US Civil War & WWI: Causes, Events, and Aftermath

US Civil War

Causes

• Slavery
• Protectionism
• States' rights
• Territorial crisis
• Sectionalism and cotton trade
• Nationalism and honor
• Slave power and free soil
• National elections

Events

Mobilization, prisoners, naval war, Union blockade, Emancipation Proclamation

Consequences

End of slavery

The Great War (World War I)

Causes

• Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
• Militarism
• Imperialism
• Nationalism
• Alliances

Alliances

Russia and Serbia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, France and Russia, Britain and France and Belgium, Japan and Britain

Russian Revolution

The first revolution happened in 1905, and the second revolution in 1917.

Causes

Poor living conditions, killing of the workers, bad governments, unemployment, no food, no money, government didn't help.

The Romanovs were the ruling family in Russia between 1613 and 1917.

Vladimir Lenin was the founder of the Russian Communist Party, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, and architect and first head of the Soviet state.

With peace established with Germany, the war continued within the boundaries of Russia. As Lenin attempted to gain control over the whole country, forces loyal to the Tsar or that were anti-communist gathered strength to oppose him. This created a three-year civil war over control of the Russian state. The forces led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks were called the “Reds,” (red has been the color of revolution since the French Revolution) while forces opposed to him were termed “White” (white has traditionally been the color of royalty).

The White forces received support from the Western Allies during the internal war. The United States, England, and Canada had contingents of men inside of Russia initially to guard supplies they had sent during the war, but they were in a position to fight if their governments thought it necessary.

The Red Army was able to defeat the much larger White armies over the course of the three-year conflict. The Red Army was led by fanatical communists who were prepared to do whatever was necessary to preserve the revolution. White forces were, in many cases, composed of men that were not dedicated to restoring the Tsar. A number of Red victories led to the defeat of the White forces and their dreams of returning to the rule of the Tsars.