1. Total War (as in World War I): as the struggle wore on, nations realized that a modern, mechanized war required the channeling of a nations entire resources into the war effort, or total war.
2. Neutrality: a policy of supporting neither side in a war. Switzerland is neutral.
3. T. E. Lawrence: the British Governor sent colonel T.E. Lawrence- later known as Lawrence of Arabia- to support the Arab revolt.
4. Militarism: the glorification of the military
The Total Defence Expenditure of the Powers (in million £ )
(Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Britain, France and Russia)
1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1914 |
94 | 130 | 154 | 268 | 289 | 398 |
It is also important to take notice of the fact that from 1910 to 1914, while France increased her defence expenditure by 10%, Britain by 13%, Russia by 39%, and Germany was the most militaristic as she increased by 73%. Increased war expenditure enabled all the powers to raise more armies and improve their battleships.
All the Continental European powers had adopted the conscription system since 1870. France had conscription since the Revolutionary Wars, Austria-Hungary since 1868, Germany since 1870, Italy since 1873 and Russia since 1874. Only Britain did not have conscription. After 1890, the deteriorating diplomatic relations among the powers accelerated their military expansion programme.
From 1913 to July 1914, Germany increased her standing forces by 170,000 men. France lengthened her period of military service from two to three years. Russia lengthened her term of service from three to three and a half years. Britain did not introduce conscription but had prepared her armed forces for both European expedition and for home defence. In general, all the powers increased their stocks of arms, produced more modern weapons of war and built more strategic railways.
5. Zeppelins (include picture): large gas filled balloons .
6. The Dardanelles (Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı, Greek: Δαρδανέλλια, Dardanellia), formerly known as the Hellespont (Greek: Ελλήσποντος, Hellespontos), is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is located at approximately
40°13′N, 26°26′E. The strait is 61 kilometers (38 mi) long but only 1.2 to 6 kilometers (0.75 to 4 mi) wide, averaging 55 meters (180 ft) deep with a maximum depth of 82 meters (300 ft). Water flows in both directions along the strait, from the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean via a surface current and in the opposite direction via an undercurrent.
7. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. The most effective propaganda is often completely truthful, but some propaganda presents facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the cognitive narrative of the subject in the target audience
8. Reparations - are payments made by the nation that lost the war. Germany was saddled with huge payments.
9. Proletariat -
The proletariat (from Latin proles, "offspring") is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their sons; the term was initially used in a derogatory sense, until Karl Marx used it as a sociological term to refer to the working class.
10. Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress on January 8, 1918. This speech was intended to make a plan for peace in Europe after World War I. The common people of Europe welcomed Wilson as a hero but his Allied colleagues (Clemenceau, Lloyd George, and Orlando) remained skeptical of the applicability of Wilsonian idealism.
11. Explain how the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire feared nationalism.
Two old multinational empires particularly feared rising nationalism. Austria-Hungary worried that nationalism might foster rebellion among the many minority populations within its empire. Ottoman Turkey felt threatened by nearby new nations, such as Serbia. If realized, Serbia’s dream of a South Slav state could take territory away from both Austria-Hungary and Turkey.
12. What did Germany do at the beginning of World War I that pushed Britain to declare war on Germany?
Britain and other European powers had signed a treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. So when Germany invaded Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany on August 4.
13. Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?
The Germans’ Schlieffen Plan failed for several reasons. First, Russia mobilized more quickly than expected. After a few small Russian victories, German generals hastily shifted some troops to the east, weakening their forces in the west. Then, in September 1914, British and French troops pushed back the German drive along the Marne River. The first battle of the Marne ended Germany’s hopes for a quick victory on the Western Front.
14. Why did a stalemate develop along the Western Front early in the war?
Because both sides (allies and central powers) began to dig deep trenches to protect their armies from fierce enemy fire. They did not know that the conflict would turn into a long, deadly stalemate, a deadlock in which neither side is able to defeat the other. Battle lines in France would remain almost unchanged for four years. Machine guns and barb wire stopped attacks. Artillery was very powerful and accurate. Tanks and airplanes were too weak in World War I to break the defensive lines.
