World War I Causes and Consequences

1. Lesson 1 • 1. Austria-Hungary feared that the Slavic people living within its borders would want to become part of the Serbian state instead. • 2. Germany supported its ally, Austria-Hungary, and Russia supported its ally, Serbia. The Schlieffen Plan dictated that Germany invade France, and in response Great Britain declared war on Germany. The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente thus increased the likelihood of war.

2. Lesson 2 • 3. On the Western Front, trench warfare brought the war to a standstill. Neither side could gain ground. On the Eastern Front, it was a war of movement in which Germany defeated Russia. • 4. They were looking for reinforcements and for new sources of money. The Triple Alliance, or the Central Powers, gained the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Italy left and joined the Triple Entente, or the Allied Powers, with Japan, Britain's colonies, and the United States.

3. Lesson 3 • 5. World War I exposed the Russian leaders' military ineptitude. The czar made numerous military and economic mistakes until even the aristocrats lost faith in him. People also distrusted his advisor Rasputin. Widespread rioting in Petrograd led the Duma to push the czar out and establish a provisional government, but that government continued to support the war, which caused the Russian people to turn against it. Also, the soviets (councils of workers, peasants, and soldiers) gained power and challenged the new government. • 6. Students' answers should show an understanding of the factions vying for control of Russia and of Lenin's influence. Students may say that the Congress of Soviets would have acquired power. Russia would have a socialist government or democratic leadership.

4. Lesson 4 • 7. Germany gambled on a major offensive on the Western Front but lost crucial battles. Germany prepared to surrender, but the Allies would not deal with its imperial government, so Emperor William II abdicated. Germany formed a new government, a democratic republic, and signed the armistice on November 11, 1918. • 8. Germany objected to the fact that Article 231 put all the blame for the war on it and required it to pay the Allied countries for all their losses. A country that has been humiliated is likely to resent its losses and decide to win everything back.

5. 21st Century Skills • 9. The war involved a complete mobilization of resources and people. Nations set up planned economies. Governments rationed food and set up price, wage, and rent controls. • 10. The Bolsheviks began as a small faction of a Marxist group. The Bolsheviks gained control of the soviets by promising to end the war, redistribute land, and transfer factories to the workers. On November 6, they took over the provisional government.

6. Exploring the Essential Question • 11. Students' answers should include • at least three political causes of the war (for example, the thwarting of Slavs' desire for self-determination, widespread conscription, suppression of workers when they demanded their rights) • at least three technological advances (for example, improved weapons, improved transportation, chemicals for warfare) • a clear explanation of how each factor contributed to the destructiveness of the war • appropriate, informative artwork and artifacts.

7. Document-Based Questions • 12. Those people are speaking in abstractions. They don't know how badly the soldiers are suffering, and they are not paying the costs. • 13. Lesson 2 didn't talk about chemical warfare, and this description gives a better idea than the text of how miserable the circumstances were for the soldiers.

8. Extended-Response Questions • 14. Nationalism was at a peak, and nations went farther to colonize other countries and open up more markets and sources of raw materials. The instruments of death and destruction were more efficient, and more countries were involved in conflict than ever before. It was also the first instance of total war, in which governments took over their countries' economies and media. Conservative governments clamped down on their people to guard against revolutions. More people were disappointed when national boundaries were redrawn, sowing the seeds for future conflicts.

9. Chapter Summary • How did imperialism, nationalism, and militarism contribute to conditions that set the stage for World War I? (Answers may include that rivalries over colonies and trade, self-interest of nations, and militarism—the aggressive preparation and complex plans for war—occurred as European armies doubled in size between 1890 and 1914. In addition, not all ethnic groups had their own state, which bred discontent. These conditions helped set the climate for World War I to erupt.) • What motivated Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian terrorist, to assassinate Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the Hapsburg throne of Austria-Hungary, on June 28, 1914? (Answers may include that Princip was motivated by nationalism, in this instance Serbia's desire to break free of Austria-Hungary and become part of a large Serbian nation.) • How did two loose alliances—the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, and the Triple Entente of France, Great Britain, and Russia—affect Austria-Hungary's plan to attack Serbia? (Answers may include Austria-Hungary first secured Germany's support before beginning an attack on Serbia that might prompt Russia to come to Serbia's defense.) • What consequences occurred in Germany when Russia fully mobilized for war? (Answers may include that Germany viewed the full mobilization of the Russian army as an act of war and gave Russia 12 hours to halt its mobilization. Russia ignored Germany's request and as a result, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914.) • How did European alliances expand the war to include France and Great Britain? (Answers may include that, since France had established an alliance with Russia in 1894, the Germans planned to invade France by fighting a war on two fronts, both the Eastern and Western Fronts. Germany declared war on France on August 3. The next day, Great Britain, an ally of France and Russia, declared war on Germany because Germany violated Belgian neutrality. Great Britain had its own interests in mind as well as it would be left without allies should Germany and Austria-Hungary win the war.) • What were some technological innovations that affected the war? (Answers may include trench warfare supported by machine-gun nests and heavy artillery resulted in a stalemate with Germany and France on the Eastern front. Airplanes were used for the first time to spot the enemy's position and they later attacked ground targets. Later, machine guns were added to airplanes. The Germans also used zeppelins to bomb England.)