Unit 3: American Imperialism & WW1

cultural superiority

the belief that one culture is more enlightened, advanced, civilized, or intelligent than another

Imperialism

A policy in which a strong nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, socially, and economically.

Motives for Imperialism

Political, economic, religious, military, social Darwinism

annexation

the adding of a region to the territory of an existing political unit

Spanish-American War

conflict between the United States and Spain in 1898 over Cuban independence

World War I

a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 1914 to 1918

economic prosperity

a period of national economic stability and growth that followed World War I

Isolationism

A national policy of avoiding involvement in world affairs

Neutrality

policy of supporting neither side in a war

Zimmerman Telegram

A telegram Germany Sent to Mexico to convince Mexico to attack the U.S.

Sinking of the Lusitania

Cruise ship that was sunk by German submarines and helped bring the US closer to involvement in WWI

Panama Canal

waterway dug across Panama to shorten the trip between the Atlantic and the Pacific

Yellow Journalism

type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting for the sake of attracting readers

Gunboat Diplomacy (Big Stick Diplomacy)

diplomacy in which the nations threaten to use force in order to obtain their objectives

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

A policy that the Germans announced on January 1917 which stated that their submarines would sink any ship in the British waters

Treaty of Versailles

Treaty particularly known for its harsh reparations towards the Germans after World War I.

14 points Plan

President Woodrow Wilson's plan for organizing post World War I Europe and for avoiding future wars.

League of Nations

An organization of nations formed after World War I to promote cooperation and peace.

Kellogg-Briand Pact

Agreement signed in 1928 in which nations agreed not to pose the threat of war against one another

Foreign Entanglements

alliances or involvements with other countries that lead to problems or conflicts.