A Comparative History: Russia, Germany, and the United States
Whites
There were four main leaders: General Yudenich, Denikin, Baron Wrangel, and Admiral Kolchak. Some of them wanted to put the Tsar back in power. Each one tried to make himself the ruler of Russia when the Tsar and his family had been executed.
Czech Legion
A group of 40,000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war that had formed an army to fight against the Central Powers.
Soviet Democracy
In the civil war, political parties were allowed to operate, at times their newspapers were banned and their leaders
Read More19th Century Transformations: From Industrialization to Revolutions
Cast-Iron Architecture
Technological advances allowed foundries to produce larger quantities of cast iron more easily and cheaply. Cast iron became a popular building material. Some notable examples include the Reading Room of the National Library in Paris, by Labrouste, and the Crystal Palace in Madrid, designed by Velázquez Bosco.
Realism
Realism was an artistic movement that sought to portray the realities of working-class life. Artists depicted working-class people in their homes and workplaces,
Read MoreWorld History: From Russian Revolution to World War II
The Russian Revolution (1917)
A consequence of World War I, the Russian Revolution caused the collapse of the Russian Empire.
Causes of the Revolution:
Economic:
- Medieval economic system with poor and starving peasants.
- Slow industrial growth with mistreated workers.
- World War I exacerbated poverty and starvation.
Social:
- Domination by the Tsar, an absolute monarch backed by a small aristocracy.
- 1905 uprising forced the Tsar to share power with the Duma, revealing cracks in the system.
Political:
- Lack of representation
World War I: Key Terms and Events
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo in 1914. This event sparked a series of actions that led to the beginning of World War I.
Zimmermann Telegram
The Zimmermann Telegram was a secret diplomatic communication issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917. It proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event of the United States entering World War I against
Read MoreThe English Monarchy: From the Spanish Armada to the Glorious Revolution
The Spanish Armada
King Philip II, king of Spain, decided to take the war to England, as a reaction to Francis Drake’s destruction of the Spanish fleet of warships. The Spanish Armada set sail for the English Channel on July 12, 1588. The fleet met with a series of misfortunes, including miscalculation, bad weather, and, most importantly, attacks. The defeat was used as a symbol of God’s favor.
Colonies
In the 1570s and 1580s, Elizabeth I gave permission to two Englishmen to colonize America. As
Read MoreWorld War I: Causes, Consequences, and Artistic Responses
Phases of the War
Initial German Offensives 1914: The German Empire made several rapid offensives, invading Belgium, which was neutral, as well as the north of France. At the same time, German forces were fighting to prevent Russian advances in the east.
Trench Warfare and New Allies 1915-1917: In 1915, the Western Front between Germany and the Allies stabilized and a period of trench warfare began. In 1917, the USA entered the war in support of the Allies, but the Russian Empire began to collapse
Read More