WW1 Vocab

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force, often involving colonization.

Nationalism

A political ideology emphasizing pride in, loyalty to, or promotion of one’s nation, sometimes leading to the desire for independence or dominance.

Militarism

The belief in maintaining a strong military and being prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.

Triple Alliance

A pre-World War I alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, formed in 1882.

Triple Entente

The pre-World War I alliance between France, Russia, and Great Britain, formed to counterbalance the Triple Alliance.

Russo-Japanese War

A 1904–1905 conflict in which Japan defeated Russia over control of Korea and parts of Manchuria, marking the first major Asian victory over a European power.

Dreadnought

A type of heavily armed battleship introduced by Britain in 1906, revolutionizing naval warfare.

Dual Alliance

The 1879 defensive alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Dual Entente

The 1894 alliance between France and Russia to counter the Triple Alliance.

Entente Cordiale

A 1904 agreement between Britain and France that settled colonial disputes and improved diplomatic relations.

Splendid Isolation

Britain’s late 19th-century foreign policy of avoiding permanent alliances, focusing on its empire and naval power.

Blank Check

Germany’s unconditional support for Austria-Hungary after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.

Moroccan Crisis I

The 1905 dispute over Germany’s attempt to challenge French control in Morocco, increasing tensions among European powers.

Moroccan Crisis II

The 1911 crisis when Germany sent a gunboat to Morocco, again challenging French influence and heightening tensions with Britain and France.

Balkan Wars

Two wars (1912–1913) in which Balkan states fought the Ottoman Empire and later each other, reshaping territorial control in southeastern Europe.

Black Hand

A Serbian nationalist secret society responsible for plotting the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s military strategy for a two-front war, aiming to quickly defeat France before turning to fight Russia (slap-murder).

Willy/Nikki Telegrams

A 1917 exchange between Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm) and Mexico (President Porfirio Díaz/Nikolas) proposing a German-Mexican alliance against the U.S., known as the Zimmermann Telegram.

Battle of the Marne

A major 1914 World War I battle in which Allied forces stopped the German advance into France, leading to trench warfare.

Freedom of the Seas

The principle that neutral nations should have free access to maritime trade during wartime.

Lusitania

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

Treaty of London (1915)

A secret agreement promising Italy territorial gains from Austria-Hungary in exchange for joining the Allies in World War I.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret 1917 German message proposing a Mexico-Germany alliance against the U.S., intercepted by British intelligence.

Balfour Declaration

A 1917 British statement supporting a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

War of Attrition

A military strategy focused on wearing down the enemy through continuous losses and exhaustion.

Plan 19

A lesser-known German military plan during World War I for strategic operations; details vary.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A 1918 treaty where Russia exited World War I, giving territory to Germany.

Russian Revolution of 1905

Mass unrest in Russia including strikes and uprisings, leading to limited reforms.

Russian Revolution of 1917

A two-stage revolution overthrowing the Tsar and establishing Bolshevik rule.

Kiel Mutiny

A 1918 German naval revolt that triggered the German Revolution and contributed to the end of World War I.

Weimar Republic

Germany’s democratic government after World War I, lasting from 1919 to 1933.

Fourteen Points

U.S. President Wilson’s 1918 plan for postwar peace emphasizing self-determination and open diplomacy.

Rhineland

A region in western Germany that was demilitarized after World War I under the Treaty of Versailles.

War Guilt Clause

Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles assigning responsibility for World War I to Germany and its allies.

Weltpolitik

Germany’s policy of expanding its global influence through military and colonial power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plan XVII

France’s pre-World War I strategy focusing on an offensive into Alsace-Lorraine.

Armenian Genocide

The 1915–1917 systematic killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.