World War I Past Paper PDF

Lesson 1: World War I Begins 1. In what year did the United States enter World War I?* 1917 2. Which four long-term causes do historians generally cite as the causes of WWI?* Nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and the formation of a system of alliances. 3. How did nationalism, imperialism, a...

Lesson 1: World War I Begins 1. In what year did the United States enter World War I?* 1917 2. Which four long-term causes do historians generally cite as the causes of WWI?* Nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and the formation of a system of alliances. 3. How did nationalism, imperialism, and militarism contribute to the outbreak of WWI?* Nationalism, an intense devotion to one's country or cultural group, pushed many European nations to compete with one another and/or resist domination by others. Imperialism, or the drive to acquire overseas colonies, further added to national rivalries. Militarism, or the desire to build up and use the armed forces as an arm of diplomacy, added even further to national rivalries via an international arms race. 4. Describe the alliance system that formed leading up to WWI.* An unsteady balance of power formed between two main blocs of countries: the Triple Entente / the Allies consisted of Great Britain, France, and Russia and the Triple Alliance or Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (and eventually the Ottoman Empire). 5. What was the "powder keg of Europe"? Which empires desired to control it and why?* It was a region in southeastern Europe called the Balkan Peninsula. Russia wanted to control it for access to the Mediterranean Sea. Germany wanted to build a rail link through it to the Ottoman Empire. Austria-Hungary, which had taken control of region in it called Bosnia in 1878, accused the biggest Balkan nation, Serbia, of subverting its rule over Bosnia. 6. What happened to Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914? Why was this such a big deal?* He was assassinated by Serbian nationalists while visiting Sarajevo, Bosnia. This sparked a diplomatic crisis given that Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war against Serbia. 7. What is a stalemate? Why does this accurately describe the trench warfare in France during WWI?* A stalemate in warfare is a situation in which opposing forces are essentially at a draw / tied and unable to make significant progress against each other. During WWI, the trench warfare in France was stalemated in that neither side could significantly move the frontline against the other for three long years, 8. Describe what trench warfare was like for soldiers.* It sucked. Soldiers were surrounded by filth, lice, rats, and polluted water that caused dysentery. Many soldiers suffered trench foot (infection often leading to amputation of toes and feet) or a painful infection of the gums and throat, called trench mouth. The soldiers also suffered from lack of sleep. Constant bombardments and other experiences often led to battle fatigue and “shell shock.” This term was coined during World War I to describe a complete emotional collapse from which many never recovered. 9. Describe the different loyalties various groups within the United States exhibited during WWI.* Socialists criticized the war as a capitalist and imperialist struggle. Pacifists believed that war was evil and that the United States should set an example of peace to the world. Americans of German descent sympathized with Germany. Americans of Irish descent saw the war as a chance for Ireland to gain its independence from Britain. Many Americans felt close to Britain because of a common ancestry and language as well as similar democratic institutions and legal systems. American businesses had far stronger economic ties with the Allies than with the Central powers. 10. Compare the volume of American trade and American bank lending to the Allies versus to the Central Powers.* While the United States shipped millions of dollars of war supplies to the Allies and tried to continue dealing with Germany, its trade with the Central Powers became increasingly risky as those shipments were often stopped by the British navy. From 1914 on, trade with the Allies quadrupled, while trade with Germany fell to near zero. Also, by 1917, American banks had loaned $2.3 billion to the Allies, but only $27 million to the Central powers. 11. Why did the Germans begin using U-boats to attacks all ships in the waters around Britain? * It was in response to the devastating British Navy blockade of all ships headed for Germany, which eventually crippled the German economy and caused a major famine. 12. What happened to the Lusitania in 1915? How was it relevant to the United States?* It was a British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,198 people of which 128 were Americans. The incident outraged the American public and turned public opinion against Germany. 13. What happened to the Arabic and the Sussex? What resulted?* The British passenger ship Arabic was also sunk by a U-boat, killing 2 Americans, followed by the sinking of the French passenger ship the Sussex in 1916, killing several Americans. The sinking of the Sussex pushed President Wilson to threaten to end diplomatic relations with Germany unless it stopped its indiscriminate sinking of ships. To avoid war with America, Germany issued the Sussex pledge, which included a promise not to sink merchant vessels “without warning and without saving human lives.” But there was a condition: if the United States could not persuade Britain to lift its blockade against food and fertilizers, Germany would consider renewing unrestricted submarine warfare. 14. Who won the presidential election of 1916?* Woodrow Wilson (re-elected to a second term). 15. What two German actions in 1917 contributed to President Wilson's decision to declare war?* Germany's decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare against all ships in British waters and the Zimmermann note (a secret telegram between Germany and Mexico that proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany and promised that if war with the United States broke out, Germany would support Mexico in recapturing areas that Mexico had lost during the Mexican-American War). 16. What happened in Russia in 1917? How did this influence Wilson's decision to declare war?* In March 1917, Russia experienced a revolution that overthrew the czar and established a Communist state. The new government withdrew the Russian army from the eastern front and signed a peace agreement with the Central powers. Now supporters of American entry into the war could claim that this was a war of democracies against brutal monarchies. Maps! Be able to identify on a map of pre-WWI Europe, the following countries: Great Britain France Russia Austria-Hungary Germany Italy Serbia Ottoman Empire Belgium Ireland Lesson 2: The United States Joins the War 17. What did the Selective Service Act of 1917 accomplish?* The act required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service. It led to nearly 2 million American men being deployed to fight in Europe, including hundreds of thousands of minorities. 18. Who led the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in Europe?* General John J. Pershing 19. WWI is considered the first "mechanized war". What does that mean? What military innovations appeared during this conflict?* Mechanized warfare is warfare that relies on machines powered by gasoline and diesel engines. The two most innovative weapons were the tank and the airplane but also included machine guns, battleships, observation balloons, and poison gas. 20. What was the exact time that the armistice ending WWI was signed? (The basis for Veterans' Day).* The 11th hour, on the 11th day, in the 11th month of 1918.