WW1

Militarism

The policy of maintaining a strong military capability and being prepared to use it aggressively.

Alliances

Agreements between nations to provide mutual support in case of conflict.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.

Nationalism

A strong identification with and pride in one's nation, sometimes leading to aggressive foreign policies.

Triple Alliance

A military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy before World War I.

Triple Entente

An alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia before World War I.

Balkan Crisis

A series of conflicts and tensions in the Balkan Peninsula that contributed to the outbreak of World War I.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The event that directly triggered World War I, carried out by Gavrilo Princip.

Ultimatum

A final set of demands, the rejection of which may lead to conflict.

Black Hand

A secret Serbian nationalist group responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

Central Powers

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

Allies

The alliance of Great Britain, France, Russia, Japan, and later Italy and the United States.

Western Front

The main battlefront in France and Belgium where trench warfare dominated.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy to defeat France quickly before turning to fight Russia.

Trench Warfare

A type of combat where soldiers fought from defensive trenches.

No Man's Land

The dangerous land between opposing trenches.

Poison Gas

A chemical weapon that caused suffocation, blindness, and severe injuries.

Machine Gun

A rapid-fire weapon that made advancing across battlefields extremely difficult.

Tank

A newly introduced armored combat vehicle designed to overcome trench obstacles.

Submarine (U-boat)

A German warship that launched torpedo attacks on enemy vessels.

Eastern Front

The battlefront between Germany and Russia, characterized by more movement compared to the Western Front.

Battle of the Marne

A crucial Allied victory that halted the German advance into France.

Battle of Tannenberg

A major German victory against Russia, causing heavy Russian losses.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's policy of sinking any ship in British waters without warning.

Total War

A war in which nations devote all resources to the war effort.

Rationing

Limiting the purchase of goods to prioritize military supplies.

Propaganda

Information used to influence public opinion and morale.

Armistice

An agreement to stop fighting; signed on November 11, 1918, ending World War I.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President who proposed the Fourteen Points.

Georges Clemenceau

French leader who wanted to punish Germany harshly.

Fourteen Points

Wilson's vision for post-war peace.

Self-determination

The idea that people should decide their own government.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended World War I.

League of Nations

An international organization meant to prevent future wars.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 triggered World War I.

Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg

Wife of Franz Ferdinand, assassinated alongside him.

Gavrilo Princip

Serbian nationalist and member of the Black Hand organization who assassinated Franz Ferdinand.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Emperor of Germany, whose militaristic policies contributed to the outbreak of World War I.

Tsar Nicholas II

Ruler of Russia during the early years of World War I; later abdicated in 1917.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks who led the Russian Revolution and took Russia out of World War I.

David Lloyd George

Prime Minister of Britain during the latter part of the war and a key figure at the Paris Peace Conference.

Vittorio Orlando

Prime Minister of Italy and part of the "Big Four" at the Paris Peace Conference.

General Paul von Hindenburg

German military commander, later became President of Germany.

General Erich Ludendorff

German general who played a key role in military strategy during the war.

Field Marshal Douglas Haig

British commander known for leading the British Expeditionary Forces.

General John J. Pershing

Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk

Ottoman military leader at Gallipoli; later became the founder of modern Turkey.