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Allies
By 1907, there were two major defense alliances, one of which was known as the Allies. First known as the Triples Entente, it consisted of France, Britain, and Russia. -
Central Powers
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire -mostly middle eastern territory controlled by the Turks- were known as the Central Powers. -
1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
In June 1914, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip shot the Archduke and his wife as they rode through the Bosnian capital on a visit. -
Schlieffen Plan
Germany invaded Belgium with this strategy. Called for holding action against Russia, a drive from Belgium to Paris, and then two German armies would defeat Russia. -
Trench Warfare
A bloody type of warfare where armies fight for mere yards of ground. Lasted over three years, was devastating and inconclusive. -
Sinking of British Liner Lusitania
A German U-boat sank this ship on the southern coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people, 128 of which were Americans. -
Sinking of British Liner Arabic
August 1915, a U-boat sank another liner, drowning 2 Americans. The US was still only protesting Germany because they promised not to sink another passenger ship. -
Sinking of French passenger liner Sussex
March 1916, Germany broke its promise and sank this liner killing and injuring about 80 passengers, including Americans. U.S. warned it would break off diplomatic relations with Germany, but Germany made the condition that if the United States could not persuade Britain to lift its blockade against food and fertilizers, Germany would consider renewing unrestricted submarine warfare -
Shell shock, trench foot, and trench mouth
Shell shock is a complete emotional collapse from the stress of constant warfare. Trench foot comes from cold, wet trenches and means that toes get numb and rot until they fall off or need to be amputated. Trench mouth is an infection of gums and throat. -
Battle of the Somme
Began on July 1, 1916, British suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day alone. Final casualties totaled 1.2 million, even though only seven miles of ground changed hands because of the trench warfare. Battle lasted until mid-November. -
Germany blockades the North Sea
Prevented American goods from reaching German Ports. Germany couldn't even get food and famine killed 750,000 from starvation, and began sinking British and Allied ships with submarines. -
Wilson's "Peace without victory speech"
A speech before the Senate in January 1917, Wilson called for neither side to impose harsh terms on the other, and for an end the war altogether, asking for a "league for peace." The Germans ignored this. -
Zimmerman Note
Telegram for German foreign minister to a German ambassador in Mexico, intercepted by British agents, proposed a German-Mexican alliance to take back territory like Texas from America. -
Bolshevik Revolution
A Russian revolution led by Vladimir Lenin in February 1917. -
American Expeditionary Force and General John J. Pershing
AEF consisted of men from around the country, doughboys were American infantry dressed in white. -
Conscientious objector
A person who opposed warfare on moral grounds, for example in the Bible it says "Thou shall not kill." -
Anti-German sentiment in America
Propaganda and war rage lead to attacks on German immigrants, many of which lost their jobs or were physically attacked in the streets. -
Raising money for the war
U.S. spent $35.5 billion on war effort raised through tax on war profits, income, and tobacco, liquor, and luxury goods. The rest was raised through war bonds. -
Committee on Public Information and the "four minute men"
Nation's first propaganda agency, 75,000 men were recruited to be the four minute men, promoting the war through propaganda. -
War Industries Board
A regulatory body established in 1917 to help the economy with the war effort. Encouraged mass production and eliminating waste by standardizing products. -
Selective Service Act of 1917
Required men to register with the government to be randomly called for military service. -
369th Infantry Regiment
An all-black regiment that saw more continuous duty than any other regiment -
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Under these Acts, a person could be fined up to $10,000 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 the war effort. -
Second Battle of the Marne
The US joined the Allies and helped win this battle in July and August. -
Convoy System
A heavy guard of naval destroyers escort merchant ships through the Atlantic ocean in this technique. -
Wilson's Fourteen Points
Wilson's points to prevent another war like WW1 and overall world peace. -
National War Labor Board
Established in 1918 because of disputes about sped up labor processes, used motto "Work or fight." By disobeying the board, workers could lose their draft exemption. The board improved working conditions. -
Food Administration
Helps produce and conserve food, did not ration, but declared certain days "meatless," "wheatless," etc. and had farmers put more land into proudction. -
Eugene V. Debs arrest
Received a ten-year sentence for speaking out against the war and the draft. -
Emma Goldman
An anarchist who got two years in jail and a $10,000 fine for organizing the No Conscription League. -
Big Bill Haywood and the IWW
A leader of the IWW, Industrial Workers of the World, accused of sabotaging the war effort because their workers striked for better conditions, Haywood received a long prison term, fled to Russia. Then the IWW faded away. -
Austria-Hungary surrenders to the Allies
On this same day, German sailors mutinied against government authority. -
Establishment of the German Republic
Socialist leaders in the capital established a German republic this day, and the kaiser gave up the throne. -
Cease-fire and armistice
Germans were too exhausted from their revolution to create the republic that they signed over on this, ending the war. -
Agreements made in the Treaty of Versailles
Established nine new nations, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia, and made Germany pay war damages of $33 billion to the Allies. -
Reparations and the War Guild Clause
Germany owed the Allies $33 billion to the Allies in reparations. The war-guilt clause made Germany take sole responsibility for starting World War 1.
