Causes of WWI
This acronym represents the four major long-term causes of World War I.
What is M.A.I.N.?
President Woodrow Wilson originally wanted the United States to follow this policy toward WWI.
neutrality
Soldiers lived and fought from these long defensive positions.
trenches
This 1917 law created a military draft.
Selective Service Act
Fighting in WWI ended on this date.
November 11, 1918
This term describes countries building larger armies, navies, and weapons before WWI.
What is militarism?
This British passenger ship was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915, killing more than 100 Americans.
Lusitania
The dangerous area between opposing trenches was called this.
No Man's Land
This government agency organized and coordinated the production of war materials.
War Industries Board (WIB)
President Wilson's plan for creating lasting peace after WWI was called this.
Fourteen Points
This system caused a conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia to spread across Europe.
alliance system
These German submarines attacked ships traveling across the Atlantic.
U-boats
This term means neither side can make enough progress to win.
stalemate
This government organization produced propaganda encouraging Americans to support WWI.
Committee on Public Information (CPI)
Wilson wanted to create this international organization where countries could settle disagreements peacefully.
League of Nations
This man assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
Gavrilo Princip
This secret German message proposed that Mexico join Germany against the United States.
Zimmermann Telegram
Name three new weapons or technologies used during WWI.
machine guns, poison gas, submarines, tanks, airplanes, or heavy artillery.
These two laws limited certain anti-war activities and speech during WWI.
Espionage Act and Sedition Act
This 1919 treaty officially punished Germany after WWI.
Treaty of Versailles
Explain the difference between the long-term causes of WWI and the spark that started the war.
M.A.I.N.—militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism—created long-term tension in Europe. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the spark that triggered the war.
Name two major reasons the United States entered WWI in 1917.
Unrestricted submarine warfare, attacks on ships, threats to American lives and trade, and the Zimmermann Telegram.
Why did new technology make WWI especially deadly?
Industrial technology allowed soldiers to kill enemies much faster, while trench warfare made it difficult for either side to advance. This caused massive casualties without quick victories.
Why is Schenck v. United States important to U.S. history
The case raised the question of how much the government should be allowed to limit freedom of speech during wartime, creating a conflict between national security and individual rights.
Name three ways the Treaty of Versailles punished Germany.
Germany lost territory and colonies, faced military restrictions, accepted responsibility through the war-guilt provision, and had to pay reparations.