Links
to the Past: Course Sites for Dr. Christopher Lovett
|
Links
to the Past: Course Sites for Dr. Christopher Lovett
|
|
updated as of 9 Feb 03
Back to Iraq: The Search for Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction Bush's New National Security Strategy of the United States Contemporary Terrorist Organizations Eisenhower
Library Research Topics Map of Islamic Terrorist Cells in the U.S.A.
|
WH 300 E World War I Handout Two Topic: Prewar Situation NOTE: For a graphic presentation of the Causes of World War I use the hyperlink. OUTLINE: II. The Situation Before the War. A. Introduction. B. The Road to War. C. Use of Conscription. D. The Call to Arms. E. Britain and Her Army. F. The Firepower Revolution. G. War Plans. H. Cult of the Offensive. I. War as a Method of Solving Social and Political Problems. QUESTIONS: 1. Lawrence Stone has developed an interesting model to explain social conflict. He breaks down the origins of wars, civil wars, and other social struggles into three categories. The first involves “preconditions,” the long-term stresses that make conflict possible. The second revolves around the concept of “precipitants,” those shorter-term tensions that make conflict probable. The final category is the “triggers,” those very near-term events that ensures the outbreak of war. How does model fit into the origins of World War I? 2. How did all the belligerents view war? What did policymakers and the general public believe World War I would be like? How was war to be used to keep their populations in check. Explain. 3. How did the British Army change from the Boer War to the outbreak of World War I? What modifications did the British make to be more efficient on the battlefield? 4. What were the technological changes evident in Europe on the eve of World War I? How did technology alter the nature of war? 5. In the years immediately before World War I, war planners maintained a high visibility among policymakers. Why did that happen? How important were railroad timetables? How did railroads influence policymakers? What danger existed for the European order by developing war plans without a fail-safe system? Explain. 6. Who was Ivan Bloch? What did he do to warn Nicholas II of the dangers of total war? Was he both right and wrong concerning his analysis? Explain. TERMS: Franco-Prussian War Treaty of Frankfort Dual Alliance Triple Alliance Three Emperor’s League Triple Entente Reinsurance Treaty Black Hand Gavrilo Princip Conscription Ivan Block Grandmaison Universal Military Service Territorial Army Boer War Lee-Enfield Rife BEF Needle Gun Hiram Maxim Plan XVII Schlieffen Plan Furious Offensive Home Rule Social Question Revolution of 1905 Russo-Japanese War Alfred Dreyfus The Future of War |
