WWI

Triple Entente

A military alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia in the years preceding World War I.

Triple Alliance

An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in the years before WWI.

Allies

Britain, France, and Russia- Later joined by Italy, US and Japan

Central Powers

Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ottoman Empire

Bismarck

German statesman under whose leadership Germany was united (1815-1898) and kept France isolated by alliances before WWI

Kaiser William II

Emperor of Germany who sent a "blank check" to say he would support Austria-Hungary if war broke out

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, started World War I.

Gavrilo Princip

The assassin of Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, a member of the Black Hand

Alliances

agreements between nations to aid and protect one another, MAIN cause of WWI

Militarism

A policy of glorifying military power and keeping a standing army always prepared for war, MAIN cause of WWI

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country

Alsace-Lorraine

French region lost to German states in 1871

France regained this territory from Germany after the Treaty of Versailles.

Western Front

Region of northern France where much fighting took place

trench warfare

A form of warfare in which opposing armies fight each other from trenches dug in the battlefield.

Schliefflen Plan

Germany's plan to go through Belgium to quickly defeat France, to avoid fighting on two fronts.

Eastern Front

Name given to the fighting on the German-Russian, Austro-Russian and Austro-Romanian fronts.

unrestricted submarine warfare

type of warfare used by Germany in WWI where they attacked any ship with no warning

total war

A conflict in which the participating countries devote all their resources to the war effort

propaganda

information designed to influence opinion

Armenian Genocide (1915)

Muslim Ottoman government orders a genocidal mass deportation of Armenians- 1.5 million died from murder, starvation and disease

Lusitania

A British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died. The sinking greatly turned American opinion against the Germans, helping the move towards entering the war.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918)

1. Ended Bolshevik Russia's participation in World War I

2. Negotiated by Vladimir Lenin because he was unwilling to risk Bolshevik gains by continuing a war that could no longer be won

3. Nullified following Germany's defeat by the Allies

New Weapons/ WWI technology

Machine Guns

Tanks

Airplanes

Poison Gas

Submarines

Grenades

Stalemate on the Western Front

trench warfare/new technology led to many casualties and little offensive movements (a tie) on the battlegrounds between France and Germany during WWI

Eastern Front of WWI

No trenches, large land gains. Germany, A-H, and Turks vs. Russia and Serbs

First Battle of the Marne

20 miles outside Paris the French halted the German advance and the beginning of the Western Front and trench warfare

Battle of Gallipoli (1915)

Battle between British ANZACS and Ottomans where ANZACS were annihilated in the Dardanelles Campaign

Battle of Tannenberg

A huge German victory over Russian armies trying to invade, it sent the Russians reeling backwards and set a precedent for the next few years of Russian losses on the Eastern Front

Fourteen Points (1918)

Woodrow Wilson's vision for the world after World War I; it called for free trade, self-determination for all peoples, freedom of the seas, open diplomacy, and a League of Nations. Wilson hoped his Fourteen Points would be the basis for a negotiated settlement to end the war. However, they were not harsh enough on Germany for the other Allies to accept. Only a few of them were incorporated into the treaty.

League of Nations (1919)

A world organization of national governments proposed by President Woodrow Wilson and established by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. It worked to facilitate peaceful international cooperation. Despite emotional appeals by Wilson, isolationists' objections to the League created the major obstacle to American signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Treaty that ended World War I; it was much harder on Germany than Wilson wanted but not as punitive as France and England desired. It was harsh enough, however, to set stage for Hitler's rise of power in Germany in 1930s.

Article 231

This was the "war-guilt clause" in the Treaty of Versailles that placed total responsibility for World War I on Germany.

Big Four (Paris Peace Conference)

The Big Four were the four most important leaders, and the most important ones at the Paris Peace Conference. They were Woodrow Wilson- USA, David Lloyd George- UK, George Clemenceau- France, and Vittorio Orlando- Italy.

"A Peace Built on Quicksand"

U.S. rejected the treaty. Created resentment in Germans, Italy and Japan thought they should get more land. Self Determination was only awarded to Eastern Europe, not colonies.

Mandates

A nation governed by another nation on behalf of the League of Nations- especially in the Middle East

Gavrilo Princip

Member of a terrorist organization called The Black Hand. Murdered Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. Wanted to set Bosnia free from Austria-Hungary. Caused the spark for WWI.

ultimatum

set of demands imposed on Serbia by Austria-Hungary after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Serbia did not meet them and war was declared July 28, 1914

Blank Check

Germany swears to support Austria-Hungary in any actions it takes against Serbia

Mobilization

the process of assembling/moving troops and supplies to prepare for war