The Great War (WWI) Study Guide
Identify the following people/terms/events and explain why they were significant in WWI.
Ottoman Empire
Franz Joseph
Kaiser William II
Tzar Nicolas II
Treaty of Versailles
total war
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Atrocities
total war
Schlieffen Plan
Otto von Bismark
Vladmir Lenin
trench warfare
Western Front
Big Four
Sykes-Picot Treaty
mandates
Franz Ferdinand
Woodrow Wilson
League of Nations
No-man’s land
Eastern Front
self-determination
Treaty of London
neutrality
Gavrilo Princip
reparations
armistice
ultimatum
propaganda
1. Identify the four MAIN causes of war. What do each of those terms mean and how did they help cause
WWI? Be prepared to give examples of these 4 main causes of war in action. (MAIN Causes of WWI, MAIN
MAP, 26.1 Reading Notes)
2. Why was the Balkan Peninsula referred to as the “powder-keg” of Europe? (26.1 Reading Notes)
3. Who were the Black Hand and why did its members wanted to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand. (26.1
Reading Notes, WWI Documentary Notes)
4. Who were members of the two major Alliance systems during WWI? Be prepared to identify at least 5
countries part of the Allied Powers and 3 countries that were part of the Central Powers. (1914 Map)
5. Why did the nations of Serbia, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Japan, Italy, and the
United States ultimately enter the war? What events brought them in? (26.1 Reading Notes, and Battle on
Other European Fronts)
6. How did total warfare impact the civilian populations of Europe and America? What types of actions were
citizens asked to take during this time period? (26.3 Reading Notes)
7. Describe why the method of warfare on the western front during WWI led to a stalemate. (Trench Warfare
Notes)
8. Describe the effect of the following on WWI: the Russian Revolution, the U.S. entry into the war (WWI
Timeline & 26.3 Notes)
9. Why did the United States enter WWI on the side of the Allies? What events contributed to the U.S. entry in
the war? (WWI Timeline Notes, 26.3 Reading Notes)
10 What was the status of each of the following countries governments at the end of the war? Russia,
Germany, Ottoman Empire, Austria Hungary. (WWI Timeline Notes, Paris Peace Conference Reflection)
11. Identify some of the issues that had to be settled at the Paris Peace Conference. How did Woodrow
Wilson’s goals at the Peace Conference differ from those of other Allied Leaders? What consequences did this
have on the end result (the Treaty of Versailles)? (Negotiating the Treaty of Versailles and Wilson’s 14 Points)
12. What are three possible negative effects of the terms of the peace reached after WWI? Consider the
consequences for Germany, Italy, Japan, India, Arab nationalists. (Paris Peace Conference Reflection)