World War One Study Guide
Name____________________
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1. Explain the Four MAIN Causes of WW1.
Militarism- A nation’s policy to maintain
strong armed forces
Example: Germany had the best military and weapons
Alliance System- The
formation of military agreements among nations
Examples: Triple Alliance and Triple Entente
Imperialism- A nation’s
attempt to gain control of weaker nations
Example: Europe competed for Africa
Nationalism- A sense
of pride or devotion to your nation
Example: The Serbians assassinate the Archduke of Austria-
2. Who was in the Triple Entente?
France, Russia, and Great Britain
3. Who was in the Triple Alliance?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
Italy left the alliance
4. Who was Gavrilo Princip and what did he do?
A 19 year old Serbian assassin who shot Frans Ferdinand (the
archduke) of Austria and his wife
5. What did most Europeans feel about the start of the war in 1914?
It would be over quickly and be a great adventure
6. List the new weapons used in WW1 and who used them first.
Poison gas- Germans, Tanks- British, U-boats- Germans, Rapid fire
machine guns- Germans, Aircraft- Germans, Flame throwersGermans, Zeppelins- Germans
7. List the series of events that led to WW1.
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Archduke of Austria-Hungary is assassinated by Serbian terrorist
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia
Russia moved to support Serbia
Germany declared war on Russia and France
Germany attacked neutral Belgium
Great Britain declared war on Germany
8. How many soldiers were killed and wounded in WW1? Who lost the most men?
8.5 million soldiers died, 21.2 million wounded, 13 million civilians
died. Russia lost the most men (1.7-2 million)
9. What is the Balkans?
The Balkans are a region in southeastern Europe that is home to
many diverse ethnic groups, including Serbians.
10. What were the causes of the Russian Revolution?
 Czar Nicholas promised change but did not, so they protested
 The economy grew worse, they had little food and fuel
 The Bolsheviks grew in power as peasants and workers went on
strike
 The soldiers stopped supporting the czar
 They had to give up large areas of land to get out of the war
11. Who were the Bolsheviks and who was their leader?
A small Marxist group who promised revolution and change in
Russia
They were also called the communists and were led by Vladimir
Lenin who promised “Peace, land and bread”.
12. What was the new name of Russia?
Soviet Union (or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics- USSR)
13. Describe the civilian war effort on the “Home Front”.
Civilians conserved food, fuel and other things for military use.
Factories produced military weapons and supplies. Women went to
work in factories replacing men. Governments used propaganda to
gain support for the war.
14. Define the terms Ultimatum and Propaganda and how were they used in WW1.
 Ultimatum- When one party threatens harmful action if the demands
it has made are not met. Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum.
 Propaganda- Information designed to influence people’s opinions. It
was used to gain support for the war and encourage patriotism.
15. Why did the U.S. enter WW1 and who was the U.S. President?
Unrestricted German submarine warfare, the Zimmerman Note and to
make the world safe for democracy (President Woodrow Wilson)
16. How did the Lusitania and the Zimmerman note get the U.S. into WW1?
 Lusitania: It was sunk by the Germans during unrestricted submarine
warfare, causing the loss of over 100 American lives
 Zimmerman Note: Germany proposed that Mexico attack the U.S.
17. What were the Allied demands after WW1?
 France and Great Britain wanted to punish Germany
 Italy wanted to gain territory
 U.S. wanted future peace
18. Describe the three key ideas of Wilson’s 14 Points.
 Reduction of armaments (weapons of war)
 Autonomy for all people (people have the right to choose their
government)
 Creation of the League of Nations
19. Explain the Treaty of Versailles. (BRAT)
B= Blame: Germany must accept full blame for the war
R= Reparations: Germany must pay money for the war ($33 billion)
A= Army: Germany had to limit their army
T= Territory: Germany had to give up 25,000 square miles of land
20. What side was the Ottoman Empire on during WW1 and who did they commit genocide
against?
The Ottoman Empire was on the Central Powers and committed
genocide against the Armenians.