ww1

Franz Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria-Hungary whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I.

Triple Alliance

Pre-WWI alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

Triple Entente

Alliance between France, Russia, and Britain, countering the Triple Alliance.

Allied Powers

WWI alliance of Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and later the US.

Central Powers

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

Von Schlieffen Plan

German war strategy to quickly defeat France, then turn to Russia.

Belgium

Neutral country invaded by Germany in 1914, drawing Britain into the war.

US Neutrality

Policy of the US remaining neutral early in WWI until entering in 1917.

William Jennings Bryan

US Secretary of State who resigned over Wilson's handling of German submarine warfare.

Submarine Warfare

Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine attacks, escalating tensions with the US.

Gallipoli

Failed 1915 Allied campaign to open a supply route to Russia via the Dardanelles.

Somme

A deadly 1916 battle on the Western Front, notable for the first use of tanks.

Marne

Key battles (1914 and 1918) stopping German advances into France.

Verdun

Intense 1916 battle where French forces defended against a German offensive.

Zimmermann Telegram

Secret German proposal to Mexico to join the Central Powers if the US entered the war.

Lenin

Bolshevik leader who led the 1917 Russian Revolution and withdrew Russia from WWI.

War Industries Board

US agency that coordinated war material production during WWI.

Committee on Public Information

US agency to influence public opinion in support of the war, led by George Creel.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities for wartime jobs.

Boll Weevil

Insect that damaged Southern cotton crops, influencing African Americans to move North.

Schenck v. US

Supreme Court case upholding restrictions on free speech in wartime under 'clear and present danger.'

Sedition and Espionage Acts

Laws that criminalized anti-war actions and speech, often used to suppress dissent.

Peace Without Victory

Wilson’s idea for a fair peace settlement without punishing any nation.

14 Points

Wilson’s peace plan proposing self-determination, free trade, and the League of Nations.

Treaty of Versailles

Treaty that ended WWI, imposing harsh reparations and territorial losses on Germany.

Irreconcilables, Reservationists, Internationalists

US Senate factions debating the Treaty of Versailles: irreconcilables opposed, reservationists wanted changes, internationalists supported it.

Reparations

Financial payments imposed on Germany to compensate the Allies for war damages.

War Guilt Clause

Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles, placing sole blame for the war on Germany.

Influenza

The 1918 flu pandemic that killed millions worldwide, worsening the effects of WWI.

Bolsheviks

Revolutionary group led by Lenin that established a communist government in Russia after the 1917 revolution.