World War I: Allied Failures in 1917

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Questions and Answers

What was one major outcome of the French attack in Champagne during 1917?

It led to mutiny in the French army.

What did the Battle of Cambrai demonstrate regarding the use of tanks?

It showed that tanks, when used properly, could break the deadlock of trench warfare.

How did the outcome of the Battle of Caporetto affect Italian morale?

Italian morale revived as they were compelled to defend their homeland against the Austrians.

What event marked the end of Russia's involvement in World War I?

Russia withdrew from the war in December 1917. Signup and view all the answers

What led to the entry of the USA into World War I?

The German U-boat campaign and Germany's attempt to persuade Mexico to declare war on the USA. Signup and view all the answers

What were the casualties in the Third Battle of Ypres compared to the German casualties?

British casualties were 324,000 compared to 200,000 German casualties. Signup and view all the answers

Who was the new French premier that rallied French forces during 1917?

Georges Clemenceau. Signup and view all the answers

What did the capture of Baghdad and Jerusalem by British forces provide?

It gave the Allies control of vast oil supplies. Signup and view all the answers

What was Lord Kitchener's prediction about the duration of the war?

He predicted that the war would last nearer three years than three months. Signup and view all the answers

Which countries joined the Allied side during the war and in what years?

Italy joined in May 1915, Romania in August 1916, and the USA in April 1917. Signup and view all the answers

What were the main war aims of Germany during World War I?

Germany aimed to take territory from Poland in the east and Belgium in the west to prevent encirclement. Signup and view all the answers

What intense focus did the French have in terms of war aims?

The French were determined to take back Alsace-Lorraine, which had been lost to Germany in 1871. Signup and view all the answers

How did the British view the control of Belgium during the war?

The British would never allow Belgium to be controlled by a hostile power like Germany. Signup and view all the answers

What difficulties did the Allies face on the Western Front?

The Allies faced the problem of a stalemate due to the deadly weapons available to the Central Powers, causing trench warfare. Signup and view all the answers

What new methods of warfare were introduced during the conflict?

Tanks, submarines, bombers, machine-guns, heavy artillery, and mustard gas were introduced. Signup and view all the answers

Which regions did the conflict expand into beyond Europe?

The conflict expanded into the eastern Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa. Signup and view all the answers

How did the war impact the roles of women in society?

Women took over factory jobs and other roles that had previously been occupied by men, due to the absence of men in armed forces. Signup and view all the answers

What was Austria-Hungary's main concern during the war?

Austria-Hungary was desperate to preserve its empire against the ambitions of Serbia. Signup and view all the answers

What were the effects of the blockades on civilian populations?

Civilian populations in the Central Powers and Russia suffered severe hardships due to blockades. Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the term 'lost generation' in the context of the war?

'Lost generation' refers to the significant number of young men who perished during the conflict, impacting entire demographics. Signup and view all the answers

According to Dan Todman, what misconception exists about the casualty rates of the war?

Todman argues that the perception of the war creating a 'lost generation' is somewhat of a myth, as only 12 percent of fighting men died. Signup and view all the answers

What was the overall death toll among the armed forces from the countries mentioned?

The death toll included approximately 2 million Germans, 1.7 million Russians, 1.5 million French, and others from various countries. Signup and view all the answers

How did the war influence Europe's global standing?

The war caused a decline in Europe's prestige and was a sign of the end of European domination over the world. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of men of military age did France lose during the war?

France lost about 20 percent of its men of military age during the war. Signup and view all the answers

What was Haig's argument regarding his military strategy during the war?

Haig argued that he had no alternative but to pursue the only rational strategy available to win the war. Signup and view all the answers

What significant political change occurred in Germany as a result of the war?

Germany experienced a revolution that led to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the establishment of the Weimar Republic. Signup and view all the answers

What happened to the Habsburg Empire after the war?

The Habsburg Empire collapsed, leading to the abdication of Emperor Karl I and the independence of various nationalities, resulting in separate states for Austria and Hungary. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the two revolutions in Russia that occurred in 1917.

The first revolution overthrew Tsar Nicholas II, while the second brought Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power. Signup and view all the answers

How did Mussolini rise to power in Italy post-war?

Mussolini capitalized on the government's unpopularity due to economic strain and took control, establishing a fascist dictatorship. Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the First World War have on trade for countries outside Europe?

Countries like Japan, China, and the USA expanded their trade significantly while Europe was preoccupied with the war. Signup and view all the answers

What economic event followed the American boom in the 1920s?

The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression. Signup and view all the answers

What was the attitude of many leaders towards the future of warfare after the First World War?

Many politicians were determined to prevent the horrors of the First World War from recurring. Signup and view all the answers

What was President Woodrow Wilson's primary goal for the League of Nations?

To settle future disputes through arbitration and maintain peace via collective security. Signup and view all the answers

How did the outcomes of the peace settlement affect the League of Nations?

