Essential Questions Could War War I have been avoided? How did
new military technologies make warfare more destructive? Did the
allies lay the seeds for future problems in the peace settlement of
1919? If you had been living in Russia in 1917, would you have
joined the revolution?
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Key Vocabulary Imperialism Nationalism Militarism Alliance
System Franz Ferdinand Trench Warfare Armenian Genocide Woodrow
Wilson Fourteen Points League of Nations Mandate System Tsar
Nicholas II Russian Revolution Vladimir Lenin Bolsheviks October
Revolution Russian Civil War U.S.S.R. (Soviet Union)
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Important Ideas A. Imperialism, nationalism, militarism, and
the alliance system prepared the way for the outbreak of World War
I: 1. Imperialism: Europes Great Powers competed over colonies,
markets and military power 2. Militarism: Britain and Germany
competed to have the best navy. Russia, Germany, and France
competed for the strongest army on the continent. Political leaders
adopted militaristic values and depended on military leaders.
Military leaders believed it was better to attack first than to
wait to be attacked. Germany feared being surrounded by France and
Russia. 3. Nationalism: Nationalist movements among Slavic peoples
in multi-ethic Austria-Hungary threatened to break the empire
apart. 4. Alliances: Europe divided into two competing alliance
systems (Germany and Austria-Hungary vs. France, Russia and
Britain). Once one member became involved in a war, the alliance
system threatened to escalate the war to involve all members.
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B. The July Crisis: The assassination of Archduke France
Ferdinand by Slav nationalists in July 1914 set off a chain
reaction. Austrian leaders blamed Serbia. When Austria invaded
Serbia, Russia entered the war to protect Serbia. Germany next
entered the war because of its alliance with Austria-Hungary.
Britain and France finally entered the war because of their
alliance with Russia. C. New weapons, like machine guns, airplanes,
submarines, and poison gas, made World War I the most destructive
and deadliest war up to that time. D. Woodrow Wilson and other
allied leaders negotiated the peace during the Paris Peace
Conference. The Treaty of Versailles treated Germany harshly. The
treaty also created a League of Nations and several new
countries.
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E. Despite some changes, Russia was still an autocratic society
with deep social divisions. Russia was unprepared for the war.
Shortages of food and materials helped trigger the Russian
Revolution, in which the Tsar was overthrown. F. The Bolsheviks,
led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the new Russian government in the
October Revolution. Lenin then established the first Communist
government. The Communists won the Civil War that followed.
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The World on the Eve of World War I 1900 Europeans were
enjoying great peace and prosperity No major war on continent for
half a century In other places in the world, problems were
occurring Turkey, Mexico, China, and Russia Reformers influenced by
European ideas were outraged at sharp social divisions and
authoritarian governments
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In Austria-Hungary (Austrias name after a compromise with
Hungary in 1867), different ethnic minorities dreamt of
independence and establishing their own nation-states
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Unable to reform through moderate means, some reformers turned
to forming secret revolutionary movements After 1900 different
parts of the world exploded in social revolution Russia Tsar forced
to create a national assembly Turkey Sultan overthrown in 1908
Mexico revolution overthrew countrys military dictator in 1910
China nationalist reformers overthrew the emperor in 1912
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The powerful forces of nationalism and reform, which affected
Russia, Turkey, Mexico, and China, had an equally explosive impact
on the multi-ethnic empire of Austria-Hungary. Events in
Austria-Hungary would bring the rest of Europe into armed conflict
Great War (World War I) New technologies made warfare more
destructive then ever before Imperial governments and the old class
system of Europe were eliminated
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The peace that followed saw the momentary triumph of democracy,
national self-determination and the creation of a new international
peace organization Rise of communism and fascism
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The Underlying Causes of WWI
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Militarism Occurs when military values and goals take over
civilian society End of 19 th century societies had become more
militaristic European countries tried to build up its army Kings
wore military uniforms Generals became influential in government
Germany and Britain competed to build the most powerful navy
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Military planning played a big role in the outbreak of WWI
Because it took time to assemble and move armies on railroads,
military leaders thought it was better to attack first than to wait
to be attacked
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Alliances By 1914, Europe had come to be divided into two large
alliances Triple Alliance Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Triple Entente France and Great Britain Although these alliances
sought to preserve the existing balance of power, any dispute
involving any two of these countries threatened to drag in all
others
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Nationalism Nationalism is the belief that: Each ethnic group
should have its own nation Citizens of existing nation-states that
they should promote their nations interests Their own nation is
superior to others
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Nationalism encouraged rivalries between France, Germany,
Austria-Hungary, and Russia Spread of nationalism also led to the
creation of new independent nations in the Balkans Greece, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Albania, and Romania (area where Ottomans once ruled)
Many of these new countries were unstable 1912-1913 : series of
local wars that threatened to involve the larger powers
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Imperialism Imperialism is the political and economic control
of one state or people over another Many European powers believed
that the sign of a great power was possession of overseas colonies
Created competition between European powers for colonies in Africa
and Asia Competing economic interests
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1900 of the world was under British rule German
