World War I - Key Terms and Concepts

Major Alliances

• Allies: Coalition opposing the Central Powers, including:

  • British Empire
  • France
  • Russia
  • United States (later joined)
  • Italy (later joined)

• Central Powers: Opposing alliance to the Allies, including:

  • Germany
  • Austria-Hungary
  • Ottoman Empire
  • Bulgaria

Influential Events and Elements

• Lusitania: British passenger ship sunk by Germany, killing 128 Americans, leading to U.S. involvement.
• Zimmermann Note: German telegram proposing Mexican alliance against the U.S., influencing U.S. entry into the war.
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand: His assassination triggered the start of World War I.
• Spanish Flu: Pandemic during 1918-1919 causing 50-100 million deaths globally.

Key Personalities

• Woodrow Wilson: 28th President of the U.S., led during WWI.
• Count Alfred von Schlieffen: Developed the Schlieffen Plan for Germany.

Warfare and Military Concepts

• Trench Warfare: Fighting from permanent trench systems.
• U-boat: German submarines used effectively early in the war.
• Draft/Selective Service Act: Implemented compulsory military service in the U.S.

Political and Social Concepts

• Pacifists: Opposed to war and violence.
• Socialists: Advocate for collective or governmental ownership of production and distribution.
• Isolationism: Policy of avoiding political or military involvement with other countries.

Ideologies

• Militarism: Aggressive military preparedness.
• Nationalism: Prioritizing one's nation over others.
• Imperialism: Extending a country's power through diplomacy or military force.

Legal and Governmental Acts

• Espionage Acts: 1917 laws prohibiting espionage and protecting national defense information.
• Sedition Acts: Laws against threats or publishing against the U.S. government.

Peace and Aftermath

• Fourteen Points Plan: Blueprint by Woodrow Wilson for world peace post-WWI.
• Treaty of Versailles: Peace treaty ending war between Germany and Allied Powers (28 June 1919).

Other Important Terms

• "No man's land": Disputed ground between opposing trench lines.
• Assassin: Person who murders someone politically important.
• Empire: Large political unit with extensive territories or peoples under one authority.
• Annexed: Incorporating new territory into an existing state.
• Propaganda: Spreading information to influence opinion.
• Liberty Bonds: U.S. debt securities issued to finance WWI participation.
• War Crimes: Serious violations of war laws, including murder and torture.
• Genocide: Systematic destruction of a specific group based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race.