The beginning of the twentieth century saw Europe divided into two armed camps. Germany had formed an alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1879 (see BEFORE) as it felt threatened by the hostile nations at its borders and needed to protect its interests in Central Europe and the Balkans. France, Russia, and later Britain formed their own alliance, in part to protect themselves against possible German aggression.

Question

The road to war
The spark that caused the war was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Serb fanatic in Sarajevo, capital of Austrian Bosnia (see pp.370-71).
Austria accused Serbia of complicity in the murder, and gained German support. Austria refused a compromise with Serbia and, on July 28, declared war. Continental war was unavoidable as both sides honored commitments to their allies. Russia mobilized its troops in support of Serbia, and when German demands for it to stop were refused, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1. Knowing that France would support Russia, Germany then declared war on France on August 3 and implemented the Schlieffen Plan (see BEFORE) sending its army through Belgium in an attempt to knock France out of the war, before turning its attention on Russia. Britain initially held back, but honored its
guarantee of Belgian independence. agreed by treaty in 1839, and declared war against Germany on August 4
Deadlock
The initial German advance was halted in early September, 50 miles (80 km) east of Paris, by a combined French and British army. Both sides then raced north toward the English Channel to try to break through around the side of their enemy's lines. When this failed. the two sides dug in along the length of the Western Front. Stalemate lasted there until almost the end of the war, as the defensive capabilities of the machine gun prevented any significant advance by either side. Allied attempts to break the deadlock at Neuve Chapelle, Ypres, and Loos in 1915, and the Somme in 1916, were hugely costly (57,470 British troops were killed or injured on the first day of battle on the Somme) and failed to break German lines. German attacks on the French city of Verdun throughout 1916 were intended to make France "bleed to death." By the time the battle ended in stalemate, there were more than 750,000 French and German casualties.
The other fronts
The Eastern Front was far more fluid. A Russian advance into German East Prussia was halted at Tannenberg in August and the Masurian Lakes in September. German and Austrian
advances into Russia in 1915 were countered by a major Russian offensi into Austria in 1916.
In the Balkans, Serbia repelled an Austrian invasion, but the entry into the war on Germany's side by the Ottoman Empire in November 1914 and Bulgaria in September 1915 tipp the scales. By January, Serbia and its ally Montenegro were overrun, whil Romania was defeated the following year. An Allied attempt to force the Ottomans out of the war by invadin the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey fai miserably in 1915. Italy, once a Gerr ally, joined the war in April 1915 or the Allied side, lured by potential territorial gains, but soon became
bogged down in battles with Austrian troops on the Isonzo River in the far northeast of the country.
All the main protagonists except Austria had extensive overseas empires (see pp.346-47), British and French imperial troops occupied German colonies in Africa and the Pacific, the Japanese seizing German colonies in the western Pacific and China. British and Indian troops also invaded
Ottoman Mesopotamia (now Iraq). while in 1916 the British incited the Arabs to revolt against Ottoman rule. At sea, the expected clash between the naval fleets of Britain and Germany never really happened. There were battles in the South Atlantic and at Jutland in the North Sea, but although German U-boats did substantial damage to Allied shipping, the British navy was the stronger force.
As you read, record your notes in the space below. Your notes should focus on key ideas and defining terms you do not know. like a 8th grader

Answer 1

Key Ideas and Terms: Notes on World War I

1. Europe Division:

• Europe was split into two alliances in the early 1900s:
  • Central Powers: Germany and Austria-Hungary.
  • Allied Powers: France, Russia, and later Britain.

2. Assassination as a Spark:

• Archduke Ferdinand: Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
• Assassination Details: Killed by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo.
• Result: Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia and received support from Germany.

3. Outbreak of War:

• Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on July 28, 1914.
• Russia mobilized troops to support Serbia.
• Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, then on France on August 3.
• The Schlieffen Plan was activated, which aimed to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium.
• Britain declared war on Germany on August 4 in defense of Belgian neutrality.

4. Deadlock on the Western Front:

• Initial German advances were stopped near Paris in September 1914.
• Both sides built trenches, leading to a stalemate.
• Machine guns made it hard for either side to gain ground.
• Major battles that failed to break the deadlock:
  • Battle of the Somme: Over 57,000 British casualties on the first day.
  • Battle of Verdun: Around 750,000 French and German casualties combined.

5. Other Fronts:

• Eastern Front: More movement compared to the Western Front.
  • Russia faced defeats but later had some successes against Austria.
• Balkan Front: Serbia faced invasions from Austria; the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined the war on Germany's side.
• Gallipoli Campaign: Allied attempt to defeat the Ottomans failed in 1915.
• Italy joined the Allies in 1915 for territorial gains but struggled against Austria.

6. Colonial Involvement:

• Major powers had overseas empires:
  • British and French troops occupied German colonies in Africa/Pacific.
  • Japanese took German colonies in the western Pacific.
  • British and Indian troops invaded Ottoman Mesopotamia.
  • The British encouraged Arab revolts against the Ottomans.

7. Naval Warfare:

• There were some naval battles (e.g., Battle of Jutland), but they did not significantly change the war's outcome.
• German U-boats caused disruptions to Allied shipping, but the British navy was dominant overall.

Defining Terms:

• Stalemate: A situation in which neither side can make progress.
• Nationalism: A strong feeling of pride in one's nation, which can lead to conflict.
• Schlieffen Plan: A German military strategy to quickly defeat France before turning to fight Russia.

These notes summarize the key points regarding the outbreak of World War I, the nature of the fighting on various fronts, and the colonial implications of the war.