Belle Époque: French: ‘fine period’; period of peace and prosperity in Europe and the USA preceding the First World War
nationalism: great love for one's own country, nation, culture and identity.
nation: a group of people who share the same culture, history, language, religion or ethnicity. Mostly, this group lives within the boundaries of a nation state. (for example: the French nation = het Franse volk)
nation state: nation state is a certain form of state that has a territory where mainly one nation lives. (for example: France)
nationality: the status of belonging to a particular nation by birth or naturalization.
ethnic group: a group of the population that, in a larger society, is set apart and bound together because they share race, language, nationality, or culture. (for example: Jews living in France)
multi-ethnic state: a state in which many different ethnic groups live
The Great War: another name for the First World War
unification: different states or regions are joined together to form one new (united) state.
arms race: competition between nations to build the most weapons
militarism: glorifying the army
Allies: alliance between France, Britain, Russia and the USA during the First World War
Central Powers: alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottomans during the First World War
two-front war: war in which a country had to fight battles in separate locations at the same time
Schlieffen Plan: German strategy to invade France through Belgium and after defeating the
French to send their soldiers to the Eastern Front to fight the Russians