Untitled Flashcards Set

defensive alliance

A military alliance where each partner defends every other member if attacked.

Triple Alliance

A military defensive alliance between Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary, forged by Bismarck.

Triple Entente

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

Alsace – Lorraine

An historic region between France and Germany, ethnically German but controlled by France for centuries.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

A region in the Balkans populated by South Slavs, controlled by Austria-Hungary but desired by Serbia.

nationalism

An emotional political philosophy that glorifies the nation as the uniting bond for people of a specific background.

Archduke Francis-Ferdinand

Heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination triggered World War I.

“blank check”

A slang term meaning to give someone the power to do anything they want, originating from banking.

ultimatum

A final demand with a threat of further action if it is rejected.

mobilize

The government action to prepare military forces for active service, one step short of war.

von Schlieffen Plan

Germany's battle plan to win against France and Russia, calling for a quick attack on France.

two-front war

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

Allies

The side in World War I including Britain, France, and Russia, later joined by many nations.

Central Powers

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

poison gas

A devastating weapon used in World War I by both sides to break the stalemate.

U-Boat

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

HMS Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German submarine, causing over 1,100 civilian deaths.

reconnaissance

The action of observing the movements of an enemy.

dogfight

A term for aerial combat between fighter aircraft.

genocide

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

Armenian Genocide (1915 – 1917)

The first mass murder of the 20th century, resulting in the deaths of over 1.5 million Armenians.

total war

A conflict that impacts every aspect of a combatant's economy and population.

“Canary Girls”

Young women in the munitions industry whose skin turned yellow from sulfur exposure.

Easter Rebellion

An uprising by Irish nationalists against British rule during Easter Week in 1916.

unrestricted submarine war

German policy of sinking any vessel trading with Britain, pushing the US into the war.

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, he kept the nation neutral until 1917.

14 Points

Wilson's plan for peace, including arms limitations and the formation of a League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization aimed at resolving disputes and preventing future conflicts.

armistice

A temporary truce between warring parties while negotiating a treaty.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that ended World War I, blaming Germany and imposing harsh penalties.

Big Four

The leaders of the four major Allied nations: Britain, France, Italy, and the US.

reparations

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

Russian Revolution of 1917

Political upheaval leading to the overthrow of the tsarist monarchy and the rise of communism.

Provisional Government

The government established after the fall of Tsar Nicholas II, which failed to gain public support.

Duma

The parliament of Russia.

Bolshevik

The early name for the communist movement in Russia, leading to the Soviet state.

Vladimir Lenin

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

Petrograd

The wartime name of the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

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

Russian Civil War

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

Reds

Supporters of the communists in the Russian Civil War.

Whites

Opponents of the communists in the Russian Civil War.

Red Army

The military force fighting for the communists in the Russian Civil War.

Leon Trotsky

A leader of the Bolshevik revolution who organized the Red Army and later exiled.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

Lenin's reform policy aimed at economic recovery post-WWI and Civil War.

kulaks

Wealthy Russian peasants who owned land and prospered under the NEP.

Josef Stalin

Bolshevik leader who rose to power and ruled the Soviet Union.

totalitarian

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

gulags

Brutal Soviet concentration camps for political dissidents.

“politically incorrect”

Initially referred to official crimes in the Soviet Union for disagreeing with policies.

Old Bolsheviks

Original Bolsheviks who fought against the tsar and were targeted by Stalin.

Show Trials

Soviet courts used to publicly discredit perceived threats to Stalin.

counter-revolutionary

Actions or individuals attempting to reverse a revolution.

5-Year Plans

Ambitious Soviet economic plans aimed at rapid industrial and agricultural growth.

collectivization of agriculture

Communist policy of seizing farms to create large state-owned farms, often resulting in disaster.