World War I - "A War to End All Wars” (1914-1918)

The First World War is historically important for its causes and effects more so than specific events surrounding actual battles. This page will deal with the long-range and more immediate causes of World War I, the technological advances created during the war, some aspects of WWI battles, and the far-reaching effects of the conflict on Europe and the rest of the world.

Causes of World War I

The fundamental causes of the World War I, or the Great War as it was known at the time, were Imperialism, Militarism, Alliance System, and Nationalism. You can memorize the acronym M.A.I.N.S. for the causes of World War I

Militarism

Imperialism and nationalism led to increased production of goods and economic stability in these countries, which resulted in an arms race. The aggressive attitude of this policy drove them into producing more weaponry, such as strong navies and armored vehicles.

Alliance System

The alliances of Europe were formed for protection against each other. However, the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance very quickly took aggressive postures towards one another. This is due in large part to the lack of any global organization designed to promote peace among the nations of the world.

Imperialism

European countries divided up Africa and Asia to strengthen the political and economic power of the mother country. This resulted in competition among European countries.

Nationalism

Nationalism was both a uniting force and a divisive one. It resulted in Germany and Italy uniting into strong nations, and also caused the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary.

At the turn of the century, war was imminent. As nationalism weakened the Ottoman Empire, the Slavic peoples of the Balkan region struggled to free themselves from Ottoman control. Serbia declared independence in 1878, allying themselves to Russia. Serbia then wanted to unite with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were controlled by Austria-Hungary. Serbia could count on Russia's support, and Austria-Hungary could count on Germany's. Because of the high tensions in this area, the Balkans became known as the "Powder Keg of Europe." All that was needed to ignite the world into war was a spark.

Pride and devotion to one's country had a great impact on Nations and the world at large. The sense that a country was better than their neighbor caused competition among nations, thus leading to political, social, and economic tensions.

Spark

In 1914, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were visiting Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gavrilo Princip, of the Serbian nationalist group called the Black Hand, assassinated the Archduke and his wife. Austria-Hungary made threats to Serbia, whom they blamed for the assassination. Russia supported Serbia, and readied their military for war. Germany declared war on Russia, and on France, Russia's ally. Germany then invaded Belgium as a prelude to invading France. This resulted in Great Britain declaring war on Germany, which was the start of World War I.

World War I

Most of World War I was a stalemate. Entrenched positions on both sides were only able to move a few miles in a battle that lasted the better part of a year. The conditions of trench warfare were brutal; trench-foot, disease, lice, and inadequate supplies made fighting difficult. Advances in technology also played a major role. The machine gun, the tank, the airplane, the submarine, and the use of poison gas drastically changed the face of modern war, and resulted in large numbers of casualties.

Timeline of World War I

June 28, 1914- Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife are assassinated in Sarajevo
July 28, 1914- Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia
July 31, 1914- As an ally of Serbia, Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary
August 1, 1914- Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
August 4, 1914- Germany invades Belgium, signalling the real beginning of WWI. France, Britain, Australia, and Canada quickly act to repel Germany.
August 6, 1914- Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
Sept 5-10, 1914- First battle of the Marne halts German invasion of France
Sept 15, 1914- First trenches are dug on the western front.
Dec 25, 1914- Unofficial Christmas Day truce is declared by soldiers along the Western Front
Jan 1915- Air raids of London begin
May 7, 1915- Sinking of the Lusitania, a passenger ship carrying Americans, by a German U-boat
Feb 21-Dec 18, 1916- Battle of Verdun takes over one million casualties, but ends in a stalemate after months of fighting
April 9, 1916- Canadian troops take Vimy Ridge
July 1-Nov 18, 1916- Battle of the Somme takes an estimated one million casualties
Jan 19, 1917- British intercept a telegram supposedly sent from the German Reich to Mexico, urging Mexico to go to war against the U.S.
March 15, 1917- Tsar Nicholas of Russia abdicates
April 6, 1917- U.S. declares war against Germany
May 18, 1917- Selective Service Act creates war draft
July 3, 1917- First U.S. troops land in France
Nov 7, 1917- Russian revolution, U.S.S.R. formed as a communist country, led by Lenin. Russia pulls out of the war.
Dec 9, 1917- British capture Jerusalem from the Turks
1918-1919- Waves of influenza sweep the world killing more than the war
April 22, 1918- Baron von Richthofen, the “Red Baron” is killed in a dog fight
April 25, 1918- British and Australian troops stop the German advance at Amiens
May 23, 1918- German shells fall on Paris
May 31, 1918- German advance toward Paris is stopped by American troops
July 16-17- Bolsheviks murder former Tsar Nicholas and all his family
August 8, 1918- Allies begin counter-offensive and German moral declines
Nov 9, 1918- Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates and Germany forms Wiemar Republic
Nov 11, 1918- Armistice is signed ending WWI
Dec 4, Woodrow Wilson sails to a peace conference in Europe
June 28, 1919- Treaty of Versailles, which the U.S. will not ratify, ending hope of involvement in League of Nations, which had been Wilson’s brain child.

The Results/Outcomes of World War I

Treaty of Versailles

After the war, the Paris Peace Conference imposed a series of peace treaties on the Central Powers. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles officially ended the war.

League of Nations Formed

Building on American President Wilson's 14th point, in which a general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. The League of Nations came out of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919.

Germany Forced to Admit Guilt

In signing the treaty, Germany acknowledged responsibility for the war. This was called the "War Guilt Clause" of the treaty.

Germany Pays War Reparations:

Germany had to pay enormous war reparations (money) for causing the war and pay for the losses each of the countries received. (mostly France)

Germany Lost Imperialism Era Possessions

Germany was forced to give up its colonies and possessions overseas

Austria–Hungary Empire Dissolved

The Austria-Hungary Empire was partitioned (split)into several successor states which were Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Ukraine. Other parts were given to other European countries.

Russian Empire Territory Losses

The Russian Empire lost much of its western frontier as the newly independent nations of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland were carved from it.

Warfare Technology Improves

The use of tanks, planes, submarines, Iron battleships, poison gas, and large scale bombing of cities. The use of poison gas was banned after the war.

Genocide Committed

The Ottoman Empire (Turks) committed genocide against the Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks. The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million.

Medical Technology Improvements

The development of medical and surgical techniques to treat injured soldiers, and the participation of women as nurses were prevalent. The introduction of Penicillin helped reduce infection and fight diseases.

Long-Term Cause of World War II

The results and effects of World War I, indirectly contributed to the Causes of World War II. Germany's economy and government was in ruins. Germans were solely blamed for World War I. Germans believed the Treaty of Versailles was unfair. All of these contribute the rise of Adolf Hitler and his popular appeal from which he exploited those feelings by the German people. Once the Great Depression affected Europe, Germany with its limited resources found Hitler to be their solution to end all of their fears and provide them with hope.