WWI & Its Aftermath
Study Guide
What were the 4 Causes of the War? Give a RELEVANT example for each.
1. Militarism – growth of countries military
2. Alliances – the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance
3. Imperialism – colonies forming in africa
4. Nationalism – Ethnic groups in the Balkans wanted independence
3 countries in the Triple Entente:
1. France
2. Russia
3. Great Britain
3 Countries in the Triple Alliance:
1. Germany
2. Austria-Hungary
3. Italy
What was the inciting incident that sparked the beginning of the war?
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
What was the Schlieffen Plan?
Germany’s plan to defeat France first
In what country did most of the fighting take place? _______________________
France
At the onset of the war, Wilson adopted a policy of ________________________.
Neutrality
Which side did the Majority of Americans side with?
Allies
Germany began ____________________, attacking British and French ships in the
Atlantic without warning. What were these machines called? _______________
Unrestricted submarine warfare, Machines: U-boats
Name of the British ship that sunk, killing 128 Americans:
RMS Lusitania
What was Wilson waiting for the US to get involved in the war?
He was wanting for public support and German actions
Zimmerman Note:
Germany asked Mexico to attack U.S., and promised land in return
What happened in March 1917 that made it easier for the US to get involved?
Russia became a democracy, and the U.S. could support Allies without helping a
monarchy
Wilson and many Americans believed the US had to join to:
“The world must be made safe for democracy”
Selective Service Act 1917:
Required men to register for the draft.
What sections of the military were women allowed rank?
Navy and Marines in non-combat roles.
In order to expand its fleet, the US government took 4 steps:
1. Exempted shipyard workers from the draft
2. Emphasize importance of shipyard work
3. Standardized parts and assembled them at the shipyard
4. Government took over commercial and private ships
Convoy System and the reason behind it:
The Convoy system was a heavy guard of destroyers escorting merchant ships
back and forth across the Atlantic in groups. It protected shipping and cut losses in half.
What group was led by John J. Pershing and what did they do?
He led the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), helped stop German
advances, capturing important enemy positions.
Describe 3 new hazards introduced by the war:
1. “Shell Shock” – complete emotional collapse due to constant bombardment, now
known as PTSD
2. Trench foot – standing in cold wet trenches for long periods of time which caused
feet to rot
3. Trench mouth – infection of gums and mouth
Who was the most famous AEF member and what was he famous for?
Alvin York, - killed 25 Germans and with 6 other AEF men, captured 132
prisoners
On what date did Germany agree to a ceasefire and signed an armistice to end the
war?
November 11, 1918
Now that the entire economy had to be refocused on the war effort, what did Congress
do?
Gave the president additional powers over the economy.
War Industries Board:
Regulated industry, set production goals, and allocated raw materials.
What were some other federal agencies created to regulate the economy during this
time?
● Food Administration
● Fuel Administration
● National War Labor Board
Conservation measure created in 1918 that we still partake in to this day
______________________
Daylight Saving Time
_______________________ led by Herbert Hoover to produce and conserve
________________.
Food Administration – food
List 2 measures taken to do so:
1. Meatless Mondays
2. Wheatless Wednesdays
What was one major thing done to help finance the war?
Liberty bonds were sold to the public to increase funds.
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Laws that limited free speech and punished criticism of the government or war.
Made constitutional by Supreme Court in _______________________________.
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Two biggest effects of WWI
1. The Great Migration
2. Europe was left economically and politically unstable
What amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote?
19th Amendment
The ______________________ affected about ¼ of the US population killing about 30
million people worldwide.
Spanish Flu
Name for Wilson’s initial proposition for peace:
Fourteen Points
What was the most important point in this proposal?
The creation of the League of Nations
Who was a part of the “Big Four?”
● Woodrow Wilson (US)
● David Lloyd George (Britain)
● Georges Clemenceau (France)
● Vittorio Orlando (Italy)
3 major parts of the Treaty of Versailles:
1. Established nine new nations and shifted the boundaries of other nations.
2. Carved five areas out of the Ottoman Empire and gave them to France and Great
Britain
3. Banned Germany from maintaining an army, also to return territory of
Alsace-Lorraine back to France, and had to pay reparations amounting to $33
billion to the Allies
4.
Effects on Germany:
1. Contained a war-guilt clause forcing Germany to admit sole responsibility for
starting WWI
2. There was no way they could afford to pay the reparations.
3. Germany was stripped of its colonial possessions in the Pacific which may have
helped it pay its reparations bill.
What were two reasons the American people opposed the treaty
1. Some people felt it was too harsh.
2. The economic reparations would destroy the world economy
Legacy of the war
Set the stage for World War II.
Angry Austrian that wanted vengeance for the treatment of Germans:
Adolf Hitler