15. Why was the Ottoman Empire considered a valuable ally of Germany and Austro-Hungary?
Because of its strategic location, the Ottoman empire was a desirable ally. If the Ottoman Turks had joined the Allies, the Central Powers would have been almost completely encircled. However, the Turks joined the Central Powers in late October 1914. The Turks then cut off crucial Allied supply lines to Russia through the Dardanelles, a vital strait connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
16. Why were some colonial subjects eager to participate in the war?
17. What did Germany offer Mexico in the Zimmermann note? Germany would help Mexico to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona in return for Mexican support against the united states.
18. Did cultural ties contribute to the United States' decision to enter the war on the side of Britain? Yes. The common language, the common history 1607 to 1776, trade, relations with Canada, British traditions like English Common Law, and more.
19. Explain how the Treaty of Versailles punished Germany.
the treaty forced Germany to assume full blame for causing the war. it also imposed huge reparations that would burden an already damaged german economy.
The main terms of the Versailles Treaty were:
(1) the surrender of all German colonies as League of Nations mandates;
(2) the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France;
(3) cession of Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, Memel to Lithuania, the Hultschin district to Czechoslovakia,
(4) Poznania, parts of East Prussia and Upper Silesia to Poland;
(5) Danzig to become a free city;
(6) plebiscites to be held in northern Schleswig to settle the Danish-German frontier;
(7) occupation and special status for the Saar under French control; (8) demilitarization and a fifteen-year occupation of the Rhineland;
(8) German reparations of £6,600 million;
(9) a ban on the union of Germany and Austria;
(10) an acceptance of Germany's guilt in causing the war;
(11) provision for the trial of the former Kaiser and other war leaders;
(12) limitation of Germany's army to 100,000 men with no conscription, no tanks, no heavy artillery, no poison-gas supplies, no aircraft and no airships;
(13) the limitation of the German Navy to vessels under 100,000 tons, with no submarines;
20. What group seized control of Russia in 1917? The Bolsheviks ( they later became the Communist party in Russia)
21. Name the members of the Triple Alliance.Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy (Italy did not join Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War I because their treaty did not require it. Italy later joined Britain and France to fight against Germany and Austria-Hungary.)
22. Why did Britain build and maintain the most powerful navy in the world? Britain needed to protect its overseas empire and its merchant ships.
23. Name two accomplishments of Germany from 1870 to 1914 for which they were very proud. Germany was proud of its empire's military power and of its industrial leadership.
24. What ethnic group and country did the Russians want defend in World War I? The Serbs and Serbia (Serbia later changed its name to Yugoslavia)
25. What battle stopped the Germans from a quick victory on the Western Front in 1914? The (first) Battle of the Marne in France September 5-10, 1914
26. Describe the role convoys played in helping the British and Americans fight the Germans. Convoys of ships could be protected from submarine attack easier.
27. What was a major difference between the fighting on the Eastern Front from the fighting on the Western Front? Trench warfare was not as widespread on the Eastern Front. The distances and space were so much greater in the East.
28. How did the British blockade of Germany violate international law? The blockade confiscated food and clothing as well as contraband like bombs and munitions.
29. Why were the Allies encouraged when they first heard the news of the overthrow of the Tsar of Russia? They hoped that Russia would become democratic and continue fighting the war.
30. Why were the Irish Americans opposed to the United States' entry into World War I on the side of Britain? Britain held Ireland as a colony, and the Irish resented British rule.
31. What did Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points say about the rights of Eastern Europeans and government? One of the rights was the right of Eastern Europeans to choose their own form of government.
The Fourteen Points were:
- Open Diplomacy
- Freedom of Navigation
- Free trade
- Disarmament
- Self-determination
- Evacuation of all Russian Territory
- Belgium must be evacuated and restored (from German occup.)
