WWI (1914-1918)

pg 14-15

Militarism

Nations built large armies to help them secure their empires.

Alliances

European nations signed secret treaties with each other that created a system of alliances.

imperialism

Competition between European countries to create empires

Nationalism

Strong feelings of pride for one's country.

1914

World War I begins in Europe

1918

The Allies win WWI when Germany surrenders

1917

The United States enters WWI on the Allied side

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Archduke of Austria Hungary Assassinated by a Serbian in 1914. His murder was one of the Causes of World War I.

Woodrow Wilson

President of the United States during World War I. Wilson wanted to fight the war "to make the world safe for Democracy."

Gen. John Pershing

The commander of the AEF (American Expeditionary Force) during World War I. Under his leadership, American forces helped end the stalemate and led the Allies to Victory.

Henry Cabot Lodge

U.S. Senator who opposed the League of Nations

Allied powers

• Great Britain

• France

• Russia/U.S. (US after Russia left the war)

Central Powers

• Germany

• Austria-Hungary

• The Ottoman Empire

Close Ties with the Allies

Americans and British spoke the same language. We shared the notion of democracy. Many Americans traced their ancestry to Great Britain.

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

German policy of sinking any ships in the water, including merchant and passenger ships;

Lusitania

British passenger ship that was destroyed by a German submarine. 128 Americans were

killed.

Zimmerman Note

Telegram sent by Germany, proposing that Mexico ally itself with Germany if the United States entered the war. In return, Mexico would receive land that it had lost to the United States.

Trench Warfare

Opposing sides attack from ditches instead of on an open battlefield.

New weapons introduced during the war

machine guns, poison gas, u-boats, tanks, and airplane warfare or "dog fighting."

Stalemate

A situation where neither side can gain an advantage in combat.

Alvin York

conscientious objector who ended up a war hero and received the Congressional Medal of Honor

Liberty Bonds

funded the war

Espionage and Sedition Acts

crime to speak out against the war

Wilson's Fourteen Points

Wilson's proposal for peace after WWI; called for freedom of the seas, ending secret treaties, a League of Nations (14" point: help solve disputes between countries) and other peaceful measures. The United States did not join due to fears of being pulled into another international war.

Treaty of Versailles

Ended WWI; blamed Germany for WWI and handed down harsh punishment. The treatment of Germany in the treaty helped lead to the rise of Adolf Hitler and WWII. U.S. did not ratify the treaty. Instead, the U.S. signed a separate agreement