worlds - WWI vocab

militarism, alliances, nationalism, imperialism, and assassination

M.A.N.I.A.

triple alliance

the German alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy and the Ottoman Empire

triple entente

the French alliance with Russia, and Great Britain.

the balkans

“the powder keg of Europe” due to competing, nationalist/ imperialist interests

archduke ferdinand

Gavrilo Princip and the Black Hand killed him in Sarajevo, Bosnia

the black hand

an ultra-nationalist Serb group responsible for the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

july ultimatum

the list of 10 demands issued to Serbia by Austria-Hungary, where Serbia only accepted 9/10 demands, leading Austria-Hungary to demand war on Serbia

central powers

alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary

allied powers

alliance between Britain, France, Russia, and Japan

schlieffen plan

Germany’s plan to defeat France to get to Russia

trench warfare

dug out ground that could stretch for miles to be safe from machine guns and artillery

war of attrition

the strategy of wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse

western front

where Germany vs. France & Great Britain fought

eastern front

where Germany vs. Russia fought

no mans land

the space between trenches

conscription

to draft citizens into the war

going over the top

term used when soldiers would climb out of the trenches into no man’s land to attack enemy lines

trench foot

what you get when your feet are in the same cold, wet, and unsanitary conditions for a long amount of time

new technology

machine guns, tanks, u-boats, mustard and chlorine gas, biplanes, and flamethrower

unrestricted submarine warfare

Germans won’t hold back from hitting American merchant ships

zimmerman telegram

German message that was sent to Mexico that the British intercepted and decoded, saying that Germany would start unrestricted submarine warfare again. Germany also wished to start an alliance with Mexico

propaganda

the spread of biased and opinionated information to convince someone to do something

armistice

ended the war on the Western front (11th hour, day, and month)

council of 4

when France, Great Britain, Italy, and the US met in Paris to decide what post-WWI Europe will look like (No Central Powers represented, Russia not part of the talks, and Dictated terms of peace)

fourteen points

Woodrow Wilson’s guiding points at the Council of 4 that was never accepted by the US

league of nations

created by the diplomats in Paris where countries would meet to solve the problems of the world diplomatically

treaty of versailles

formally ended WWI between the Allied Powers and Germany

self determination

Application of Wilson’s concept

war guilt clause

Germany blamed for war, their country was demilitarized, decolonized,, and were forced to pay reparations (around $500 million)

demilitarization

Germany’s army was capped at 100,000 men and their air force and submarines were banned

decolonization

German colonies given independence or run by the Big Four

reparations

Germany had to pay the cost of the war, around $500 million

1st battle of the marne

BATTLE: #2

LOCATION: France, western front

MAIN SIDES: France and Britain vs. Germany

WHO WINS: France and Britain

WHAT HAPPENED: Stopped Germany’s quick victory plan (Schlieffen Plan), which led to trench warfare

battle of verdun

BATTLE: #4

LOCATION: France, western front

MAIN SIDES: France vs Germany

WHO WINS: France

WHAT HAPPENED: The longest battle in WWI and showed how brutal trench warfare is

battle of the somme

BATTLE: #5

LOCATION: ____ River, France, western front

MAIN SIDES: Britain and France vs Germany

WHO WINS: No clear winner (allies gained land)

WHAT HAPPENED: Extremely deadly and first major use of tanks

gallipoli campaign

BATTLE: #3

LOCATION: Peninsula, Ottoman Empire (modern Turkey), eastern front

MAIN SIDES: Britain, France, and ANZAC vs Ottoman Empire

WHO WINS: Ottoman Empire

WHAT HAPPENED: Failed attempt to knock Ottomans out of the war and heavy casualties

battle of tannenberg

BATTLE: #1

LOCATION: East Prussia (modern Poland), eastern front

MAIN SIDES: Germany vs Russia

WHO WINS: Germany

WHAT HAPPENED: Defeat for Russia, German strength on eastern front, hurt Russian morale, shortest battle

argonne

BATTLE: #7

LOCATION: Meuse River, France, western front

MAIN SIDES: USA and Allies vs Germany

WHO WINS: Allies

WHAT HAPPENED: Largest US operation in WWI, helped force Germany to surrender, and the key part to ending the war

2nd battle of marne

BATTLE: #6

LOCATION: France, western front

MAIN SIDES: Allies vs Germany

WHO WINS: Allies

WHAT HAPPENED: Turning point in the war, Germany’s last major offensive failed, and American participation