World History Honors: WW1

Entente

a friendly understanding or informal alliance between states or factions.

The understanding between Britain and France was reached in 1904, forming the basis of Anglo-French cooperation in World War I.

Militarism

• A strong emphasis on military power, preparedness, and the use of force.

• A belief that military virtues (discipline, loyalty) are supreme ideals for the state.

• The military's influence extends into civilian life and institutions

Ex. Imperial Germany (Prussia) (late 19th/early 20th Century): Prussian military reforms made the army highly effective, and militaristic ideals became deeply intertwined with German nationalism, giving military elites significant power over the government.

Alsace and Lorraine

a historically contested territory in northeastern France, known for its blend of French and German cultures, famously changing hands between France and Germany after the Franco-Prussian War (becoming German as "Reichsland") and returning to France after WWI, then again after WWII, and now part of France's Grand Est region

Triple Alliance

a defensive pact between three major powers, most famously the one formed in 1882 by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, binding them to support each other if attacked by another country

Triple Entente

a pre-World War I agreement linking France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, forming a counterweight to the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and creating a powerful bloc that ultimately became the core of the Allied Powers in the war, driven by mutual concerns over German expansion

The Balkans

a large peninsula in Southeastern Europe, named after the Balkan Mountains, encompassing diverse countries like Greece, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and parts of Turkey, defined geographically by seas and rivers, historically by Ottoman rule, and culturally by shared complexities, though borders are debated

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia (r. 1888-1918), known for his militaristic ambition and aggressive foreign policies that fueled European tensions leading to World War I, ultimately forcing his abdication and exile after Germany's defeat, ending the German monarchy

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, acted as the immediate trigger for World War I, setting off a chain reaction of alliances and declarations of war across Europe. He was known for his reformist ideas, wanting to grant more autonomy to ethnic groups

Ultimatum

a final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or a breakdown in relations.

Austria-Hungary gives Serbia an Ultimatum after the assassination of Duke Ferdinand

Mobilize

(of a country or its government) prepare and organize (troops) for active service.

Neutrality

the state of not supporting or helping either side in a conflict, dispute, or argument, often involving impartiality, objectivity, and non-involvement, seen in nations avoiding war (like Switzerland), impartial referees in sports, or objective journalists

Schlieffen Plan

was Germany's pre-WWI strategy to avoid a two-front war by rapidly defeating France via a massive flanking invasion through neutral Belgium and the Netherlands, then quickly redeploying forces east against Russia, assuming Russia would be slow to mobilize.

Penny Press

was a 19th-century phenomenon that largely occurred before World War I (which began in 1914). By the time of WWI, the principles of mass-market, advertising-supported journalism established by the penny press were standard, but the specific "penny" pricing was less significant due to inflation and the general evolution of the newspaper business model. 

The Moroccan Crisis

(1905 & 1911) were pre-WWI international clashes over French influence in Morocco, primarily involving Germany challenging France, which ultimately strengthened the Anglo-French alliance (Entente Cordiale) and pushed Europe closer to war by increasing German isolation and military tension

Royal Navy

was the world's largest and most powerful naval force, responsible for protecting Britain's vital seaborne trade routes and implementing a naval blockade against the Central Powers

Imperial Navy

the Imperial German Navy (known in German as the Kaiserliche Marine), which was a key factor in the pre-war naval arms race with Britain and a significant, albeit strategically limited, force during the conflict

Dreadnought Battleships

a revolutionary class of warship from the early 20th century, characterized by an "all-big-gun" main armament of a uniform large caliber and steam turbine propulsion

“Song of the Germans”

a patriotic anthem whose third stanza is the current national anthem of Germany. During World War I, the entire three-stanza song was a popular patriotic anthem in the German Empire, though not the official national anthem at the time

“God save the King”

the British national anthem, functioning as a patriotic rallying cry and expression of loyalty, meaning "May God protect and preserve our King (George V)" and the nation, appearing on military items like rum ration tubs and symbolizing unity and divine favor for the war effort

La Petit Journal

one of France's four major daily newspapers, known for its sensationalist, highly patriotic reporting and vivid, often melodramatic illustrations that served as a form of wartime propaganda

Wehrpflicht/ “duty to defend”

to the principle of compulsory military service, commonly known as conscription or the draft, which was a cornerstone of the German military system during World War I

Stalemate

a deadlock on the Western Front where neither side could achieve a decisive breakthrough, leading to static front lines, horrific trench warfare, massive casualties, and little territorial gain despite huge battles

Trench Warfare

a brutal defensive tactic using complex, parallel ditches for protection, creating a stalemate on the Western Front where soldiers lived in horrific conditions (mud, rats, disease) amidst constant shelling, facing horrific casualties in small gains across "no man's land"