- Freeing of French territory (Alsace-Lorraine)
- Readjustment of Italian borders
- Autonomous dev. for the peoples of A.H.
- Independence for the Balkan states
- Securing of Turkish territory/sovereignty / the Dardanelles as a free passage
- The establishment of an independent Poland
- The creation of the League of Nations
32. What did the French leader Georges Clemenceau want to do to Germany at the Paris Peace Conference? He wanted to weaken Germany to protect France from Germany.
Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France, was a man of completely different character and aim as Wilson. Clemenceau was known as 'Tiger'. He was no idealist and pacifist. He did not pay any high regard to the wishes of the oppressed nationalities to gain independence. His basic aims when he came to the Conference were to give to France first of all, her two lost provinces—Alsace and Lorraine; secondly, security against any possible German aggression in the years to come. To realize his second aim, he wanted to weaken Germany permanently by confiscating all her colonies and her past conquests, by depriving her of armed forces, by exacting heavy reparations from her and by creating a buffer state between Germany and France. This might be regarded as a policy of 'realism'. French hatred of Germany was excusable. France had been defeated by Germany in 1871 and nearly defeated in the First World War. As France was next to Germany, she always feared another German aggression.
33. Why did the European colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific feel betrayed after World War I? They wanted to be given the opportunity form a government of their own. They were not set free so they felt betrayed.
34. Who lead the Bolsheviks in 1917 during the November revolution? V. I. Lenin
35. During the three-year long civil war in Russia, who were in the "White" armies? Tsarist officers still loyal to the old Tsar form of government, democrats, and anti-Bolsheviks (Communists).
36. How did life during the wartime encourage expansion of women's rights? Woman soon gained the right to vote in America and in other countries.
37. League of Nations
The League of Nations was an international organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920. The League's goals included disarmament, preventing war through collective security, settling disputes between countries through negotiation, diplomacy and improving global welfare. The diplomatic philosophy behind the League represented a fundamental shift in thought from the preceding hundred years. The League lacked its own armed force and so depended on the Great Powers to enforce its resolutions, keep to economic sanctions which the League ordered, or provide an army, when needed, for the League to use. However, they were often reluctant to do so. Benito Mussolini stated that "The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out."
| Société des Nations (French) Sociedad de Naciones (Spanish) League of Nations (English) | ||||
| International organisation | ||||
| ||||
| 1939–1941 semi-official emblem | ||||
 | ||||
| Capital | Not applicable¹ | |||
| Language(s) | English, French and Spanish | |||
| Political structure | International organisation | |||
| Secretary-general | ||||
| - 1920–1933 | Sir James Eric Drummond | |||
| - 1933–1940 | Joseph Avenol | |||
| - 1940–1946 | Seán Lester | |||
| Historical era | Interwar period | |||
| - Treaty of Versailles | 28 June 1919 | |||
| - First meeting | 10 January 1920 | |||
| - Liquidation | 18 April 1946 | |||
¹ The headquarters were based at the Palais des Nations, Geneva  Switzerland | ||||
38. Ultimatum
An ultimatum (Latin: the last one) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests. As such, the time allotted is usually short, and the request is understood not to be open to further negotiation.
39. The Black Hand
Black Hand (Serbian: Црна рука / Crna Ruka), officially Unification or Death (Serbian: Уједињење или смрт / Ujedinjenje ili smrt), was a secret society founded in Serbia in May 1911[1][2], as part of the Pan-Slavism nationalist movement, with the intention of uniting all of the territories containing South Slav populations (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians, Slovenes, etc) annexed by Austria-Hungary[3]. This society's possible connections to the June 28, 1914 assassination in Sarajevo of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria is considered to have been the main catalyst to the start of World War I.
40. What role did France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian (Germany) War of 1870-1871? France wanted revenge and to regain two French provinces: Alsace and Lorraine that were taken by Germany in 1871. France received the two provinces at the end of World War I.
