Chapter 6 Lesson 3: “World War I” Study Guide

South Carolina Standard: 5-3.6

Vocabulary

1. World War I - a war fought from 1914-1918 mainly involving countries of Europe and the US

2. Nationalism - a love of one's country and a desire to keep others from controlling it

3. Alliance- An agreement among nations to defend one another

4. Isolationism- A policy to not get involved in the affairs of other countries

5. League of Nations- an international organization formed to prevent wars

6. Treaty of Versailles- the treaty that officially ended WWI

Introduction and Connection to Previous Material

  1. The annexation of territories, as well as the building of the Panama Canal contributed to America’s military might and its image as a worldpower

“A Gathering Storm” p. 273

  1. List the Allied PowersList the Central Powers

Russia, Great Britain, France, the U.S.Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire

“The United States Enters the War” p. 275

  1. At first, the United States tried to maintain a neutral role in WWI and was reluctant to join.
  1. What events led up to the U.S. entering World War I?

a) Germans sank the Lusitania killing more than 100 U.S. citizens, but this was not a direct cause of the United States entering the war.

b) Germany sent the Zimmerman telegram to Mexico inviting them to join the Central Powers and promised to get land back from the U.S. if they joined. This was intercepted by the British.

c) Most importantly, unrestrictedsubmarine warfare by Germans

d) Other reasons: wartime propaganda (similar to yellow journalism), traditional sympathies, andcommercial ties with Great Britainstrained U.S. neutrality

  1. The Zimmerman telegram led the American public to support going to war after it was published.
  1. Who was the President of the U.S. who asked Congress for a declaration of war in order to “make the world safe for democracy”?Woodrow Wilson

“America at War” p. 276

  1. What were American troops known as?doughboys

“The War Ends” p. 279

  1. The doughboys were instrumental in repelling the final assaults of German troops on the westernfront , breaking the deadlock of trench warfare .
  2. The Central powers agreed to an armistice with the allied powers , on the condition that Wilson’s Fourteen Points would guide the peace negotiations.

“The United States and the Peace Process” p. 280

  1. What treaty officially ended World War I? Treaty of Versailles
  1. What organization did the treaty help to create?The League of Nations
  1. Why was the League of Nations formed?To keep peace and end wars
  1. The U.S. Senate refusedto approve it because many thought the League of Nations would take away Congress’s right to declare war.

Additional Information

  1. Wilson played a significant role at the negotiations, but many of his 14 Points wereignored by other nations
  1. Wilson helped redraw state borders in Europe so that they better reflected nations (groups of people with the same language, religion, and ethnic heritage).
  1. Despite the American refusal to join the League of Nations, the U.S. continued to be involved in world trade in the 1920s.
  1. In the 1930s, Congress limited American involvement in world affairs in a series of laws called the Neutrality Acts . These attempted to keep the U.S. out of the trouble brewing inEurope .
  1. When the United States finally entered World War II , the U.S. allied with Great Britain , France , and others. This alliance became the basis for the creation of the UnitedNations , which replaced the League of Nations.