The peace settlement created instability, complicating the League's efforts to maintain peace. Signup and view all the answers

What role did the League of Nations play regarding Germany's African colonies?

The League placed Germany's African colonies under the control of member states for administration. Signup and view all the answers

What were some of Lloyd George's war aims articulated in January 1918?

To defend democracy, restore Belgium and Serbia, and ensure reparations from Germany. Signup and view all the answers

List two of Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points essential for achieving peace.

Abolition of secret diplomacy and free navigation at sea for all nations. Signup and view all the answers

What did the term 'self-determination' refer to in the context of war aims?

The right of nationalities, particularly in Austria-Hungary, to govern themselves independently. Signup and view all the answers

How did the war influence the partition of Africa according to Jeremy Black?

The peace settlement allowed for the final stage of the partition by placing German colonies under international control. Signup and view all the answers

What specific historical grievance did Lloyd George aim to address in the peace settlement?

The injustice done to France in 1871 by losing Alsace and Lorraine to Germany. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

1917: Allied Failure

The year 1917 marked a period of Allied failure on the Western Front.
A massive French attack in Champagne under Nivelle resulted in a stalemate and widespread mutiny within the French army.
The mutiny was quelled by General Pétain.
The British fought the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) from June to November, facing extremely muddy conditions.
British casualties were significant, reaching 324,000 compared to 200,000 German casualties, for a meager advance of just four miles.
The Battle of Cambrai, however, demonstrated the potential of tanks to break the stalemate of trench warfare, with 381 British tanks creating a substantial breach in the German lines.
Lack of reserves hindered the follow-up, but the lesson learned at Cambrai served as a model for successful Allied attacks in 1918.
The Italians suffered a severe defeat at Caporetto in October, retreating in disarray against German and Austrian forces.
This defeat, while unexpected, proved a crucial turning point, reinvigorating Italian morale as they faced a fight for their homeland against the Austrians.
The Caporetto defeat prompted the establishment of an Allied Supreme War Council.
The new French Prime Minister, Clemenceau, a strong war leader akin to Lloyd George, rallied the faltering French.

The Eastern Front

Russia withdrew from the war in December 1917, marking a major blow to the Allies.
Continuous heavy losses inflicted by the Germans, lack of arms and supplies, logistical problems, and incompetent leadership led to the two Russian revolutions.
The Bolsheviks, who seized power in November, sought peace with Germany.
With Russia out of the war, Germany could now concentrate its forces on the Western Front.
The entry of the United States into the war proved crucial for the Allies.
The British capture of Baghdad and Jerusalem from the Turks, securing vast oil supplies, provided a boost for the Allied cause.

The Entry of the USA

The United States entered the war in April 1917, primarily due to Germany's unrestricted U-boat campaign and their attempt to persuade Mexico to declare war on the USA, promising them parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in return.
Lord Kitchener, British Secretary for War, predicted the war's duration to be closer to three years than three months, highlighting the prolonged nature of the conflict.
The war's longevity stemmed from several factors:
- A relatively even balance of power between the two sides.
- The escalation of the conflict from a European theatre to a global war involving numerous nations.
- Shifting alliances, with countries joining for various reasons, including territorial gains or aligning with the perceived winning side.
- The involvement of troops from the British Empire – India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa – expanded the fighting into the Eastern Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa.

War Aims

The key nations involved in the war had steadfast war aims they were determined to achieve.
Germany, intent on preventing "encirclement," aimed to annex territory from Poland in the east and Belgium in the west to establish buffer zones against Russia and France.
France was fixated on reclaiming Alsace-Lorraine, lost to Germany in 1871.
Britain was resolute in preventing Belgium, a strategically crucial country near its coast, from falling under German control.
Austria-Hungary desperately sought to preserve its empire against Serbia's ambitions.
These conflicting war aims from the outset made a negotiated settlement extremely difficult.

