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Allies
There were two major defense alliances in Europe for WW!, the Triple Entente, later know as the Allies, was France, Britain, and Russia -
Centeral Powers
The centeral powers consisted of Gernmany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman empire. -
Committee of Public Information
To popularize the war, the government set up the nation’s first propaganda agency, the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Propaganda is a kind of biased communication designed to influence people’s thoughts and actions. The head of the CPI was a former muckraking journalist named George Creel. -
1914 Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
He was the hier to the Astrian throne was on his way to visit Bosnian capital Sarajero. As the royal entrourage drove through the city. Serbian nationalists group called the black hand assassinated him. -
Schlieffen Plan
Germany invased Belgium. This plan for a holding action against Russia, combined with a quick drive through Belgium to Paris. After france had fallen, the two german armies would defear Russia. As German troops swept across Belgium, thousands fled. -
Sinking of the British liner Lusitania
A U-boat sank the ship off the southern coast of Ireland. 1,198 ppl dies, 128 americans. The germans defended their actions by saying the ship carried ammunition, but American's were pretty pissed and public opinions turned against Germany. -
Sinking of the British liner Arabic
Germany sank another liner 3 months later. and it killed two americans. US was arngry and Germany said it wouldn't sink anymore passanger ships. -
Sinking of French passenger liner Sussex
German broke its promise and 80 passangers, some americans, were killed/injured. Once again, US threatened to break off polotical relations with Germany unless it changed tactics and Germany agreed again, but there was a condition: if the US could not pursuade Britain to lift its blockade against food and fertilizers, Germany would consider renewing unrestricted submarine warfare. -
Battle of the Somme
he battle was fought between the Allies (British and French) on one side and the German Empire on the other. Many of the British soldiers saw their first fighting at the Battle of the Somme.THe sacle of slaughter was horrific. British suffered 60K on day 1. Final causalties was 1.2 million. Trench warfare was the reason if the massive casualties. -
Zimmermann note
This was a telegram that came from the German foriegn minister to the German ambassador in Mexico that was intercepted by British agents. The telegram proposed an alliance between Mexico and Germany and promised that if war with the us broke out. Germany wwould support Mexico in recovering lost territory in Nexas, New Mexico, and Arizona. -
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. Of this number, almost 3 million were called up. About 2 million troops reached Europe before the truce was signed, and three-fourths of them saw actual combat. Most of the inductees had not attended high school, and about one in five was foreign-born. -
Convoy system
German U-boat attacks on merchant ships in the Atlantic were a serious threat to the Allied war effort. American Vice Admiral William S. Sims convinced the British to try the convoy system, in which a heavy guard of destroyers escorted merchant ships back and forth across the Atlantic in groups. By fall of 1917, shipping losses had been cut
in half. The U.S. Navy also helped lay a 230-mile barrier of mines across the North Sea from Scotland to Norway.
The barrier helped block Uboat attacks -
War Industries Board
It was established in 1917 and reorganized in 1918 under the leadership of Bernard M. Baruch, a prosperous businessman. The board encouraged companies to use mass-production techniques to increase efficiency. It also urged them to eliminate waste by standardizing products, for instance, by making only 5 colors of typewriter ribbons instead of 150. The WIB set production quotas and allocated raw materials. Under the WIB, industrial production in the United States increased by about 20% -
Cease-fire and armistice
The Germans were to exausted to keep on fighting so Germany agreed to a cease-fire and signed the armustuce, or truce, that ended the war. -
National War Labor Board
To deal with disputes between management and labor, President Wilson established the National War Labor Board in 1918. Workers who refused to obey board decisions could lose their draft exemptions. Work or fight, they were told by the board. However, the board also worked to improve factory conditions. It pushed for an eight-hour workday, promoted safety inspections, and enforced the child labor ban. -
Food Administration
To help produce and conserve food, Wilson set up the Food Administration under Herbert Hoover. Instead of rationing food, he called on people to follow the “gospel of the clean plate.” He declared one day a week “meatless,” another “sweetless,” two days “wheatless,” and two other days “porkless.” Restaurants removed sugar bowls from the table and served bread only after the first course. -
Espionageand 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. -
Second Battle of the Marne
The turning point of the war. Allies advance steadily after defeating the Germans. Russian pulled out of the war, Germany shifted focus to western front in France. American troops hled at the battle. -
Austria-Hungary surrenders to the Allies
On Nov 3, 1918, Austia-Hungary surrenders to Allies. -
Establishment of German Republic
German sailors mutinied against government authority. The mutiny spread quickly. Everywhere in Germany, groups of soldiers and workers organized revolutionary councils. On November 9, socialist leaders in the capital, Berlin, established a German republic. The kaiser gave up the throne.