41. Battle of Verdun
Black Hand (Serbian: Црна рука / Crna Ruka), officially Unification or Death (Serbian: Уједињење или смрт / Ujedinjenje ili smrt), was a secret society founded in Serbia in May 1911[1][2], as part of the Pan-Slavism nationalist movement, with the intention of uniting all of the territories containing South Slav populations (Serbs, Croats, Macedonians, Slovenes, etc) annexed by Austria-Hungary[3]. This society's possible connections to the June 28, 1914 assassination in Sarajevo of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria is considered to have been the main catalyst to the start of World War I.
42. Battle of Tannenberg
The Battle of Tannenberg was a decisive engagement between the Russian Empire and the German Empire in the first days of World War I, fought by the Russian First and Second Armies and the German Eighth Army between 17 August and 2 September 1914. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russian Second Army. A series of follow-up battles kept the Russians off-balance until the spring of 1915. The battle is notable particularly for a number of rapid movements of complete corps by train, allowing the single German Army to present a single front to both Russian Armies.
43. Gavrilo Princip
Gavrilo Princip (Cyrillic: Гаврило Принцип, IPA: [gaʋ'ri:lɔ 'prinʦip]) (July 25, 1894 – April 28, 1918) was a Serbian citizen of Austria-Hungary, and proclaimed himself to be a Yugoslav Nationalist.[1] Princip is commonly associated with the terrorist political movement Mlada Bosna. Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.[2] Princip and his accomplices were arrested and implicated a number of members of the Serbian Military, leading Austria-Hungary and Germany to request that Serbia investigate the crime on Serbian soil.[3] Serbian rejection of these requests set off a chain of events that led to World War I. Unwittingly, he is one of the most influential people in 20th century history, being indirectly responsible for the chain of events that led to both World Wars, the Cold War and many of the troubles in the Middle East that still exist to this day
44. Archduke Francis Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (December 18, 1863 – June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of Austria and Prince Royal of Hungary and Bohemia, and from 1896 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated the Austrian declaration of war. This caused countries allied with Austria-Hungary (the Central Powers) and countries allied with Serbia (the Entente Powers) to declare war on each other, starting World War I.
45. June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia The Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo. This event was the immediate cause of the crisis that led to World War I.
46. Poppies ("In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place). Poppies are sold by veterans organizations to raise money and remind us of World War I and other wars.
47. The Triple Entente
The Triple Entente ("entente" — French for "agreement") was the name given to the loose alignment of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente the alignment of the three powers, supplemented by various agreements with Japan, the United States and Spain, constituted a powerful counterweight to the "Triple Alliance" of Imperial Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, the latter having concluded an additional secret agreement with France effectively nullifying her alliance commitments.
48. Powerful nations guard their "status." What does "status" mean? Status is a nation's power position in the world. Status with respect give a nation a comfort zone and a sense of safety and place in the world.
49. Describe the rise of militarism before the outbreak of World War I.
Militarism means that the army and military forces are given a high profile by the government. The growing European divide had led to an arms race between the main countries. The armies of both France and Germany had more than doubled between 1870 and 1914 and there was fierce competition between Britain and Germany for mastery of the seas. The British had introduced the 'Dreadnought', an effective battleship, in 1906. The Germans soon followed suit introducing their own battleships.
50. Explain the role of Alsace and Lorraine, the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), and France as a cause of France's desire for revenge. These two provinces were ceded to
Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) because Germany (Prussia) won the war.
51. Blank Check (p. 819)
After Sarajevo, Count Leopold von Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, drew up a letter for the Emperor Francis Joseph to sign and send to Wilhelm II to try and convince both of Serbia's responsibility.
On July 6th, Wilhelm II and his Imperial Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, telegrammed Berchtold that Austria-Hungary could rely that Germany would support whatever action was necessary to deal with Serbia -- in effect offering von Berchtold a 'blank check.'
