unit 8 #2

Total War

A conflict arising in Western Europe where all countries in the area were devoting all of their supplies, military, and money into war. This eventually brought the whole continent into war along with many other nations.

Triple Entente

A military alliance formed between Great Britain, France, and Russia during World War I. They waged war with the Austro-Hungarians, Germans, and Italians.

Triple Alliance

A military alliance formed between Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Germany that supported the Austro-Hungarians in their war with Serbia and also went to war with the United States, France, Great Britain, and Russia. Even though Italy originally joined this group, they later sided with the British and French.

Neutrality

President Woodrow Wilson's decision to have the American people and government stay out of the war in Europe. He did so because the nation was split on deciding whether to help either side and no provocations towards the United States was made yet.

Lusitania

An incident where a German submarine sunk a British passenger ship with no warning and killed most people on the ship. There were over 100 Americans killed in the conflict which led the United States to start to side with the Triple Entente as well as weaken America's economic and social relationships with Germany.

Pacifists

A group of Americans that were opposed to enter World War I because of the loss of life, loss of resources, and loss of money that it would bring to the United States.

Interventionists

A group of Americans that wanted to build up the nation's military and make the United States a militaristic nation. President Wilson agreed with their beliefs and started to increase the size of the military in case America goes to war with Germany.

Election of 1916

An extremely important election that would decide America's involvement in the war in Europe. Republican nominee Charles Evans Hughes was very likely to bring America to war while Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson was likely to keep America out of the war. The election was extremely close and Wilson won by a small margin, probably because of the support he had from the pacifists.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

A policy that the Germans took toward fighting another nation. The Germans would not warn ships that they were going to be sunk by submarines and they had the right to sink any ship that came into close proximity of a German submarine. This enraged President Wilson and led America much closer to war.

Zimmerman Telegram

A message sent by German foreign minister Arthur Zimmerman that was intended for Mexico. The British intercepted the telegram and sent it to the United States. The message stated that Germany would help aid Mexico in a war with the United States in order to destroy the United States and have Mexico reclaim their lost lands. This infuriated President Wilson.

Russian Revolution

The revolt in which the working people of Russia overthrew the czarist government and established a republican government. This diminished Russia's involvement in World War I and was the final push for Americans to join the war siding with the Triple Entente. Americans no longer needed to be allied with a country that they thought was despotic and dictatorial.

American Expeditionary Force

An increase of about 5 million American soldiers into the military during World War I influenced by Wilson's selective service act, the increase of African American involvement, volunteer services, women involvement in war, and the American people's belief that intervention in the war was necessary. All of these soldiers were put into this group that was sent to Europe to help aid their allies.

Selective Service Act

President Wilson's decision to enact a national draft to recruit able bodied men into the military in order to help aid the Triple Entente.

African American Soldiers

During World War I, over 400,000 African Americans joined the war efforts in order to help increase their rights as American citizens. They were often still discriminated against, but some were treated like normal soldiers until they returned home from war.

General John J Pershing

General of the American Expeditionary Force that landed in Europe with his troops about eight months before World War I ended. His support in the French and British military allowed the Triple Entente to finally gain the upper hand in the war.

Trench Warfare

A new strategy to attack opposing military forces in a war; soldiers would dig into the earth and set up camp in narrow areas below the surface. Conditions were often filthy, disease ridden, and cramped. Soldiers were generally safe in these areas, but eventually they would have to go above ground into no man's land in order to actually fight the opponents.

Armistice

After many failed military raids by the Germans, they finally decided to seek a ceasefire with America, France, and Great Britain. This officially ended German involvement in World War I.

Chemical Weapons

A new type of weapon characterized by the effects it had on the human body physiologically; Mustard gas that would burn the surface of skin and blind people as well as chlorine gas that would suffocate people in trenches.

Liberty Bonds

American citizens would buy bonds from the United States that would help finance the war and in return, the United States would give them back the sum eventually with interest.

War Boards

Special councils devised to regulate the use of American resources within the country in order to provide some resources and materials to Europe in order to help aid in the war.

War Industry Board (WIB)

A federal agency created to help get the most military products built with the least amount of money, the least amount of time, and the greatest efficiency possible. This agency would determine which companies could produce certain military products.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

An agency created to help working conditions around the United States. It basically acted as a large and effective union that limited amount of work, increased pay, and made working conditions safer for employees of large companies. It did forbid labor strikes though in order to keep a fair deal between laborers and business owners.

