Ch27+879+to+890

Ch. 27 WWI Readings for pp.879-890
Background to the First World War 1. Bismarck profoundly altered international relations in the years after the Franco-Prussian War. What steps did he take to preserve the peace and keep the French from seeking revenge? 2. After being long isolated by Bismarck, why were the French suddenly able to sign a major alliance with Russia in the 1890’s? 3. Why did relations between England and Germany break down rapidly in the 1890’s?

The Outbreak of the War 4. Why did WWI start in the “Balkan powderkeg”? 5. What was the German strategy for fighting a two-front war against France and Germany at the same time? (This plan was called the Schlieffen Plan.)

Reflections on the Origins of the War 6. Why was Germany so aggressive in 1914 that it turned a little war into the Great War? 7. What was the Triple Entente? 8. In what ways did nationalism contribute to the start of WWI? 885-886

Stalemate and Slaughter 9. What slowed up the German march through Belgium that was intended to get them into Paris in just a few weeks? 10. Why did the war turn into a bloody stalemate from 1915-1917? 11. What’s the significance of Battle of the Marne? The Widening War 12. How was the war on the eastern front very different from what was happening in France? 13. Which member of the Triple Alliance changed sides in 1915? Why? 14. Which four countries made up the Central Powers by the end of 1914? 15. A million members of which ethnic group were massacred in 1915 because they lived on the border where Russia and the Ottoman Empire were fighting? 16. What caused the United States to enter the war in 1917?