World War One: Causes, Combat, and Consequences

These vocabulary flashcards cover the key figures, military terms, major battles, and political consequences of World War One as described in the lecture notes.

Nationalism

Intense pride and loyalty toward one's nation or cultural identity.

Militarism

The heavy investment by European nations in their militaries, based on the belief that strong armies and navies were essential for national security.

Mobilization

The rapid movement of troops and equipment in preparation for war, which often triggered a dangerous chain reaction among rival nations.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The heir to the throne of Austria Hungary who was assassinated on June 28, 1914, in the city of Sarajevo.

Gavrilo Princip

A young nationalist connected to a group supporting Serbian nationalism who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie.

No Man's Land

The extremely dangerous area between opposing defensive trenches during World War One.

Shell shock

A psychological condition caused by the trauma and stress of prolonged combat, experienced by many soldiers in the trenches.

Poison gas

A deadly technology used by several armies that could cause blindness, severe burns, and lung damage.

Flying aces

Pilots who gained fame after shooting down multiple enemy aircraft during aerial battles.

Billy Bishop

A well-known Canadian pilot who became one of the most successful fighter pilots of World War One.

U-boats

German submarines used to attack enemy merchant vessels carrying supplies across the Atlantic Ocean.

Lusitania

A passenger ship sunk by a German submarine in 1915, resulting in the deaths of many civilians, including United States citizens.

Battle of Verdun

A devastating 1916 battle where German forces attacked a fortified French city, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides.

Battle of the Somme

A massive 1916 offensive by British and French forces; its first day was one of the bloodiest in British military history.

Vimy Ridge

An April 1917 battle where all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together and successfully captured the ridge, becoming a symbol of Canadian pride.

Suffrage movement

The campaign led by activists, such as Nellie McClung, for women to gain the right to vote in democratic elections.

Russian Revolution

The internal conflict that caused Russia to withdraw from the war, allowing Germany to move its forces to the Western Front.

Armistice

The agreement signed on November 11, 1918, by Germany that effectively ended the fighting of the war.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace settlement that required Germany to accept responsibility for the war and imposed heavy financial penalties and territorial losses.