Glossary
Eastern Front
The theater of war in Eastern Europe during WWI, marked by more fluid and mobile battles between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Russia.
Example:
Unlike the static trenches of the Western Front, the Eastern Front saw vast movements of armies across large territories, leading to different tactical challenges.
Fighter planes
Aircraft developed during WWI for reconnaissance, bombing, and aerial combat, leading to the rise of 'dogfights' in the skies.
Example:
The daring maneuvers of ace pilots in their biplanes during a fighter plane dogfight became a new form of heroism in the war.
Flamethrowers
Incendiary weapons used in WWI to clear enemy trenches and bunkers by projecting a stream of ignited fuel.
Example:
The terrifying sight of a flamethrower being deployed could quickly dislodge entrenched enemy soldiers from their positions, despite its limited range.
HIPP strategy
An acronym (Historical context, Intended audience, Purpose, Point of view) used in AP World History to analyze primary source documents.
Example:
When analyzing a WWI poster, applying the HIPP strategy helps determine why it was created, what message it aimed to convey, and its potential impact on its viewers.
Home Front
The civilian population and activities of a nation engaged in war, encompassing economic mobilization, social changes, and government control to support the military effort.
Example:
On the Home Front, women took on jobs traditionally held by men, producing munitions and contributing to the war economy, which significantly altered societal roles.
Machine guns
Rapid-firing automatic weapons that caused immense casualties in WWI, making frontal assaults across open ground extremely deadly.
Example:
The devastating firepower of machine guns forced armies to dig trenches for protection, fundamentally changing battlefield tactics and increasing defensive strength.
Poison gas
A chemical weapon introduced in WWI, designed to incapacitate or kill enemy soldiers by causing respiratory failure, blindness, or severe burns.
Example:
The terrifying sight of a green cloud drifting across no-man's land signaled an impending poison gas attack, forcing soldiers to scramble for their masks.
Propaganda
Information, often biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view, widely employed by governments in WWI to mobilize public support and demonize the enemy.
Example:
A poster depicting the enemy as monstrous and barbaric was a common form of propaganda used to incite hatred and encourage enlistment among the civilian population.
Schlieffen Plan
Germany's pre-WWI military strategy to quickly defeat France by invading through neutral Belgium, then rapidly shifting forces to the Eastern Front to fight Russia.
Example:
The failure of the Schlieffen Plan meant Germany had to fight a prolonged war on two fronts, a strategic nightmare that ultimately weakened its position.
Submarines
Underwater vessels used for naval warfare, primarily by Germany (U-boats) in WWI to sink Allied shipping and enforce blockades.
Example:
German submarines posed a constant threat to Allied supply convoys in the Atlantic, leading to unrestricted submarine warfare and drawing the US into the conflict.
Tanks
Armored vehicles introduced in WWI, intended to cross difficult terrain, break through barbed wire, and overcome trench defenses.
Example:
Early tanks were slow and prone to breaking down, but their psychological impact on enemy troops was undeniable, signaling a new era of mechanized warfare.
Total War
A conflict in which a nation mobilizes all its resources, including civilians and industries, for the war effort, blurring the lines between combatants and non-combatants.
Example:
During WWI, factories shifted from making cars to producing artillery shells, demonstrating the complete societal commitment characteristic of total war.
Trench Warfare
A form of land warfare where opposing armies fight from fortified ditches, leading to stalemates, high casualties, and 'no-man's land' between lines.
Example:
The muddy, rat-infested conditions of trench warfare made daily life a constant struggle for survival, even without direct combat.
Western Front
The main theater of war in Western Europe during WWI, characterized by static trench warfare between Germany and the Allied powers (France, Britain, later US).
Example:
Soldiers on the Western Front endured years of brutal stalemate, often gaining only a few yards of territory at immense cost.