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Modern History

Home > Modern History > Core Study > World War I and its Aftermath 1914 - 1919: A Source-based Study > World War I: glossary

 

 

Aces

- distinguished airmen from both sides who had achieved high "kill" rates against enemy aircraft. The most famous was the German Baron von Richthofen.
 

AIF

- Australian Imperial Force.
 

Aliens

- people of foreign background who were targets of hatred and official harassment.
 

Anti-conscription

- against the introduction of compulsory military service.
 

Armistice

- a short truce or end of hostilities; 11 November 1918 is known as Armistice Day for World War I.
 

Attrition

- an attempt to win the war based on which side can last the longest. This involved having the greatest number of troops.
 

Bayonet

- a 53 cm knife, a leftover weapon from early centuries when infantry faced the enemy at close range. It was a danger to both friend and foe. Often used in trench raids.
 

BEF

- the British Expeditionary Force. All British soldiers serving in France and Belgium were part of this force.
 

"Big Push"

- an attempt to win the war by intensive heavy shelling of enemy positions followed by an all out assault on the enemy trenches using superior numbers built up especially for the occasion, e.g. the Battle of the Somme.
 

Blighty

- a British expression describing an injury that enabled the wounded to be sent home to Britain.
 

Bomb or grenade

- small hand-held bomb that could be thrown about 40 metres. It was a major offensive weapon. British used Mills grenades after 1915; over 75 million were used during the war. On the British side they were made from jam tins in the early stages of the war, as they had been phased out of use after the 1870s. Germans used the "potato masher" style grenade.
 

Casualty

- someone who has been wounded or died as a result of battle.
 

Churchill, Winston

- British cabinet minister who supported the Gallipoli campaign as an alternative to the stalemate on the Western Front.
 

Civilian

- a citizen who is not involved with the military in any capacity.
 

Clemenceau

- premier of France at the end of the war. He represented France at the Peace Conference and stepped down from office in 1920. He advocated a harsh settlement, sought substantial reparations for France and aimed to weaken Germany.
 

Conscription

- compulsory military service.
 

Duckboard

- wooden slats placed in the bottom (sump) of the trench to allow drainage and a better footing for the soldiers in wet conditions.
 

Dugout

- an area in the side of the trench that was scraped out to form a sleeping shelter. Sometimes these were quite elaborate and even had more than one room and electric lighting. Also known as "funk-holes".
 

Eastern Front

- the area of battles between the Germans, Austro-Hungarians and the Russians. Germany had not expected the quick response that the Russians provided in August 1914. This front kept valuable German troops tied down and weakened the German Army on the Western Front until the Russian surrender in 1917.
 

Enlistment

- voluntary joining of the army. Massive campaigns were carried out to encourage enlistments, the most famous being the Kitchener campaign in Britain.
 

Gas

- first used by the Germans in 1915 against French positions. Chlorine, phosgene and mustard gas were used to disable the enemy but was difficult to control due to wind changes. Both sides used it and developed suitable but uncomfortable masks to counter its use.
 

George, Lloyd

- British wartime leader from 1916. He recognised the importance of the home front in winning the war and sought the active support of labour leaders to forestall industrial trouble.
 

Haig

- controversial British Field Marshal who commanded the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) from 1914 to1918. Most famous for his Somme offensive in which huge casualties were incurred. Also oversaw large losses at Ypres and Passchendaele. Historical opinion remains strongly divided over his role as a tactician.
 

Hindenberg

- German general called from retirement in 1914. Commanded the Eighth Army on the Eastern Front and succeeded Falkenhayn in August 1916 as Chief of the General Staff.
 

Hindenberg Line

- a defensive set of German trenches designed as a fortified fallback position. This line was breached in 1918 by the Allies.
 

Home Front

- there was a recognition in most nations engaged in the war that production and morale at home were important ingredients of success on the battlefield. This concept of "total war" meant that governments took more direct control over the economy and used propaganda to mobilise the civilian population's involvement in the war. All countries suffered shortages and changed long-held practices to support the war effort.
 

