ASSIGNMENT FIVE:  Nov. 12

The unification of the German States was achieved by a series of wars. The culmination of German unity in the Franco-Prussian War can be viewed as foreshadowing World War I nearly fifty years later.

The European nations by their economic and technological advances had nearly Westernized the world by the end of the 19th century.  The Europeans  had established colonial control over the less developed area. This colonizing process was most evident on the African continent, "The Scramble for Africa," where European missionaries, traders, and explorers competed. This new Imperialism intensified the already heightened nationalism among the European nations.

The aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war changed the nature of European politics.  The French were determined to have revenge for the "humiliation" of Sedan and the the loss of Alsace-Lorraine.

The Balkans or the "Tinderbox of Europe" seethed with national fervor.  The old rivalry between Russia and the Ottoman Empire added to the tinder of the Balkans. It became increasingly clear that imperialist concerns could lead to potentially serious confrontations. The great powers looked to their armies and navies as more necessary than ever before. Consequently, militarism as a condition of everyday life became the norm. The acceleration of technological development greatly increased military needs, expenditures, and training programs, just as the developing alliance system demanded larger armed forces. Imperial concerns, coupled with increased rivalries between the great powers, called forth the new alliance system resulting in the Triple Alliance and the Entente system.. Though imperial rivalries continued worldwide, the unresolved problem through the early 1900s was the Balkans. Wars between the Balkan nationalities and the Ottomans, and between the newly created Balkan states themselves, when added to the rivalry between Russia and Austria for control of the region created a virtual powder keg that exploded with the assassination of the Austrian heir in June 1914 at Sarajevo. The chain of events that followed activated the alliance and military systems in ways unanticipated by their creators, quickly transformed the Balkan crisis into the immediate cause of the Great War

Learning Objectives:

   The student will:

      1.  know the economic and cultural forces driving the new Imperialism.

      2.  know the reasons for the Alliance System and the member nations of the various alliances.

      3.  know the four major factors in bringing on the Great War.

      4.  be able to describe the events surrounding the assassination of  Franz Ferdinand.

      5.  be able to describe the fighting on the Western Front

      6.  be able to describe the Paris Peace conference and the treaties with the defeated Central Powers.

      7. to understand the impact of the Versailles Treaty on the German people.

Go to the following links and read in the text book and the links on each topic pages.

Origins of the Great War       Western Civilization pp.  769-770

Great War       Western Civilization pp.773-795

Paris Peace Conference      Western Civilization pp. 796-800

This material will be on the third exam Nov. 29-Dec.2(week 15)

When reading in the text and the on-line materials, you should take notes, in organizing your notes be sure to include dates ( in order to know the timing of  events), important persons, important events, note how the people affect the event and how the events affect people.  My outlines on each topic pages tell you what I consider to be the important persons/events of the topic. 

FORMAT OF RESPONSES:
1. The response will be a minimum of 200 words( That is each response is 200 words or more).
2.  Please write the question as the heading for your response.
3.  Be sure to place your name on the page.
4.  Your responses should be double-spaced, font size 10 or 12   using arial or other simple font.
5.  Please send the two response questions as a single document the WebCT Assignment link. l.
6.  After you have used spell-check, be sure to proofread your responses.
7.  Be sure to save your work.
8.  Remember your work should be done in Microsoft Word or sent as a Rich text file.
9.  There is a five (5) point penalty for late work.  Work will not be accepted two (2) days after the date due.

EVALUATION OF RESPONSES Each question will be worth 20 points/ 40 points for the two. 1. They will be graded upon the content (, your understanding of the question, your analysis     and  synthesis of the materials and discussion ) :
 2. on the correct usage of the language (spelling, punctuation, grammar, mechanics). 
3.The grading standard for the correct usage of the language will be Edited American English (found below).

Select two of the following Response Questions. Due Nov. 12( Wed.  12:00 noon, week 12)

German unification was a result of wars waged by Prussia against Denmark, Austria and France.  The Franco-Prussian War left the French bitter and resentful because of the defeat at Sedan, the loss of Alsace-Lorraine and wanting to wage a war of revenge against Germany.

1.  Why was the Alliance system created? what were the two major alliance groups? what was the Entente Cordiale and why did it differ from the other alliances? How did the alliance system entangle the European nations?

2.  How/why did the Europeans engage in the "Scramble for Africa"?  What nations dominated the Africa? What conflicts arose between the European nations because of Africa? ( be sure to  include Henry Morton)

3.  Describe the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the actions of Austria, Germany, Russia, Britain and France in the days following the assassination leading to war in August.

4.  Describe the Western Front---life in the trenches, the tactics and strategies used  by the comb ants, the new weapons used.

5. Describe the war that fought on the seas during the Great War---British actions, German actions, the use of submarines, the battle of Jutland.

6.  Who were the men who represented the victorious allies at the Paris Peace Conference 1919?  What were their goals at the peace conference? Did they achieve their goals? why/why not?

7.  What were the terms of the Versailles Peace treaty with Germany? why would these treaty lead to the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s?

 Grading Standard  Edited American English is the form of English which is used in newspapers and magazines, in textbooks and fiction works, and in memos and letters.

Type I:  Gross Errors (-10 pts. each)

              A. fragment (ex.   Because I had a flat tire.)

              B. lack of subject/verb agreement (ex. The man were having a nervous breakdown.)

              C. fused/run-on sentence (ex. I had no choice I had to take the test.)

              D. incorrect tense or verb form (ex. The boy gone to the store for his father.)

Type II:  Major Errors (-5 pts. each)

              A. comma between subject and verb(comma fault) (ex. The mother,gave her son the apple.)

                 B. comma splice (ex. We went to the store,we  got some bread and milk.)

                 C. failure to show possession (ex. My husband pants are dirty.)

                  D. no indentation at beginning of paragraph and incorrect paragraph form.

Type III: Minor Errors ( -2 pts. each)

               A. misspelled words or incorrect capitalization

                B. misused homonyms or words used incorrectly

               C. commas added unnecessarily or commas lacking

               D. punctuation missing or incorrect

                E. incorrect pronoun agreement

               F. misleading pronoun reference

               G. unnecessary shift of tense or person

               H. words left out/dangling or misplaced modifiers.