Chapter 21 - World War 1 & Its Aftermath

Kaiser Wilhelm II

The last German Emperor who reigned from 1888 to 1918, leading Germany in WW1. He focused on German expansion, planting colonies around the globe and attempting to build a German Navy to rival the British Navy..

Triple Entente

A military alliance formed between France, Russia, and Great Britain before World War I, aimed at countering the threat posed by the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

WW1 Ally Powers

The coalition of nations that opposed the Central Powers during WW1, starting with the Triple Entente: France, Great Britain, and Russia. Later joined by the U.S., Italy, and Japan.

WW1 Central Powers

The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during WW1, opposing the Allied Powers. They sought to expand their territories and influence through military aggression.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand Assassination (June 26, 1914)

A pivotal event that triggered WW1: a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heirs to the throne on June 28, 1914. His death led to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia, which escalated into a broader conflict involving many nations.

America’s Foreign Policy of Neutrality

Woodrow Wilson’s approach to avoid political and military involvement in international conflicts before WW1, after the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, instead focusing on U.S. industrial economy and internal developments. However, the U.S .had stronger economic ties with Allied powers.

National Defense Act (1916)

Federal law passed in 1916 that expanded and modernized the military forces, establishing a national defense framework and furthering the National Guard’s powers previously established in the Davis Act (1908) in anticipation of potential involvement in World War I.

The Naval Act (1916)

1916 legislation to fund the construction of new battleships and cruisers, endorsed by President Wilson, aimed to expand the U.S. Navy's supremacy, enhancing national security and demonstrating American naval power amid growing global tensions.

Pancho Villa

Mexican revolutionary leader, conducted raids into the U.S., notably attacking Columbus, New Mexico,1916, prompting U.S. military intervention. Motorized vehicles, wireless telegraphs, and the 100,000 National Guardsmen mobilized aided in General Pershing’s expedition to capture Villa.

War Declared Throughout Europe (Summar 1914)

After assassination of the Archduke, Austria secured aid from its ally, Germany. On July 28, 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia for failure to meet its 10 demands. To protect Serbia, Russia began to mobilize its armed forces. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia to protect Austria

Schlieffen Plan & Britian Entering WW1 (Aug 1914)

German military strategy to take advantage of Russia's sluggish mobilization by focusing forces on France, avoiding a two-front war by rapidly invading through Belgium. Violation of Belgian neutrality led Great Britain to declare war on Germany on August 4, 1914.

Zimmermann Telegram (January 1917)

Secret diplomatic communication sent by Germany to Mexico in January 1917, proposing a military alliance against the U.S. in exchange for the restoration of territories lost in the Mexican-American War. Mexico declined, but the telegram provoked outrage in the U.S.

U.S. Congress Declares War On Germany (April 4, 1917)

Germany attempted to cut off supplies from the Allies through submarine warfare, attacking 1000+ U.S. ships. Coupled with the Zimmermann Telegram, the U.S. Congress declared war on Germany on April 4, 1917, marking its official entry into World War I.

Selective Service Act (May 1917)

Legislation that authorized the federal government to raise an army through compulsory enlistment of men (21-30), aimed at boosting U.S. military forces during World War I, which was previously unprepared for modern war.

Race & America’s Armed Forces

Racial attitudes mandated racial segregation of soldiers to different units. Black leaders viewed service as an opportunity to demonstrate the ability of Black men to assume the responsibilities of citizens. However, Black soldiers were assigned to labor roles instead of combat.

Women & The War Effort

Women played crucial roles in the workforce and military support during World War I, stepping into traditionally male jobs, contributing to war-related industries, leading volunteer workforces, and serving in auxiliary, clerical, and nursing roles in the military.

Creel Committee

Committee on Public Information, a government agency led by George Creel, sought to inspire public support for WW1 military engagement through propaganda, using media to incite anti-German sentiment and hyper-patriotism.

