Global Awareness

Unit 15 Assignment – World War I

 

Unit Readings: WH Chapter 26

                                 MEH Chapters 28-29

 

PART A

 

1. The New Imperialism: Explain how the “new imperialism” of the late 19^th century differed from previous imperialisms, and discuss at least five different motives that historians have identified for the new “scramble” for colonies.

 

2. Bismarck Undone: Discuss the main goals of Bismarck’s diplomacy following German unification and then, in ID form, identify and explain how each of the following served to promote OR undo his plan
1. The Three Emperors’ League
2. The Congress of Berlin (1878)
3. Dual & Triple Alliances
4. Wilhelm II & “A place in the sun”
5. Reinsurance Treaty (& its lapse)
6. “Splendid Isolation”
7. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz
8. The Boer War
9. The Entente Cordial & Triple Entente
10. The Algeciras Conference and The Panther
11. Austrian Annexation of Bosnia

 

PART B

 

1. The War – Nothing to write, just read!!

 

                ALLIES: Great Britain, France, Russia, and little Serbia (and Italy after 1915)

CENTRAL POWERS: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and little Romania (and Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria after 1915)

 

Western Front: Quickly bogs down in stalemate and trench warfare, moving only a few miles in either direction – Defense proved superior to offense, and massive attacks incurred enormous casualties without achieving breakthroughs in the enemy lines (as depicted in All Quite on the Western Front)

 

Eastern Front: Germans enjoyed considerable success against the Russians and capture huge amounts of territory before the war ends

 

New Powers Enter War in 1915

- Italy joins Allied Powers (after being promised Italia Irredenta, and parts of Africa and the Ottoman Empire)

- Ottoman Empire (out of hostility to Russia) and Bulgaria (out of hostility to Serbia) joins Central Powers

 

New Methods of Warfare

- Machine guns

- Heavily fortified trenches

- Poison gas

- Tanks (introduced late in war to little effect)

- Airplanes

 

War at Sea: British imposed strict naval blockades to prevent supplies from reaching Central Powers – Germans respond with the U-Boat (submarine) campaign to destroy British shipping and prevent any goods, even those carried on neutral ships, from reaching England (starve them out!).

 

U.S. Intervention: In response to unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans, the U.S.A. declares war on the Central Powers and enters on the side of the Allies

 

1917 Russian Revolution

- March 1917: Uprisings of Russian workers and soldiers in Russia force the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II

- November 1917: Bolsheviks (communists) led by Lenin seize control of the Russian government and establish a communist dictatorship

- March 1918: Treaty of Brest-Litovsk – Russia signs separate peace treaty with Germany surrendering tremendous amounts of territory (including Poland, the Baltic States, and the Ukraine)

 

The End

Despite victory in the East, Germans were in a race to win the war before the impact of the American forces could be felt – By November 1918, Germany was exhausted and out of men, and were therefore forced to surrender

 

2. The Peace – Read, then write!

 

a.        Why did Germany surrender in 1918? Why did so many Germans believe that they had not actually lost the war, but had been “stabbed” in the back?

b.       Discuss at least three problems that the peacemakers at Versailles faced in 1919 that the diplomats at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 did not have.

c.        Why did the European public first treat Woodrow Wilson like a hero and then become disillusioned with him? Terms: Fourteen Points

d.       Explain what the League of Nations was and discuss at least four features that made it unlikely to be effective

e.        List 5 provisions that the Versailles conference made regarding Germany in the West to ease French fears

f.         What were the fates of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire?

g.       What was the mandate system, and how effective was it in practice?

h.       What was the notorious “Clause 231” of the Versailles Treaty, and what action was it used to justify?

i.         What did John Maynard Keynes mean when he attacked the Treaty of Versailles as a “Carthaginian Peace”? Why does Kagan (the textbook author) disagree with Keynes?

j.         List 4 legitimate criticisms that Kagan believes may be made against the Versailles settlement

k.        What, in your own words, was the main reason that Kagan regards the Treaty of Versailles as a tragedy?