US Imperialism and World War I

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering United States imperialism and involvement in World War I.

Imperialism

A policy under which a stronger nation attempts to dominate a weaker country, sell its products to a weaker country, or create an empire.

Spanish-American War

A conflict that occurred when the Spanish sank two American ships in the Pacific; it was described as a "splendid little war" because it lasted only 16 weeks, resulted in relatively few American deaths, and yielded significant territorial gains.

Treaty of Paris (1899)

The agreement through which the United States obtained some form of control over Panama, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Monroe Doctrine

A policy exemplified when the United States insisted that Great Britain submit a boundary dispute with Venezuela to arbitration.

Roosevelt Corollary

A foreign policy stance asserting that the United States would use force to prevent intervention in neighboring countries.

Panama Canal

A waterway built to facilitate travel between Atlantic and Pacific ports.

Dollar Diplomacy

The foreign policy efforts of the Taft administration to gain the support of small Latin American countries through economic investment and paying off their debts.

Midway Islands

Islands annexed by the United States to establish a naval refueling and repair station in the Pacific.

Open Door Policy

A foreign policy concerning imperialism in the Pacific created by Secretary of State John Hay.

Total war

A type of warfare in which nations dedicate all their resources to the conflict.

Powder keg of Europe

A nickname for the Balkans before World War I, given because of intense nationalistic and imperialistic rivalries.

Communism

The economic system established in the Soviet Union following the Russian Revolution, led by Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

Poison gas

A new weapon introduced during World War I that causes blindness, blisters, and choking.

Neutrality

The official policy that kept the United States out of World War I for 3 years.

Conscientious objectors

Individuals assigned noncombatant service during wartime in order to balance individual rights with the common good.

Lusitania

A ship whose sinking by German forces was claimed as legitimate by the German government because it was carrying munitions.

Zimmermann Telegram

A communication that fueled anti-German sentiment in the United States by revealing German proposals to return lost southwestern territories to Mexico in exchange for a declaration of war against the US.

Central Powers

The wartime alliance that opposed the United States in World War I, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Armistice

An agreement in which all parties in a war agree to stop fighting.

Wilson’s 14 Points

A postwar proposal providing protection for sovereign nations, the creation of a League of Nations, and punishment for the Central Powers.

Treaty of Versailles

The agreement designed to punish Germany with large financial payments for war damages, which was rejected by the United States Senate out of concern over foreign entanglements through the League of Nations.