Causes of WWI
What single event in Sarajevo in 1914 set off the chain of events that led to World War I?
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
What was another common name for the Allied Powers during WWI?
Entente Powers.
Who are the main countries that made up the Central Powers?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria
In what year did the United States enter World War I?
1917.
What term describes the area between opposing trenches?
No Man’s Land.
Name the European policy where countries expanded their influence over other territories—this was a major cause of WWI.
Imperialism.
What were the four major Allied countries?
France, Britain, Russia, and the United States.
What was the name of Germany’s military plan at the start of WWI?
The Schlieffen Plan.
What was the Zimmerman Telegram and why did it influence the U.S. decision to enter the war?
A secret German proposal to Mexico offering U.S. territory (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) if Mexico joined Germany—helped push U.S. public opinion toward war.
Give two common conditions or hazards soldiers experienced while living in trenches.
Lice, rats, mud, disease, cold leading to trench foot/amputations, poor sanitation.
What system among European powers—meant for protection—actually increased distrust and made a large-scale war more likely?
Secret alliances
Approximately how many U.S. troops fought in WWI?
4,335,000 troops.
Briefly describe the objective of the Schlieffen Plan.
A quick defeat of France (western front) so Germany could then turn to defeat Russia in the east.
On what date did the U.S. officially declare war against Germany?
April 6, 1917
What was the most secret or safest way to construct a trench, according to the text?
Tunneling (digging tunnels, removing roof when ready).
Which country declared war on Serbia in July 1914, beginning the immediate escalation?
Austria-Hungary
How many U.S. service members died during WWI?
116,000 U.S. deaths.
Why would a rapid victory in the west (France) have been important to Germany’s strategy?
to avoid a prolonged two-front war and allow Germany to concentrate forces.
What were President Woodrow Wilson’s “Fourteen Points”? Provide a short summary.
Wilson’s peace plan to end the war and set terms for just, lasting peace (14 points addressing open diplomacy, free trade, arms reduction, self-determination, League of Nations, etc.).
Name four technological or tactical changes in modern warfare during WWI listed in the document and give one sentence describing the use of each.
Tanks (landships crossing No Man’s Land), Submarines (U-boats attacking shipping), Flamethrowers (used to clear trenches), Chemical weapons (chlorine gas used to poison troops).
How did the assassination, imperialism, nationalism, and alliances combined to produce a continent-wide war?
Assassination, aggressive nationalism, imperial competition, and alliance obligations producing rapid escalation.
Which two Allied countries had the highest combined soldier deaths according to the file, and what is the approximate combined total?
Russia and France — about 5,541,000 combined.
Identify and explain one major weakness or logistical challenge of executing the Schlieffen Plan in practice.
Logistical difficulties, timing, violation of Belgian neutrality bringing Britain in, or underestimating Russian mobilization.
Explain how American military and political involvement helped shift the outcome of WWI. Include at least two distinct effects.
Bolstered Allied manpower and resources
Provided economic and logistical support
Contributed to final offensives
U.S. participation shaped postwar settlement via Fourteen Points and League of Nations proposal.
How did trench warfare and new technologies (like chemical weapons and tanks) changed the human experience of combat in WWI?
Dehumanizing conditions, higher casualty rates, psychological trauma, stalemate on front lines; technologies increased lethality and changed tactics