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World War I is also known as “the First World War” or “the Great War.”
The Great War took place from 1914 to 1918, a time of unprecedented violence in world history. The war culminated in developments in technology, warfare, and society over several decades that transformed European civilization before 1914.
The course of World War I is many and complex. There was no single reason but rather a series of related events culminating in the catastrophe.
The major power in world war I were the German Empire, the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
World War I: Causes, Course, and Consequences of World War I
Causes of World War I:
Many reasons contributed to the outbreak of World War I. Many of these causes were based in the history of Europe’s old powers, such as Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. Politics, hidden alliances, imperialism, and patriotic pride were among the true causes of World War I. However, one single action, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria’s assassination, set in motion a series of circumstances that led to war.
Consequences of World War I:
The war attempted to redraw the political map of Europe. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) formally ended World War I and dictated the peace terms to Germany. It caused massive unrest in Germany, which created conditions that led to World War II.
The United States entered the war in 1917 during the height of WWI. By entering the war, industrial output surged because of the demand for military supplies. With it, a sense of patriotism and nationalism was ignited throughout the country, causing many young men to join up.
The Course of World War I:
- 1914-1918: World War I broke out in 1914, when Germany, Austria-Hungary, and their allies launched the invasion of Belgium and France. They aimed to knock France out of the war, weakening Britain, a member of the Triple Entente with France and Russia. Austria-Hungary also wanted to defeat Serbia, a member of the Triple Entente. Germany and its allies were defeated in 1918, at which point the Allies imposed the Treaty of Versailles on them.
- 1919: The German nationalists, led by Hitler and the Nazi party, convened a gathering at a beer hall in Munich on November 9 and proclaimed a revolution to remove the Weimar republic and install an authoritarian regime instead. The meeting turned into a riot and resulted in the overthrow of the local government. The Munich Beer Hall Putsch lasted only two days and failed to attract popular support. Hitler was convicted of treason and sentenced to five years in prison, of which he served less than one year before he was released.
The Deciding Factor in the War:
The Allies had greater human resources and resources, and they were united by political agreements such as the Treaty of London (1915), which committed Britain to the defense of France. The Allied nations also had a superior economic system. In addition, they had better equipment than their enemies, with more accurate weaponry, better aircraft, and armored vehicles.
World War I Course of Events:
The German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire were in alliance with Germany. They began to make trouble for the British and French Empires. It was known as the alliance system, where nations entered into agreements to fight each other in a specific area of conflict. There were two systems: The Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente consisted of Britain, France, and Russia, from which it was named. The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
The situation in July 1914: By the beginning of July 1914, the three alliance systems were in place. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had caused an assassination to manifest itself as a cause to attack Serbia, a member of the Triple Entente. The Austrian Empire declared war on Serbia. Russia, which was also affiliated with the Triple Entente, demanded that Germany give in to its demands regarding protecting its ally (Serbia) and declared war on Germany because it refused to do so.
Conclusion
The Treaty of Versailles imposed enormous reparations on Germany, triggering the Great Depression. World War I was a war of incredible technological and mechanical advancement. The course of World I is an incredibly bloody war that left tens of millions dead and Europe in ruins. The lost lives were a direct cause of certain factors (such as the influenza pandemic), which in turn caused further death and destruction.
