Dylan Connelly

Chapter 16
The United States Enter World War I
1. Militarism- The aggressive build-up of armed forces to intimidate and threaten other
nations. This was one of the main causes of WWI. The Germans militarism eventually
led to Britain joining the alliance system.
2. Nationalism- A feeling of intense pride in ones homeland. It was another main cause for
WWI. European countries believed that they had the best culture and thought I was right
to spread it across other countries.
3. Balkans- region in south-eastern Europe. It was mostly ruled Ottoman and Austro-
Hungarian. They had a crisis in the 1800s due to nationalism.
4. Franz Ferdinand- Archduke of Austro-Hungarian He was assassinated by a member of
the Serbian nationalist group the Black Hand. This is what triggered WWI even though
it wasnt one of the major causes of WWI.
5. Propaganda- Information designed to influence opinion. It was used by Britain to try to
get the US to support them. The Germans tried as well but their propaganda was mostly
anti-Russian, so most Americans didnt care for it.
6. Contraband- Goods prohibited from shipment to Germany or their allies. Britain forced
merchant ships to stop at British ports to get inspected for contraband. The US was not
thrilled about this but Germans responding with U-boats got the US even more upset.
7. Sussex Pledge- Kept the US out of the war a little longer. Germans promised not to sink
any more merchant ships without warning. This helped Wilson win his reelection in
1916.
8. Zimmerman Telegram- Telegram saying that Germany promised US land to Mexico if
they help Germany in a war with the US. This was intercepted by Britain and leaked in
US newspapers. Forced America to declare war on Germany.
9. War Industries Board- Coordinates production of war materials. It was established in
1917 and was run by Bernard Baruch. It ran what got produced, allocated raw materials,
and ordered the construction of factories.
10. Victory Gardens- The most successful agency was the Food Administration set by
Herbert Hoover. This agency was responsible for increasing food production and
reducing civil consumption. They encouraged people to conserve food by growing their
own vegetables in Victory Gardens.
11. National War Labor Board- In order to promote the success of the war effort it required
the cooperation of workers. This board was set up to prevent strikes from disrupting the
war effort with William Howard Taft and Frank Walsh as leaders. They pressured
industries to improve wages, adopt an eight-hour workday, and allow unions the right to
organize and bargain collectively. As a result, labor leaders agreed not to disrupt war
production with strikes or other disturbances.
12. Committee on Public Information- President Wilson created this in order to sell the war
to the American people to win their favor. George Creel was the head who recruited
various agencies to persuade Americans to favor the war. This committee distributed
pamphlets and conducted patriotic talks to obtain the support of Americans.
13. Espionage- Spying on the government to obtain information. The Espionage Act of 1917
made it illegal to aid the enemy, give false reports, or interfere with the war effort.
14. Selective Service- Progressives believed that forced military service was wrong but they
believed that a draft was necessary. With the support of Congress and President Wilson a
new conscription system was created called selective service in which all men between
21 and 30 had to register for the draft. A lottery randomly determined the order in which
they were called before a local draft board in charge of selecting or exempting people
from military service.
15. No mans land- The space between opposing trenches. In order to prevent troops from
crossing no mans land both sides built barbed wire entanglements and obstacles in front
of their trenches. This area was very hard to pass through and killed many people.
16. Convoys- Merchant ships and troops transports are gathered into groups. Proposed by
William S. Sims in order to inflict heavy losses upon British shipping. The Convoys also
saved lives; when a ship was sunk other ships in the convoy would rescue survivors.
17. John J. Pershing- He was the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, which
arrived in Paris on July 4, 1917 where he saluted Lafayette. The British and French
commanders wanted to integrate American troops into their commands but Pershing
refused with President Wilson supporting him. Pershing gave the French the 93rd
Infantry Division, which was an African American unit to become the first Americans to
enter combat.
18. Armistice- After Germany became a republic an armistice also known as a truce was
signed. It was an agreement to stop fighting at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th
moth, 1918. As a result, World War I concluded.
19. Treaty of Versailles- Even though the fighting had stopped in November 1918 a peace
treaty had to be negotiated and signed. In January 1919 delegates from 27 countries
traveled to France to attend the peace conference, which took place at the Palace of
Versailles near Paris. The conference also negotiated the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which
ended the war with Austria-Hungary. This treaty had ended the war and also declared
peace among the nations.
20. Fourteen Points- Peace plan proposed by President Wilson which he presented to
Congress in January 1918 to explain the goals of the United States in the war. He
believed that if the Fourteen Points were established then there would be a lasting peace
in Europe. Wilson proposed to eliminate the causes of the war through free trade,
freedom of the seas, disarmament, an impartial adjustment of colonial claims, and open
diplomacy instead of secret agreements.
21. National Self-determination- Points 6-13 of the Fourteen Points. It proposed that the
borders of a country should be based on ethnicity and national identity. It also stated that
no nation should be allowed to keep territory from another nation.
22. League of Nations- The last point of the Fourteen Points. It called for a creation of a
general association of nations. The nations would preserve peace by pledging to respect
and protect each others territory and political independence.
23. Reparations- Monetary compensation for all of the war damage. Germany owed the allies
$33 billion due to this. This resulted in Germany having a weak economy for a long time.
24. Cost of living- The cost of essentials that people needed to survive. Once the war had
ended people raced to buy goods that had been rationed while businesses raised prices,
which caused rapid inflation. This increased the cost of living in terms of food, clothes,
and shelter. Factories had to lay off workers because the war ended and soldiers returning
home were unable to find jobs.
25. General Strike- A strike that involves all of the workers in a community. A general strike
took place in Seattle when shipyard workers walked off the job demanding higher wages
and shorter hours which consisted of over 60,000 people. The strikers did not gain
anything but worried many Americans because the general strike was a common tactic
used in Europe by communists and other radical groups.
26. Calvin Coolidge- The Governor of Seattle. He called in the National Guard to stop what
might be the most famous strike in which 75 percent of the police force walked off the
job. When they tried to go back to work, the police commissioner then fired the strikers
and hired a new police force.
27. Red Scare- A nationwide panic. The strikes that took place in 1919 brought fear that
Communists or reds would take power. Ole Hanson believed that the general strike was
a way to take control of American government and turn it into the anarchy of Russia.
This showed how much people feared a new way of government.
28. A. Mitchell Palmer- United States Attorney General. In June eight bombs in eight cities
exploded in a short amount of time, which suggested a nationwide conspiracy. One of
these bombs damaged the home of Palmer. Many people believed that the bombs were
the work of radicals trying to destroy the American way of life.
29. J. Edgar Hoover- The head of the General Intelligence Division. Palmer established a
special division within the Justice Department, the General Intelligence Division. This
division was later named the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also known as the FBI.
30. Deported- To expel individuals from the country. Palmers raids deported nearly 600
people. Palmer was looked as a hero even though they got no proof of a conspiracy.