World War I and 1920s Review

Flashcards covering key terms from World War I and the economic, social, and cultural aspects of the 1920s, including significant figures, events, and movements.

Alsace-Lorraine

A territory on the border of France and Germany. Germany seized it in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War; its return to France was a major Allied goal in WWI.

Militarism

The glorification and buildup of military power; one of the main causes of WWI.

Francis Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria-Hungary whose assassination in 1914 sparked WWI.

William II (Kaiser Wilhelm II)

The last German Emperor, whose aggressive policies and military support to Austria-Hungary helped trigger WWI.

Western Front

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

Casualty

Any soldier who was killed, wounded, missing, or captured in battle.

Contraband

Goods, often military supplies, prohibited from being shipped to enemy nations.

U-boats

German submarines that attacked Allied and neutral ships during WWI.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing 128 Americans and turning U.S. opinion against Germany.

Zimmerman Note

A secret German message to Mexico proposing an alliance if the U.S. entered WWI; its discovery helped push the U.S. into war.

Selective Service Act

1917 law requiring men to register for military draft.

Bernard Baruch

Head of the War Industries Board, coordinated U.S. industry to support the war effort.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

U.S. government propaganda agency promoting support for WWI.

George Creel

Head of the CPI; used posters, films, and speakers to rally support.

Conscientious Objector

Someone who refuses military service on moral or religious grounds.

Espionage Act (1917)

Law punishing spying, resistance to the draft, and criticism of the war.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities for war jobs.

Convoy

Group of ships traveling together for protection against U-boats.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia; pulled Russia out of WWI.

John J. Pershing

U.S. general who commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe.

Fourteen Points

President Wilson’s plan for postwar peace, including self-determination and the League of Nations.

Self-determination

The right of people to choose their own government.

League of Nations

International organization created after WWI to resolve conflicts; the U.S. never joined.

Henry Cabot Lodge

U.S. senator who opposed Wilson and the League of Nations.

Reparations

Payments Germany was forced to make for war damages.

Irreconcilables

Senators who opposed the League of Nations under any circumstances.

Reservationists

Senators willing to accept the League of Nations if certain changes were made.

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

U.S. military forces sent to Europe in WWI.

Influenza

A deadly flu pandemic (1918–1919) that killed millions worldwide.

Henry Ford

Industrialist who pioneered mass production of automobiles.

Mass Production

The rapid manufacture of large numbers of identical products.

Model T

Affordable car produced by Ford, symbolizing new mobility.

Scientific Management

Efficiency techniques applied to industry to increase productivity.

Assembly Line

Manufacturing process where each worker performs one step.

Consumer Revolution

1920s boom in affordable goods and advertising-driven consumption.

Installment Buying

Buying goods on credit with small payments over time.

Bull Market

Period of rising stock prices.

Buying on Margin

Purchasing stocks with borrowed money.

Inflation

Rising prices that decrease the value of money.

Creditor Nation

A nation that lends more money than it borrows (the U.S. after WWI).

Andrew Mellon

Secretary of the Treasury who promoted tax cuts and pro-business policies.

Herbert Hoover

Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s, later President, supported business-government cooperation.

Teapot Dome Scandal

1920s corruption scandal involving government oil reserves.

Calvin Coolidge

President after Harding; promoted business growth and limited government.

Washington Naval Disarmament Conference

1921 meeting to limit naval armaments.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

1928 international agreement to outlaw war as a tool of national policy.

Dawes Plan

1924 plan to help Germany repay reparations through U.S. loans.

Warren G. Harding

U.S. President (1921–1923), his administration was marred by scandals.

Modernism

A cultural movement embracing new ideas, science, and values.

Fundamentalism

Religious movement stressing a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Scopes Trial

1925 trial of teacher John Scopes for teaching evolution in Tennessee.

Clarence Darrow

Famous defense attorney for Scopes in the trial.

Prohibition

18th Amendment ban on alcohol (1920–1933).

Red Scare

Fear of communism and radicals after WWI and the Russian Revolution.

Sacco and Vanzetti

Italian immigrant anarchists executed after a controversial trial.

Charlie Chaplin

Popular silent film actor and comedian.

Jazz

A musical style rooted in African American culture that flourished in the 1920s.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement celebrating African American literature, music, and art in Harlem, New York.

Marcus Garvey

Black nationalist leader who promoted pride, self-reliance, and a “Back to Africa” movement.