The Western Front

The stalemate on the Western Front, with troops entrenched in fortified lines, presented the Allies with significant challenges:
- The Central Powers, defending their trenches, had access to more deadly weaponry compared to attacking forces.
The war transformed into a conflict encompassing entire populations, marking the first major clash between modernized, industrialized nations.
The war witnessed the introduction of novel warfare methods and weapons: tanks, submarines, bombers, machine guns, heavy artillery, and mustard gas.
With men serving in the armed forces, women assumed their roles in factories and other jobs formerly held by men.
In the Central Powers and Russia, civilian populations endured severe hardships caused by blockades.
All European states involved in the war mobilized their populations to a degree never seen before, prioritizing the war effort.
The conflict led to a decline in Europe's global prestige, as the supposed center of civilization experienced devastating carnage and destruction, marking the beginning of the end of European dominance.
The war had a profound impact on individual countries, with some experiencing seismic shifts:
- The empires that had dominated Central and Eastern Europe for over two centuries crumbled almost overnight.
The most striking consequence of the war was the staggering number of casualties among military forces.
- Almost 2 million Germans, 1.7 million Russians, 1.5 million French, over a million Austro-Hungarians, and about a million from Britain and its empire perished.
- Italy lost around 530,000 troops, Turkey 325,000, Serbia 322,000, Romania 158,000, the USA 116,000, Bulgaria 49,000, and Belgium 41,000.
The war also left countless individuals crippled and resulted in civilian casualties.
The war decimated an entire generation of young men, known as the "lost generation." France, for instance, lost around 20% of its men of military age.
Military historian Dan Todman challenges the "lost generation" interpretation as an overstatement, suggesting that overall, only 12% of fighting men died in the war.
While the first day of the Battle of the Somme saw the death of 20,000 British soldiers, this was not representative of the war as a whole.
Todman argues that General Haig's strategy, despite its drawbacks, was the only rational approach in the given circumstances and ultimately contributed to the Allied victory.
Nevertheless, the perception of the war as a "futile mud- and blood-bath" remains prevalent, and the war's history remains a subject of ongoing debate among historians.

Post-War Consequences

In Germany, hardship and defeat triggered a revolution, forcing Kaiser Wilhelm II to abdicate and leading to the declaration of a republic.
The Weimar Republic, as it came to be known, faced significant economic, political, and social challenges in the ensuing years.
Hitler's rise to power as German Chancellor in 1933 brought the Weimar Republic to an end.
The Habsburg Empire collapsed completely; the last emperor, Karl I, was forced to abdicate in November 1918, and the empire's constituent nationalities declared independence. Austria and Hungary split into two separate states.
In Russia, the pressures of war culminated in two revolutions in 1917. The first, in February-March, overthrew Tsar Nicholas II, while the second, in October-November, brought Lenin and the Bolsheviks (Communists) to power.
Despite being on the winning side, Italy was heavily burdened by the war's drain on its resources and mounting debt.
Mussolini, capitalizing on the government's unpopularity, seized control and established a fascist dictatorship in Italy, the first European state to succumb to this ideology after the war.
Nations outside Europe, particularly Japan, China, and the USA, capitalized on Europe's preoccupation with the war to expand their trade at the expense of Europe.
The USA's share of world trade increased from 10% in 1914 to over 20% by 1919.
Japan and China, unable to access European imports during the war, initiated their own programs of industrialization.
The Americans enjoyed a significant economic boom in the 1920s, but their overconfidence and overexpansion led to the Wall Street Crash in October 1929, signaling the start of a global economic crisis known as the Great Depression.
Many politicians and leaders were resolved to prevent the horrors of the First World War from repeating.
US President Woodrow Wilson proposed the League of Nations, aiming to settle future disputes through arbitration and maintain world peace through "collective security."
The League of Nations' effectiveness was undermined by the terms of the post-war peace settlement as well as the unstable nature of the peace itself.
Jeremy Black in his book, "The Great War and the Making of the Modern World," argues that the war marked the concluding stage of the Partition of Africa, with Germany’s colonies in Africa being placed under the League of Nations' control after the peace settlement.
The League, in practice, delegated the administration of these colonies to various member states, such as Britain (Tanganyika), Britain and France (Togoland and the Cameroons), and South Africa (German South West Africa, or Namibia).

Problems in Negotiating a Peace Settlement

At the outset of the war, none of the participating countries had clear ideas about their desired outcomes, apart from Germany and Austria's aim to preserve the Habsburg Empire, necessitating the destruction of Serbia.
As the war progressed, several governments involved, perhaps to bolster troop morale with clear objectives, started outlining their war aims.
British Prime Minister Lloyd George cited the defense of democracy and the redress of the injustice inflicted on France in 1871, when it lost Alsace-Lorraine to Germany.
Other points included the restoration of Belgium and Serbia, an independent Poland, democratic self-governance for the nationalities of Austria-Hungary, self-determination for the German colonies, and the creation of an international organization to prevent future wars.
Lloyd George was also determined to ensure that Germany made reparations for the damages they had caused.
US President Woodrow Wilson articulated US war aims in his famous Fourteen Points:
- Abolition of secret diplomacy.
- Freedom of navigation at sea for all nations, both during wartime and peacetime.
- Removal of economic barriers between nations.
- Comprehensive reduction of armaments.
- Impartial settlement of colonial claims considering the interests of the populations involved.
- Evacuation of Russian territory.
- Restoration of Belgium.
- Liberation of France and the restoration of Alsace and Lorraine.

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Explore the significant events of 1917 that marked a period of Allied failure on the Western Front. This quiz covers key battles such as the Third Battle of Ypres and the Battle of Cambrai, detailing the impact of these events on the war effort. Test your knowledge on the challenges faced by the Allies, including mutinies and battlefield conditions.