industrialization threatened British economic supremacy Russian
interests in the Balkans threatened both Austria-Hungary and
Turkey
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Assassination In July 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir
to the Austrian Empire, was assassinated by a member of a terrorist
group, the Black Hand, a Slave nationalist group Triggered WWI
Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia, who had aided the assassins Russia
entered the conflict to protect Serbia Germany entered the war to
fulfill its treaty obligations to protect Austria Finally, Britain
and France came in to honor their alliance with Russia
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What began as a minor regional crisis in the Balkans had
quickly escalated into a major European conflict Italy refused to
join the Central Powers since Austria had attacked first The
Ottoman Empire quickly joined the Central Powers to oppose Russia,
while Bulgaria joined to oppose Serbia
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Fighting the War To avoid a two-front war, German war plans
called for Germany to march through the lowlands of neutral Belgium
and to take Paris quickly before Russia could enter the war Germans
advanced but were stopped before reaching Paris
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When the war broke out President Woodrow Wilson called upon
Americans to take no sides and to remain neutral
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New and improved weapons were used in fighting the war Machine
gun, poison gas, submarines, and airplanes Made it easier to defend
positions than to attack
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Trench warfare was a new and strange form of warfare the world
had never seen Both sides dug ditches to created fortified
positions Trenches separated by fields of barbed wire and mines
known as no mans land Soldiers spent years in the trenches, facing
shelling from artillery fire for hours each day Since neither side
could advance, fighting lines became stationary
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Sometimes, soldiers would face attacks with poison gas Casualty
rates were high Tanks were first introduced but were still too
primitive to be effective Overhead, the first airplanes were used
to see what was going on across enemy lines
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In the oceans, German submarines, called U-boats, were used to
attack large ships Britain placed a blockade around Germany and
Austria-Hungary in an attempt to starve them into submission Russia
became isolated from the West Each side tried to mobilize all its
resources, turning the war into a total war
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The United States Helps Win the War Serbia, Belgium, Italy,
Romania, Greece, and Portugal joined the Allied Powers Although the
United States was officially neutral, Americans were sympathetic to
Britain and France American ships sending supplies to Allies were
attacked by Germany submarines 1917 The United States entered the
war after RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat
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President Wilson announced Americas war aims in the Fourteen
Points Redraw the map of Europe so that each nationality had its
own state Demanded the creation of an independent Poland Demanded
the freedom of seas, an end to secret diplomacy, and the creation
of the League of Nations Americas entry into the war broke the
deadlock in Europe November 1918 Germans surrendered
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The Aftermath of World War I The human and material costs of
WWI were staggering Millions of people were killed or injured
Famine and malnutrition threatened many regions The governments of
Russia and Germany were overthrown
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The Paris Peace Conference (1919) Believing that President
Wilsons offer would be the basis of the peace settlement, Germans
agreed to end the war and to overthrow the Kaiser. Allied leaders
met in Paris to negotiate the peace (left to right) Great Britain
David Lloyd George Italy Vittorio Orlando France Georges Clemenceau
United States Woodrow Wilson
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The Treaty of Versailles (1919) Ended WWI Concluded peace with
Germany Other treaties dealt with Austria-Hungary and Turkey Final
peace terms turned out to be extremely harsh on Germany
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An independent Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia were created
The former nation of Serbia was combined with parts of
Austria-Hungary to create the new nation of Yugoslavia German
colonies were given to Britain or France as mandates
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Territories ruled like colonies but subject to supervision of
the League of Nations According to the Covenant of the League of
Nations, its purpose was to promote disarmament and prevent war Had
no military power, so it depended on the help of its member states
Consisted of a Council, representing the Great Powers, and an
assembly in which all member states were represented Created a new
Court of International Justice
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World War I and the Middle East World War I also led to the end
of the Ottoman Empire The Sultan had joined the Central Powers
during the war because Turkey opposed Russia
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The Armenian Massacres For centuries, Armenian Christians had
lived in the Ottoman Empire Some Armenians wanted an independent
Armenian state The Ottoman government began to disarm its Armenian
citizens, fearing they might be sympathetic to Christian
Russia
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Armenian political leaders, educators, writers, and clergy were
jailed and then managed or shot Turkish soldiers gathered over a
million Armenian men, women, children and sent them on death
marches into the Syrian desert Firing squads, burnings, drownings,
poisons, and drugs
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After the war, Allies took away Turkish possessions in Arabia,
Syria, and Palestine To gain Arab support during the fighting, the
British government had promised Arab groups their independence 1919
these areas were instead divided between Britain and France was
mandates under the League of Nations 1922-1924 :Uprisings in Egypt
and Arabia finally led to their independence
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The allies also planned to take way much of the Turkish
heartland in Asia Minor General Mustafa Kemal, known as Ataturk,
organized resistance to Allied attempts to tear apart Turkey 1920 -
A new parliament declared the birth of Turkey as a secular state
After two years of fighting, Ataturk preserved Turkey in Asia Minor
and abolished the Sultanate in 1923
