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Allies
By 1907 there were 2 major defense alliances in Europe. The Triple Entente, later known as the Allies, consisted of France, Britain ,and Russia. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary ,and Italy. -
Central Powers
Germany and Austria Hungary with the Ottoman Empire, an empire of mostly Middle Eastern lands controlled by the Turks who were later known as the Central Powers.The alliances provided a measure of international security because nations were reluctant to disturb a balance of power. A spark then set out a major conflict. -
1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, had the heir to the Austrian throne. He visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. As he drove through the city, the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip stepped from the crowd and shot Archduke and his wife Sophie. -
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of Somme began on July 1st, 1916, and lasted until mid November. The British suffered 60,000 casualties the first day alone. 1.2 million casualties were totaled final, but only about 7 miles of ground changed hands. It lasted for almost 3 years. -
Schlieffen Plan
On August 3, 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, following the Schlieffen Plan strategy. This plan called for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick drive through Belgium to Paris; after France had fallen, the 2 German armies would defeat Russia. As German troops went across Belgium, thousands of civilians fled in fear. In Brussels, the Belgian capital, an American war correspondent described this as the first major refugee crisis of the 20th century. -
Sinking of British liner Lusitania
It was when a U-boat sank the British liner Lusitania off the Southern coast of Ireland. 128 Americans were lost among the 1,198 people. The Germans defended their action on the grounds that the liner carried ammunition. Despite Germany's explanation, Americans became outraged with Germany because of the loss of lives. American public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers. -
Germany Blockades the North Sea
Germany responded to the British blockade with a counterblockade by U-boats from the submarine. It effected Germany because they starved to death, and the Americans were effected because it threatened freedom of the seas and prevented American goods from reaching German ports. -
Sinking of British liner Arabic
3 months after the Lusitania incident, a U-boat sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning 2 Americans. The United States protested, and so Germany agreed not to sink anymore passenger ships. -
Sinking of French passenger liner Sussex
Germany broke it's promise by torpedoing an unarmed French passenger steamer, the Sussex. About 80 passengers including Americans, were killed or injured. Then again the U.S. warned Germany that it would break off diplomatic relations unless Germany changed its tactics. Germany agreed for the second time, but there was one condition which was that if the U.S could not persuade Britain to lift its blockade against food and fertilizers, they would consider renewing unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Trench Warfare
In which Armies fought for mere yards of ground. -
Wilson's "Peace without victory speech"
In November 1916, Wilson got renominated as President by the Democrats. He campaigned on the slogan and said he will keep them out of war. -
369th Infantry Regiment
The all-black 369th Infantry Regiment saw more continuous duty on the front lines than any other American regiment. 2 soldiers of the 369th, Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts, were the first Americans to receive France's highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre, the "cross of war" -
Conscientious objector
A person who opposes warfare on moral grounds, pointing out that the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill". -
War Industries Board
It was the main regulatory body that was established in 1917, and reorganized in 1918 under the leadership of Bernard M. Baruch, a prosperous business man. The board encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency. -
Anti-German sentiment in America
The main targets of these attacks were Americans who had emigrated from other nations, especially those from Germany and Austria-Hungary. The most bitter attacks were directed against the nearly 2 million Americans who had been born in Germany, but other foreign born people and Americans of German descent suffered as well. -
Bolshevik Revolution
The Russians surprised the Germans by mobilizing rapidly. Revolutionaries ousted the Czar in March 1917, and established a provisional government. They set up a Communist state and sought peace with the Central Powers. -
Selective Service Act of 1917
An act passed by the congress that required men to register with the government in order to be randomly selected for military service. By the end of 1918, 24 million men had registered under the act. Almost 3 million were called up out of 24 million. About 2 million troops reached Europe before the truce was signed, and 3 fourths of them saw actual combat. -
