World War I, one of the most violent human conflicts, was fought between the Allies consisting of France, Russia and Great Britain that backed Serbia, and the Central Powers consisting of Austria-Hungary and Germany. Later twenty other nations such as the United States, China, Italy and Japan joined the Allies and Bulgaria and Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers. The war was a result of a longtime hostility and tension throughout the European territories. Excessive nationalism developing among the Europeans had made them too highly aggressive to their enemies and too loyal to their rulers.
They made strong and rapid military build-ups, all ‘for the glory and greatness of their nations.’ For instance, Germany alone had 4.2 million soldiers in 1914. Besides their military build-ups at home, they made military alliances sharpening hostility between each other. There was also cutthroat competition among the powerful nations for colonies mainly in Asia and Africa. The falling Ottoman Empire also led to their races for territorial expansions. In this course, Austria-Hungary took over Bosnia Herzegovina from Serbia after the Second Balkan War of 1913. On June 28, 1914 Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Ferdinand, was shot dead in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo by Gavrilo Principe, a member of Black Hand Society instituted for Serbian unity. The victim’s nation accused Serbia of having its hands in the assassination and declared war on it.
Russia started to fight Austria-Hungary, so Germany declared war on Russia and France. German entry into neutral Belgium also pulled Britain against the Central Powers, originally Germany. The war was fought in four major fronts in and around Europe. the most important of which was western front to the west of Germany. Trenches were dug from North Sea to Swiss Alps in that front where German troops fought heavily against the French ' and British in the beginning and eventually against the American troops, too. The eastern front remained a site of Russo-Gennan battles. There were also heavy battles in the Balkans and the Middle East. The war was fought very awfully with deadly inventions. Use of machine guns, long-range artilleries, grenades, aeroplanes, armoured tanks, submarines and poisonous gas caused horrendous casualties. Armies fought in dreadful conditions as that of muddy trenches against the barbed wire fence, advancing little through the no-man’s land and retreating. Even the civilian population was not protected.
The warring nations would make every possible effort for victory. Youths were massively recruited. As soldiers were killed and injured, more older and younger men had to be sent to the battlefields. Uniforms and arms had to be manufactured at any cost. Land was cultivated ‘for victory’. Germany had won many battles in European battlefronts by 1916. In 1917 Russian armies deserted the battlefields due to a revolution in their land. The United States joined the Allies in 1917 when German submarines began to sink the farmer’s ‘unarmed’ ships. With abundant support from the 'new ally, ultimately the Allies made the Central Powers surrender in autumn 1918. The war was officially ended by an armistice signed in France on November 11.
Germany withdrew immediately from all occupied territories and surrendered all major weapons. Later on June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed with a proposal to institute the League of Nations, the first international organization for world peace. World War I was the first war of its kind. It caused appalling loss of life and property. About 10 million soldiers were killed and 20 million people were wounded. It left millions of refugees. Death of many soldiers caused dramatic low population growth and lack of manpower in the subsequent years. An estimated figure . of 337 billion US 3 was spent in the war. Borrowing and extra money printing brought inflation in the post-war period. The war changed the geopolitics of the world forever. New countries such as Hungary and Polamd were formed and systems of government such as in Germany were changed .Communist rose in power in Russia.The advantages wwre too negligible in comparision to the destruction and damages.
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