Close    Print

This glossary is organised in alphabetical order. If you are looking for a word (e.g. entente) it might be a part of a phrase (e.g Triple Entente).

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A Top of page abrogation formally ending something you have agreed to legally (e.g. a treaty) alliance an agreement between countries to work together to try to achieve the same thing, to protect each other or to protect other things which are important to both countries ambassador an important person who lives in a foreign country and is accepted as representing their home country to the government of the foreign country annihilated completely destroyed ANZAC Australian and New Zealand Army Corps artillery very large and heavy guns assassination when someone important is killed, often for political reasons attrition a gradual wearing down (in war this would mean gradually wearing down the enemy before destroying them, rather than capturing land) Austria-Hungary empire in central Europe which ruled over most of the countries that now make up Eastern Europe (e.g. Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia etc) B Top of page Balkans area in the south-east of Europe battalion army unit made up of 2 regiments, usually about 2,000 soldiers bellicose warlike Bethmann-Hollweg, Theobald von German Chancellor in 1914 billets places where soldiers stayed when not in the trenches – could be farmhouses, cottages, tents etc blockade stopping people or goods (such as ammunition) getting through Bolsheviks people belonging to the group who took control of Russia in 1917, later known as the (Russian) Communist Party; also used as a name for someone who was suspected of being against their society or wanting a revolution brazier a metal container holding burning coals or charcoal, used for heat and cooking brigade military unit of about 4,000 men C Top of page Cabinet a group of people appointed by a Prime Minister to hold the most important posts in government (in Britain they are MPs and appointed Ministers) casualty a person injured, killed or missing; someone who is not fit and able to fight (in the case of a soldier) cede to give up or to hand over cession the action of giving up, handing over, or 'ceding', especially territory Clemenceau, Georges French Prime Minister at the end of the Great War commission term used in the armed forces to explain the rank and power given to officers to command other soldiers, e.g. a person receives a commission to become an officer Communism political belief based on the ideas that all people should be equal, the government should own all industry and business, no one should own private property, and all people should work as hard as they can and receive all that they need in return company military unit of about 130 men compel to make or force someone to do something compensation money paid to someone to make up for something, to make up for a loss Congress the group of elected politicians who run the USA, similar to Parliament in the UK conscription making people join and serve in the armed forces by law D Top of page Dardanelles a narrow stretch of water between Turkey and Europe, near to the Turkish capital of Constantinople (now called Istanbul) dire very bad division military unit of about 15-20,000 men draft 1. a first attempt at a document 2. a group of fresh troops brought in as reinforcements 3. troops brought together through conscription Dreadnought a large and powerful type of battleship, developed by the British to try and end the naval race with Germany before the war broke out Dual Alliance alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany E Top of page embargo ban embassy the building an ambassador works in enfilade intense gun fire which sweeps along a line (of troops) from end to end F Top of page field gun small artillery weapon, usually on wheels and easy to move around formulate to put together the details of a plan G Top of page garrison unit of troops used to guard a particular place German Navy Law law passed in Germany to pay for the building of a large fleet of German battleships Gladstone, William Ewart British political leader in the 19th century Goschen, Sir Edward British ambassador in Germany in the run-up to the Great War grenade a small bomb which is thrown by hand Grey, Sir Edward British Foreign Secretary H Top of page heir someone who will receive money, property and/or titles (e.g. duke, baron) when someone else dies, often a relative howitzer a large gun which fires artillery shells Hun 1. a person belonging to a tribe who attacked Europe in ancient times 2. a brutal or vicious person 3. an insulting way of referring to a German or German soldier used to build up anti-German feeling in the propaganda war I, J Top of page There are no entries for the letters "I & J". K Top of page Kaiser German Emperor Kiel Canal canal in Germany, which allowed German warships easy access to the North Sea knight-errantry doing good deeds like a medieval knight in old stories L Top of page lieutenant junior officer in the British Army limber carriage used for transporting artillery pieces Lloyd George, David British government minister and Prime Minister from 1916 logistics process of moving food, ammunition, weapons etc around so that soldiers have them in the right place at the right time M Top of page mobilise make ready for action; cause to move around; get ready for war by preparing an army to fight and by recruiting soldiers morale the spirit and confidence and state of well-being of people N Top of page necessity a need; something which cannot be avoided neutral/ neutrality not on any side in a war; not doing or saying anything that would help any side O Top of page Ottoman ruling family of the Turkish Ottoman Empire P Top of page peninsula piece of land mostly surrounded by water but not completely (so not an island) platoon military unit of 32 men plebiscite vote in which people decide on an important political question, also called a referendum propaganda information that is spread for the purpose of putting forward a particular idea Q Top of page quartermaster army officer in charge of supplies R Top of page recruit 1. a new member of the armed forces (noun) 2. to raise or strengthen an armed force by getting people to join up (verb) redoubt somewhere for soldiers to hide while they are fighting reparations see compensation revanche revenge (French) S Top of page salient area of the line of trenches which jutted out into no man's land and was exposed to enemy attack Schlieffen, Count Alfred von German general who came up with Germany's original battle plan for war section military unit of 8 men self-determination process in which a national group rules themselves spartacists a radical socialist group from Germany who tried to take over the country and end the war stalemate a chess term meaning a situation where neither side can win or lose, so no action can be taken and no advantage gained straits narrow stretch of water subaltern junior officer in the British Army T Top of page terrain land terrorist someone who tries to force a government to do what the terrorist wants by carrying out violent acts Triple Alliance alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy before 1914 Triple Entente alliance of Britain, France and Russia U Top of page   There are no entries for the letter "U". V Top of page Victoria Cross highest award for bravery for British soldiers volunteer to offer to do something W Top of page Wilhelmshaven main German naval base Wilson, Woodrow President of the USA during the Great War X, Y, Z Top of page   There are no entries for the letters "X, Y, & Z".

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Top of page    Close    Print