WWI Key Terms (Video Notes)

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms, people, battles, and treaties from the WWI lecture notes.

Total War

A war in which all resources, including civilian support on the home front, are mobilized for the war effort.

A strategy of exhausting the enemy's resources and manpower over time rather than seeking a quick victory.

Attrition

Balkan wars

Conflicts that led to Serbia's independence from the Ottoman Empire and heightened tensions with Austria-Hungary.

Battle of the Marne

A 1914 Allied victory that saved Paris from German capture and marked a turning point between the Central Powers and Allies.

Battle of Tannenberg

A 1914 battle where Germany inflicted massive Russian losses, prompting unrest at home and Tsar Nicholas II to take command of the Russian army.

Battle of Gallipoli

An unsuccessful Allied campaign (1905–1916) to seize a sea route to Russia, led by Winston Churchill.

Battle of the Somme

A 1916 Allied offensive; among the longest and deadliest battles of WWI, and the first large-scale use of British tanks.

Franco-Prussian War

A 1870–71 conflict that unified Germany, annexed Alsace-Lorraine from France, and fueled French desires for revenge, contributing to the Dual Alliance.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

German emperor who sought a greater, worldwide influence—a ‘place in the sun’ among imperial powers.

Dual Alliance

A defensive treaty between Germany and Austria-Hungary to counter France and Russia.

Triple Alliance

A three-way alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy to isolate France and counter Russia.

Entente Cordiale

A 1904 understanding between Britain and France recognizing each other’s colonial possessions.

Triple Entente

The 1914 alliance among France, Britain, and Russia to coordinate actions and avoid separate peace.

Bosnian Crisis

Austria-Hungary's expansion into Bosnia that angered Russia and pushed it toward Serbia.

Slav

An ethnic-linguistic group found in the Balkans; helps explain Russian support for Serbia.

David Lloyd George

British Prime Minister during WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace treaty ending WWI; blamed Germany, imposed harsh penalties, and redrew many national borders.

Blank Check

Germany’s unlimited commitment to support Austria-Hungary, escalading risk and blame in the Treaty of Versailles.

Karl I

The last Emperor of Austria.

Count Leopold Berchtold

Austrian foreign minister who advocated a hard line against Serbia and sent the ultimatum.

Second Battle of Ypres

German invasion of Belgium in 1915, notable for the first large-scale use of poison gas

Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele)

1917 battle near Ypres; infamous for stalemate and heavy casualties.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s strategy to quickly defeat France through Belgium before turning to Russia; its failure contributed to trench warfare.

Moroccan Crises

Two events in which Germany challenged France's influence in Morocco, straining European alliances.

Douglas Haig

British field marshal criticized for high casualty rates and perceived disregard for troops.

The longest single battle of WWI; German attempt to bleed France white through attrition.

Battle of Verdun

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

Lusitania

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolsheviks who led the Russian Revolutions, established a communist state, and withdrew Russia from WWI.

Battle of Amiens

The 1918 battle that opened the Hundred Days Offensive, pushing Germany toward armistice.

The 1917 revolutions that overthrew the Tsar and toppled the provisional government, leading to Russia's withdrawal from WWI.

Russian Revolution

Nicholas II

The last Tsar of Russia who personally led troops and was overthrown and executed by the Bolsheviks.

1919-ism

A postwar spirit of idealism that the capitalist imperial order could be replaced by lasting peace.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President whose Fourteen Points outlined a plan for permanent peace.

Gavrilo Princip

Serbian nationalist and member of the Black Hand who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, triggering WWI.

Armistice Day

The cease-fire date commemorated on November 11 (historically 1918) marking the end of WWI.

Conscientious Objection

Moral or religious refusal to fight; often punished by forced labor or imprisonment.

Zimmerman Note

German proposal to Mexico to ally against the U.S., turning American public opinion toward entry into WWI.

A revolutionary British battleship (launched 1906) that sparked a naval arms race.

HMS Dreadnought

The 1918 peace treaty between Soviet Russia and the Central Powers that ended Russia’s participation in WWI.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Hundred Days Offensive

A series of massive Allied offensives in 1918 that compelled Germany to seek armistice.