Shell Shock

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A term coined during World War I to describe the psychological and neurological symptoms suffered by soldiers exposed to prolonged artillery bombardment and the horrors of trench warfare.

Symptoms included: uncontrollable trembling, paralysis, mutism (inability to speak), nightmares, amnesia, and emotional collapse. Soldiers were often accused of cowardice or malingering.

British Army alone diagnosed over 80,000 cases. The condition challenged prevailing ideas about masculinity, bravery, and the nature of military service.

We now recognize it as a form of PTSD — Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

The term did not exist in World War I — sufferers were often labeled as cowards or weaklings, sometimes court-martialed or even shot for desertion.

It was only formally recognized as a medical diagnosis in 1980, largely due to advocacy following the Vietnam War.

A secret diplomatic message from German Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador in Mexico, proposing a military alliance between Germany and Mexico against the United States.

In exchange, Germany promised to help Mexico recover Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.

British intelligence intercepted and decoded the telegram, then shared it with the U.S. Its publication in American newspapers in March 1917 caused enormous public outrage and helped shift opinion toward entering the war.

Eugene Debs was a prominent socialist leader and five-time presidential candidate. In June 1918, he gave a speech in Canton, Ohio, criticizing the war and supporting men who had resisted the draft.

He was arrested under the Espionage Act, tried, convicted, and sentenced to ten years in federal prison. He ran for president again in 1920 — from his prison cell — and received nearly one million votes.

President Harding commuted his sentence in 1921. Debs's case remains one of the most cited examples of wartime suppression of political speech in U.S. history.

Created by executive order in April 1917, the CPI was the United States' first large-scale government propaganda agency, headed by journalist George Creel.

Its methods included:

• Patriotic posters (including the iconic "I Want YOU" Uncle Sam image)
• Pro-war pamphlets distributed in millions of copies
• Short films and newsreels
• 75,000 "Four Minute Men" — trained speakers who gave brief pro-war talks at movie theaters, churches, and public gatherings

The CPI also helped promote hostility toward German Americans, contributing to widespread social persecution.

A set of principles for the postwar peace settlement delivered by President Wilson in a speech to Congress in January 1918. Key proposals included:

• Freedom of the seas
• Arms reduction among all nations
• Self-determination for colonized peoples
• Open diplomacy — no secret treaties
• A League of Nations to settle future disputes peacefully

Europeans greeted Wilson ecstatically when he arrived at the Paris Peace Conference — he represented the hope of a just peace.

However, Britain and France were determined to punish Germany. The resulting Treaty of Versailles bore little resemblance to Wilson's vision — and the U.S. Senate refused to ratify it. The League of Nations was formed without American membership.