Untitled Flashcards Set

defensive alliance

A military alliance where each partner is pledged to defend every other member should any be attacked by another nation.

Triple Alliance

A military defensive alliance forged by Bismarck between Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary that lasted until the start of World War I in 1914.

Triple Entente

A military defensive alliance formed by France, Russia, and Britain to counter-balance the Triple Alliance.

Alsace – Lorraine

An historic region between France and Germany, populated by ethnic Germans and fought over for decades.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

A region in the Balkan Peninsula populated by South Slavs, controlled by Austria-Hungary, with Serbia seeking control.

nationalism

An emotional political philosophy glorifying the nation as the most fundamental bond uniting people with a specific background.

Archduke Francis-Ferdinand

Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary; his assassination in June 1914 triggered World War I.

ultimatum

A final demand or list of demands with a threat of further action if rejected.

mobilize

The action of a government or country to call up military forces to prepare for active service.

two-front war

A conflict fought in two separate regions, forcing a combatant to divide its forces.

Allies

One side of combatants in World War I, including Britain, France, and Russia.

Central Powers

Opposing combatants in World War I, including Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

poison gas

A devastating weapon used in World War I to break the stalemate on the Western Front.

U-Boat

The German term for a submarine, widely used in World War I.

HMS Lusitania

A British luxury ocean liner sunk by a German submarine in May 1915, killing over 1,100 civilians.

reconnaissance

The action of observing the movements and actions of an enemy.

dogfight

The nickname for combat between two or more airplanes.

genocide

The act of attempting to kill a specific group or race of people.

Armenian Genocide (1915 – 1917)

The first mass murder of the 20th century, leading to over 1,500,000 Armenian Christians killed by the Ottoman Empire.

total war

A conflict that impacts every part of a combatant’s economy, resources, and population.

Easter Rebellion

An uprising by Irish nationalists in 1916 against British rule, which was crushed.

unrestricted submarine war

German policy of sinking any vessel trading with Britain using their U-Boats.

Zimmermann Telegram

A German message to Mexico encouraging an attack on the US, intercepted by the British.

President Woodrow Wilson

Leader of the US during World War I, who kept the nation out of war until 1917.

14 Points

A 14-point plan by Wilson for ending World War I, including arms limitations and the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization created to peacefully resolve disputes and avoid future conflicts.

armistice

A temporary truce between warring combatants for treaty negotiations.

Treaty of Versailles

The agreement that ended World War I, placing responsibility on Germany and imposing territorial and economic penalties.

Big Four

Britain, France, Italy, and the US along with their leaders at the Treaty of Versailles.

reparations

Money paid by the defeated to the victors after a war.

Russian Revolution of 1917

Began the overthrow of the Romanov monarchy and led to a communist government.

Provisional Government

The government established after the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917, losing public support.

Duma

The parliament of Russia.

Bolshevik

The early communist movement in Russia that eventually established the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik revolutionaries and the first ruler of the Soviet Union.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A harsh 1918 peace treaty between the Soviet government and the Central Powers.

Russian Civil War

A brutal civil war in Russia between communists and anti-communists.

Reds

Supporters of the communists during the Russian Civil War.

Whites

Opponents of the communists during the Russian Civil War.

Red Army

The military force that fought for the communists in the Russian Civil War.

Leon Trotsky

An early Bolshevik leader who organized the Red Army and later was assassinated under Stalin's orders.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin's economic reform to help Russia recover post World War I and Civil War.

kulaks

Wealthy Russian peasants who prospered under the NEP but were targeted by Stalin.

Josef Stalin

Bolshevik rival of Trotsky, ruled the Soviet Union from 1926 to 1953.

totalitarian

A government system where the state exerts total control over citizens' lives.

gulags

Brutal Soviet concentration camps where political dissidents were imprisoned.

Old Bolsheviks

Original Bolsheviks targeted by Stalin as political rivals.

Show Trials

Soviet courts used to publicly discredit political opponents.

counter-revolutionary

Any individual or action aimed at undoing a revolution.

5-Year Plans

Soviet economic plans aimed at rapid industrial and agricultural growth, often deemed failures.

collectivization of agriculture

The communist policy of seizing private farms and creating state-owned farms, leading to agricultural failure.