Here is the translation.
- Finally, as far as concerns Serbia, His Majesty, of course, cannot interfere in the dispute now going on between Austria-Hungary and that country, as it is a matter not within his competence. The Emperor Francis Joseph may, however, rest assured that His Majesty will faithfully stand by Austria-Hungary, as is required by the obligations of his alliance and of his ancient friendship.
BETHMANN-HOLLWEG German Chancellor
52. Mobilization in World War I summarize this term.
Intricate plans for mobilization contributed greatly to the beginning of World War I, since in 1914, under the laws and customs of warfare then observed (not to mention the desire to avoid compromising national security), general mobilization of one nation's military forces was invariably considered an act of war by that country's likely enemies. As the proverb claims, no army has ever mobilized without going to war.
53. Schlieffen Plan (p. 822)
The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff's early 20th century overall strategic plan for victory both on the Western Front against France and against Russia in the east, taking advantage of expected differences in the three countries' speed in preparing for war. In modified form, it was executed to near victory in the first month of World War I; however, a French counterattack on the outskirts of Paris, the Battle of the Marne, combined with surprisingly speedy Russian offensives, ended the German offensive and resulted in years of trench warfare. The plan has been the subject of intense debate among historians and military scholars ever since. The Schlieffen Plan was created by Alfred Graf von Schlieffen and modified by Helmuth von Moltke the Younger after Schlieffen's retirement. It was Moltke who actually put the plan into action.
54. Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli took place at Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey from April 1915 to December 1915, during the First World War. A joint British Empire and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Istanbul, and secure a sea route to Russia. The attempt failed, with heavy casualties on both sides.
| Battle of Gallipoli | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Middle Eastern Theatre (First World War) | |||||||
 The Battle of Gallipoli by Ben Dangoor, April 1915 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 British Empire |  Ottoman Empire German Empire[2] Austria-Hungary[3] | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Sir Ian Hamilton Lord Kitchener John de Robeck | Otto Liman von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 5 divisions (initial) 16 divisions (final)[citation needed] | 6 divisions (initial) 15 divisions (final)[citation needed | ||||||
55. Trench Warfare
Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified positions and fighting lines are static. Trench warfare arose when there was a revolution in firepower without similar advances in mobility. The result was a slow and grueling form of defense-oriented warfare in which both sides constructed elaborate and heavily armed trench and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, with soldiers in both trench lines largely defiladed from the other's small arms fire and enclosed by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to small-arms and artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even successful ones, often sustained severe casualties as a matter of course. Periods of trench warfare occurred during the American Civil War, the Russo-Japanese War, and reached peak bloodshed on the Western Front of World War I. Trench warfare is often a sign of attrition warfare
56. Lusitania
Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river, and part of modern Spain (the present autonomous community of Extremadura and a small part of the province of Salamanca). It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people (an Indo-European people, probably Proto-Celtic or Celt). Its capital was Emerita Augusta (currently Mérida), and it was initially part of the Roman Republic province of Hispania Ulterior, before becoming a province of its own in the Roman Empire.
57. Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin)
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин), born Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Улья́нов), and also known by the pseudonyms Nikolai Lenin and N. Lenin, (April 22, 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, a communist politician, the main leader of the October Revolution, the first head of the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic and from 1922, the first de facto leader of the Soviet Union. He was the creator of Leninism, an extension of Marxist theory.
58. Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin (December 18, 1878 – March 5, 1953) (Russian: Иосиф Сталин; Georgian: იოსებ სტალინი) was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee from 1922 until his death in 1953. During that time he established the regime now known as Stalinism. As one of several Central Committee Secretariats, Stalin's formal position was originally limited in scope, but he gradually consolidated power and became the de facto party leader and ruler of the Soviet Union[1].
