Name: ______Answer Key______________________
Date: ________
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Modern Europe – WWI Study Guide
Vocabulary
Directions: Define the following vocabulary terms IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Use vocab cards to help you
study!
Term
Definition
Alliances
Agreements between nations to help one another in times of trouble, such as in a war
Archduke
Term used for an Austrian prince
Trench
Warfare
Armistice
Dictator
A method of fighting in which soldiers fight from long ditches in the ground
An agreement to stop fighting (a cease-fire)
The absolute ruler of a country
League of
Nations
A group of nations that worked for peace AFTER WWI
Prime
Minister
The leader of a government in some nations; Great Britain is an example
Stalemate
A situation in which neither side in a battle is winning; a tie
Alliances
Directions: List four countries for each “group” during World War I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Allies
Great Britain
France
Russia
Italy
Portugal
USA (post1917)
7. Morocco
8. Algeria
9. Serbia
10. Greece
11. Romania
The Central Powers
1. Germany
2. AustriaHungary
3. Bulgaria
4. Turkey
Neutral Countries
1. Spain
2. Sweden
3. Switzerland
4. Netherlands
5. Norway
6. Denmark
7. The USA (pre1917)
Map
1. Austria-Hungary
7. Italy
13. Sweden
2. Belgium
8. Netherlands
14. Switzerland
3. Bulgaria
9. Norway
15. Ottoman Empire
4. France
10. Portugal
16. Serbia
5. Germany
11. Russia
17. United Kingdom
6. Greece
12. Spain
18. Romania
9
13
11
17
8
2
4
5
1
14
18
10
7
12
16
6
3
15
11
Causes of World War I
Directions: Complete the chart below using your knowledge of the causes of World War I.
Causes
Militarism
Alliances
Nationalism
Definition / Explanation
An attempt by a nation to have a bigger
and better military, as well as better
weapons, than other nations
Agreements between nations to help one
another in times of trouble, such as in a
war
Feelings of loyalty to one’s country and a
desire for its independence
*pride in one’s nation
Imperialism
The effort of a nation to create an
empire of colonies
Assassination
The murder of someone, usually for
political reasons
Example
Before WWI Germany doubled the size of its army
Britain expanded its army and navy
Russia sought to expand and modernize its army
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance
Many ethnic groups throughout the Balkan Peninsula
fought for their independence from larger countries
and empires
Germany, Britain, France and other major European
powers fought over colonies in Africa, Asia, and the
Americas
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by
Serbian nationalists (Gavrilo Princip) due to AustriaHungary’s annexation of Bosnia
The Events and People of World War I.
Directions: Use any resource available (except copying a friend’s study guide!), please answer the following
questions.
1. Describe what trench warfare was and the conditions of the trenches during World War I.
A good answer here would talk about the horrible conditions including examples such as: rats,
lice, boredom, terrifying, disease, poison gas, wet/cold, trench foot, death all around, etc.
2. List three examples of new weapons, technologies, or tactics of WWI and how each was used.
Can talk about tanks, submarines, machine guns, poison gas, barbwire, zeppelin, planes, flame
thrower
3. What was the Zimmerman Telegram and why was it important?
The Zimmerman Telegram was a message sent from Germany to Mexico (and Japan) promising
Mexico parts of the southwest United States if they entered the war on the side of the Central
Powers. Britain intercepted this telegram and delivered it to the United States. This telegram
infuriated Americans and helped sway opinions towards entering the war.
4.
Write a brief paragraph describing the Russian Revolution. Be sure to use key terms and people such as:
the Bolsheviks, Vladimir Lenin, Nicholas II, communism, etc.
Russia was unindustrialized and very poor. People were tired of Tsar Nicholas II spending money
fighting wars instead of taking care of problems at home. In 1917, following two revolutions, a
group known as the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, helped force Nicholas II out of power and
took control of the country. The Bolsheviks introduced communism to Russia, took Russia out of
WWI by signing a treaty with Germany, and changed the name of Russia to the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics (USSR).
5. Tell the following about the Lusitania.
Germany used its U-boats to sink the British passenger ship, the Lusitania, as it sailed to Liverpool
from New York in 1915. Germany had warned that it would sink all ships sailing in Allied water
because Germany suspected that the Allies were using passenger ships to smuggle weapons to the
Allies from the United States. The sinking resulted in the death of over 1000 civilians, including over
120 Americans and helped sway public opinion against Germany and towards the United States
entering the war.
The End of WWI and Beyond
Directions: Use any resource available (except copying a friend’s study guide!), please answer the following
questions.
1. What was the purpose of President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points?
Wilson sought to obtain Peace without Victory. Believed that punishing the Central Powers would
cause tensions to continue and could lead to future conflict
2. What were the three main areas of the 14 Points?
a) Improve International Relations: end alliances, allow for self-determination
b) Restoration of Territories: return countries to their pre-war borders
c) Restriction of Military Strength: all countries needed to limit the size of their militaries
3. What is the Treaty of Versailles?
Was the formal treaty that ended World War I
4. What were the feelings of most Germans after WWI? Why did they feel this way?
Many Germans felt shocked because the German government had only told them of their victories
and they believed they were winning the war. Many Germans also felt betrayed by the new
German government that surrendered because they felt like all their fighting and efforts had been
for nothing (had actually just made Germany worse off)
5. On what day did the fighting of WWI come to an end? What time?
November 11, 1918 at 11:00 am (or 11:11 am according to some sources)
6. What were three “consequences / punishments” placed on Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles?
a) Was not allowed to have any submarines, only six naval vessels, reduce army to 100,000
troops, pay
b) Germany had to return land to France and Russia, fix land in Italy, lost all of its colonies, and
part of its major industrial area was put under French control, Allies were given control of
western Germany for 20 years
c) Germany had to pay $33 billion in war reparations