Guns of August Study Questions for Group Presentations



Duedate: Monday, March 17th, 2008

Answer each question in four sentences. One of those sentences MUST be a quote. Put quotation marks around quotes. Do NOT use more than this 1 quote per question. Your other sentences must be summarized in your own words.

Central Powers: The nickname given to the allied countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey.

The Allies/Allied Powers/Triple Entente: The nickname given to the allied countries of Britain, France, and Russia

Ottoman Empire: The “Ottoman Empire” was another name for the country called “Turkey.”

France: Read Chapter 3 of The Guns of August

1. What were France's motivations for going to war?

2. What was France's plan for war against Germany? Did those plans remain consistent in the time leading up to WWI?

3. What factors made France seem, on paper, less capable of winning a war with Germany?

4. What "secret weapon" (hint: don't take this literally!) did France believe they had that would allow them to triumph against Germany?

England: Read Chapter 4 of The Guns of August

1. Chapter 2 begins with an assumption: that you already know why England is ready to help the French against the Germans. Deduce from your reading of Chapter 1 and your Diplomacy experience why England would side with the French.

2. What was England's strongest part of its military?

3. How did the English Army and Navy differ in their ideas on how to best ally with the French?

4. What was the Belgians reaction to Great Britain's inquiries about sending troops to Belgium in response to a German violation of neutrality?

Russia: Read Chapter 5 of The Guns of August

1. What was the total number of troops Russia could mobilize in the event of war? How many of these troops would have to be sent to fight Austria-Hungary?

2. What impediments existed for Russia to mobilize its armies quickly?

3. What had the reign of Nicholas II been like for Russia? What had his reign done in terms of unifying the country and helping to make it ready for war?

4. Where is Prussia? What is the relation between Prussia and Germany? What was the German strategy against Russia that used Prussia? (Hint: For the first two parts of this question, you are going to have to look beyond The Guns of August.

Turkey: Read pages 161-166 of The Guns of August. Also read “An Overview of the Ottoman Empire’s Role” (begins on page 24, Diplomacy Course Packet).

1. What was the commander/leader of the Turkish military forces was like?

2. What did Turkey think of the other major European countries?

3. Did they have any friends or enemies, and how did they look at the upcoming war in general?

4. Whom did they eventually ally with—and why?

Austria-Hungary: Read these 3 articles:

“Austrian-Hungarian Participation in World War I” (begins on page 19, Diplomacy Course Packet).

“The First Battles of Austria-Hungary” (begins on page 21, Diplomacy Course Packet).

“The Later Battles of Austria-Hungary” (begins on page 22, Diplomacy Course Packet).

1. How did Austria-Hungary justify invading the country of Serbia?

2. What mistakes did General Potiorek make, and why?

3. Why did the Germans want Austria-Hungary to conquer Serbia?

4. The war started to turn around with the invasion of Hungary in 1918. Who invaded Hungary, and what forces did they defeat right before this?

Italy: Read these two articles:

“Italian Participation in World War I” (begins on page 11, Diplomacy Course Packet).

“Monte Grappa: Italy’s Thermopylae, Part 1” (begins on page 13, Diplomacy Course Packet).

1. What was Italy’s attitude towards the war, and why? Which side did they eventually join--the Allied Powers or the Central Powers? Talk about how its citizens viewed the war, too.

2. At the end of the war, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which rewarded the countries that were on the winning side. What did Italy get as a reward?

3. What was the guiding military principle for the Italian armies? What was Italy’s experience with gas attacks?

4. Who were the “Arditi” and what did other people think of them?

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