World War I Key Terms and Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, acts, and events from World War I.

League of Nations

An international organization created after World War I to maintain world peace and prevent future wars, which the United States never joined.

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

The American troops sent to fight in World War I, led by General John J. Pershing and commonly called "Doughboys."

Selective Service Act

A 1917 law that established the military draft and required eligible men to register for military service.

The Great Migration

The movement of many African Americans from the rural South to Northern cities during and after World War I in search of jobs and better opportunities.

Sedition Act

A 1918 law that made it illegal to criticize the government, Constitution, military, or war effort during World War I.

Wobblies

The nickname for members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a labor union that opposed the war and criticized wealthy business owners.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

A government agency created by President Wilson to build public support for World War I through propaganda, including posters, speeches, films, and newspapers.

Neutrality

A policy of not taking sides in a war or conflict, which President Wilson wanted the United States to maintain at the beginning of World War I to stay out of European affairs.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne whose assassination in 1914 helped trigger the start of World War I.

Glen Curtiss

An American aviation pioneer whose company built aircraft for the U.S. military and helped advance naval aviation before World War I.

Internationalists

Senate Democrats who supported the Treaty of Versailles and believed the United States should take an active role in world affairs by joining the League of Nations.

Battle of Argonne Forest

The final major American offensive of World War I, led by General John J. Pershing, which helped weaken the Central Powers and contributed to the Allied victory.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that officially ended World War I, which created the League of Nations, placed blame on Germany, required Germany to pay reparations, and was rejected by the U.S. Senate.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

Germany's policy of using submarines to sink enemy and neutral ships without warning, including ships like the Lusitania.

Wilson's Fourteen Points

President Woodrow Wilson's plan for achieving lasting peace after World War I, including self-determination and the creation of the League of Nations.

Schenck v. United States

A Supreme Court case that ruled free speech can be limited during wartime if it creates a "clear and present danger" to the nation.

Militarism

The belief that a country should build up and maintain a strong military and be prepared for war; one of the causes of World War I.

War Industries Board (WIB)

A government agency created in 1917 to coordinate the production and distribution of war materials and supplies for the military.

Irreconcilables

A group of Republican senators who completely opposed the Treaty of Versailles and refused to support it under any conditions.

Zimmermann Note

A secret telegram from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance against the United States, which helped increase American support for entering World War I.

Central Powers

The World War I alliance made up mainly of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Allied Powers

The alliance during World War I that included Great Britain, France, Russia, and later the United States.

Reservationists

Senators led by Henry Cabot Lodge who wanted changes or reservations added to the Treaty of Versailles before approving it, especially regarding the League of Nations.

Sussex Pledge

A promise by Germany to stop attacking passenger and merchant ships without warning after pressure from the United States.