World War I, also known as the Great War, was one of history’s most devastating conflicts, reshaping the global landscape between 1914 and 1918. Let’s explore how this massive conflict began and its far-reaching effects.

The Path to War
In the early 1900s, Europe was a powder keg of tension. Several factors contributed to the outbreak of war:

Nationalism: Countries took extreme pride in their nations, often believing they were superior to others. This created intense rivalries, especially between European powers.

Military Arms Race: European nations competed to build the strongest military forces. Britain and Germany particularly competed to have the largest navy, while all major powers developed new weapons and expanded their armies.

Alliance Systems: Europe was divided into two major alliance systems:

• Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
• Triple Entente: Britain, France, and Russia

The Spark That Lit the Fire
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist. This triggered a chain reaction of alliances, leading to war declarations across Europe within weeks.

The Christmas Truce of 1914
In December 1914, something remarkable happened along the Western Front. German and British soldiers spontaneously stopped fighting during Christmas. They sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even played soccer in “no man’s land.” This brief moment of peace showed the humanity amid the horror of war, though fighting resumed shortly after.

America Enters the War
The United States initially remained neutral, but several events drew them into the conflict:

• German submarine warfare against civilian ships
• The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915, killing 128 Americans
• The Zimmermann Telegram, where Germany proposed an alliance with Mexico against the US
  America finally entered the war in 1917, helping turn the tide in favor of the Allies.

The Russian Revolution
While the war raged, Russia experienced massive internal upheaval:

February Revolution (1917):

• Widespread food shortages and economic problems led to protests
• Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate
• A provisional government took control

October Revolution (1917):

• Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks seized power
• Russia withdrew from World War I
• The world’s first communist state was established

Russian Civil War (1917-1922)
After the revolution, Russia plunged into civil war:

• The Red Army (Bolsheviks) fought against the White Army (anti-Bolsheviks)
• Foreign powers, including the US, Britain, and Japan, intervened
• The Bolsheviks eventually won, establishing the Soviet Union

Social Effects of the War
The war changed society in profound ways:

• Women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers
• Traditional class structures began to break down
• Advances in medicine and technology
• The fall of four major empires: German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian
• A new world order emerged with the United States as a global power

This conflict reshaped the world map, changed social structures, and set the stage for future conflicts, including World War II. Its effects continue to influence global politics and society today.

Crash Course Content

• The Roads to World War I
• World War I Battlefields
• America in World War I
• Russian Revolution and Civil War

Sources

Heinrich von Treitschke, “The Greatness of War” (1900)
Friedrich von Bernhardi, Germany and the Next War (1911)
Petition to Nicholas II (Bloody Sunday Petition) (1905)
Nicholas II
October Manifesto (1905)
Imperial Manifesto (1907)
V. I. Lenin, What is to be Done (1902)
    “Marxism and Revisionism” (1908)
“War and Revolution” (1929)
Sigmund Freud:
“A Legacy of Embitterment” (1915)
The Unconscious (1912)
Civilization and its Discontents (1930)
Wilfred Owen, “Dulce et decorum est” and “Disabled”
Paul Valéry, “Disillusionment” (1919/1922)
Quarter-Master Sgt Major E. S. Fendley documents (Great War)

Documents Related to the Armenian Genocide, 1915
    Winston Churchill, The World Crisis, vol. 5, “The Aftermath” (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1929).
    Henry Morgenthau, Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story (New York: Doubleday, Page & Co.: 1919), pp. 307-309, 321-323.
    Armenian National Institute
Mao, Critique of the Versailles Peace Conference (1919)