Total war
A war that involves the complete mobilization of resources and people, affecting the lives of all citizens in the warring countries, even those remote from the battlefields.
Triple Entente
A military alliance between Great Britain, France, and Russia in the years preceding World War I.
Triple Alliance
Alliance among Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy at the end of the 19th century; part of European alliance system and balance of power prior to World War I.
Neutrality
A refusal to take part in a war between other nations
Lusitania
A British passenger ship that was sunk by a German U-Boat on May 7, 1915. 128 Americans died. The sinking greatly turned American opinion against the Germans, helping the move towards entering the war.
Pacifists
people who believe that violence in any form, including war is wrong.
Interventionists
These are people who favor intervention, especially by a government, in the affairs of others, such as nations. Woodrow Wilson finally adopted such a policy in 1917 when he chose to finally participate in WWI.
Election of 1916
election between Democrat Woodrow Wilson and Republican Charles Hughes. Wilson wins election with campaign slogan "He kept us out of War
Unrestricted submarine warfare
A policy that the Germans announced on January 1917 which stated that their submarines would sink any ship in the British waters
Zimmerman Telegram
March 1917. Sent from German Foreign Secretary, addressed to German minister in Mexico City. Mexico should attack the US if US goes to war with Germany (needed that advantage due to Mexico's proximity to the US). In return, Germany would give back Tex, NM
Russian Revolution
Prompted by labor unrest, personal liberties, and elected representatives, this political revolution occurred in 1917 when Czar Nicholas II was murdered and Vladimir Lenin sought control to implement his ideas of socialism.
American Expeditionary Force
About 2 million Americans went to France as members of this under General John J. Pershing. Included the regular army, the National Guard, and the new larger force of volunteers and draftees and they served as individuals
Selective Service Act
Law passed by Congress in 1917 that required all men from ages 21 to 30 to register for the military draft
African-American soldiers
during World War I; 200,000 served in France; 1/5 saw combat (as opposed to 2/3 white soldiers); organized into segregated units; barred from marines and coastguard; worked poor jobs (cooked, etc.) for army/navy; violent treatment (especially from Souther
General John J. Pershing
General of the American Expeditionary Force. American soldiers fighting in europe.
Trench warfare
Fighting with trenches, mines, and barbed wire. Horrible living conditions, great slaughter, no gains, stalemate, used in WWI.
Armistice
A cease fire or temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties.
Chemical weapons
weapons which utilize toxic agents such as poison gas to kill or harm large groups of people. One of the deadliest types used during World War I was mustard gas.
Liberty Bonds
Where people bought bonds so the government could get that money now for war. The bonds increased in interest over time.
War Boards
In order to get needed supplies to the American forces, Wilson's government mobilized a civilian organization to oversee the economy. Each different "war board' oversaw a different part of the economy, making management of the project easier.
War Industries Board (WIB)
Government agency that managed the buying and distributing of war materials
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
A 1935 law, also known as the Wagner Act, that guarantees workers the right of collective bargaining sets down rules to protect unions and organizers, and created the National Labor Relations Board to regulate labor-managment relations.
Great Migration
movement of over 300,000 African American from the rural south into Northern cities between 1914 and 1920
Committee on Public Information (CPI)
A propaganda machine headed by George Creel that created numerous posters, short films, and pamphlets explaining the war to Americans and encouraging them to purchase war bonds to gain support for WWI.
Espionage Act of 1917
aimed mostly at germans/antiwar protesters; tried to curb free speech; socialists were targeted/arrested; Supreme Court said that Congress could limit free speech if it represented a clear & present danger
Sedition Act of 1918
added to Espionage Act to cover "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the American form of government, the Constitution, the flag, or the armed forces.
Socialist Party
A socialist political party in the United States. It was formed in 1901 by a merger between the Social Democratic Party, and a wing of the older Socialist Labor Party of America. It flourished in numerous ethnic enclaves 1904-1912, with Eugene Debs as pre
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)
Founded in 1905, this radical union, also known as the Wobblies aimed to unite the American working class into one union to promote labor's interests. It worked to organize unskilled and foreign-born laborers, advocated social revolution, and led several
Eugene Debs
Leader of the American Railway Union, he voted to aid workers in the Pullman strike. He was jailed for six months for disobeying a court order after the strike was over.
100 percent Americanism
What the KKK was devoted to. Entailed opposition to African Americans and Catholics, as well as to Jews and immigrants in general. Stood for
Protestantism, Prohibition, and traditional moral values
(two P's and morals).
Fourteen Points
The war aims outlined by President Wilson in 1918, which he believed would promote lasting peace; called for self-determination, freedom of the seas, free trade, end to secret agreements, reduction of arms and a league of nations.
League of Nations
A world organization established in 1920 to promote international cooperation and peace. It was first proposed in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson, although the United States never joined the League. Essentially powerless, it was officially dissolved in 1
National self-determination
the free choice by the people of a nation of their own future political status
Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors, following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris during 1919 and involved diplomats from more
The Big Four
the top Allied leaders who met at the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919. it was composed of Woodrow Wilson (USA), David Lloyd George (Britain), Vittorio Emanuele Orlando (Italy), and Georges Clemenceau (France)
Reparations
As part of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was ordered to pay fines to the Allies to repay the costs of the war. Opposed by the U.S., it quickly lead to a severe depression in Germany.
Mandate system
Allocation of former German colonies and Ottoman possessions to the victorious powers after World War I, to be administered under League of Nations supervision.
Treaty of Versailles
(WW) 1918, , Created by the leaders victorious allies Nations: France, Britain, US, and signed by Germany to help stop WWI. The treaty 1)stripped Germany of all Army, Navy, Airforce. 2) Germany had to repair war damages(33 billion) 3) Germany had to ackno
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
Republic progressive of Massachusetts. He and his allies wanted amendments to Article X to ensure that the treaty would not infringe on Congress's constitution authority to declare war. They were worried that it would prevent the U.S from pursuing an inde
Postwar recession
Late in 1920, the economic bubble burst, as many of the temporary forces that had created it disappeared and as inflation began killing the market for consumer goods. Between 1920 and 1921, the gross national product (GNP) declined nearly 10 percent; 100,
Postwar race riots
The United States experienced a significant increase in race riots during and after World War I; much of the violence resulted from a variety of factors including African-American migration, labor shortages and post-war demobilization
Marcus Garvey
African American leader durin the 1920s who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and advocated mass migration of African Americans back to Africa. Was deported to Jamaica in 1927.
The Red Scare
A widespread fear of Communism in America provoked by the public's association of labor violence with its fear of revolution.
Palmer Raids
Part of the Red Scare, these were measures to hunt out political radicals and immigrants who were potential threats to American security; led to the arrest of nearly 5,500 people and the deportation of nearly 400.
Sacco and Vanzetti
Italian radicals who became symbols of the Red Scare of the 1920s; arrested (1920), tried and executed (1927) for a robbery/murder, they were believed by many to have been innocent but convicted because of their immigrant status and radical political beli