WWI BACKGROUND ESSAY VOCAB WHY DO THE CAUSES

WWI BACKGROUND ESSAY VOCAB

WHY DO THE CAUSES OF WWI MATTER?

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �Our nation is attacked

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �A nation with who we have a mutual alliance is attacked

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �Our president is assassinated by a terrorist from an unfriendly country

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �Our President tells us that a country is planning an imminent attack on us

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �A country has just had a fundamentalist revolution and is sending fighters into a oilproducing nation in the region

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �An unfriendly nation has just tested a nuclear weapon in violation of a sign UN agreement

REASONS FOR GOING TO WAR �A US naval vessel is sunk in a foreign harbor by government agents from that country

Answers to Background Essay Questions � 1. What is meant by the phrase "In 1900 Europeans believed the world was their oyster"? �Europe believed they were free to use the world in any way they pleased.

Answers to Background Essay Questions � 2. World War I lasted four years. What were the war years? � 1914 -1918

Answers to Background Essay Questions �The population of Chicago is about 3, 000. How does that compare to the total number of dead and wounded in World War I? (Give your answer as a fraction. ) �It is about one tenth (1/10, derived from 3, 000/30, 000

Answers to Background Essay Questions � 4. Why might a balance of power prevent war? �With power about even, neither side could expect easy victory.

Answers to Background Essay Questions � 5. Otto von Bismarck once said that a great war might someday be caused by “Some damned foolish thing in the Balkans: ' Was he right? Explain. �Yes. The assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand that triggered World War I occurred in the Balkan country of Serbia.

Answers to Background Essay Questions �How did the assassination of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary lead to war between Russia and Germany? � Austria was, of course, angry at Serbia and wanted an apology. Serbia, fearing trouble, got a promise of help from Russia. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Russia came to Serbia's aid. Germany then came to Austria's aid. Russia and Germany were at war.

BALANCE OF POWER �Distribution of power where no nation can dominate another

ENTENTE �An agreement between two or more governments

BALKANS �ABOUT 10 COUNTRIES LOCATED ON THE Balkan peninsula between Italy and Turkey, including Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece

NATIONALISM �Love and devotion to one’s own country based on shared history and culture

ETHNIC �Usually relating to a racial or cultural group

SPARK �Event that triggers a larger event �ASSASSINATION OF FRANZ FERDINAND