Untitled Flashcards Set

defensive alliance

A military alliance where each partner is pledged to defend every other member should any be attacked by another nation.

Triple Alliance

A military defensive alliance among Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary, forged by Bismarck, lasting until the start of World War I in 1914.

Triple Entente

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

Alsace – Lorraine

An historic region between France and Germany, ethnically German but under French control for centuries, fought over for decades.

nationalism

An emotional political philosophy glorifying the nation as the most fundamental human bond uniting people of a specific background to their land.

Archduke Francis-Ferdinand

Heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary whose assassination by Serbian nationalists triggered World War I.

“blank check”

A slang phrase meaning to give someone the power to do anything they want, originating from a banking term for a signed check.

ultimatum

A final demand or list of demands with the threat of further action if rejected.

mobilize

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

von Schlieffen Plan

A German military plan designed to win a war against both France and Russia by quickly defeating France while Russia mobilized.

two-front war

A conflict fought in two distinct regions, forcing a combatant to divide their forces.

Allies

One side in World War I, consisting of Britain, France, and Russia, later joined by dozens of other nations.

Central Powers

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

poison gas

A devastating weapon used in World War I to break the stalemate on the Western Front, with Mustard Gas and Chlorine Gas being common types.

U-Boat

The German term for a submarine, first used on a large scale during World War I.

HMS Lusitania

A British luxury ocean liner sunk by a German submarine in May 1915, killing over 1,100 civilians, including 120 Americans.

reconnaissance

The action of observing the movements and actions of an enemy.

dogfight

Combat between two or more airplanes.

genocide

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

Armenian Genocide (1915 – 1917)

Considered the first mass murder of the 20th century, where over 1,500,000 Armenian Christians were killed by the Ottoman Empire.

total war

A conflict that impacts every part of a combatant’s economy, resources, and population.

“Canary Girls”

A British nickname for 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, crushed by the British.

unrestricted submarine war

German policy of using U-Boats to sink any vessel trading with Britain, contributing to US entry into the war.

Zimmermann Telegram

A message from Germany to Mexico encouraging it to attack the US, intercepted by the British.

President Woodrow Wilson

Leader of the US during World War I who kept the nation neutral until 1917.

14 Points

A 14-point plan by President Wilson to end World War I, proposing arms limitations, the formation of a League of Nations, and more.

League of Nations

An international organization created to peacefully resolve disputes and avoid future conflicts.

armistice

A temporary truce between warring parties while a treaty is negotiated.

Treaty of Versailles

The agreement ending World War I, holding Germany solely responsible and imposing territorial and reparative penalties.

Big Four

Nickname for the four major Allied nations (Britain, France, Italy, US) and their leaders during the peace negotiations.

reparations

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

Russian Revolution of 1917

A crucial political event leading to the overthrow of the Romanov monarchy and the establishment of the first communist government.

Provisional Government

The new government established after the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II, led by Prince Lvov and Alexander Kerensky.

Duma

The parliament of Russia.

Bolshevik

An early name for the communist movement in Russia, leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union.

Vladimir Lenin

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

Petrograd

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

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

A harsh 1918 peace treaty negotiated by the Soviet government, forcing substantial territorial concessions to Germany.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

A region in the Balkan Peninsula that is populated by South Slavs

(Bosnians, Serbs, and Croats). Austria-Hungary controlled the region,

but Serbia was determined to gain control of the area.