key concepts chapter 3 (ww1) Flashcards
Nationalism
Love for one’s country or people.
Militarism
When a state believes it to be important to have a huge military.
Arms race
When two or more people/countries compete to have the most powerful and the most weapons.
Modern Imperialism
Colonizing African and Asian countries during the second half of the nineteenth century.
Alliance
A ‘promise to be friends’ between countries.
Chancellor of Germany
Leader of the German government.
Revanchism
A view the French had after losing the war of 1870 - 1871. They wanted revenge on the German Empire.
Colony
An area that has been taken over by another country.
The Ottoman Empire
A name for Turkey and the other pieces of land that belonged to Turkey between the fourteenth and the twentieth century.
Danube monarchy
A name of Austria-Hungary (between 1867 and 1918).
Multinational state
A country in which multiple groups of people live together. These groups of people have their own history, culture, language and habits.
Naval law (1898)
A law that forced Germany to expand and modernize their warfleet (1898).
Weltpolitik
The foreign policy Wilhelm II adopted in 1900. The goal was to give Germany a bigger role by acquiring a big number of colonies.
Berlin conference (1884-1885)
A meeting between Western European countries and the United States in which they divided Africa (1884-1885).
Central powers
An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire during the first World War.
The allies
The countries that worked together against Germany during the first world war.
Two-front war
A war in which fighting takes place in two separate fronts.
Mobilisation
Preparing for war.
Von Schlieffenplan
German military strategy: they wanted to beat France in the West and then take the army to Russia.
Battle of the Marne
A battle between the German army and the allies. It resulted in a win for the allies.
Trench war
A war in which both parties laid in trenches across from one another.
Battle of the Somme
A big battle in which millions of soldiers died. The first tanks were used in this battle but unfortunately it didn’t help the war effort at all.
Shellshock
A psychiatric illness resulting from injury to the nerves during combat.
RMS Lusitania
A ship that was torpedoed by the Germans. Causing the US to play a role in WWI after all (1915).
Isolationism
Foreign policy used by the US to try and stay out of European problems.
Unrestricted submarine warfare
The German submarines attacked each and every ship, even those of countries who were not a part of the alliance.
Zimmermann Telegram
A secret German telegram asking Mexico to attack the US and the announcement of the unrestricted submarine warfare (1917).
Russian communist party
A political party led by Lenin. Their goal was equality for everyone. To them this meant that labourers and farmers would become the most powerful people.
October revolution
Revolution in Russia in October 1917. The communists seized power.
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty signed by Germany and Russia in 1918.
Armistice of Compiègne
An armistice between the Alliance and the Central Powers that ended WWI (November 1918).
Treaty of Versailles
The peace treaty signed after WWI (June 1919) by the alliance and Germany.
Reparation payments
The money that the Treaty of Versailles ordered Germany to pay to the allied forces.
