Chapter 11. World War I and Its Aftermath

Causes. Alliances (the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance), militarism, imperial rivalry and nationalism created a tense Europe. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 triggered the war [22].

The war (1914–1918). The Allies (including Britain, France, Russia, later Italy and the United States) fought the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria). Trench warfare, machine guns, artillery, poison gas, aircraft and submarines led to enormous casualties. Millions of soldiers and civilians died, and the war involved colonies and troops from across the world [22].

Revolution and settlement. The Russian Revolution of 1917 brought the Bolsheviks to power and took Russia out of the war. The war ended with an armistice on 11 November 1918. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) held Germany responsible and imposed reparations. The Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, German and Russian empires collapsed, and new states emerged. The League of Nations was created but proved limited [22].

Influenza pandemic. The 1918–1919 influenza pandemic killed tens of millions worldwide.

Review: What event in 1914 triggered World War I? (Answer: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.)