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The Russian Revolution One of the most important consequences
of World War I was the Russian Revolution of 1917
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The Roots of the Revolution The Russian Tsars (emperors) ruled
as autocrats (absolute rulers) Secret police Strict censorship New
ideas were repressed The vast majority of Russians were illiterate
serfs who lived in poverty Remained bound to the land, long after
serfdom had been abolished in other Western European countries A
small group of nobles owned thousands of serfs and enjoyed vast
wealth Despite earlier efforts to introduce Western ideas and
technology into Russia, social conditions kept the country
economically under-developed Russian reformers, inspired by the
example of Western Europe, hoped to abolish serfdom and modernize
the country
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Emancipation of the Serfs 19 th century - Acting as protector
of the Orthodox Christians, Russia waged a series of wars with the
Ottoman Empire 1854-1856: Russia was engaged in the Crimean War
England and France supported Turkey against Russia Despite its
large army, Russia lost the war After the Crimean War, Tsar
Alexander II decided to listen to reformers and emancipated
(liberated) the serfs in 1861 Wanted to introduce a new assembly
and other reforms, but was assassinated by Russian revolutionaries,
putting an abrupt end to all attempts at reform The freed serfs
remained landless peasants, paying rents to their former owners
Later Tsars returned to a policy of opposing all change and using
harsh repression to maintain the existing social order
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Autocracy, Nationality, and Orthodoxy Russian nationalism had
important effects on its conservative rulers Identified empire with
autocracy, the Russian nationality, and the Russian Orthodox Church
The government acted as the protector of new Slav states in the
Balkans The government adopted a policy called Russification Forced
non-Russian people such as the Finns, Poles, and the peoples of
Central Asia to adopt the Russian language and culture Jews were
persecuted in anti-semitic pogroms Officially encouraged
persecutions against Jews
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Prelude to the Revolution 1900 Russian Empire stretched from
Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean Russia remained backwards
(compared to Western Europe) Peasants and factory workers lived in
conditions of terrible poverty Landowning nobles enjoyed lives of
wealth and leisure The autocratic Tsars opposed democratic reform
Secret revolutionary societies had formed among members of the
educated elite
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The Revolution of 1905 1904-1905: Russo-Japanese War Russia
defeated by Japan Worsened crisis in Russia
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1905 Bloody Sunday Troops of the tsar trampled on unarmed
demonstrators in St. Petersburg causing revolutions to break out
across country Peasants seized lands, while workers in the cities
engaged in demonstrations and general strikes Tsar Nicholas II
finally granted limited reforms Duma elected legislature Only the
very wealthy could vote
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The Russian Revolution 1917 The years after 1905 showed some
signs of improvement, but Russia was not prepared for the strains
of war 1914 Nicholas II brought Russia into WWI against Austria-
Hungary and Germany Poorly trained and badly equipped Russian
soldiers suffered disastrous defeats Troops even sent to battle
without ammunition and told to pick up weapons of their dead
comrades Defeats caused widespread discontent in the army Russian
industries were incapable of producing needed weapons and supplies
Food supplies dangerously low
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The February Revolution (March 1917) 1917 worker-led food riots
broke out in cities across Russia March 1917 soldiers refused to
fire on striker workers Nicholas realized he was powerless to
govern the nation and gave up his throne Leaders of the Duma
declared Russia a republic However, the provisional government that
replaced the Tsar failed to win support of the people when it
refused to withdraw from the war
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The October Revolution (November 1917) Vladimir Lenin was a
follower of Karl Marx, living in exile in Switzerland Germans sent
him back to Russia hoping he would cause unrest in Russia Would
help end the war on the Eastern front, allowing Germany to
concentrate on defeating the Western allies
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Bolsheviks Lenins supporters Promised Peace, Bread, and Land
Peace soldiers Bread workers Land peasants November 1917 Bolsheviks
seized power by force in a second revolution
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The Bolsheviks changed the name of their political party to the
Communists They also changed the name of their country to the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) or Soviet Union Russia had
become the worlds first Communist country
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The Russian Civil War (1919-1921) Once in power, the Communists
immediately Withdrew from WWI against Germany Transferred millions
of acres of land to the poorer peasants Nationalized all industries
(taken over by the government)
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A civil war followed between those who supported Lenins program
and those who wished to return to the rule of the Tsar Reds
supporters of Lenin Were victorious (secured the position of the
new Communist government) Had support of the peasants and workers
Whites supporters of a Tsar Had support from the United States
After winning the civil war, Lenin executed Tsar Nicholas II and
his family in cold blood so that the monarchy could never been
restored
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Lenins New Economic Policy After half a decade of turmoil, the
Russian economy was in shambles Now that the Bolsheviks had gained
political control, they needed to deliver on their promises to feed
the people By 1920 Lenin realized that changes to his program were
needed Peasants were no longer growing enough food, since they were
afraid it would be seized by government 1921 A severe famine was
facing Russia Lenin came to the conclusion that Communist policies
must be temporarily put aside to avoid disaster
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Lenins goal were to Keep the peasants satisfied Keep the
Bolsheviks in power Stabilize the economy 1921 New Economic Policy
(N.E.P) Some private ownership was permitted in small-scale
manufacturing and agriculture Government continued to control major
industries Slowly increased production 1924 Lenin died Joseph
Stalin gains control of Russia and ends the New Economic
Policy