Rachel Ricchio

Period 6

2/4/02

World War I Study Guide

Chapter 27

Militarism:  The glorification of the military. Under militarism, the armed forces and readiness for war came to dominate national policy.

Ultimatum: Austria sent Serbia a sweeping ultimatum, or final set of demands. To avoid war, said the Ultimatum, Serbia must end all anti-Austrian agitation and punish any Serbian official involved in the murder plot.

Mobilize: The czar asked Kaiser to urge Austria to soften its demands. When the plea failed, Russia began to mobilize, or prepare its military forces for war. Germany responded by declaring war on Russia.

Neutrality: Italy decided to remain neutral for the time being. Neutrality is a policy of supporting neither side in war. Britain had to decide quickly whether or not to support its ally France.

Total War: Nations realized that a modern, mechanized we required total commitment of their whole society. The result was what we call today, total war, or the channeling of a nation’s entire resources into a war effort.

Propaganda: Government censors also restricted popular literature, historical writings, motion pictures and the arts. Both sides raged a propaganda war. Propaganda is the spreading of ideas to promote a cause or damage an opposing cause 

Atrocity: The British and French press circulated tales of atrocities, horrible acts against innocent people. Often, these stories were greatly exaggerated versions of misreported incidents.

Armistice: As the governments in Vienna tottered, the subject nationalities revolted, splintering the empire of the Hapsburgs. The new government sought an armistice, or agreement to end fighting, with the Allies. On November 11, 1918, the Great War at last finally came to an end.

Reparations: People everywhere felt bitter about the war. The allies blamed the conflict on their defeated foes and insisted that the losers make reparations, or payments for war damage.

Mandate: Outside Europe, the victorious allies added to their existing overseas empire. The treaties created a system of mandates, or territories that were administered by western powers.

Edith Cavell: Some women became national heroes. Edith Cavell, a British nurse, ran a Red Cross hospital in Belgium even after the German invasion. When the German's discovered that she was helping Allied prisoners escape, they shot her as a spy.

Georges Clemenceau: The French leader bore the nickname “the tiger” for his fierce war policy. His chief goal was to weaken Germany so that it could never threaten France.

Alfred Nobel: In the 1800s, the Swedish inventor of Dynamite, came to regret the military use of his invention. In his will, he set up the Nobel Peace Prize to reward each year, the individual whose work advanced the cause of peace.

Gavrillo Princip: Among the group of Serbian killers was a youth of 19 named Gavrillo Princip. Princip’s family was Serb farmers who made a meager living in Bosnia. He felt that he must take action against the oppressors. Princip joined Unity or Death, a terrorist group commonly known as the Black Hand.

Sarajevo- A small group of revolutionaries huddled around a café to read that Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria- Hungary would visit Sarajevo, the capital of neighboring Bosnia, on June 28. The Serbians were outraged. A youth named Princip said he would be waiting on the streets of Sarajevo.

Woodrow Wilson- was an American President. He threatened to cut off relations with Germany and other countries during the war.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points- In January 1918, Wilson issued the Fourteen Points, a list of his terms for resolving this and future wars. He called for an end to secret treaties, freedom of the seas, free trade, and large-scale reductions of arms. He also favored self-determination.

Francis Ferdinand- Francis had the Austrian throne. He chose June 28 to come to Bosnia.

Kaiser William II- Kaiser William was on Germany’s side. He pursued his own policies, and preserved the triple alliance.

Bertha Von Sutner- she was born in an Austrian military family. Her antiwar novel Lay Down Your Arms was a best seller all over Europe. She organized an Austrian peace society and was the only woman to attend The Hague conference.

Triple Alliance- Germany formed the Triple Alliance with Austria- Hungary and Italy. Kaiser William the II preserved the Triple Alliance.

Ottoman Empire- The Ottoman Empire was a non- European power and joined the central powers in 1914. June 28 was also the day on which Serbia had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1389.

Trench Warfare- There was a lot of trench warfare in the world war I. These were trenches where battles were fought.

Machine gun (role it played in WWI)- This made it possible for a few gunners to mow down waves of soldiers. This helped create a stalemate by making it difficult to advance across no man’s land. This was a mounted gun that fires a rapid, continuous stream of bullets.

Airplane (role it played in WWI)- this was a one –or –two-seat propeller plane equipped with machine gun. At first, mainly used for observation. Later, flying “aces” engaged in individual combat, though such dogfights had little effect on the war.

Role of women in WWI- women played a major role in the total war. As millions of men left to fight, women took over their jobs and kept national economies going. They worked in war industries, manufacturing weapons and supplies. Many were nurses who tended the wounds of men.

Nationalism (tension between France and Germany)- In the early 1900’s, aggressive nationalism was a leading cause of international tension. It was strong in both Germany and France, the Germans were proud of their new empire’s military power and industrial leadership, and France longed to regain its position as Europe’s leading power. 

Paris Peace Conference- Wilson took great part in this conference, his talk of democracy and self-determination raised expectations for a just and lasting peace. He urged “peace without victory.”

American neutrality- The U.S. had other reasons to support the Allies. Many Americans felt ties of culture and language to Britain. Americans were also sympathetic to France as another democracy.

Black Hand- Princip joined Unity or Death, a terrorist group commonly known as the Black Hand. Organization by Boston Serbs, its goal was to organize all South Slav peoples into a single nation.

Treaty of Versailles- In June 1919, the peacemakers summoned representatives of the new German Republic to the palace of Versailles outside Paris. The treaty also imposed huge reparations that would put an already damaged German economy under a staggering burden.

Self Determination- This posed other problems. Many people who had been ruled by Russia, Austria-Hungary, or the Ottoman empire now demanded national states of their own. The territories claimed by these peoples often overlapped, so it was impossible to satisfy them all.

Shleiffen Plan- Italy and Britain remained uncommitted. Italy decided to remain neutral for the time being. Then Germany’s war plans suddenly made the decision for Britain.

U boat-Before attacking any ships, U-boats would surface and give warning, allowing neutral passengers to escape to the lifeboats.

Lusitania- In May 1915, a German submarine torpedoed the British liner. Almost 1,200 passengers were killed, including 128 Americans.

Armistice- An Agreement to end fighting in a war. The new German government sought an armistice.

Mandate- After World War 1, a territory that was administered by a western power. Britain and France gained mandates over German colonies in Africa and Ottoman lands in the Middle East.

War reparations- Shaken and disillusioned, people everywhere felt bitter about the war. The Allies blamed the conflict on their defeated foes and insisted that the losers make reparations, or payments for war damage.

Western Front- With Russia out of the struggle, Germany could concentrate its forces on the Western Front. In the spring of 1918, the central Powers stood ready to achieve the great breakthrough they had sought so long.

Eastern Front- Battle lines swayed back and forth, sometimes over large areas. Causalities rose even higher than in the west, but the results were just as indecisive.

Verdun- German forces tried to overwhelm the French at Verdun. The French cried saying that “they shall pass.”  The French defended it but there were losses on both sides.

Battle of Marne- By the end of August 1914, the whole of the allied army on the western front had been forced into a general retreat back towards Paris as the German First and second Armies continued their drive through France. The fall of Paris seemed imminent as the bulk of the French and British forces fell back to the Marne River. Gallieni’s plan was simple; all available allied units would counter-attack along the Marne River and hold up the German advance. As this action was going on, the allied reserves would be thrown in to restore the ranks as well as attack the German flanks.