1. What goals and values were expressed in the various nationalistic movements of the
early twentieth century? Which ethnic groups in particular asserted the right of selfdetermination?
-Serbia: extend her influence and jurisdiction over all Slavic people
-Pan -Slavists in Russia: founded on ideology all Slavs of Eastern Europe were
one family, Russia being the most powerful
-France: sought revenge for defeat in Franco-Prussian war.
-Germany: wanted to expand: ideas of aryanism and nordic supremacy,
intolerance of other nations, and glorified national policy.
The ethnic group in particular that asserted the right of self determination were the PanSlavists in Russia.
2. How did the imperialistic rivalries of the European powers contribute to international
tensions before World War I?
There was a naval race between Germany and Britain, and Germany's rapid
industrialization threatened British economic power. Public opinion supported national
rivalries - patriotism, leaders under pressure to take risks and to be aggressive. There
were also colonial disputes - such as the Balkan wars, France and Germany nearly fought
over Morocco, Germany resented and antagonized Britain and France.
3. Summarize the forces set in motion by the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand in
1914. When and why did the war begin?
The Archduke was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist, which caused AustriaHungary to declare war on Serbia on July 28th. Russia then mobilized troops to defend its
Serbian ally against the Central Powers. Germany sent ultimatums to Russia and France,
which were ignored so Germany declared war. Germany invaded Belgium to reach
France, and to protect Belgium's neutrality, Britain declared war on Germany.
4. What was the typical experience of the soldier in World War I? Explain how new
technologies changed the experience of war.
Soldiers fought in trench warfare in which they were pounded by heavy artillery,
machine gun fire and surrounded by poisonous gas. There was gunfire on all sides. The
land in between the trenches was called "no mans land" and this is where one on one
combat was fought.
5. What role did women play in the war effort? Were these changes long- or short-term?
Women entered into the workforce and took over the jobs of the male soldiers.
They were also given the right to vote in this time period. These changes were mainly
short term because when the men returned from war they took their jobs back.
6. How else did the war transform civilian life? Consider especially the enlarged role of
the government.
The government took control of wartime production and propaganda campaigns
which damaged the enemy and glorified the war effort. Civilians were targets of war
through aerial bombing and naval blockades.
7. Why did Japan enter World War I? What did they gain?
Japan entered World War I to secure enduring peace in Eastern Asia. The
Japanese sent an ultimatum telling Germany to pull out of China and give their Chinese
possessions to Japan. Germany refused and Japan took it by force. Japan then began
taking over more German possessions in the Pacific. Japan also attempted to take over
more of China via secret agreements, but these were found out by Great Britain and
stopped.
8. What factors caused the Russian Revolutions in February and October of 1917? What
changes emerged initially from these revolutions?
The February Revolutions was caused by the inability of police forces to suppress
uprisings and a subsequent mutiny of troops. Czar Nicholas II stepped down, forming a
provisional government that was relatively weak.
The October Revolution was caused by the provincial government failing to exit
the war, which was wanted by many of the people who lived in Russia. The opposing
force, one of the Soviets in Petrograd, was for the ending of the war, and ended up
overthrowing the provincial government. The initial change after the revolution was that
Russia left the war to make way for internal changes, leaving the other allied forces to
fend for off Germany.
9. How did Lenin and the Bolsheviks come to power?
Lenin and the Bolsheviks came to power by first taking over the Petrograd Soviet.
After this, in September, Lenin persuaded the rest of the Bolsheviks to organize an armed
takeover of Russia. On October 24 this takeover occurred, and control of Russia passed
over to the Bolsheviks.
10. When and why did the United States enter the war? What did this move mean?
The United States was in an economic depression and remained neutral at the
beginning of the war but slowly sided with the Allies who became dependent on war
materials. The US officially entered the war in April of 1917 after the Germans sank the
British passenger liner Lusitania. The US also entered the war because of unrestricted
submarine warfare. The addition of the US to the war broke the stalemate between the
two sides.
11. What was the intent of the League of Nations? What were the weaknesses of this
body?
The League of Nations was created in an effort to avoid future destructive
conflicts and maintain world peace. It had two major flaws: 1. It had no power to enforce
its decisions and 2. It relied on collective security as a tool for the preservation of global
peace.
12. How did the mandate system work in the Middle East? Who profited most from this
system?
The establishment of mandates in the former territories of the Ottoman Empire
violated promises (made to Arabs) by French and British leaders during the war. They
had promised Arab nationalists independence from the Ottoman Empire and had also
promised Jewish nationalists a homeland in Palestine. Where the Arabs had hoped to
form independent states, the French and British established mandates. The Allies profited
the most viewing the mandate system as a reasonable compromise between the reality of
imperialism and the ideal of self determination.