Imperialism

- the imposition of one nation's government, culture and/or economic needs on another. It usually involves conquest, settlement, economic exploitation, administrative control and destruction of indigenous cultures.
 

Infantry

- the foot soldiers of the army.
 

Internationalism

- a way of looking at world issues that goes beyond national boundaries. It looks to nations sharing collective responsibility for finding mutually acceptable solutions to economic or political problems.
 

Jutland

- the only major naval battle of the war that took place on 31 May1916 between the German High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet. Neither side won a clear victory, and this battle saw both fleets retire to their respective ports.
 

Kaiser William II

- the German king, grandson of Queen Victoria of Britain.
 

League of Nations

- an international organisation formed as a result of the Paris Peace Conference which aimed to achieve collective security and to avoid war.
 

Lord Kitchener

- Secretary of State for War in Britain between 1914 and 1916. A popular figure, who had a leading role in recruitment in Britain to 1916.
 

Ludendorff Offensive

- Ludendorff, First Quartermaster of the German Army, was Germany's major strategic planner from 1916. In 1918 he hoped to win a lasting military victory before the Americans arrived in France. This involved using rapid advance and cover. It gained more ground than at any time since 1914, but by July 1918 the British and French had regained the initiative.
 

Lusitania

- a British Cunard liner that was carrying about 100 American citizens when it was sunk by a German U-boat in 1915. This created a wave of anti-German feeling in the United States.
 

Machine gun

- a mounted gun producing the continuous firepower of 50 men. Primarily a weapon of defence which held both sides in World War I in stalemate. It was not mobile and was costly in both men and money to maintain.
 

Marne

- an early French victory (September 1914) that slowed down the initial German attack but left them in control of Belgium and northern France.
 

Militarism

- an aggressive political position focused on the role of the armed services in maintaining the security of the state and promoting its interests beyond its boundaries. It leads to the predominance of the military class in government and the elevation of the ideal of military efficiency in all aspects of public life.
 

Morning and Evening Hate

- a period of intense fire occurring at daybreak and sunset.
 

Mortar

- a short cylinder for firing explosive shells. They were situated in the support lines. The German shells were drum shaped, carrying up to 200lbs of explosives. They created a crater the size of a large living room. Millions of these shells were fired by both sides in major battles.
 

Nationalism

- a belief in the priority, and often superiority, of the interests of a particular nation. It contributes to imperialism.
 

Papal peace note

- a call for peace issued by Pope Benedict XV in August 1917. The Pope suggested a return to the status quo of 1914, with the Germans withdrawing from occupied Belgium and France, and the Entente restoring captured German colonies. This was rejected by the Allies, with President Wilson declaring there could be no peace with the present rulers of Germany.
 

Parados

- the rear wall of the trench. It was designed to be higher than the parapet to prevent soldiers being revealed against the skyline when going over the top.
 

Parapet

- the forward side of the trench.
 

Paris Peace Conference

- took place at Versailles on the outskirts of Paris in 1919 where the Treaty of Versailles was concluded. The terms of the Treaty were important in that they included German "war guilt" and harsh terms for Germany and constitution of the League of Nations.
 

Passchendaele

- the site of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. Huge British casualties (300 000) - made this an example of the futility of trench warfare on the Western Front and also highlighted the advantages of defensive over offensive tactics.
 

Plan 17

- French plan prepared in 1913 that hoped to break German defences by two separate offensives across the German border into Alsace-Lorraine.
 

President Wilson's Fourteen Points

- American President Woodrow Wilson's fourteen principles that formed the basis for the Armistice in November 1918 and for the negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Germany expected that they would provide the basis for an acceptable treaty.
 

Pro-conscription

- in favour of the introduction of compulsory military service.
 

Puttee

- cloth wrapped around calf designed to stop trousers catching on barbed wire.
 

