WYNTN WWI CARDS

Allies (WWI)

The alliance originally composed of France, Britain, and Russia, later joined by Italy and the United States, that opposed the Central Powers.

Jeannette Rankin

The first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, known for opposing American entry into WWI.

Central Powers

The wartime alliance consisting primarily of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire.

Neutrality

The policy of abstaining from supporting or helping either side in a conflict, which kept the U.S. out of WWI for roughly three years.

Pacifists

People who oppose war and violence, who rejected WWI because they believed all warfare was inherently evil.

Socialists (WWI stance)

Group that opposed WWI because they viewed it as an imperialist struggle between powerful capitalist nations.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing American passengers and contributing to U.S. entry into WWI.

Militarism

The development and competitive growth of armed forces, along with their use as a primary tool of diplomacy.

Nationalism

A strong devotion to the interests and culture of one's own nation, fostering rivalry between powers and driving ethnic self-determination.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation's authority and influence over other countries through economic, political, or military means.

Trench warfare

A style of fighting on the Western Front where military forces occupied fortified ditches, leading to immense casualties for minimal territory gained.

No man's land

The hazardous, unoccupied region situated between opposing trench lines.

Zimmerman note

A 1917 intercepted telegram suggesting an alliance between Germany and Mexico, promising Mexico the return of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in Sarajevo served as the immediate catalyst for World War I.

British Blockade

A naval operation that cut off German ports, resulting in widespread severe starvation in Germany.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy designed to rapidly defeat France by marching through Belgium before turning east to fight Russia.

M.A.I.N. Causes of WWI

An acronym representing Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.

Alvin York

An American soldier who, equipped only with a rifle and revolver, killed 25 German troops and captured 132 prisoners.

Convoy System

A naval protection strategy where merchant ships traveled in large groups surrounded by warships to counter German U-boat attacks.

Mechanized Warfare

Military operations reliant on gasoline-powered, modern machinery, which began during WWI with tanks and airplanes.

Selective Service Act

A 1917 law requiring American men to register with the government to be randomly drafted for military service.

Conscientious Objector

An individual who opposes participating in warfare based on moral or religious principles.

John J. Pershing

The general who commanded the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in Europe during WWI.

Eddie Rickenbacker

America's top combat pilot in WWI, credited with shooting down 26 enemy planes.

War Industries Board

The primary wartime regulatory body in the U.S. that increased efficiency and eliminated waste in industrial production.

Bernard M. Baruch

The prosperous businessman who reorganized and led the War Industries Board during WWI.

Propaganda

Biased or exaggerated communication designed specifically to influence public opinion and actions.

George Creel

The muckraking journalist who headed the Committee on Public Information, America's first government propaganda agency.

Espionage and Sedition Acts

WWI legislation that penalized people with fines or imprisonment for interfering with the war effort or speaking out against the government.

Great Migration

The large-scale movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern urban cities during the early 20th century.

Fourteen Points

Woodrow Wilson's proposed vision for world peace and post-war international relations, largely rejected by Allied European leaders.

League of Nations

An international peace organization established after WWI, which the U.S. Senate refused to join out of concern over European entanglements.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace agreement that officially ended WWI, punished Germany severely, redrew borders, and laid groundwork for WWII.

Reparations

Financial payments demanded of a defeated nation to cover war damages caused during conflict.

War-guilt Clause

A provision in the Treaty of Versailles that forced Germany to accept sole blame for causing WWI.

Big Four

The major Allied decision-makers at the Paris Peace Conference: Woodrow Wilson (USA), Georges Clemenceau (France), David Lloyd George (Great Britain), and Vittorio Orlando (Italy).