The Great War Of 1914

The First World War fought from 1914 to 1918 was one of the largest and most brutal catastrophes fought in the 20th century. With nearly the entire European continent fighting a barbaric and everlasting war, the U.S. had eventually to get involved in order to reinitiate stability to Europe. Ultimately, the U.S. taking involvement in World War I had a profound political, economic, and social impact on the country. It increased government powers and solidified the nation’s leadership role in foreign politics. The U.S. emerged as the world 's greatest industrial power with increasing financial opportunities for minorities. At the same time anti-immigrant and anti- communist sentiments arose among many American citizens. And finally the war contributed to the massive migration of African Americans from the Southern to Northern states looking for employment and freedom and, first time allowed women to participate in jobs that were traditionally reserved for men.

At the precipice of World War I (WWI), the United States Army enlisted the help of women nurses resulting in a growth of economic opportunities for women in the nursing field. Before the war women were confined to their stereotype of a being delicate, motherly, and fragile. The war served as an opportunity for women, including nurses, to prove themselves to be more than their stereotype and be involved in the community rather than always sitting behind a man. Propaganda encouraged women to be more involved in the war and soon the concept feminism was reinvented. Female nurses, however, were still struggling to change the minds of people against women taking an active role in society or the military. Nursing had always played an important

The following paper gives insights on various issues; Firstly, why the First World War started, its effects and lastly how and why America got involved in the First World War

In this essay I will be outlining the key points in why the First World War broke out in 19 14. Many people tend to say "Because Archduke Ferdinand got shot." Still others have blamed it on the increased independence and Imperialism in Hungary to Russia’s growing military. If I had to answer the question myself, the answer would be all of the above, and more. The events from June of 1914 through August of 1914 can be described as one thing leading to another.

The first world war was one of the most brutal and remorseless events in history; ‘the global conflict that defined a century’. Over nine million soldiers and a large amount of innocent civilians lost their lives. Empires crumbled, revolution engulfed Russia and America rose to become a dominant world power. Huge armies deployed new weapons of devastating effect from rifles and pistols to torpedoes and flame throwers. These weapons were used not only in the trenches but by tanks too. This was an advantage to those who were able to access such machinery as they could easily launch bullets and missiles at nearby enemy bases. The downfall of the tank was the fact it was unable to cross the trenches. Tanks were not the only pieces of equipment that could access this machinery but U boats and planes too. The British carried ‘bolt action rifles’ in which fired 15 rounds per minute at a minimum range of 1,400 metres away. This allowed the British to take out foes at a far greater range. By using machinery in which rules out the need for getting up close to the enemy was a great advantage during world war one. Soldiers ran from trench to trench attacking with all that they had. This resulted in a massacre as the soldiers running toward the trenches were shot down. Machinery such as machine guns and heavy artillery were the weapons used in the trenches. In modern day society, machine guns are the main weapons used by soldiers. This wasn’t the case around the 1914s. They took four

The Great War, or World War I, lasted from 1914 to 1918. This was a time of “total war.” While there was fighting, there was also struggles at home. Those who did not go to fight for the country, had to stay home to keep everyday life going. Women especially had to help ration food, work, and keep track of their own lives. The soldiers may have endured harsh conditions but those at home also experienced the war from a different perspective. The different effects of the war on the home fronts include enthusiasm, anger, and women’s rights.

Wars have immensely contributed to human history for thousands of years, becoming highly destructive usually for the means of gain. The First World War, also known as ‘the Great War’ was a truly global war centred in Europe. The causes of one of the most destructive wars in human history are still debated to this day. Some historians have come up with a list of multiple causes of the war. However, experts have identified some of the primary causes of the war, including the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism. The causes of the truly deadly war, sending ripples of shock throughout Europe and the world, can be summarised into four points, and the start of the war pinpointed to one bullet from a young Serbians gun.

World War I (WWI) had many main events from 1914 – 1918. It was known as the Great War and the war to end all wars. It also introduced us to many new technology to including Barbed wire, machine guns, artillery, poison gas, airships, aircraft 's, new naval vessels and tanks. All these wartime machines and equipment resulted in unprecedented carnage and destruction, with more than 9 million soldiers killed by the end of the war. This First World War or the Great War, was a global war centered in Europe. This global conflict pitted 2 groups against each other “The Allied Powers” and “The Central Powers”. The Allied Powers was made up of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and The United States. Important people that were known for the Allied Powers were Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister (UK), Woodrow Wilson (U.S. President), Aristide Briand, Prime Minister (France), and Prime Minister (France). The Central Powers was made up of Germany, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. Important people that were known for the Central Powers were Prince Max Von Baden, Chancellor (Germany), Heinrich Von Clam-Martinic, and Prime Minister (Austria).