No Man’s Land

the deadly, desolate stretch of churned-up earth, filled with barbed wire, shell craters, mud, and corpses, situated between opposing armies' trenches, averaging about 250 yards wide on the Western Front, where soldiers risked instant death from machine guns, artillery, or snipers to cross

Poison Gas

a chemical weapon released as clouds or in shells to cause casualties by choking, blinding, or blistering troops, breaking the trench stalemate

Artillery

large-caliber military weapons (cannons, howitzers, and mortars) designed to fire explosive-filled projectiles over long distances, beyond the range of infantry small arms

Tanks

a tracked, armored fighting vehicle, developed to break the stalemate of trench warfare by crossing difficult terrain, crushing barbed wire, and providing mobile firepower against enemy machine-gun positions

zeppelins

a type of large, rigid, German-made airship used during World War I primarily for naval reconnaissance and the first strategic bombing campaigns against enemy cities and industrial targets

Flying Aces

a celebrated fighter pilot credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft, seen as modern-day chivalrous knights

U-Boats

German submarines used to attack Allied shipping, disrupting supply lines with torpedoes and deck guns

Convoys

a system where merchant ships traveled in large, organized groups, escorted by warships (like destroyers) to protect them from German U-boat attacks

Modern Warfare

the first major conflict to involve the application of industrial-age technology and the complete mobilization of national economies on an unprecedented scale

Chemical warfare-Gas (Chlorine, phosgene, mustard)

chemical warfare involved using toxic gases like chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas to terrorize, disable, and kill soldiers, often delivered via artillery shells, causing asphyxiation, severe blistering, and lung damage, turning battlefields into poisonous zones and leading to massive casualties, with mustard gas attacking skin and phosgene causing delayed, agonizing suffocation

Submarines

Stealthy underwater boats used to attack enemy surface ships, especially merchant vessels, using torpedoes to disrupt supply lines

Flamethrowers

a portable or static incendiary weapon designed to project a controllable jet of burning oil or thickened fuel over a distance to clear enemy trenches and fortifications

Barbed Wire

a dense, vicious obstacle of twisted wire with sharp points, used in massive entanglements to halt enemy advances, funnel them into "killing zones" for machine guns, protect trenches, and slow assaults, turning open ground into deadly traps where soldiers and horses got snagged

Gas Masks

essential protective breathing devices, evolving from simple chemical-soaked pads to sophisticated respirators with filter canisters, designed to shield soldiers from deadly poison gases

Antiseptics

An antiseptic is a chemical agent used to slow or stop the growth of infectious microorganisms on the outside of the body

Painkillers

to powerful analgesic drugs, primarily opioids, used to manage the intense physical pain from battlefield injuries

X-ray

a revolutionary medical diagnostic tool used to locate foreign objects like bullets and shrapnel, as well as diagnose bone fractures, within wounded soldiers' bodies

Trench Foot

a painful condition from prolonged exposure to cold, wet, unsanitary trench conditions, causing numbness, swelling, and tissue decay due to constricted blood flow, often leading to infection, gangrene, and amputation

Shell Shock

severe psychological trauma (now known as PTSD) from intense combat, causing symptoms like tremors, paralysis, confusion, panic, and memory loss, often mistaken initially for physical brain injury from shell blasts, but later recognized as a nervous breakdown from horror, exemplified by soldiers freezing, trembling uncontrollably, or becoming mute and unresponsive despite being physically unharmed

Railroad Network

was an interconnected system of rail lines used for the rapid, mass movement of troops, weapons, and supplies from factories and ports to the front lines

Tannenberg

a decisive German victory in early WWI, crushing Russia's Second Army through superior communication (intercepting uncoded Russian messages) and strategy, allowing Germany to focus on the West

Dardanelles

refers to a strategically vital, narrow waterway in Turkey (officially the Çanakkale Strait) and the location of a major, ultimately unsuccessful, Allied military operation known as the Dardanelles Campaign (or Gallipoli Campaign)

Lawrence of Arabia

Thomas Edward Lawrence, a British military intelligence officer, archaeologist, and author who became famous for his pivotal role in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I

Armenia Genocide

the systematic, state-sponsored mass murder and forced deportation of 1.5 million Armenians by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It is widely considered the first modern genocide

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

WWI novel and the ironic phrase describing the quiet days in brutal trench warfare, highlighting the disconnect between the front lines and official reports

“They Shall Not Grow Old”

Peter Jackson's acclaimed 2018 WWI documentary, using restored, colorized archival footage and veteran voices to show the real, human experience of young British soldiers, highlighting their daily life, camaraderie, and horrors, making them feel present and relatable rather than distant historical figures, and taking its title from a poem for the fallen, yet focusing on those who lived

