Chapter 11: World War 1 Flashcards
Allies
• there were 2 major defense allies by 1907 - Triple Alliance & Triple Entente
• alliances provided a sense of security bc nobody wanted to disturb the balance of power
? allies set up to protect everyone but ended up dragging everyone in
Central Powers
• consisted of Germany, A-H, Bulgaria, and Ottoman Empire
• Italy didn’t fight w Central Powers bc German was acting as offense, not defense
? was one of the 2 sides in World War 1
Trench Warfare
• trenches were deep and unsanitary, land in between known as “No Man’s Land”
• soldiers would use trenches to fire at other side and then hide
? lasted for more than 3 yrs, but didn’t get anywhere (stalemated)
Lusitania
• German U-boat dunk Lusitania off southern coast of Ireland in May 1915
• Germans justified actions bc ship was carrying ammunition, but it also killed a few thousand innocent people
? US became outraged that Germany would sink a ship w innocent lives and public opinion turned against Central Powers
1916 Election
• democrats nominated Wilson, Republicans nominated Charles Evans Hughes
• election was extremely close but Wilson won w Northeastern states
? first time since Andrew Jackson that a democrat president would serve 2 consecutive terms
Zimmerman note
• telegram from Germany proposing an alliance between Mexico & Germany
• started that if US entered war, Germany would help Mexico recover lost territory
? one of the major factors of the US entering the war
Selective Service Act
• required men to register w the gov to be randomly selected for the military
• US was unprepared for the war, so it provided a way for US military to reach the necessary size to fight other nations
? by 1918, 24m men had registered
American Expeditionary Force
• led by General John J. Pershing
• included men from different parts of the country
? being an independent army allowed them to fight as a more offensive force
War Industries Board
• est in 1917, lead by businessman Bernard M. Baruch
• encouraged mass production for efficiency & standardized products to eliminate waste
? industrial production increased by 20%
Committee on Public Information
• was nations first propaganda headed by former muckraker, George Creel
• persuaded artists/ad agencies to create media that promoted war
? successfully influenced public yopinion to support American warfare
Espionage & Sedition Acts
• person could be fined $10,000 or sentenced to 20 yrs in jail for interfering w war effort or saying/doing anything disloyal/against US war effort
• many argued it violated the 1st Amendment
? many businesses/workers lost credibility/were fired & sentenced to jail for speaking against war
Great Migration
• large-scale movement of Southern blacks to cities in the North
• seemed escape from racial discrimination, job opportunities in North were abundant from many going off to war
? caused cities to become overcrowded and increased racial tensions
Flu Epidemic
• happened in fall of 1918 & affected 1/4 of US population
• businesses shut down/shortened hours to avoid contagion
? influenza virus believed to have killed 30m ppl worldwide
Fourteen Points
• Pres Wilson delivered speech to Congress in early 1918, before war was over
• points were mostly based on how world peace could be established when the war ended
? was Pres Wilson’s plan for world peace, but most never happened due to other countries’ objections
League of Nations
• provides a forum for nations to discuss/settle problems w/o resorting to warfare
• opposition in US argued League threatened US policy of isolationism and would drag US into European affairs
? created a big debate over whether League if Nations was for the better of the US
