Europe Plunges Into War

TERMS & NAMES

• Central Powers: In WWI, the nations of Germany and Austria-Hungary, along with other nations that fought on their side.

• Allies: In WWI, the nations of Russia, France and Great Britain, along with other nations that fought on their side.

• Western Front: In WWI, the region of Northern France where the forces of the Allies and the Central Powers battle each other.

• Schlieffen Plan: Germany’s military plan at the outbreak of WWI, according to which German troops would rapidly defeat France and then move east to attack Russia.

• trench warfare: a form of warfare in which opposing armies fight each other from trenches dug in the battlefield.

• Eastern Front: In WWI, the region of German-Russian border where Russians and Serbs battle Germans, Austrians and Turks.

QUESTIONS

2. What were some of the conditions that soldiers on the front lines had to face? Fatigue, disease, hunger, rats, fear, death, lack of supplies, stalemate, etc.

3. Which countries comprised the Central Powers? Which countries comprised the Allies?

 Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire

 Allies Powers: Russia, France, Great Britain, Japan and Italy

4. What were the characteristics of trench warfare?

Soldiers fought each other from trenches, huge losses of human lives for little territorial gain.

5. What factors contributed to Russia’s war difficulties?

Lack of industrialization, shortages of food and supplies and Germany controlling sea ports.

6. How was war on the Western and Eastern Fronts different? How was it the same? Differences

Western Front: Germany vs France and Great Britain

Eastern Front: Germany and Austria-Hungary vs Russia and Serbia

Similarities

• Huge number of soldiers killed

• Horrifying conditions • Stalemate

7. Why did the Schlieffen Plan ultimately collapse? Cite specific details from the text.

Because France won in the Battle of Marne and Germany loose so no longer seemed possible to move to the east. Besides in the east, Russian forces had already invaded Germany.

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