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Key Concepts of World War I

Mar 5, 2025

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.