Reconnaissance

- observation of enemy positions. This was often done from aircraft and zeppelins in World War I.
 

Recruitment

- a drive by the government to gain extra new troops to replace losses or to build up existing forces.
 

Reparations

- compensation in money and goods demanded by the British and French from Germany and her allies for causing the destruction and loss of life in World War I.
 

Salient

- part of the trench line which jutted out into enemy territory.
 

Schlieffen Plan

- the German army's plan for an offensive attack against France. It was first formulated in 1894 by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, Chief of the German General Staff. It proposed a massive attack against France going through neutral Belgium. With a quick victory in the west, Germany could then turn on their Russian enemies and thus avoid a war on two fronts. It was modified a number of times before its use in August 1914.
 

Shell Shock

- condition occurring in men continually exposed to the sound of shelling. Extreme cases led to suicide.
 

Shrapnel

- metal fragments that sprayed out of hollow shells on detonation or the fragments of the shell casings.
 

Somme

- a British attack in June-November 1916 designed to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun. This was one of the most important battles in the war and one which was a major loss for Britain. It proved that massive artillery attacks did not necessarily weaken or demoralise the enemy.
 

Stalemate

- a situation where neither side could make a successful breakthrough on the Western Front. The stalemate was one reason for the Gallipoli campaign in 1915.
 

Stockholm Peace Conference

- a conference planned by socialist parties in neutral countries, to be held in Stockholm in June 1917 in an attempt to end the war. The idea was supported by the Russian government, but it did not gain British, French or German government support. The planned 'conference' ended by being a series of visits to Stockholm by representatives of socialist parties to discuss the situation with the Scandinavian and Dutch socialist organisers.
 

Tanks

- developed by the British in 1915 in the hope of breaking the stalemate on the Western Front. The first tanks travelled at six kilometres per hour and were vulnerable to shell hits on their steering gear. Refined by 1917 and played a vital part in the battle of Cambrai.
 

Total War

- the heavy involvement and coordination of civilians in contributing to the war effort.
 

Treaty of Versailles

- treaty signed by the Allies and Germany in July 1919. It blamed the Germans for causing World War I and therefore responsible for massive reparations(compensation) to the Allies.
 

Trenches

- chief feature of the Western Front running from Switzerland in the east to the English Channel in the west - originally designed as a temporary defensive position. German trenches were generally superior in construction and position and able to withstand heavy bombardment because they were deeper.
 

Trench Foot

- a condition caused by long immersion in water or mud in the trenches. It resulted in loss of sensation in feet and in extreme cases amputation.
 

Triple Alliance

- the alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. Italy left in 1915.
 

Triple Entente

- the alliance of France, Britain and Russia.
 

Unrestricted Submarine Warfare

- a campaign begun in 1915 by German submarines to cut off all supplies to Britain. It was highly successful until countered by the use of mines near submarine routes and the protective convey system.
 

U-boats

- highly successful German submarine fleet that had almost won the war for Germany in 1917 by cutting off much needed supplies to Britain.
 

Verdun

- a German attack on the French fort of Verdun (February-July 1916). It was designed to destroy the French Army, but the French were determined to hold on to the fort no matter what the cost. The French motto was "They shall not pass." The attack failed to defeat the French but seriously undermined the strength of their army.
 

War of attrition

- an attempt by each side to wear down the other by using all available resources on the battlefield and the home front. It aimed to break the morale of the enemy.
 

Western Front

- the area of northern France and Belgium in which the greater part of World War I was fought.
 

Zeppelin

- German airship named after the designer, Count von Zeppelin. It was used to bomb allied cities in France and Britain. The raids became less frequent after 1915 as the British used fighter aircraft against them. They were also used as static observation posts.
 

Zimmerman Telegram

- a telegram from the German Foreign Minister to Mexico, urging that Mexico should form an alliance with Germany if America joined the war. The Mexicans could then attack the southern states of America. Knowledge of this telegram pushed America into its decision to join the Allies in the war in 1917.