World War I Key Figures, Battles, and Treaties Overview

Tsar Nicholas II

Last of Russia, advocated the throne in Feb of 1917

Alexander Kerensky

Leader of provisional government from Feb to Oct of 1917, made mistake of staying in war

Lenin

Communist revolutionary who took over Russia in Oct of 1917, smuggled into country in train car, Germany assisted him because he would pull out of war

David Lloyd George

Prime minister of Britain in WW1

Winston Churchill

Secretary of navy who led Britain in battle of Gallipoli, demoted after they lost the battle

Douglas Haig

Nicknamed the butcher, sacrificed his men to wear down opponent

Pershing

Lead general for America in WW1

Woodrow Wilson

President, peace plan called 14 points to prevent future wars

Clemenceau

Leader of France and wanted to punish Germans at end of war

General Moltke

Responsible for Schlieffen plan and was demoted after it failed

Ludendorff

Last ditch offensive but couldn't get them to Paris

Convoy

War ships surrounded merchant ships to protect them from U-Boats

Propaganda

Systematic spread of ideas

Contraband

Military supplies and related raw materials

Élan

Fighting spirit

U-boats

German submarines

Armistice

Agreement to end fighting

Mustard Gas

Poison gas that filled lungs with liquid

Hindenburg Line

Point of no return, where the allies cross it Germany will surrender

Dardanelles

Line connecting to Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, good for trade

Bolsheviks

Radical socialist group that took control of Russia and ended Russia in war

League of Nations

Unsuccessful because America didn't join it

Battle of Gallipoli

Allies against Ottoman Turks, Australia and New Zealand helped allies

Big 4

USA, France, Britain, Italy

Francis Plan 17

Was a plan for France to go on offense against Germany

Self-determination

Right of people to form their own government

Schlieffen Plan

German strategy in WW1 to avoid a two-front war, it failed

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Pulled Russia out of WW1

Treaty of Guarantee

US and Britain will help France if invaded

Treaty of Sèvres

Treaty that dealt with Ottoman Empire, put them into Turkey

Pandemic

Disease that affects people at the same time

Rhineland

Demilitarized buffer zone between Germany and France

Saarland

Cold region along French-German border that was given to France for 15 years

Battle of Tannenburg

Loss for Russia at eastern front

War Guilt Clause

Made Germany take full responsibility for causing WW1

War of Attrition

Attempting to destroy others' ability to wage war

Mandates

Land formally owned by central powers

URSW

Brought USA into WW1

Paris Peace Conference

Involved Yugoslavia, Poland, Czechoslovakia

Henry Cabot Lodge

USA Senator that opposed League of Nations

New Weapons

U-boats, machine guns, poison gas, airplanes

Battle of Jutland

Most important naval battle of WW1

Joseph Joffre

In charge of carrying out Plan 17 for France

Country in War

Draft, rationing goods, limiting civil liberties, forbidding strikes