World War I Review

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and events related to World War I, organized for effective study and review.

MANIA

A mnemonic acronym for the causes of World War I: Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination.

Militarism

The belief in building up strong armed forces to prepare for war.

Alliances

Agreements between nations to support each other in case of conflict.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one’s country.

Imperialism

The policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization.

Assassination

The murder of a prominent person for political reasons.

Triple Alliance

Military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy before World War I.

Triple Entente

The alliance formed between France, Britain, and Russia before World War I.

Balkans

The region in Southeast Europe known for its nationalistic movements and conflicts before WWI.

Pan-Slavism

A movement aimed at uniting all Slavic peoples under one political and cultural entity.

Sarajevo

The capital of Bosnia where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

His assassination in Sarajevo triggered the outbreak of World War I.

Gavrilo Princip

The assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, part of the Black Hand organization.

Black Hand

A secret society in Serbia that aimed to create a Greater Serbia.

Blank Check

Germany's unconditional support to Austria-Hungary regarding actions against Serbia.

Mobilization

The act of assembling and preparing troops for war.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy to invade France through Belgium in WWI.

Trench Warfare

A type of combat in which opposing troops fight from trenches facing each other.

Stalemate

A situation in which neither side in a conflict can gain an advantage.

Lusitania

A British ocean liner sunk by a German U-boat leading to U.S. involvement in WWI.

U-boat

German submarines used during WWI to enforce blockades.

Chemical warfare

The use of chemical agents as weapons during conflicts.

Christmas Truce

A temporary ceasefire on Christmas Eve 1914 between German and British soldiers.

Armenian Genocide

The mass extermination of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during WWI.

Gallipoli Invasion

A failed Allied campaign to control the sea route to Russia.

Second Battle of Ypres

An important WWI battle marking the first large-scale use of poison gas.

Mustard gas

A chemical warfare agent used extensively in WWI causing severe blisters.

Allied Powers

The coalition of countries including France, Britain, Russia, and later the U.S. during WWI.

Central Powers

The alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria in WWI.

Balkan Wars

Two conflicts in the early 1910s that led to increased tensions before WWI.

Naval race

The competition between Britain and Germany to build powerful navies before WWI.

Colonial rivalry

The competition for overseas colonies between European powers contributing to tensions.

Alsace-Lorraine

A territory taken from France by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War.

Battle of the Somme

A major WWI battle known for its massive loss of life and trench warfare.

Battle of Verdun

One of the longest battles during WWI, symbolizing French determination.

Battle of Tannenberg

A significant battle on the Eastern Front wherein German forces defeated the Russians.

Censorship

The suppression of speech or public communication that may be considered objectionable.

No-Man’s Land

The territory between opposing trenches, dangerous and often deadly.

Censorship officers

Individuals responsible for reviewing and censoring letters sent home by soldiers.

Propaganda

Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause.

Battle plans

Strategies devised for military engagement between opposing forces.

Casualties

Soldiers who are killed, wounded, or missing in action.

Ultimatum

A final demand or statement of terms, the rejection of which could result in war.

Militarization

The process of equipping and training military forces in preparation for conflict.

Peace treaties

Formal agreements to end conflicts, often requiring reparations or concessions.

Ethnic tensions

Conflicts arising from differences among various ethnic groups.

Russian Revolution

The series of revolutions in Russia that led to the rise of the Soviet Union.

Doughboys

American soldiers in WWI.

Home front

The civilian sector of a nation at war, involved in supporting military operations.

War guilt clause

A provision in the Treaty of Versailles assigning blame for the war to Germany.

Reparations

Payments made by a country to compensate for damage caused during a conflict.

Isolationism

A foreign policy stance of remaining apart from the affairs of other countries.

Communism

A political theory advocating for a classless society and collective ownership of property.

Fourteen Points

A statement of principles for peace proposed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.

League of Nations

An intergovernmental organization founded after WWI to promote peace.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that brought WWI to an end and imposed heavy reparations on Germany.