Name ____________________________
World War I Study Guide
1. What were the
reasons that World
War I occurred?
militarism, alliances,
nationalism,
imperialism, and
assassination
2. Describe the
“spark” that led to
World War I? (Think:
Who, What, Where,
When)
Austrian Archduke
Franz Ferdinand was
assassinated in
Bosnia by a Serbian
nationalist on June
28, 1914.
6. With so many men
off fighting the war,
what effect did this
have on the home
front? Describe how it
impacted the lives of
people in the United
States.
The US government
introduced rations –
limits on the amount
7. Why was Germany
punished for World
War I and not AustriaHungary?
Austria-Hungary
collapses during
World War I. As a
result, Germany was
left to take all of the
blame for the war.
Date ________________
3. Describe the new
manners of fighting
that took place during
World War I.
The war was fought
using trench warfare
– a type of combat
where opposing
troops fight from
trenches facing each
other. The war also
saw the introduction
of modern weapons
such as machine guns,
mustard gas, tanks,
and airplanes.
4. Describe the spark that
led to the United States
entering World War I?
On May 7, 1915 a
German U-Boat
torpedoed British ocean
liner Lusitania. Over
1,000 people died
including over 150
Americans. Germany
did not keep its promise
that it would stop
attacking passenger
ships. The Zimmerman
Telegram was another
reason the US entered
the war.
8. What was the Treaty 9. Identify the three
of Versailles?
things the Treaty of
Versailles did to punish
The Treaty of
Germany?
Versailles was the
peace treaty that
1. Took land away from
ended World War I.
Germany and gave it to
The treaty also
France.
punished Germany
2. Made Germany pay
for the war.
money to the Allied
Powers.
3. Took away
5. The United States was
very important in World
War I. Explain why we
were so important to the
war effort.
The United States
entered the war with a
fresh supply of
weapons, food, and
most importantly
soldiers.
10. President Wilson did
not like the Treaty of
Versailles. Though he
didn’t like the treaty he
asked the United States
Senate to approve it.
Explain why?
President Wilson
believed the Treaty of
Versailles was too
harsh on Germany.
Name ____________________________
World War I Study Guide
Date ________________
of some goods people
could buy. Women
were now in the
workforce, taking the
place of men who
were fighting in the
war. Women helped
make the supplies
needed in the war.
Be sure you can define militarism - policy of
the following:
building up a strong
military to prepare for
war.
alliances - agreements
between nations to
provide aid and
protect one another.
nationalism – extreme
pride in one’s country.
imperialism - when
one country takes over
another country
economically and
politically.
Germany’s colonies in
Africa.
President Wilson
wanted the creation of
a League of Nations to
support peace efforts
between nations.
assassination – the
murder of a prominent
person by surprise attack.
rations - limits on
consumption of food and
goods.
propaganda –
information that is used
to shape people’s
thinking.