World War I Overview

World War I

• The Triple Entente consists of Britain, France, Russia, and Japan.
• The Triple Alliance consists of Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Weapons of World War I

• The rapid-fire machine gun, long-range artillery gun, armored tanks, poison gas, and diesel-powered submarines were first employed in combat during World War I.

Paris Peace Conference

• The Big Three of the Paris peace conference were President Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, and Georges Clemenceau.

Causes of World War I

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo ignited the Balkan "Powder Keg", leading to the Great War.

Schlieffen Plan

• The German Schlieffen plan failed due to Russia mobilizing more quickly than expected, the British and French troops pushing back the German drive along the Marne River, and German divisions being transferred from France to East Prussia.

Pandemics and Health

• A deadly pandemic of influenza spread worldwide, killing 20 million people.

Russian Calendar

• Russia's calendar was 13 days behind the calendar used in Western Europe.

Russian Leaders

• Alexander Kerensky was the leader of the provisional government who took efforts in the war efforts but failed to deal with land reforms.

League of Nations

• President Woodrow Wilson of the US compromised on several issues at the Paris peace conference in 1919 to achieve the League of Nations.

Sinking of Luistania

• The British liner Luistania was torpedoed by a German submarine in May 1915, killing almost 1,200 passengers, including 128 Americans.

German Foreign Minister

• Arthur Zimmermann was the German foreign minister who authorized his ambassadors in Mexico to propose help to conquer lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona in return for Mexican support against the US.

Battle of Gallipoli

• The Allies tried to regain access to the Dardanelles in the Battle of Gallipoli.

Middle East after World War I

• Parts of the Middle East became mandates of France and Britain after World War I.

Franco-Prussian War

• Alsace and Lorraine were border provinces of France lost during the defeat of the Franco-Prussian War.

British Blockade

• Contrabands, including goods like food and clothing, were blocked by Britain from reaching Germany.

World War I Timeline

• World War I started on July 28, 1914, and ended on November 11, 1918.

Russian Secret Police

• Cheka was the name of the secret police force that was much like the tsar's.

Bolshevik Slogan

• "Peace, Land, and Bread" was the slogan used by the Bolsheviks during rallies to garner support from the war-weary Russian people.

Russian Royal Family

• Gregory Rasputin was an illiterate peasant and self-proclaimed "holy man" who was Alexandra's adviser during Nicolas' absence.

Political Radicals

• Political radicals were people who wanted to make extreme changes and build a new social order.

Fourteen Points

• The Fourteen Points was a list issued by President Wilson in January 1918 to resolve the war and prevent future wars.

Austria-Hungary

• Germany gave Austria a "blank check" after the assassination of Archduke Francis.

French Leaders

• Georges Clemenceau was a French leader who wanted to weaken Germany.

Total War

• Propaganda was used to influence public opinion as a part of total war.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• Gavrilo Princip was the conspirator who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in Sarajevo.

Western Front

• After the First Battle of the Marne, the war on the Western Front turned into a stalemate.

Lenin's Revolution

• Lenin called for an elite group to lead the revolution and set up a "dictatorship of the proletariat" in Russia.

Lawrence of Arabia

• Colonel T.E Lawrence, later known as Lawrence of Arabia, was sent by the British government.