World War I Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, alliances, figures, technologies, causes, and outcomes of World War I based on the provided study guide.

Imperialism

Taking another nation's land.

Neutrality

Not taking sides in a war or conflict.

Militarism

Building up a strong military; countries built up their armies and weapons.

Nationalism

Strong pride and loyalty toward your country, creating competition with others.

Propaganda

Information used to influence people's opinions, often during war.

Sedition Act

A law that made it illegal to speak against the U.S. government.

Espionage Act

A law that punished spying and interfering with the U.S. war effort.

Committee on Public Information (CPI)

An organization that used propaganda to gain support for the war.

Alliances

Agreements between countries to protect each other in war.

Isolationism

Avoiding involvement in other countries' problems or wars.

Woodrow Wilson

The U.S. president during World War I who proposed a 14-point plan for peace.

Wilson's 14 Points

President Woodrow Wilson's plan for creating peace after WW1, which aimed for countries to work together, have fewer weapons, more freedom, and create the League of Nations.

Trench warfare

Fighting from long, deep ditches called trenches where soldiers faced mud, disease, rats, lice, cold weather, flooding, and high casualties with little land gained.

Paris Peace Conference

Meeting where world leaders decided the peace terms after WW1.

The Black Hand

A Serbian secret group that supported violence to promote Serbian nationalism.

Zimmermann Telegram

A message from Germany asking Mexico to join them against the USA.

Lusitania

A British passenger ship sunk by a German submarine in 1915; about 128 Americans died, which angered many Americans and helped move the U.S. closer to joining the war in 1917.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany's plan to quickly defeat France before fighting Russia.

League of Nations

An organization created after WW1 to try to prevent future wars; it was part of Woodrow Wilson's peace plan, though the United States never joined even though Wilson supported it (1920).

Central Powers

The wartime alliance consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

Triple Entente

The pre-war alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia.

Allied Powers

The wartime coalition consisting of Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States (which joined in 1917) that fought against the Central Powers.

Reparations

Payments made by a defeated country for war damages.

Trench Foot

A medical condition caused by keeping feet wet and cold for too long in trenches.

War Bonds

Money people loaned to the government to help pay for the war.

Machine guns

A new weapon technology that fired bullets very quickly and made attacks more dangerous.

Poison Gas

A weapon used during WW1 to hurt and weaken enemy soldiers.

Tanks

Armored vehicles used to cross difficult land and trenches.

Airplanes

Aircraft used during WW1 to spy on enemies and fight in the air.

Submarines

Underwater boats used to attack enemy ships.

Heavy Artillery

Large guns that fired powerful explosives.

Treaty of Versailles

The treaty that officially ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers; it forced Germany to accept blame, pay reparations, lose land, and face military limits, creating harsh punishments that contributed to future conflict.

Powder Keg Theory

A theory explaining how European tensions—driven by Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism (MAIN)—caused countries to become angry and competitive until the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked WW1 in 1914.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Austrian archduke whose assassination in 1914 sparked World War I.

Dates of WW1

Started on July 28, 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918.