Learning Target
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I can name the two major alliances before the ‘Great War’.
I can name the three major countries in each alliance.
I can name the leaders of all six countries involved.
I can explain each leader’s main reason for entering the war.
I can define ‘militarism’ and explain how it made people want to go to war.
6. I can define ‘alliances’ and explain how political rivalries made alliances a dangerous
set up for war.
7. I can define ‘imperialism’ and explain how it led to political rivalries.
8. I can define ‘nationalism’ and provide at least two examples of how it showed up in
Europe foreshadowing the war.
9. I can define ‘propaganda’ and explain how it propelled the typical citizen to support
a war.
10. I can explain what ‘total war’ means and how it relates to the Great War of 1914.
11. I can name and locate on a map at least two major ‘theaters’ of war, where major
battles of WW I were fought.
12. I can describe at least three major turning points during the war.
13. I can discuss how geography (topography, waterways, distances, climate) influenced
at least two major military decisions and two major outcomes of the war.
14. I can describe at least three reasons why the Russian Revolution happened in 1917.
15. I can describe how the Russian Revolution affected the course and outcome of
WW I.
16. I can explain two main reasons why the US eventually entered the war.
17. I can describe how the US’ entry affected the course and outcome of WW I.
18. I can recite approximately how many soldiers and civilians’ lives were lost
throughout the entire war, and can specifically recite the numbers of lives lost for at
least four of the ‘Great Powers’.
19. I can describe how at least three major European colonies (ie. India) contributed
to the war effort.
20. I can explain the affect the Ottoman Empire’s gov’t actions had against the
Armenian minority in their country during the war.
21. I can elaborate on at least one more example of human rights violations or genocide
that happened during WW I.
22. I can explain the roles and goals of major world leaders at the peace conference
for WW I
23. I can explain the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
24. I can explain at least five influential results of the Treaty of Versailles
25. I can discuss the major points of president Wilson’s Fourteen Points
26. I can explain the reasons why the US rejected the League of Nations and how this
impacted world politics.
Not
Well
Well
Very
Well
1. “Only the dead have seen the end of war”
--Plato
What is the message of this quote?
2. “I must study politics and war [so] that my sons may have liberty to study
mathematics and philosophy.”
--John Adams, in letter to Abigail Adams, May 12, 1780
What is the message of this quote?
3. “You may have to fight when there is no chance of victory, because it is better to
perish than to live as slaves.”
-- Winston Churchill
What is the message of this quote?
4. “The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is
more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no
chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than
himself.”
-- John Stuart Mill
What is the message of this quote?
5. “All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
-- Edmund Burke
What is the message of this quote?
6. “If we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising
prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war.”
-- George Washington
What is the message of this quote?
7. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.”
-- George Washington
What is the message of this quote?
8. “I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its
brutality, its futility, its stupidity. “
-- Dwight David Eisenhower
What is the message of this quote?
9. “War does not determine who is right - only who is left.”
-- Bertrand Russell
What is the message of this quote?
10. “It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans
of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is
hell.”
-- William Tecumseh Sherman
What is the message of this quote?
11. “War is evil, but it is often the lesser evil.”
-- George Orwell
What is the message of this quote?
12. When is war justified?
Introduction
World War I was the result of leaders' aggression
towards other countries which was supported by the
rising nationalism of the European nations. Economic
and imperial competition and fear of war prompted
military alliances and an arms race, which further
escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of
war.
Nationalism
At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was
ignored in favor of preserving the peace. Germany and Italy were left as divided states,
but strong nationalist movements and revolutions led to the unification of Italy in 1861
and that of Germany in 1871. Another result of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was
that France was left seething over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, and Revanche
was a major goal of the French. Nationalism posed a problem for Austria-Hungary and the
Balkans, areas comprised of many conflicting national groups. The ardent Panslavism of
Serbia and Russia's willingness to support its Slavic brother conflicted with AustriaHungary's Pan-Germanism.
Imperialism
Another factor which contributed to the increase in rivalry in Europe was imperialism.
Great Britain, Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in
manufacturing caused by the Industrial Revolution. These countries competed for
economic expansion in Africa. Although Britain and France resolved their differences in
Africa, several crises foreshadowing the war involved the clash of Germany against Britain
and France in North Africa. In the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was
alluring to Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia.
Bismarck and Alliances
World War I was caused in part by the two opposing alliances developed by Bismarckian
diplomacy after the Franco-Prussian War. In order to diplomatically isolate France,
Bismarck formed the Three Emperor's League in 1872, an alliance between Germany,
Russia and Austria-Hungary. When the French occupied Tunisia, Bismarck took
advantage of Italian resentment towards France and created the Triple Alliance between
Germany, Italy and Austria- Hungary in 1882. In exchange for Italy's agreement to stay
neutral if war broke out between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Germany and AustriaHungary would protect Italy from France. Russia and Austria-Hungary grew suspicious
of each other over conflicts in the Balkans in 1887, but Bismarck repaired the damage to his
alliances with a Reinsurance Treaty with Russia, allowing both powers to stay neutral if
the other was at war.
