III. A World at War
A. The War in Europe
1) Germanys plan
i. Failed against France
ii. Counted on railway system to win
iii. French began to launch offenses
iv. The French fled to Paris on “Western Front”; was saved.
2) Germany didn’t give up
i. Dug through the French’s undergrounds.
ii. Machine Guns, Poisonous Gases, and barbed wire wiped out the western front.
iii. French, German, and British troops were lost.


B. The War in the East and in Italy
1) First week of Conflicts
i. Germans surprised by the Russians offenses.
ii. German high command committed offenses against France.
2) Germans continued determined
i. Went against Russia and destroyed them.
3) Russians try to come back.
i. Nicholas II was the Russian Commander, sparked beginning for a hopeful victory.
ii. Couldn’t stop the Austria-Hungarians who crashed Serbia.
4) Austrian Forces.
i. Enjoyed the high grounds in the Alps.
ii. Assaults ended in disaster.
iii. British forces stalled Austrian advance.
5) Italian soldiers left the turmoil.
i. Benito Mussolini, an Italian soldier exploited to the fullest power.


C. The Home Fronts in Europe
1) The war drags on…
i. Europe grows hatred towards the civilians back home.
ii. Soldiers also disturbed by patriotic zeal.
iii. Industrial sectors administered by state.
2) Governments develop propaganda
i. Aimed towards the United States.
ii. British/American public bombarded with false stories.
iii. Germans stunned by what they read.
iv. Governments mobilize men & women.
3) War speeds up developments.
i. Power of organization increased.
ii. Socialists trade union chiefs.
iii. Labor protest gives powerful momentum.
iv. Labor gets sparked by shortages of food continuously occurring.
4) As wars end..
i. Many lose their jobs.
ii. Gain the opportunity to vote.
iii. Influence spreads through a small minority.
iv. Germany and US promise advances to each other.
D. The war outside Europe
1) Colonies Outside Europe
i. All of the major powers that just had been in the war owned these.
ii. Fighting spread to the Middle East
iii. US even entered the war.
2) Britain’s Participation.
i. Was more than any other power.
ii. Cut off Germany from its colonies.
iii. Deprived central powers.
iv. Controlled trans-Atlantic cable links.
v. Entry into war meant its empire and allies were drawn as well.
3) Japan’s Participation.
i. Joined with Britain
ii. Captured islands from Germany.
4) The British Domains
i. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
ii. Supported the war effort.
iii. Ill-fated assault was at Gallipoli in 1915.
5) Massive army in India recruited in their colonies.
i. Germans lost their colonies.
ii. Germans lead many Indians and South African troops.
6) The Turks.
i. Tried to blame the Russians.
ii. Minority was loyal and neutral.
iii. Armenian genocide-claimed many as a million lives.
7) Outbreak of War
i. Greeted with considerable ambivalence on a part of American leaders.
ii. American and Japanese took advantage of the Europeans.
iii. US accrues them neutrality.
8) President Woodrow Wilson
i. Would force military retaliation by the US.
ii. America entered this conflict in 1917.
iii. American troops sent to Europe were small and largely symbolic.
iv. American reinforcements convinced the German high command.
E. Endgame: The Return of Offensive Warfare
1) Massive Offenses were launched.
i. An entire British army was destroyed.
ii. French forces were also falling back.
iii. German soldiers were transferred from the Eastern Front.
iv. German Armies were being pushed out of France.
v. Austria and Hungary sued the Entente allies for peace.
2) The German commanders
i. Agreed to an armistice in 1918.
ii. New Governments were forced to sure the Entente allies as well for peace.
iii. German people were stunned by the sudden reversal.
iv. European family had death to mourn because of all of the lost soldiers.
v. In the mind 1920’s the Great Depression came about.