Chapter 20: The Great War Study Guide

Nobel Peace Prize

Established by Alfred Nobel to recognize those who furthered the cause of world peace.

Germany & Italy

Two countries eager to prove their new national strength by acquiring territory in Africa and Asia.

Wilhelm II

The German emperor who fired Bismarck and ruled Germany until his abdication in 1918.

Nationalism

Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

Allied Powers

The alliance of France, Great Britain, Russia, the United States, and Italy during WWI.

Bismarck's System

The system of German alliances created to prevent French attack and maintain balance of power.

Andrew Carnegie

The American steel manufacturer who funded the Peace Palace at the Hague.

Triple Alliance

The pre-WWI anti-French coalition of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Triple Entente

The pre-WWI agreement between Britain, France, and Russia.

Belgium & Great Britain

Belgium's neutrality was violated by the Germans as they invaded France, leading Great Britain to declare war on Germany.

Schlieffen Plan

The name of the German war plan to attack France.

Paul von Hindenburg

The German general who led the German army against Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg.

Franz Ferdinand

The individual assassinated on June 28, 1914, leading to the outbreak of WWI.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Verdun & Somme

Two major battles on the Western Front during WWI, where nothing was gained.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German U-boat, significant in bringing the U.S. into war.

Unrestricted submarine warfare

The German policy in WWI of using U-boats to sink all vessels in designated war zones.

John J Pershing

The leader of the American Expeditionary Force in WWI.

Ferdinand Foch

The commander of the Allied powers in France during WWI.

Nicholas II

The Russian czar who abdicated in 1917, leading to a communist takeover.

Fritz Haber

The individual who headed the German gas warfare program during WWI.

Battle of Jutland

The naval battle between Germany and Britain that ended German naval aspirations in WWI.

Battle of Gallipoli

The battle where the British-led invasion of the Ottoman Empire ended in defeat.

Q-ships

Disguised British merchant ships carrying guns used to attack U-boats.

Zeppelins

Long, slender airships similar to modern blimps, used for bombing raids.

Vladimir Lenin

The leader of the new Soviet government after the October Revolution in Russia.

Brest-Litovsk

The treaty between Russia and Germany that pulled Russia out of WWI.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty signed in 1919 that formally ended WWI between Germany and the Allied Powers.

St. Germain

The treaty signed by Austria and the Allied Powers.

Anschluss

The political unification of Germany and Austria that was banned by the Treaty of Versailles.

War Guilt Clause

The part of the Treaty of Versailles that placed the blame for WWI on Germany.

League of Nations

The post-World War I international organization that sought to guarantee international cooperation and achieve international peace and security.

Armistice Day

The day when hostilities ended between Germany and the Allied powers in WWI, at 11:00 a.m. on November 11th, 1918.