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Allies
One of the two major defense alliances in Europe, formerly known as the Triple Entente, consisted of France, Britain, and Russia. -
Central Powers
The other major defense alliance in Europe, also known as the Triple Alliance, consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. -
1914 assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand
The archduke, heir to the Austrian throne, visited the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. As the entourage drove through, he and his wife were shot by a Serbian nationalist. -
Schlieffen Plan
The Schlieffen Plan called for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick drive through Belgium to Paris; after France had fallen, the two German armies would defeat Russia. -
Sinking of British liner Lusitania
A German U-boat sank the Lusitania off the southern coast of Ireland. Of the 1198 persons lost, 128 were Americans. Americans were outraged and public opinion turned against Germany and the Central Powers. -
Sinking of British liner Arabic
A U-boat sank another British liner, the Arabic, drowning two Americans. Again, the US protested, and this time Germany agreed not to sink any more passenger ships. -
Trench Warfare
Style of warfare used in WW1, in which armies fought for mere yards of ground in opposing trenches. -
Sinking of French passenger liner Sussex
Germany broke its promise and torpedoed an unarmed French passenger steamer, the Sussex. The ship sank, and about 80 passengers were killed or injured. The US warned it would break off diplomatic relationships with Germany if they continued. -
Battle of the Somme
A three-month long battle where the British suffered 60,000 casualties on the first day alone. Final casualties totaled about 1.2 million, yet only about seven miles of ground changed hands. -
Wilson's "Peace without victory speech"
Wilson tried to mediate between the warring alliances. He gave a speech before the Senate calling for a "peace between equals" in which neither side would impose harsh terms on the other. He hoped that all nations would join a "league for peace." -
Britain blockades the North Sea
Britain blockaded the German coast to prevent weapons and other military supplies from getting through. They extended the blockade to neutral ports and mined the entire North Sea. US ships carrying goods for Germany refused to challenge the blockade and seldom reached their destinations. Germany found it increasingly difficult to import foodstuffs and fertilizers for crops. -
Zimmermann note
A telegram from the German foreign minister to the German ambassador in Mexico was intercepted by British agents. It proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany. -
American expeditionary force and General John J. Pershing
Pershing led the AEF, which included men from widely separated parts of the country. American infantrymen were nicknamed doughboys. -
Shell shock, trench foot, and trench mouth
Shell shock was a complete emotional collapse from which many never recovered. Trench foot is a disease caused by standing in cold, wet trenches for long periods of time without changing into dry socks or boots. Trench mouth was a painful infection of the gums and throat. -
Raising money for the war
The government raised about 1/3 of the money through taxes. It raised the rest through public borrowing by selling "Liberty Loan" and "Victory Loan" bonds. -
Anti-German sentiment in America
Many Americans with German names lost their jobs. Orchestras refused to play the music of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Some towns with German names changed them. Schools stopped teaching German. People even resorted to violence against German-Americans. -
Emma Goldman
The anarchist Emma Goldman received a two-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine for organizing the No Conscription League. When she left jail, she was deported to Russia. -
War Industries Board
This was the main regulatory body of war-related industries. It encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques and standardize products. -
Committee on Public Information and the "four-minute men"
To popularize the war, the government set up the nation's first propaganda agency. Its head, George Creel, persuaded the nation's artists and advertising agencies to promote the war. He recruited some 75,000 men to serve as Four-Minute Men, who spoke about everything relating to the war. -
Big Bill Haywood and the IWW
“Big Bill” Haywood and other leaders of the IWW were accused of sabotaging the war effort because they urged workers to strike for better conditions and higher pay. Under such federal pressure, the IWW faded away. -
Selective service act of 1917
The act 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, and about 3 million were called up. -
Espionage and Sedition 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. -
Convoy System
An American admiral convinced the British to try the system to protect from U-boat attacks. A heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups. -
Bolshevik Revolution
Revolutionaries ousted the czar in March 1917 and established a provisional government. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin and Trotsky, overthrew the provisional government. They set up a Communist state and sought peace with the Central Powers. -
Wilson's 14 Points
Wilson presented his plan for world peace in a speech to Congress. The first five points were issues to be addressed to prevent another war. The next eight dealt with boundary changes. The last point called for the creation of the League of Nations. -
369th Infantry regiment
This was an all-black regiment that saw more continuous duty on the front lines than any other American regiment. Two of its soldiers were the first Americans to receive France's highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre. -
Food Administration
Wilson set up the Food Administration under Herbert Hoover to help produce and conserve food. Instead of rationing food, he called on people to follow the "gospel of the clean plate." -
Eugene V. Debs arrest
The Espionage and Sedition Acts targeted socialists and labor leaders. Eugene V. Debs was given a ten-year prison sentence for speaking out against the war and the draft -
Agreements made in the Treaty of Versailles
Nine new nations were established, and land from the Ottoman Empire was given to France and Great Britain as temporary colonies. Germany was barred from maintaining an army, returned Alsace-Lorraine to France, and paid reparations to the Allies. -
Second battle of the Marne
This battle was the turning point of the war. The Allies advanced steadily after defeating the Germans. -
conscientious objector
A person who opposes warfare on moral grounds, pointing out that the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill." -
Austria-Hungary surrenders to the allies
Austria-Hungary surrendered to the Allies, and on the same day, German soldiers mutinied against government authority. The mutiny spread quickly. -
Establishment of the German Republic
Groups of soldiers and workers organized revolutionary councils. Socialist leaders in Berlin established a German republic, and the kaiser gave up the throne. -
Cease-fire and armistice
The Germans were too exhausted to keep fighting, so they agreed to a cease-fire and signed the armistice that ended the war. -
Reparations and the War Guilt Clause
Germany had to admit sole responsibility for starting WW1 and pay $33 billion of reparations to the Allies. -
Victory Burger
Americans changed the name of the hamburger to Salisbury steak or liberty sandwich in a burst of anti-German fervor.
