Study Guide for World War I and Interwar Years

Causes of World War I

Major sense of nationalism, alliances, The impact of Imperialism

Alliances on the eve of World War I

The triple entente (Britain, France, Russia) and triple alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy)

Spark that ignites World War I

The assassination of Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand

Germany's action that provokes Britain

Invade Belgium (after Britain specifically told them not to)

New tactic of fighting in World War I

Trench warfare

Multiple fronts of World War I

The western front (France, Belgium, Germany), the eastern front (Germany and Russia)

New weapons that emerge in World War I

Tanks, flamethrowers, zeppelins, poison gas, machine guns, and mortars

New policy to recruit soldiers during World War I

The draft

Nation that leaves the front in 1917

Russia, because they have a civil war happening

Nation that joins the front in 1917

The US because Germany tried to get Mexico to hurt the US and blew up a submarine full of US civilians

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's push in Treaty of Versailles

The league of nations to prevent future wars

Reasons Germany feels cheated by the Treaty of Versailles

Germany resents a limit on its military (It did NOT start the war), and Germany's proposed war reparations will cripple an already damaged economy

Ottoman Empire's action towards Armenians

The Ottomans forcibly remove the Armenians from their homes and make them travel on foot to 'camps' in what is now Iraq because they said that the Armenians are helping the Russians

Pandemic after World War I

Influenza

Mysterious 'holy man' in Russia

Rasputin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917

Lenin and the communist party

How Lenin and the Communist party maintain control of Russia

His slogan was 'peace, land and bread' which is what he promised to all his followers

Lenin's New Economic Policy change

He changed how they were doing communism to make it be more like capitalism because otherwise people wouldn't survive

Emergence of the Pan-Arabism movement

Details not provided in the notes

Balfour Declaration

A declaration from the British government showing the support of Palestine and Israel.

Mustafa Kemal's Reforms

He modernized and reformed equality through laws and politics much faster than other Eurasian countries.

May Fourth Movement

Started in China because the Treaty of Versailles gave German concessions to Japan instead of returning them to China, leading to many people becoming leaders in the communist party.

Civil Disobedience

Promoted through the philosophy of Satyagraha, which is a policy of passive political resistance.

Partition of India

A disagreement between Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah over a separate movement for a separate Muslim state (Pakistan), leading to the partition of India in 1947.

Negritude Movement

An anti-colonial movement among French-speaking Africans and Caribbeans in Paris through the 30s-50s, protesting against assimilation and celebrating the Black experience and literature.

Keynesian Economics

A new economic theory by John Maynard Keynes that advocated for government intervention to help prevent a recession, particularly during the Great Depression.

Estado Novo

A program in Brazil during the reign of Getulio Vargas that rejected democracy and liberalism in favor of arch-conservatism and autocracy.

Pancho Villa

Led the rebellious group against Porfirio Diaz and his government.

Emiliano Zapata

Led another revolution against the government which he called Zapitismo.

Lazaro Cardenas

A Mexican military officer who became the president of Mexico.

Dollar Diplomacy

The foreign policy pursued by the U.S. government under President William Howard Taft, aimed at promoting American influence and stability in Latin America through economic means rather than military intervention.

Good Neighbor Policy

The policy's main principle was that of non-intervention and non-interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America, reinforcing the idea that the United States would be a 'good neighbor' and engage in reciprocal exchanges with Latin American countries.

Women in the Roaring '20s

Women gained great political and economic power (right to vote, in the workforce), started to gain more education overall, and changed their personalities with lots of women becoming flappers (short skirts, short hair and lots of drinking and smoking).

Harlem Renaissance Writers

Major writers include Langston Hughes, Alain Locke, and Nella Larsen, who were very influenced by African American literature styles, incorporating jazz and blues styles.

Cubism

Cubism depicts subjects with geometrical shapes and is said to be the most influential art style of the 20th century.

Surrealism

Surrealism explores the unconscious mind, dreams, and irrationality.

Causes of the Great Depression

Causes include the stock market failure and other economic factors, leading to FDR raising taxes on the rich, raising the federal minimum wage, creating the Civilian Conservation Corps, making social security (especially for farmers), and initiating government spending.

Reasons for Mussolini's Appeal

People in Italy are drawn to Mussolini because he is a really good speaker who blames their problems on others and criticizes WW1.

5-Year Plans of Joseph Stalin

The 5-Year Plans meant that all people had 5 years to make everything they could for the state, creating a command economy, which resulted in famines on the farms and thousands of people starving to death.

Stalin's Cult of Personality

Stalin instills fear among the people of the Soviet Union using the Gulag system, secret police, and purges where whole groups of people are killed.

Mein Kampf

The book written by Adolf Hitler in 1923, where he talks about Germans being the superior race and attributes their problems to the Jews.

Hitler's Persuasion Tactics

Hitler persuades the German people to join the Nazis by shifting the blame to others, directing anger towards the Jews, and fulfilling his promises.

World War I

The global conflict known as the 'Great War' that involved many nations and had significant worldwide repercussions.

Nationalism

A sense of pride and loyalty to one's nation that contributed to the readiness of countries to engage in war.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization or military force, impacting global relations.

Alliance System

A network of treaties and agreements between countries that created obligations to support one another in times of conflict.