Collapse of Bismarckian Alliances
However, after Bismarck was fired by Kaiser William II in 1890, the traditional dislike of
Slavs kept Bismarck's successors from renewing the understanding with Russia. France
took advantage of this opportunity to get an ally, and the Franco- Russian Entente was
formed in 1891, which became a formal alliance in 1894. The Kruger telegram William II
sent to congratulate the leader of the Boers for defeating the British in 1896, his
instructions to the German soldiers to behave like Huns in China during the Boxer
Rebellion, and particularly the large- scale navy he was building all contributed to British
distrust of Germany.
As a result, Britain and France overlooked all major imperialistic conflict between them
and formed the Entente Cordiale in 1904. Russia formed an Entente with Britain in 1907
after they had reached an understanding with Britain's ally Japan and William II had
further alienated Russia by supporting Austrian ambitions in the Balkans. The Triple
Entente, an informal coalition between Great Britain, France and Russia, now countered
the Triple Alliance. International tension was greatly increased by the division of Europe
into two armed camps.
Arms Race
The menace of the hostile division led to an arms race, another cause of World War I.
Acknowledging that Germany was the leader in military organization and efficiency, the
great powers of Europe copied the universal conscription, large reserves and detailed
planning of the Prussian system. Technological and organizational developments led to
the formation of general staffs with precise plans for mobilization and attack that often
could not be reversed once they were begun. The German von Schlieffen Plan to attack
France before Russia in the event of war with Russia was one such complicated plan that
drew more countries into war than necessary.
Armies and navies were greatly expanded. The standing armies of France and Germany
doubled in size between 1870 and 1914. Naval expansion was also extremely competitive,
particularly between Germany and Great Britain. By 1889, the British had established the
principle that in order to maintain naval superiority in the event of war they would have
to have a navy two and a half times as large as the second-largest navy. This motivated the
British to launch the Dreadnought, invented by Admiral Sir John Fisher, in 1906. The
Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 had demonstrated how effective these battleships were.
As Britain increased their output of battleships, Germany correspondingly stepped up
their naval production, including the Dreadnought. Although efforts for worldwide
disarmament were made at the Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907, international rivalry
caused the arms race to continue to feed on itself.
Crises in Africa
The friction of an armed and divided Europe escalated into several crises in Morocco and
the Balkans which nearly ended in war. In 1905, Germany announced its support of
independence for Morocco, the African colony which Britain had given France in 1904. The
British defended the French, and war was avoided by a international conference in
Algeciras in 1906 which allowed France to make Morocco a French protectorate.
Bosnian Crisis of 1908
Another conflict was incited by the Austria-Hungarian annexation of the former Turkish
province of Bosnia in 1908. The Greater Serbian movement had as an object the acquisition
of Slavic Bosnia, so Serbia threatened war on Austria-Hungary. Russia had pledged their
support to Serbia, so they began to mobilize, which caused Germany, allied with AustriaHungary, to threaten war on Russia. The beginning of World War I was postponed when
Russia backed down, but relations between Austria- Hungary and Serbia were greatly
strained.
Morocco II
A second Moroccan crisis occurred in 1911 when Germany sent a warship to Agadir in
protest of French supremacy in Morocco, claiming the French had violated the agreement
at Algeciras. Britain again rose to France's defense and gave the Germans stern warnings.
Germany agreed to allow France a free hand in Morocco in exchange for part of the French
Congo. In the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, the Balkan States drove the Turks back to
Constantinople and fought among themselves over territory. Tensions between Serbia and
Austria-Hungary increased when Austria-Hungary forced Serbia to abandon some of its
gains.
Assassination in Sarajevo
Europe had reached its breaking point when on June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by
a Serbian nationalist belonging to an organization known as the Black Hand (Narodna
Obrana). Immediately following the assassination Germany pledged its full support (blank
check) to Austria-Hungary, pressuring them to declare war on Serbia, while France
strengthened its backing of Russia. Convinced that the Serbian government had conspired
against them, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an unacceptable ultimatum, to which Serbia
consented almost entirely.
Falling Dominoes
Unsatisfied, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. On July 29, Russia
ordered a partial mobilization only against Austria-Hungary in support of Serbia, which
escalated into a general mobilization. The Germans threatened war on July 31 if the
Russians did not demobilize. Upon being asked by Germany what it would do in the
event of a Russo-German War, France responded that it would act in its own interests and
mobilized. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and two days later, on France.
The German invasion of Belgium to attack France, which violated Belgium's official
neutrality, prompted Britain to declare war on Germany. World War I had begun.
