World War I and Its Aftermath – HIST 1051 Unit 4

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing major terms, events, laws, and figures from WWII and its aftermath as covered in HIST 1051 Unit 4.

U.S. Neutrality (1914 – 1917)

Initial American policy of staying out of World War I while trading heavily with the Allied Powers.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

German naval strategy of sinking ships without warning; key factor drawing the U.S. into WWI.

Lusitania (1915)

British passenger ship sunk by Germany, killing 128 Americans and shifting U.S. opinion toward war.

Sussex Pledge (1916)

German promise to limit submarine warfare, later broken in 1917, angering the U.S.

Zimmerman Telegram (1917)

Secret German proposal urging Mexico to join the war against the U.S. in exchange for lost territories.

Russian Revolution (1917)

Overthrow of the tsar, making the Allied side appear more democratic to Americans.

Selective Service Act (1917)

U.S. law that instituted the draft, mobilizing millions of soldiers for WWI.

War Industries Board (WIB)

Government agency that directed industrial production and allocation of raw materials during WWI.

Food Administration

Agency led by Herbert Hoover to conserve food and boost agricultural output for the war effort.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

Government propaganda arm that promoted the war and stifled dissent at home.

Espionage Act (1917)

Law criminalizing interference with military operations or recruitment during WWI.

Sedition Act (1918)

Extended the Espionage Act, banning disloyal or critical speech about the government or war.

Eugene V. Debs

Socialist leader jailed under the Espionage Act for an antiwar speech in 1918.

American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)

U.S. troops commanded by General John J. Pershing during WWI.

Meuse-Argonne Offensive (1918)

Major Allied attack featuring U.S. forces; helped bring WWI to an end.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

President Wilson’s blueprint for postwar peace, including self-determination and a League of Nations.

League of Nations

International organization proposed by Wilson to resolve conflicts; U.S. never joined.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

Peace treaty that blamed Germany, imposed reparations, and partially adopted Wilson’s ideas.

Senate Rejection of Treaty

U.S. Senate’s refusal to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, keeping America out of the League.

Return to “Normalcy”

Harding’s 1920 campaign slogan favoring isolationism and pro-business policies.

1918 Influenza Pandemic

Global flu outbreak that killed over 675,000 Americans during and after WWI.

First Red Scare (1919-1920)

Widespread fear of communism leading to civil-liberty violations and mass arrests.

Palmer Raids

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer’s mass arrests and deportations of suspected radicals.

Sacco and Vanzetti Trial

Controversial 1920s case highlighting anti-immigrant sentiment and due-process concerns.

18th Amendment (1920)

Constitutional amendment establishing Prohibition in the United States.

Prohibition

Nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages (1920-1933).

19th Amendment (1920)

Amendment granting women the right to vote in all U.S. elections.

Debs’ Speech (1918)

Antiwar address in Canton, Ohio, that led to Eugene V. Debs’ arrest under the Espionage Act.

Harding’s “Return to Normalcy” Speech

1920 address promising a retreat from internationalism and progressive reform after WWI.