Total War

a conflict involving all societal resources (military, economic, civilian) and blurring lines between home front/battlefield, using any means to defeat the enemy totally, not just militarily, through mass mobilization, propaganda, and targeting infrastructure/civilians, making it a nation's total effort for absolute victory

Concription

Draft

Defense of the Realm Act

passed in Britain in 1914 during World War I, granted the government sweeping powers to control daily life for national security, essentially allowing it to rule by decree, suspending some civil liberties to support the war effort. DORA enabled censorship, controlled industries, restricted public behavior (like banning bonfires or flying kites), limited pub hours, and even allowed for military trials for civilians, aiming to prevent invasion and maintain morale, though it later faced criticism for undermining freedoms

War Office Press Bureau

Britain's initial, centralized body (est. Aug 1914) for controlling war news, censoring military reports, appointing official "Eyewitness" journalists like Col. Swinton, and issuing controlled information to shape public opinion and maintain morale

Rationing

a government system to control scarce resources like food, fuel, and materials by limiting how much civilians and soldiers could buy or use, often with ration books/coupons, to ensure supplies for the military, prevent hoarding, and distribute essentials fairly, fostering shared sacrifice for the war effort

Propaganda

the deliberate use of media (posters, films, pamphlets) by governments to influence public opinion, shape perceptions of the enemy, encourage enlistment, sell war bonds, and rally support by appealing to emotions like patriotism, fear, and duty, making people think and act in ways that aligned with the state's wartime goals

The War Cabinet Committee on Women in Industry

a crucial 1917-1919 government body formed during WW1 to study and report on women's massive entry into traditionally male jobs, recommending equal pay for equal work but acknowledging perceived differences in output, influencing post-war labor policy and acknowledging women's vital but changing role in the workforce as the "second line of defense"

canaries

as the popular nickname given to British women who worked in munitions factories during the First World War. They were known as "canaries" because exposure to the toxic chemical trinitrotoluene (TNT), which they handled to fill shells, turned their skin, hair, and even the clothes they touched a distinct orange-yellow color

radium girls

young women factory workers, especially during WWI and the 1920s, who painted watch dials with luminous radium paint, licking brushes to fine points, but suffered fatal radiation poisoning (like "radium jaw," cancer, anemia) due to corporate negligence, leading to crucial lawsuits that established workers' compensation and OSHA regulations.

Home Front

refers to the civilian population and activities in a nation at war, supporting the military through things like war production (factories), rationing food, buying war bonds (Liberty Bonds), propaganda, and shifts in labor (women filling jobs left by men), all while dealing with government controls and sacrifices to keep the country running and morale high

National Women’s Party

a radical suffrage organization that used militant tactics like protests, picketing the White House (Silent Sentinels), and hunger strikes during World War I to demand a federal amendment for women's right to vote

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's policy of sinking any vessel, including civilian and neutral ships, in declared war zones without warning, using U-boats to cut off supplies to Britain

Zimmerman Telegram

was a secret German diplomatic communication in WW1 (1917) proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S., promising Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona back to Mexico if the U.S. entered the war, which, when intercepted and decoded by Britain, outraged Americans and was a key factor in the U.S. declaring war on Germany, shifting WW1's balance

Woodrow Wilson

his presidency as leading America into the "war to end all wars" to make the world "safe for democracy," transitioning from neutrality to intervention after German submarine warfare, and advocating for a new world order through his Fourteen Points, emphasizing self-determination and international cooperation via the League of Nations, shaping modern global diplomacy despite the Senate's rejection of the League

Fourteen Points

The Fourteen Points were U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's 1918 proposal for a just and lasting peace after World War I, outlining principles like free trade, self-determination, disarmament, and ending secret treaties, with the crucial 14th point calling for a League of Nations to guarantee global security, serving as a blueprint for post-war peace negotiations

Self-determination

the principle, championed by President Woodrow Wilson, that peoples of a nation or ethnicity had the right to freely choose their own political status and form their own sovereign states, free from external control

Armistice

was a formal agreement between warring sides, like the one signed with Germany on November 11, 1918, to halt fighting and allow for peace negotiations, effectively ending hostilities on the Western Front and leading towards the Treaty of Versailles, marking a shift from combat to political resolution

Pandemic/Influenza

a devastating global outbreak of a novel H1N1 virus during World War I, infecting a third of the world's population, killing 50-100 million people

Reparations

massive payments and obligations imposed on Germany by the Allies via the Treaty of Versailles (1919) to cover war damages

Radicals

were seen as extreme political agitators, often socialists, anarchists, or anti-war figures, who challenged the status quo, demanded fundamental societal change (like workers' rights or anti-capitalism), and opposed the war, leading to government suppression, especially in the US via the Red Scare, following the Bolshevik Revolution and fears of revolutionary ideas spreading.