By:
Suzanne Karpilovsky (IB Diploma 1996)
Maria Fogel (IB Diploma 1996)
Olivia Kobelt (Class of 1996)
There is a clickable version of this available on my website at:
http://www4.bluevalleyk12.org/bvhs/mklopfenstein/WW_notes/wwnotes.htm/readings/world_war_
I_Learning_Target_Packet
Name:
Hour:
Map Activity: Europe and World War One
Directions: you will label places and battlefronts during World War One and color coordinate
alliances and battle fronts. Label and color the appropriate countries, cities, and battlefronts as
listed.
1. Label the following countries on your map at the outbreak of World War One. Use pg. 405
in your textbook.
-Portugal Bulgaria
-Great Britain
-Norway
-Austria-Hungary
-Germany
-Russia
-Belgium
-Albania
-Serbia
-Switzerland
-Greece –Denmark
-Luxembourg
-Denmark
-Netherlands
-Romania
-Spain
-Italy
-Ireland
-France
-Sweden
-Ottoman Empire
-
2. Fill in the following cities and battle fronts on the map. Use pp. 405 & 412
-Western Front
-Eastern Front
-St. Petersburg
-Sarajevo
-Berlin
-London
-Istanbul
-Vienna
-Rome
-Paris
-Warsaw
3. After labeling the countries, cities, and battle fronts, create a key somewhere on the map
(back or front) that contains the following information:
-Color the Allied Powers
-Color the Central Powers
-Color the Western Front
-Color the Eastern Front
THE GREAT WAR (WWI) – PROPAGANDA
NAME:
HOUR:
Directions: view the various propaganda posters in class, discuss, and answer the questions.
Propagandaa. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person,
group,
movement, institution, nation, etc.
b. information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause
Perspectivea. a way of regarding situations or topics
b. a mental view or outlook
c. subjective evaluation of relative significance; a point of view
Introduction question:
List and describe three examples of propaganda you have been exposed to in the last month.
Example 1Example 2Example 3-
View the poster and answer the questions.
1) Describe the poster.
2) Whose perspective is the poster written from?
3) Explain the goal of the poster?
4) Do you think the poster is effective and why?
1) Describe the poster.
2) Whose perspective is the poster written from?
3) Explain the goal of the poster?
4) Do you think the poster is effective and why?
1) Describe the poster.
2) Whose perspective is the poster written from?
3) Explain the goal of the poster?
4) Do you think the poster is effective and why?
1) Describe the poster.
2) Whose perspective is the poster written from?
3) Explain the goal of the poster?
4) Do you think the poster is effective and why?
1) Describe the poster.
2) Whose perspective is the poster written from?
3) Explain the goal of the poster?
4) Do you think the poster is effective and why?
Name:
pp. 424-427
Story Heading: A Flawed Peace
Hour:
________________________________________________________________________
I._SETTING____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
II. MAIN_______________________________________________________________
CHARACTERS__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
-Who
were the "Big
________________________________________________________________________
Four?"
________________________________________________________________________
-Why were they
________________________________________________________________________
known
as the "Big
Four?"
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
III. PLOT_______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What were the
________________________________________________________________________
goals of Wilson's
________________________________________________________________________
Fourteen Points?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Why did the Allies
create the "war
________________________________________________________________________
guilt" clause?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
In what ways did
________________________________________________________________________
the Treaty of
________________________________________________________________________
Versailles change
________________________________________________________________________
Europe?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
IV.WHAT I LEARNED / SUMMARY_______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
World War I Test Review
1. List and describe the causes of WWI? (MAIN)
2. Define entente. Who signed an entente?
3. What was the Black Hand? What did they do?
4. Who was Archduke Franz Ferdinand? How is he significant? What happened to him?
5. What ultimatum did Austria deliver to Serbia? What happened after the ultimatum was
delivered?
6. How did the Austrian/Serbian conflict start WWI?
7. What countries were part of the Central Powers?
8. What countries were part of the Allies?
9. What countries were neutral?
10. Define: stalemate, no man’s land, zeppelin, Schlieffen Plan, & U-boat
11. Describe the problems with early battle tactics in WWI. Describe the problems with trench
warfare.
12. List and describe four military innovations during WWI. How did these innovations affect
trench warfare?
13. Where was the “western front” located?
14. Define the term conscription.
15. Define propaganda and state how it affected public opinion?
16. What event caused America to become involved in WWI? What is unrestricted submarine
warfare?
17. Why did Russia stop fighting in WWI?
18. Approximately how many people were killed in WWI? How many were wounded?
19. What was the aftermath of the war like? I.e. wounded & destruction
20. What happened at the Paris Peace Conference? What is the Big Three?
21. Describe reparations?
22. Who did the Allies blame for the war? Why?
23. What happened at the Treaty of Versailles? Who was satisfied? Who was unhappy?
24. How did Germany react to the Treaty?
25. What are the Balkan states? Why are they important?
26. What nation is a superpower after the war is over? Why?
27. What are country relations like in Europe after WWI? Explain?