WWI Vocabulary Review

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to WWI for study and exam preparation.

Bismarckian System of Alliances

A diplomatic framework developed by Otto von Bismarck to maintain peace and balance of power among European nations.

Balkans

A region in Southeast Europe known for its historic ethnic conflicts and strategic importance.

Great Powers

The most influential nations in international affairs, typically including Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and later America.

WWI Alliance System

The complex web of alliances that divided European nations into two main factions: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.

Industrialized Warfare

A form of warfare characterized by the use of industrialized technology and methods, resulting in mass casualties and widespread destruction.

Total War

A military strategy that involves engaging and mobilizing entire nations and economies to support war efforts.

Paris Peace Conference

The meeting of Allied powers after WWI to negotiate peace treaties and establish the post-war order.

Wilsonian Idealism

A foreign policy approach advocated by President Woodrow Wilson emphasizing democracy, self-determination, and international cooperation.

Successor States

Newly formed nations that emerged from the dissolution of empires after WWI, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Yugoslavia.

Congress of Berlin, 1878

A diplomatic meeting aimed at reorganizing territories in the Balkans and addressing the Eastern Question.

Bosnian Crisis, 1908-09

A diplomatic conflict arising from Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which heightened tensions with Serbia.

League of Nations

An international organization founded after WWI to promote peace and cooperation but ultimately failed to prevent further conflicts.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that formally ended WWI, imposing heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

War Guilt Clause

A provision in the Treaty of Versailles that assigned sole blame for WWI to Germany, justifying reparations.

Weimar Republic

The democratic government established in Germany after WWI, marked by political instability and economic challenges.

Soviets

Workers' councils that played a key role in the Russian Revolution and later became the governing bodies in the Soviet Union.

Provisional Government

The temporary government established in Russia after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II in 1917.

Bolshevik Revolution

The 1917 uprising led by the Bolsheviks, resulting in the overthrow of the Provisional Government and establishment of Soviet control.

Russian Civil War

A multi-party conflict from 1917 to 1922 between the Red Army (Bolsheviks) and various anti-Bolshevik forces.

Vladimir Lenin

Leader of the Bolshevik Party and key figure in the Russian Revolution who established the Soviet state.

First and Second Balkan Wars (1912, 1913)

Conflicts in the Balkans that resulted in territorial changes and increased tensions among Balkan nations.

Fashoda Crisis

A standoff between Britain and France in 1898 over imperial ambitions in Africa, reflecting colonial rivalries.

Moroccan Crises

Diplomatic incidents in the early 20th century where Germany challenged French influence in Morocco, escalating tensions.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's military strategy for a quick victory in WWI by invading France through Belgium before turning to Russia.

WWI new technologies

Advancements in warfare during WWI, including machine guns, barbed wire, submarines, airplanes, poison gas, and tanks.

Easter Rebellion (Ireland)

A nationalist uprising in 1916 aiming for Irish independence from British rule.

Armenian Genocide

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

Mandate System

The system of administering territories formerly held by Germany and the Ottoman Empire after WWI under the League of Nations.

Dissolution of Austria-Hungary

The breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into several independent states following its defeat in WWI.

Brest-Litovsky Treaty

The peace treaty signed in 1918 between Bolshevik Russia and the Central Powers, ending Russia's involvement in WWI.

February Revolution

The 1917 uprising in Russia that led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the establishment of a Provisional Government.

Mensheviks

A faction of the Russian socialist movement that opposed the Bolsheviks and favored a more gradual approach to revolution.

Bolsheviks

The radical socialist faction led by Lenin that seized power in Russia during the October Revolution.

October Revolution

The 1917 revolution that led to the Bolsheviks taking control of the Russian government, establishing Soviet rule.