WWI

Question 1

Which countries were part of the Allied powers?

Answer 1

Britain, France, Russia, Serbia and Italy (and more)

Question 2

Which countries were part of the Central Powers?

Answer 2

Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

Question 3

Which alliance did the United States join in 1917?

Answer 3

the Allies

Question 4

Why did the United States not immediately join in the war in 1914?

Answer 4

They felt that they shouldn’t get involved with European conflicts and risk their soldiers

Question 5

Why were Americans upset at the sinking of the Lusitania? How did this affect German-U.S. relations?

Answer 5

Many Americans were killed in the passenger ship Lusitania. Conflict intensified as a result between Americans and Germans, but war was not declared.

Question 6

What is the purpose of propaganda?

Answer 6

Propaganda convinces the public to do something in a one-sided viewpoint.

Question 7

How did U.S. propaganda portray Germans during the war?

Answer 7

Germans were portrayed as the ultimate enemy: monsters who will kill your families.

Question 8

How were European countries affected negatively after the end of WWI? (Hint: think economics, loss of life, land, etc.)

Answer 8

European countries had a lot of destroyed infrastructure, many people dead, and some lost land, like Russia.

Question 9

What was nationalism?

Answer 9

The belief that one’s country is superior to all others

Question 10

What were the main causes of the war?

Answer 10

Militarism, (secret) alliances, imperialism, and nationalism

Question 11

what harm did secret alliances do?

Answer 11

They forced many countries to join the smaller conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary and it escalated into a world war.

Question 12

What was militarism?

Answer 12

Many countries feared war and developed their militaries. They then placed their militaries near national borders, making many countries nervous.

Question 13

What was the Great Migration, and why did it occur?

Answer 13

Before the war, African Americans found it difficult to find work in the United States. During WWI, there was a great need for workers in factories, as many of the former laborers were fighting in the war. African Americans, who faced a lot of racism in the South, moved in great numbers to the north, where factories were hiring. This came to be known as the Great Migration.

Question 14

What was the name of Woodrow Wilson’s plan for peace at the end of the war?

Answer 14

the 14 points, which gave 14 steps that the world could take to prevent wars in the future

Question 15

Summarize the Zimmerman Telegram incident. How did this event impact U.S. - German relations?

Answer 15

The Zimmerman Telegram was a message to a German official. It instructed them to convince Mexico to join the Central Powers in return for US land. This made the US VERY mad.

Question 16

Name ways in which Germany affected by the Treaty of Versailles.

Answer 16

The Treaty of Versailles blames Germans for war, forces Germany to pay huge reparations - 33 billion to allied nations, places severe military restrictions on Germany, lose land, restrictions cripple German economy. Germans are feeling bitter because they had to take the blame for the war.

Question 17

Explain how militarism led to the buildup of political alliances between different nations in the late 19th century.

Answer 17

Growing nationalism leads to competition and distrust among nations, so they forge alliances in case they are attacked.

Question 18

Why did the United States Congress decide not to sign the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 18

They didn’t want to be involved in future European conflicts

Question 19

What was the Selective Service Act?

Answer 19

The selective Service Act was a US draft that required all males from the ages 21 - 30 to join the military; almost 3 million drafted.

Question 20

Why is imperialism considered to be a cause of WWI?

Answer 20

Imperialism caused nations to fight over land; it also helped them gain people and resources