WWI Study Guide
Things to Know:
STUDY YOUR NOTES, VOCABULARY AND TEXTBOOK CHAPTER 8.
1. What are the M.A.I.N. causes that led to the war? Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism
2. What triggered the war? (Who and Where?) The assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand in
Sarajevo, Bosnia.
3. Germany’s invasion of this neutral country caused Great Britain to enter the war. Belgium
4. What countries were on the Allied side? Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, USA
5. What countries were on the Central Powers Side? Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire,
Bulgaria
6. What was the Zimmerman telegram & how did it effect the U.S.? It was a note sent from Germany to
Mexico, but was intercepted. It wanted Mexico to join the Central Powers & it would gain territory in
US if Central Powers won. The intercepted note was given to US newspapers…made Americans mad &
made us want to go to war.
7. Who was the U.S. president during WWI? Wilson
8. What new GERMAN weapon changed the course of the war? Uboat
9. What dramatic new weapon, in general, had a great impact for both sides? Airplane
10. What did the Food Administration ask Americans to do during the war? Ration and conserve food
11. What did the National War Labor Board do? Insured the production of vital war materials – improved
labor laws
12. What did Wilson consider to be the most important part of his Fourteen Points? The League of Nations
Was it successful? No…America didn’t join.
13. What countries signed the Treaty of Versailles? Great Britain, France, Italy…America did not ratify it
because Congress didn’t approve it.
14. What main country did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles? USA
15. What were the 4 key terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
*Germany had to accept responsibility
*Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies
*Germany had to give up all weapons
*Germany had to give up all overseas colonies & territories in Europe
16. What were the new weapons used in WWI? Airplane, uboat, zepplins/blimps, machine guns, poisonous
gas
17. What was life like for the soldiers fighting in the trenches. (positive and negative) Positive – offered
protection. Negative – rats, lice, outside all the time, wet, cold, boring, dangerous
18. What were the 3 aggressive actions by Germany that brought America into WWI? Lusitania was sunk
killing 128 Americans, Sussex attacked and then the breaking of the Sussex Pledge, the Zimmermann
Telegram
19. Explain the Selective Service Act. A law that allows the president to draft soldiers during times of war.
20. What rights were restricted in America during WWI? First Amendment was limited by Espionage Act
21. What was the date the Lusitania was sunk? May 7, 1915
22. What date did the President of the U.S. sign the declaration of war against Germany? April 6, 1917
23. What month, day, hour and year was the Armistice signed? November 11, 1918 at 11:00am
24. Did America ever sign a peace treaty with Germany? Yes, in 1921.