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Congress passed the Espionage Act in June 1917, and passed Sedition Act in May 1918. Under the Espionage and Sedition Acts, a person could be fined up to 10,000 dollars and sentenced to 20 years in jail for interfering with the war effort or for saying anything disloyal, profane or abusive about the government or war effort. -
Convoy System
A heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups. By fall 1917, shipping losses had been cut in half. -
Wilson's Fourteen Points
Wilson presented his plan for world peace even before the war was over. He delivered his now famous Fourteen Points speech before Congress. The points were divided into 3 groups. The first 5 points were issues that Wilson believed had to be addressed to prevent another war. No secrets among nations, freedom of seas for all, tarrifs should be lowered, arms should be reduced, and colonial policies should consider the interests of the colonial people as well as interests of imperialists powers. -
Shell Shock, trench foot, and trench mouth
Constant bombardments and other experiences often led to battle fatigue and "shell shook", a term coined during world war 1 to describe a complete emotional collapse from which many never recovered. Trench foot was a disease caused by standing in cold wet trenches for long periods of time without changing into dry socks or boots; toes would turn red or blue then they would become numb and start to rot. Trench mouth was a painful infection of the gums and throat. -
National War Labor Board
To deal with disputes between management and labor, President Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918. Workers who refused to obey board decisions could lose their draft exemptions. The board told them to either work or fight. The board also worked to improve factory conditions. -
Food Administration
To help produce and conserve food, President Wilson set up the Food Administration under Herbert Hoover. Instead of rationing food, he called people to follow "gospel of the clean plate". He declared one day a week, "meatless', another day "sweetless", 2 days "wheatless" and 2 other days "porkless". Restaurants removed sugar bowls from the table and served bread only after the first course. -
Raising money for the war
The U.S. spent about 35.5 billion dollars on the war effort. The government raised about one-third of this amount through taxes, including a progressive income tax, a war-profits tax, and higher excise taxes on tobacco, liquor and luxury goods. It raised the rest through public borrowing by selling "Liberty Loan" and "Victory Loan" bonds. -
Committee on Public Information and the 'four minute men"
The government set up the nation's first propaganda agency, the Committee on Public Information, to popularize the war. Propaganda is a kind off biased communication designed to influence people's thoughts and actions. -
Eugene V. Debs arrest
He was handed a 10 year prison sentence for speaking out against the war and the draft. -
Big Bill Haywood and the IWW
They were accused of sabotaging the war effort because they urger workers to strike for better conditions and higher pay. -
Emma Goldman
She received a 2 year prison sentence and a 10,000 dollar fine for organizing the No Conscription League. When she left jail, the authorities deported her to Russia. -
Victor Berger
A socialist congressman from Wisconsin, who was refused to be seated by the House of Representatives because of his antiwar views. -
Second Battle of the Marne
The turning point of the war. Allies advanced steadily after defeating Germans. -
Austria-Hungary surrenders to the Allies
Austria Hungary surrendered to the allies. The same day, German sailors mutinied against government authority. The mutiny spread quickly. Everywhere in Germany, groups of soldiers and workers organized revolutionary councils. -
Establishment of the German Republic
Socialist leaders in the capital, Berlin, established a German republic. The Kaiser gave up the throne. -
Cease-fire and armistice
Germany agreed to cease-fire and signed the armistice, a truce that ended the war. -
American Expeditionary Force and General John J. Pershing
Included men from widely separated parts of the country. American infantrymen were nicknamed doughboys, probably because of the white belts they wore, which they cleaned with pipe clay or "dough". -
Resparations and the war Guilt Clause
Humiliating Germany forcing it to admit sole responsibility for starting World War 1. -
Agreements made in the Treaty of Versailles
Established 9 new nations including Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the kingdom that later became Yugoslavia. Carved 5 areas out of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to France and Great Britain as mandates. Those 2 allies had to administer their respective mandates till they were ready for self-rule/independence. The treaty barred Germany from maintaining an army & had to return the region of Alsace-Lorraine to France & pay reparations ,or war damages amounting 33 billion dollars to the allies. -
Zimmermann note
A telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico that was intercepted by British agents. The telegram proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany and promised that if war with the U.S. broke out, Germany would support Mexico in recovering "lost territory in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona".