Stalin launched a command economy in the Soviet Union, forced rapid industrialization of the largely rural country and collectivization of its agriculture. While the Soviet Union transformed from an agrarian economy to a major industrial powerhouse in a short span of time, millions of people died from hardships and famine that occurred as a result of the severe economic upheaval and party policies. At the end of 1930s, Stalin launched the Great Purges, a major campaign of repression against millions of people who were suspected of being a threat to the party were executed or exiled to Gulag labor camps in remote areas of Siberia or Central Asia. A number of ethnic groups in Russia were also forcibly resettled.
During Stalin's reign, the Soviet Union played a major role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War (1939–1945) (more commonly known in Russia and post-Soviet republics as the Great Patriotic War). Under Stalin's leadership, the Soviet Union went on to achieve recognition as one of just two superpowers in the post-war era, a status that lasted for nearly four decades after his death until the dissolution of the Soviet Union.59. Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War (1917-1922/3) was a multi-sided conflict that took place within the borders of the former Russian Empire following the collapse of the Russian provisional government and the Bolshevik takeover of Petrograd (St. Petersburg).
The main hostilities took place between the Bolshevik Red Army, and the loosely-allied anti-Bolshevik forces, known as the White Army. Many foreign armies also participated, among which of note was the allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Additionally many foreigners volunteered to fight on one or other of the sides. Other forces included various nationalist and regional movements such as the Ukrainian nationalist Green Army, other political movements such as the Ukrainian anarchist Black Guards, and independent warlords such as Ungern von Sternberg. These forces sometimes fought against both Reds and Whites, sometimes sided with one of the two, and sometimes switched sides. Additionally the warring sides spilled over Russia's borders into Persia, Mongolia and the Russian borders themselves were unclear in the cases of new states split from Russia after the revolution.
The most intense fighting took place from 1918 to 1920. In Soviet historiography the end of the Civil War is dated to October 25, 1922 when the Red Army occupied Vladivostok, previously held by the Provisional Priamur Government. The last enclave of the White Forces was the Ayano-Maysky District on the Pacific coast, where General Anatoly Pepelyayev did not capitulate until June 17, 1923.
| Russian Civil War | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Clockwise from top: Soldiers of the Don Army in 1919; a White Russian infantry division in March 1920; soldiers of the 1st Cavalry Army; Leon Trotsky in 1918; hanging of Bolsheviks by the Czechoslovak Corps. | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Russian SFSR Local Soviet powers led by Russian SFSR and Red Army |  White MovementCentral Powers (1917-1918): |  Ukrainian People's Republic Local nationalist movements, national states, and decentralist movements  German Intervention | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||||
| At least 879,000 dead At least 6,791,000 sick and wounded | At least 500,000 | Unknown | ||||||
60. Gregory Rasputin:
Gregory Yefimovich Rasputin, the son of a Russian peasant, was born in Pokrovskoye, Siberia, in 1872. Although he briefly attended school he failed to learn how to read or write.
Rasputin entered the Verkhoture Monastery but decided against becoming a monk. He returned to Pokrovskoye and at the age of 19 married Proskovia Fyodorovna. Over the next few years the couple had four children.
Rasputin eventually left home and traveled to Greece and the Middle East. He claimed he had special powers that enabled him to heal the sick and lived off the donations of people he helped. Rasputin also made money as a fortune teller.
61. Lloyd George
Lloyd George, the Prime Minister of Britain, stood midway between these two extreme personalities: Woodrow Wilson of the United States and Clemenceau of France He was being pressured by the anti-German public opinion in Great Britain that Germany must pay for the war and "Hang the Kaiser". In the meantime, he also understood that if excessively heavy reparations and exceedingly harsh political terms were imposed on Germany, Germany might think of a war of revenge in the future. Moreover, a poor and impoverished Germany would also render herself to be a poor customer of British goods. A settlement with moderate, terms on Germany suited Britain's long-term interests. As a result, this tactful politician tried his best to smooth over the differences between the extreme viewpoints of Wilson and Clemenceau.