Espionage Act (1917)

1917 Legislation that imposed severe penalties for acts of espionage and interference with military operations during WW1: limiting freedom of speech and allowing the prosecution, imprisonment, and fines of dissenters.

Sedition Act (1918)

1918 Legislation that expanded the Espionage Act to impose harsher penalties for speech and actions deemed disloyal or abusive towards the U.S. government during WW1, further restricting free expression.

Tsar Nicholas II Russian Regime Collapse (March 1917)

The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in March 1917 marked the collapse of the Russian monarchy. Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik communist party came to power, and Russia soon surrendered to Germany, allowing German forces to fight a one-front war.

Kaiserschlacht Campaign (March 1918)

A series of 5 German offensives launched in March 1918 aimed at breaking the stalemate on the Western Front during WW1. But by July 1918, each attack had failed, exhausting Germany’s military effort.

Ally Counteroffensives To Kasierschlacht (August 1918)

Series of successful attacks from the coalition of American, British, and French armies in August of 1918, pushing back the disintegrating German forces across France, leading to Kasie Wilhelm II abdicating the throne of Germany, and subsequent Armistice (ceasefire).

Armistice (November 11, 1918)

The ceasefire agreement signed on November 11, 1918, that ended the fighting in WW1, formalizing the cessation of hostilities between the Allies and the new weak German democratic government. German forces withdrew from France and Belgium.

The Flu Pandemic (1918-1919)

Global outbreak of influenza that occurred after WW1, killing an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide. It spread rapidly across military training camps and impacted both soldiers returning home and civilian populations.

Treaty of Versailles (June 1919)

1919 peace treaty that formally ended WW1, establishing the League of Nations, and forcing Germany to accept the guilt clause, pay massive reparations, cede territories and colonies, and disarm its military.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

Wilson’s blueprint for peace to end WW1 included no secret treaties, free trade, arms reduction, self-determination, the redrawing of European borders, territorial restoration of Belgium, France, and Russia, and the creation of the League of Nations.

The League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded after WW1 to promote international peace, political independence to all member nations, and collective security; an attack on one member is an attack on all. The U.S. Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and join the League.

Treaty of Sevres (August 1920)

Peace treaty that ended hostilities between the Allied Powers and Ottoman Empire, dividng the Empire into several nations. Reducing Turkey, France took Syria, Britain took Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan. New nations of Yemen and the Kingdom of Hejaz (eventually became Saudi Arabia).

Red Summer (April-October 1919)

Racial riots and violent clashes in over 25 U.S cities, notably in Chicago and Washington, D.C., characterized by white mobs attacking Black communities, were spurred by post-war tensions, economic competition, and the Great Migration.

Great Migration

During WW1, thousands of Black Americans fled poverty-stricken Jim Crow South to Northern industrial cities to fill draft labor shortages, seeking economic opportunities. Racial conflicts rose when white veterans returned and fought to reclaim their jobs and neighborhoods.

Post-War Black Freedom Sentiment

While white Americans desired a return to the racial status quo, Many Black Americans who fled the Jim Crow South and fought for the U.S. did not accept post-war racism. They fought harder for equal rights, democracy, and social justice.

The First Red Scare (1919-1920)

Period of intense anti-communism and fear of radical political movements in the U.S. following WW1, fueled by the communist Bolshevik Russian Revolution, leading to government crackdowns on perceived threats from socialists and anarchists.

WW1 Empire Extinction

WW1 effectively led to the destruction of the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian Empires, resulting in significant political, social, and territorial changes across Europe and the Middle East.

WW1 Long-Term Global Shift

The end of WW1 did not create peace. It led to economic instability, the great depression, redrawing of borders without regard for ethnic lines, and the birth of ideologies like fascism and communist Bolshevism. The war would shape future conflicts, including WWII and the Cold War.

WW1 Long-Term Impact on the U.S.

With new nationalist passions, American attitudes toward radicalism, dissent, and immigration were poisoned. After fighting on the European mainland as a major power, the U.S.’s global role was forever changed, despite its attempted return to isolationism.