World War I Flashcards
Armistice
an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce.
Big Four
Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, Georges Clemenceau of France, and Woodrow Wilson of the U.S.
Met for the first time in Paris to negotiate the treaty
Chemical Warfare
Poison gas was utilized to inflict higher casualty numbers on the enemy while they were in their trench.
Committee of Public Information
Led by George Creel, created posters, pamphlets, billboards, news releases, news reels, and other forms of propaganda in favor of the war effort
Conscientious Objectors
Those that refused to fight in the war.
Around 16,000 men refused to take up arms or fight during the First World War for any number of religious, moral, ethical or political reasons.
Convoys
vessels sailing under the protection of an armed escort.
Dissenters
Opponents of WWI. Those that did not agree with getting involved with the war.
Entangling Alliances
Starting in the 1890s, Europe was divided into two separate alliance systems.
Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy made up the Triple Alliance
Russia, France, and Great Britain made up the Triple Entente.
This was a major cause of WWI
Espionage Act
Passed in 1917, created procedures for detecting and imprisoning spies. It allowed the federal government to censor mail and arrest anyone interfering with the draft.
Home Front
Area of civilian activity during the war. Those involved in the war at home.
Imperialism
a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force.
Major cause of WWI
League of Nations
an organization of nations that would defend each other against aggressors. It was designed to discourage aggression and prevent future wars. It was dependent on members to help other members facing aggression.
Lusitania
British Passenger Ship (Carries people)
On May 7, 1915 a German submarine sank the British passenger ship the Lusitania, traveling from New York to Britain. Thousands were killed and 128 Americans.
Militarism
Glorification of the military, military planning, and an arms race
Major cause of WWI
Nationalism
Pride in one’s nation and belief in its superiority
Major Cause of WWI
Propaganda
information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
Reparations
Payment to those you have hurt or inured.
Germany had extensive reparations to pay to the Allied forces and had to make payments for 96 years! (Final payment was made in 2010!)
Sedition Act
Passed in 1918, made it a crime to use disloyal or abusive language about the government, flag, or constitution.
Selective Service Act
Wilson decided to implement conscription, as known as the draft to increase the size of America’s army.. Almost 3 million men were drafted, an additional 2 million men volunteered for military service.
Sussex Pledge
After sinking the French passenger ship, the Sussex, Germany pledged not to sink any more ocean liners or merchant ships without warning or making provisions for passengers.
Total War
Involvement of the governments, economies and populations of participating nations to an extent never seen before in history. This was distinct from how wars had been previously been fought
Treaty of Versailles
The final terms of the Treaty of Versailles was extremely harsh on Germany and the other defeated Central Powers:
Germany lost territory to France and Poland and lost all of its colonies.
Germany lost its navy, while its once powerful army was reduced to the size of a police force
Germans were forced to sign the “War Guilt” clause, accepting blame for starting the war. For this reason, they were required to pay huge reparations to the Allies.
Austria-Hungary was divided into several smaller national states.
The Tsar (Russia), Kaiser (Germany), and Sultan (Ottoman Empire) were replaced. Turkey became a republic and loses most of its Middle Eastern territories. Most were given to Britain or France as “mandates”.
Trench Warfare
Dug to protect from machine gun fire, extended for hundreds of miles
Conditions were difficult in trenches: loud shelling, rats and lice, dampness, trench foot, and disease.
Separated by an area of barbed wire, landmines, and bombed out earth called “no man’s land”, which was nearly impossible to cross while fired upon by machine guns
U-Boats
Submarines
Germany didn’t have enough battleships to defeat the British so they responded by using U-boats (submarines) to keep supplies from reaching Britain
War Bonds
Known as “Liberty Bonds”, paid low interest rates. Government propaganda encouraged people to buy them, making them a patriotic act.
People would buy these to help the government pay for the war,but there was very little interest and people did not make a profit off of them.
War Industries Board
Headed by Bernard Baruch, coordinated America’s wartime manufacturing. Hoped for voluntary action from businesses, offered higher prices for products, using profits as the incentive as opposed to state controls to stimulate production. They also set standard specifications for goods.
Zimmerman Telegram
A secret telegram was discovered, in it German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmerman promised the return of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas to Mexico if it allied with Germany against the U.S. The telegram was printed in American newspapers March 1, 1917.