Triple Entente

The alliance formed by Britain, France, and Russia prior to World War I.

Triple Alliance

The alliance formed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy prior to World War I.

Gavrilo Princip

The Serbian nationalist who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event that triggered the start of World War I.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy to quickly defeat France by invading through Belgium before turning to fight Russia.

Trench Warfare

A form of combat in which soldiers fight from deep trenches, leading to prolonged and bloody battles.

No Man's Land

The dangerous territory between opposing trenches in trench warfare, often filled with obstacles and hazards.

Battle of Verdun

A major battle during World War I that lasted about 11 months and resulted in nearly 1 million casualties.

Conscription

A policy requiring young men to enlist in the military, implemented by many countries during World War I.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's naval policy of sinking ships without warning, which contributed to the U.S. entering the war.

Zimmerman Telegram

A secret communication from Germany proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., intercepted by American intelligence.

Bolshevik Revolution

The 1917 revolution in Russia that led to the withdrawal of Russian forces from World War I.

Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting, which ended World War I on November 11, 1918.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

The last German Emperor who abdicated the throne on November 9, 1918, marking the end of the German Empire.

The Yanks are Coming

A phrase symbolizing the arrival of American troops in World War I, which bolstered the Allied forces.

New Weapons of War

Innovations such as better rifles, machine guns, mortars, flamethrowers, zeppelins, and poison gas that changed the nature of combat.

Tank

A new military vehicle developed by the British during World War I, symbolizing advancements in warfare technology.

Global War

The first instance of a conflict involving multiple continents and nations, extending beyond Europe.

Dardanelles

A strategic waterway that was a significant front in World War I for control of the Black Sea.

Lawrence of Arabia

A British officer who played a key role in the Middle Eastern theater of World War I.

World War I

A global conflict that resulted in significant political and social changes, including the end of isolationism for the U.S.

Isolationism

A policy of remaining apart from the affairs or interests of other groups, especially the political affairs of other countries.

Casualties of WWI

37 million soldiers died (57% of all men mobilized for war) and nearly 9 million civilians were killed between 1914-1918.

Financial Costs of WWI

More than $186 billion was spent by all countries involved in World War I.

Armenian Genocide

Between 1915-1917, the Ottoman Empire forcibly removed Armenians, resulting in the deaths of between 600,000 and 1.5 million Armenians due to starvation and exposure.

Influenza Pandemic

By 1919, an influenza epidemic caused by soldiers returning home resulted in up to 20 million deaths worldwide.

The Big Four

The leaders in attendance at the Paris Peace Conference, whose identities and contributions are significant to the outcomes of the Treaty of Versailles.

Treaty of Versailles - Successes

The treaty created several new states in Europe and established a mandate system in non-European colonies.

League of Nations

An international organization established by the Treaty of Versailles, reflecting President Woodrow Wilson's vision for a collaborative global governance.

Treaty of Versailles - Failures

Germany resented military limits, faced crippling reparations, self-determination for ethnic groups was not fulfilled, and the U.S. did not join the League of Nations.

Tsar Nicholas II

The last Emperor of Russia who took command of the Russian army during WWI in 1915.

Gregory Rasputin

A mystic who gained influence over Tsarina Alexandra and was involved in the Russian royal family's affairs during WWI.

Hemophilia

A genetic disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clots, often affecting the royal family's son.

Russian Revolution

A period of political and social upheaval in Russia that led to the overthrow of the tsarist regime.

Mandate System

A system established by the Treaty of Versailles allowing certain nations to administer territories on behalf of the League of Nations.

Self-determination

The principle that nations have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status without external interference.

Imperial Rule

A form of governance where a country extends its power and dominion over other nations or territories.

Paris Peace Conference

A meeting of the Allied victors after World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers.

War Reparations

Payments imposed on a country to compensate for damage caused during a war, which were particularly burdensome for Germany after WWI.

20th Century Genocide

The first example of genocide in the 20th century, specifically referring to the Armenian Genocide during WWI.

Pandemic

An outbreak of a disease that occurs on a global scale, such as the influenza pandemic following WWI.

Rasputin

Poisoned, shot, beaten, and drowned in 1916.

February/March 1917

A general workers strike begins in Petrograd, forcing Tsar Nicholas to abdicate the Russian throne.

Vladimir Lenin

Returns to Russia in April 1917 and begins to undermine the Provisional Government.

Peace, Land, and Bread

Lenin's slogan that gains him and the Bolsheviks many followers.

March 1918

Lenin signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, an agreement with Germany to remove Russia from WWI.

Bolsheviks

The party renames itself the Communist party and moves the capital to Moscow in March 1918.

Russian Civil War

Begins in June 1918 between the Reds (supporters of Lenin) and the Whites (supporters of the tsar).

July 1918

Lenin executes the tsar and the rest of the royal family.

1919

Both the Reds and Whites enjoy victories; the Reds begin to use forced labor camps.

1920

The last remaining White general surrenders, and the Communists are officially in charge of Russia.

Marxist policy of farm collectivization

Implemented by Lenin for the peasants.

1921

Lenin issues his New Economic Policy (NEP), which includes aspects of capitalism.

Inter War Years

The period between WWI and WWII featuring various transitions across the globe.

Independence in India

Causes include millions of Indians serving in WWI for Britain based on the promise of greater self-rule.