Great Migration

The large movement of African American citizens from poor southern areas into highly developed and urbanized northern areas. The prospect of jobs and more social equality in the north lured many African Americans to the North.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

A government agency created during World War I that tried using propaganda to influence the American people that entering the war was the only way to restore peace to Europe and the world. They often portrayed the Austro-Hungarians and Germans as savages.

Espionage Act (of 1917)

A law that allowed the United States government to penalize Americans that were caught spying for the Triple Alliance, sabotaging war efforts, or obstructing the war effort.

Sedition Act (of 1918)

A law that allowed the American government to persecute and imprison any citizen that criticized the government or president or opposed the war efforts.

Socialist Party

A political party that opposed involvement in World War I and because of this, were hated by the American government. Many members were imprisoned due to the enactment of the sedition act. Even their humane leader Eugene Debs was put in prison for over a decade.

Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

A union of laborers that were persecuted in America because of their defiance of supporting World War I.

Eugene Debs

Leader of the socialist party that was imprisoned by the American government because he did not support involvement in World War I.

100 Percent Americanism

A feeling of hatred and fear against immigrants after World War I because of their former ties to nations like Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy. This caused many people to discriminate against people from those countries as well as any other immigrants.

Fourteen Points

A list of President Wilson's agenda for the world to follow. It consisted of three main topics; the adjustment of postwar boundaries and new nations to come out of World War I that were linked to self determination, the regulation of international conduct, and the creation of the League of Nations to help make democratic decisions effecting the whole world.

League of Nations

One of President Wilson's suggestions in his fourteen points that would establish a democratic institution where leaders of countries from around the world are able to work things out between each other. It was a good idea, but in reality failed miserably.

National Self Determination

The right of people to decide how they want to be governed and by who. This point was demonstrated in Wilson's Fourteen Points and allowed many areas of the world to successfully break away from oppression and become sovereign nations.

Paris Peace Conference

A meeting between the most important nations of World War I to negotiate a fair end to the war with compromise between all countries. This did not happen at all and Germany was literally blamed for everything that happened during the war.

The Big Four

The most important leaders that were attending the Paris Peace Conference. David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France, Vittorio Orlando of Italy, and Woodrow Wilson of the United States. They were basically the prime negotiators for deals in the Paris Peace Conference. Most other countries attending had little to no say in the matters.

Reparations

The Big Four's decision that Germany should pay an estimated 9 billion dollars for the destruction it's alliance had caused Europe. Only Germany needed to compensate for the loss and it crippled their economy severely. Austria-Hungary was also forced to become two separate nations; Austria and Hungary.

Mandate System

A type of self determination rule that allowed certain parts of the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires to become semi-sovereign nations until they developed a stable government.

Treaty of Versailles

The official document that organized all the conditions to ending World War I. It was proposed mainly by President Woodrow Wilson. It's conditions were poorly organized and led to mass discontent around the world.

Senator Henry Cabot Lodge

Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee that hated everything about President Wilson and the Treaty of Versailles. He tried to stop and delay the passage of the Treaty of Versailles, but it was all in vain. He was also the leader of the reservationists; a group that wanted the Treaty of Versailles to be changed dramatically.

Postwar Recession

The effects of an economic boom during the war that led to mass inflation which, in turn, caused many agencies to go bankrupt, the sale of goods to skyrocket, and millions of Americans to lose their jobs.

Postwar Race Riots

Racial tension after American soldiers returned home from Europe soared far beyond what any era experienced before. African Americans were denied jobs, lynched, and discriminated against even more. Their pride as African Americans grew as well which contributed to racial tensions. In places like Chicago, mass killings and razing occurred because of racial discrimination.

Marcus Garvey

A Jamaican black nationalist that inspired African Americans to take pride in their achievements and heritage. He tried to make Africans believe that their race was truly superior over the European race. He was also an advocate for Pan-Africanism which was a belief that all people of African descent should go back to Africa and create a superior nation there.

The Red Scare

A period in America after the creation of the Soviet Union that made Americans fear the spread of communism into their own nation. The American Communist Party along with many radical events occurring within the United States caused Americans to accuse each other of supporting Communism. (also referred to the fear of anarchy and radicalism)

Palmer Raids

A series of orchestrated attacks made by the current Attorney General that were intended to uncover large amounts of weapons that were possessed by assumed radicals. In reality, virtually none of these attacks were successful and they were just attacks on random citizens.

Sacco and Vanzetti

A controversial trial that occurred during the Red Scare. Two Italian immigrants and self proclaimed anarchists were charged with the murder of a paymaster over very questionable evidence. Since they were anarchists though, they were found guilty and sentenced to death on very little factual information.