WDW152H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Trench Warfare, Alexander Kerensky, Ernest Hemingway
12 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Russia and Germany mobilize
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Immediate cause : assassination - led to ultimatum from Austria to Serbia --> Serbs only
accept part, leads to war
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By August 4th - war of all
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Germany and Schlieffen plan
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Alliance system and belief that war was necessary and glorious
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Combatants from around the world (Africa, Australia, Canada, India…)
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Civilian deaths (especially in the ottoman Empire)
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Disease (cholera, typhoid) --> influenza near the end
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Marching and mowed down by machine guns
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New technology and old tactics --> most devastating
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Nothing glamorous or admirable
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Front not exceptionally far (especially from Britain)
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Fatigue, bad conditions worse than fear of death
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Alcohol : helped soldiers fight
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Blame on Germany --> destructive to economy
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Rise of Bolsheviks in Russia - Kerensky keeping in war
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Lenin : peace with Germany - civil war at home
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U.S. from debtor to creditor, new geopolitical position
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End of Ottoman Empire and rise of turkey
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Britain takes German portions of Turkey
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Britain takes German portions of Africa
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Feelings of hopelessness and pointlessness
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War never glorious again in literature (Hemingway)
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John Green, “Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War 1: Crash Course World History #36”
(11:44). Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4
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Cooperation despite great antagonism
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Reward preferred over material punishment
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Prisoner's dilemma
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WW1 became zero sum game, losses for one side = gains for other side
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Mutual defection is preferred to unilateral restraint
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No longer one-move dilemma, where defection is best choice, but conditional
strategies are possible
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With sustained interaction, stable outcome could be mutual cooperation based
upon reciprocity
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Both followed strategies : not be first to defect, but would be provoked if other
defected
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Small units faced each other in immobile sectors for extended periods of time
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Similar eating times - peacefulness
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Mutual restraint during bad weather
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Direct fraternization easily suppressed --> resort to non-vocal methods --> recognition
of mutual restraint
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Demonstrated restraint was not due to weakness
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Inherent tendency to de-escalate conflict
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Rotation of battalions --> teach new the same patterns
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Commands sought to remove the truces --> hard to monitor
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Ended live and let live system indirectly
Raids disrupted system - not sure what to expect after
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Robert Axelrod, “The Live-and-Let-live System in Trench Warfare,” H&H, 186-194.
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Reading 2.5: Cooperation II: Trench Warfare during
WWI
February 8, 2017
7:07 PM
READINGS Page 1
Document Summary
John green, archdukes, cynicism, and world war 1: crash course world history #36 (11:44). Immediate cause : assassination - led to ultimatum from austria to serbia --> serbs only accept part, leads to war. Alliance system and belief that war was necessary and glorious. Combatants from around the world (africa, australia, canada, india ) Disease (cholera, typhoid) --> influenza near the end. Fatigue, bad conditions worse than fear of death. Rise of bolsheviks in russia - kerensky keeping in war. Lenin : peace with germany - civil war at home. U. s. from debtor to creditor, new geopolitical position. End of ottoman empire and rise of turkey. Robert axelrod, the live-and-let-live system in trench warfare, h&h, 186-194. Ww1 became zero sum game, losses for one side = gains for other side. Small units faced each other in immobile sectors for extended periods of time. No longer one-move dilemma, where defection is best choice, but conditional strategies are possible.
