Militarism, The practice of aggressively building up the size of your military forces. European nations had been assembling larger armies, navies and stockpiles of weapons in the decades leading up to WWI., Alliances, Agreements between nations to defend each other in the event of a war. These agreements can prevent conflicts from beginning, they can also quickly trigger an escalation in regards to the amount of nations involved in a conflict. Many nations in Europe were entangled in a web of protective alliances., Imperialism, The practice of aggressively acquiring territories overseas to expand trade markets, obtain natural resources and generate wealth/world power. In late 1800ś/early 1900ś many European nations competed with one another to claim new lands in Africa and Asia., Nationalism, Pride in one´s nation or ethnicity. Many people were intensely proud of their nation, believing they were stronger and superior than neighboring nations. Some were eager to prove their superiority through violence if given the opportunity., Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Franz Ferdinand was next in line for the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria - Hungary had conquered and ruled over many different ethnic groups as they expanded their territory in Europe. Serbians were one of those groups, a 19 year old Serbian named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie as a show of Serbian defiance or nationalism. Franz Fredinand was traveling through the city of Sarajevo which was in the southern part of the empire in an effort to generate some good will in an area known as a hotbed of Serbian nationalism. Many Serbians living in Austria-Hungary resented being ruled by Austria-Hungary instead wishing to be joined with the nearby nation of Serbia., Austria, Hungary responded to the assassination by declaring war on Serbia, triggering the protective alliances into a quick escalation of war., Central Powers-, One of the sides in WWI, made up primarily of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Germany was the dominant power in this alliance, they had the challenging task of fighting a war on two fronts., Allied Powers-, One of the sides in WWI, made up primarily of France, Russia, England and Belgium., Western Front -, Term used to describe a 400 mile network of trenches along the French and Belgian border where soldiers lived, fought and died during WWI. Neither side was able to establish a decisive advantage in terms of territorial gains. The war became a stalemate (tie) while the body count on both sides climbed as soldiers fought in horrific conditions., No Man´s Land-, Term used to describe the area between trenches. When soldiers left the safety of trenches in an effort to advance on enemy trenches they were often shot, no man wanted to be in that area where you likely be shot - ¨No Man´s Land¨, New Weapons in WWI -, Small handheld bombs called grenades, submarines, poisonous gasses that burned lungs, blistered skin, induced vomiting were utilized as part of a new chemical warfare, machine guns were responsible for most deaths, tanks helped break the stalemate on the western front and airplanes which were in their infancy; were new weapons. Planes were not yet a decisive weapon., Industrialization impact on WWI-, The modernization of factories in the late 1800s combined with new deadlier weapons resulted in a greater capacity to kill for both sides. Nations were far more capable of mass producing much deadlier weapons than ever before, the huge amount of lives lost in this war compared to previous wars reflects this., The Great War, The War to End All Wars -, Terms used to reference the war while it was happening. World War II had not yet taken place so it was not called World War I while it was happening. Lasted 1914-18, US joined 1917., The Lusitania, Name of a British passenger ship that was torpedoed by a German U-Boat (Submarine), Sussex Pledge -, Promise made by Germany to warn both passenger and trade boats before they were sunk, allowing people to board lifeboats. This was done to prevent the U.S. from entering WWI on the side of the Allies., U.S. Neutrality Questioned, When the war began US foreign policy was neutral. US attempted to trade weapons with both sides, a British naval blockade stopped the US from getting war goods into Germany so most US war goods landed only in the hands of the Allied Powers. Germany questioned the legitimacy of US neutrality because of these circumstances., Woodrow Wilson, President of the U.S. from 1912-20, during WWI., Zimmerman Note - Zimmerman Telegram (1917), Telegram from Germany to Mexico intercepted by British spies. Germany proposed an alliance between Mexico and themselves, Mexico attacks the US in an attempt to reclaim lands lost in Mexican-American War, Germany gives Mexico $ and weapons. Germany felt the US would likely enter the War. This offer was meant to give the US a war on 2 fronts and limit the impact we could make in Europe. This telegram pushed President Wilson to ask for and receive a Declaration of War from Congress against Germany and her allies., War Labor Board -, U.S. Gov’t. Agency created during WWI to prevent labor unions from going on strike and slowing down production of war goods in U.S. factories., War Industries Board -, US Gov’t. Agency made in WWI to coordinate/oversee US factories production of war goods. They coordinated the switch from consumer goods to war goods in factories., Food Administration-, US Gov’t. Agency created in WWI that oversaw the distribution of food to soldiers on the Allied side. It coordinated the rationing of food in the US, limiting how much food US citizens could consume, to help ensure soldiers had plenty. It also helped feed citizens in the Allied nations where the war was being fought on their soil., Selective Service Act-, Law passed by congress during WWI, required men in the US ages 21-30 to register for military service. Once registered they were eligible to be drafted into military service, which by law required them to serve the armed forces., Germany Returns to Unrestricted Submarine Warfare-, Germany had stopped torpedoing unarmed trade and passenger boats to keep the US from entering the war against them. Once Russia dropped out of WWI, Germany returned to sinking all boats trading with her enemies, even boats from the US. Russia leaving the war left Germany with a war on 1 front instead of 2, Germany believed they could aggressively push to end the war and win. In an effort to win, they sunk all boats trading with the Allied Powers. Germany knew this would anger the US, they felt they could finish the war with victory before the US was fully prepared to fight, if the war was already lost the US would not restart it., Bolshevik Revolution-, The Bolsheviks were a group in Russia that led a revolt which toppled the Czar from power during WWI. Once in power the Bolsheviks negotiated a Treaty removing themselves from the war, leaving the Germans with a war only on the Western Front., Fourteen Points -, Name of Peace Plan proposed by Woodrow Wilson at end of WWI. Philosophical approach to this plan was: do not punish the losing side, they will want revenge and it will lead to another war. Wilson wanted a “Lasting Peace”, he hoped to make this “the war to end all wars”., Who was Blamed for WWI, Allied Powers pinned the blame on Germany and punished them for WWI., Who do historians typically blame for WWI, Every nation that was involved because they were all responsible for the underlying causes of nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and alliances, Reparations, Term used to reference the punishment handed down to Germany in the Treaty of Versailles., Treaty of Versailles, Treaty that ended WWI, set the stage for WWII 20 years later. Named after Palace of Versailles in France where it was signed. Punished Germany harshly, made them seek revenge, start WWII., Why US did not join League of Nations, Congress would not ratify the treaty that entered the US into the League. Congress felt the balance of power between the 3 branches would be destroyed if they joined the League of Nations. Once in the League, nations agreed to defend other nations in the League if they were attacked, Congress felt this took away their power to declare war. Declaring war is regarded as one the the biggest powers held by the legislative branch in the system of checks & balances. The commitment to fight on behalf of other nations that came with joining the League of Nations would result in Congress essentially surrendering the right/power to declare war..

WWI Study Guide

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