Promptly after the First World War had ended there were many debates about who or what caused the war. Historians such as Fritz Fischer argued that Germany was the to blame for the entirety of the war but there have been many more ideas of what was the cause of the war and therefore causing peace to fail. The main ideas amongst historians for the underlying causes of the war are the different balance in power due the formation of alliances, imperialism, militarism and also the July Crisis of 1914. This essay will argue that the alliances were the main cause of peace failing as with the constant conflict of interests and increasing tension it made it almost impossible to create peace in Europe in 1914.

The 1910’s were stressful for everyone - especially for soldiers. Warfare and weaponry was changing drastically right before their eyes on the smoke-infested battlefields of World War I. Little did they know, these advances would alter the way wars were fought for eternity. Fighting a never ending battle would be no more; countless lives lost for a never ending battle would be no more; old techniques used repetitively would be no more. As written in “Le Feu” by Henri Barbusse, a French soldier, "Two armies that fight each other is like one large army that commits suicide" (Immortal). This is saying that, instead of progress being made and minimal deaths, everyone just fights each other so they can all die with no one left alive - which is not helped with advances in weaponry and war tactics. Weapons used at the time were rapidly evolving to become machines which held death on a leash. Machine guns with rapid fire and a longer range, gas becoming poisonous, and tanks invented and improved hold some of the most significant impacts from weaponry in the First World War.

Following World War I, America turned inward and began to focus on itself. Yet, coming home from war Americans were also fearful of communism due to the recent Bolshevik Revolution where Lenin and the Bolshevik party gained control of Russia and made it communist. This scare led to drastic changes within our nation’s borders as America fought to keep communist influence out of its borders. This was such an impactful event that even the Attorney General of the time, A. Mitchell Palmer, set up a section in the Justice Department to handle issues relating to radicals, this sect of the Justice Department would be very active as, “More than ten thousand people were arrested—some for membership in Communist or left-wing groups, others on no greater pretext than that they looked or sounded foreign—and then jailed and interrogated with little regard for their right to due process” (Lehman, Phelps 260). This severe response to the scare of Communism demonstrates an inward focusing of America. Similarly, in the post-World War I time period America would demonstrate its interest in nativism which it would demonstrate through multiple acts being passed on immigration primarily, the Immigration Act of 1924. During this period of nativism, “Through the whole movement, from 1921 on, for more drastic curbs on the new immigration ran an increasingly assertive racial nativism” (Higham 313). That is America had

World War I (WWI) brought unprecedented change to the world. Never before had the entire world engaged in such brutal conflict. World War I brought about great pain and sorrow for the whole world. Even countries who were not directly involved in front line combat bore the suffering of financial and social limitations that affected the entire world during this time.

November 11, 1918 marketed the end of World War I. During the 2 yeas the United States fought, women became part of the labor force as well as African Americans, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed and factories were booming. Even After the war men returned to the work force and quality of life started to improve. October 1929, the stock market crashed as a result of many buying goods on credit. The Great Depression was the worst in American history and lasted until 1939 before America started in War preparations for World War II. It was after 1945 when men came home and reentered the work force that quality of life improved and we begin to see the rise of the middle class.

As is the case with many wars, a foundation has to be set before the situation can escalate into a fully fledged war. Some concede that ephemeral events just before the outbreak of war are more inciteful of the fighting rather than long held animosity between nations. Others hold credence in the idea that wars often begin long before the first shot is fired, with their sole reason for starting being traced back to previous conflicts and tensions with other countries. The tensions of World War I could be observed within Europe before the war officially started, as is observed through German resentment and competition with other countries, along with their dominating foreign policies and support of their allied nations.

The war that broke out in 1914 was one of the worst, if not the worst, wars in human history. It had left millions dead and a scar burned into European history forever. However, if we do not identify why war broke out in 1914, stopping others wars will be impossible. Clearly, we may never know the answer to this, but many sources give many interpretations. In this essay, I will try to recognise the key factors that led the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 and try to identify the most significant of these causes.