WW1

Woodrow Wilson and His Presidency

  • Woodrow Wilson:

    • 28th U.S. President (1913–1921).

    • Initially sought neutrality during WWI.

    • Requested Congress to declare war in April 1917 after the discovery of the Zimmerman Telegram.

    • Authored the Fourteen Points but did not join the League of Nations.

Key Figures in WWI

  • Sir David Lloyd George:

    • Prime Minister of England (1916–1922).

    • Former minister of munitions.

    • Initially against the war but was drawn in due to European alliances.

    • Key author of the Treaty of Versailles.

  • Nicholas II:

    • Last Tsar of Russia (1894–1917).

    • Cousin of Wilhelm II.

    • Viewed as incompetent, his leadership led to Russia's economic and military collapse.

    • Abdicated in March 1917; executed with his family in July 1918.

  • Vladimir Lenin:

    • Founder of the Soviet Union and leader of the Bolshevik Revolution.

    • Exiled under Nicholas II, led the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1924.

    • Withdrew Russian forces from WWI in March 1918.

  • Wilhelm II:

    • Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia (1888–1918).

    • Supported Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.

    • Abdicated in 1918 after losing public support; died in exile in the Netherlands.

  • Archduke Franz Ferdinand:

    • Heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

    • Assassinated on June 24, 1914, by the Black Hand, which initiated WWI.

    • Nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Theories, Treaties, and Events Impacting WWI

League of Nations

  • Founded on January 10, 1920, after the Paris Peace Conference.

  • First intergovernmental organization aimed at maintaining world peace.

  • Permanent members of the executive council: France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.

  • Lasted for 26 years; developed the Mandate System.

  • Effectiveness was limited due to the U.S. not joining and the brief membership of the Soviet Union.

Fourteen Points

  • Proposed by President Woodrow Wilson in a speech to Congress on January 8, 1918.

  • Points 1–5: Addressed general peace principles such as open covenants, freedom of the seas, and arms reduction.

  • Points 6–13: Focused on territorial restoration and self-determination for nations including Belgium, France, Italy, and Poland.

  • Point 14: Called for the establishment of a 'general association of nations' (the League of Nations).

  • Summarized U.S. goals for a post-war world: evacuation of Russian territory and autonomous development for peoples within Austria-Hungary.

Zimmerman Telegram

  • Secret communication sent in January 1917 from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico.

  • Germany proposed a military alliance with Mexico if the U.S. entered the war.

  • Promised Mexico the return of lost territories: Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

  • Its discovery swayed U.S. public opinion towards war against Germany.

Treaty of Versailles

  • Signed on June 28, 1919, marking five years since Archduke Ferdinand's assassination.

  • The war guilt clause assigned sole responsibility for the conflict to Germany.

  • Designed to significantly weaken Germany both militarily and economically.

New Economic Policy (NEP)

  • Introduced by Vladimir Lenin in 1921.

  • Featured a mix of free market and state-controlled capitalism.

  • Allowed for individual ownership and operation of small businesses in the Soviet Union.

Bolshevik Revolution (October Revolution)

  • Occurred on October 25, 1917, led by Lenin and the Bolshevik Party.

  • Followed the February Revolution that overthrew Tsar Nicholas II.

  • This revolution catalyzed the larger Russian Revolution in November 1917.

Great Depression

  • A severe global economic downturn from 1929 to the late 1930s.

  • Triggered by the U.S. stock market crash on October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday).

  • Worldwide GDP fell by approximately 15% between 1929 and 1932.

  • U.S. unemployment peaked at 25%.

Vocabulary Related to WWI

  • Trench Warfare:

    • Combat method where battles are fought in trenches, offering protection against bullets and shrapnel.

    • Originated on the Western Front during WWI; frequently led to stalemate conditions.

  • Isolationism:

    • US foreign policy before WWI, emphasizing staying out of overseas conflicts.

  • Capitalism:

    • Economic system characterized by free market principles, widely adopted except in the USSR post-Revolution.

  • Communism:

    • Political system established in the USSR post-Revolution by the Bolsheviks.

  • Reparations:

    • Compensation paid by a defeated nation to another for losses incurred due to war.

  • Triple Alliance:

    • Agreement among Germany, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy during WWI.

  • Triple Entente:

    • Agreement between Britain, France, and Russia during WWI.

  • Mandate System:

    • Mechanism established by the League of Nations to transfer control of former Ottoman territories to the Allied powers.