2025/26 - WWI Key Terms (Student-Created Definitions)

total war

large-scale conflict using all resources in a war, including civilians on the homefront

attrition

slowly wearing down the enemy’s resources, rather than hoping for a quick win

balkan wars

conflicts that resulted in serbia’s independence from the ottoman empire. serbia’s fast expansion makes it seem a threat to austria-hungary

battle of the marne

paris was saved from German invasion, twice. first battle of central & allied powers

battle of tannenberg

HUGE Russian losses against Germany caused the Russian public to riot against war. Nicholas II takes control of the Russian army.

battle of gallipoli

embarrassing British naval failure, lead by Winston churchill

battle of the somme

several conflicts, together they were the longest and deadliest battles of WWI. first use of British tanks. 1 million casualties.

franco-prussian war

unified Germany took alsace-lorraine territory from France, sparking French desire for REVENGE and created the dual alliance

kaiser Wilhelm II

german monarch, desired an equal “place in the sun” w/other imperial powers

dual alliance

germany and austria-hungary team up against French revenge and Russian threat

triple alliance

germany, A-H, and Italy ally together to prevent italy’s turning to russia

entente cordiale

friendly agreement b/t Britain and France to recognize colonial possessions

triple entente

france, Britain, and Russian agreed to not settle a separate peace (1914)

bosnian crisis

austro-hungarian expansion into Bosnia angers Russia & pushes Russia toward serbia

slav

ethnic group/languaged family found in the Balkans (explains Russian assistance to serbia)

david Lloyd george

british prime minister

treaty of versailles

1919 agreement that ended WWI, largely blamed Germany and included harsh punishments, also created many new states

blank check

germany’s unlimited support for austria-hungary, cause for German blame in TOV

karl I

emperor of austria

count Leopold berchtold

austrian foreign minister, recommended an invasion of serbia, sent ultimatum

second battle of ypres

german invasion of Belgium, introduced use of poison gas

third battle of ypres

passchendaele, stalemate

schlieffen plan

german plan to quickly invade France via Belgium before turning on Russia (proof of Herman aggression), its failure lead to trench warfare

moroccan crises

germany supported Moroccan independence in two events, angering France & isolating them from European powers

douglas haig

british general seen as heartless because of his disregard for loss of human lives

battle of verdun

longest SINGLE battle of WWI, Germans tried to “bleed France white” w/attrition war

lusitania

british merchant ship sunk by German U-boats, killing 128 Americans & turning US public opinion against germany

vladimir lenin

marxist leader of Bolsheviks, led the Russian revolutions and sets up a communist state, withdraws russia from WWI

battle of amiens

last large-scale battle of WWI, start of the hundred days offensive that pushed Germans to armistice

russian revolution

two revolutions in 1917 that removed the tsar and later overthrew a provisional government before withdrawing Russia from the war

nicholas II

russian tsar who led his army personally in WWI and was overthrown/executed by Bolsheviks

“1919-ism”

spirit of idealism that the old capitalist imperial order would be replaced by a lasting peace

woodrow wilson

idealist US president whose 14 points outlined a plan for permanent peace

gavrilo princip

serbian assassin of Franz Ferdinand, member of the black hand group

armistice day

November 11, 1919 - cease fire

conscientious objection

british concept that excused people who refused to fight in war on moral grounds, often punished by forced labor or prison

zimmerman note

german proposal to Mexico to attack the US and distract them from entering WWI, turns public opinion in the US against Germany

HMS Dreadnought

revolutionary British battleship launched in 1906 that initiated a naval competition

treaty of brest-litovsk

1918 peace treaty between the Bolshevik government of Soviet Russia and central powers to end russia’s participation in world war I

hundred days offensive

series of massive allied offensive es that led to germany’s request for armistice