The World 's First Global Conflict

The flash of machine guns and the blare of shells were brand new to the veterans. Both the soldiers on the front and their family at home did not realize how much WW1 would change war forever. WW1, beginning in 1914 and ending in 1918 involved two major parties. The triple alliance, including Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary, and the triple entente, including France, Great Britain, and Russia fought the biggest War that the world had ever seen. We know the story, but when we read the between the pages, what were the underlying causes of the Great War that changed history? Through extensive research among primary and secondary documents, the answer has been found. The hidden causes were militarism, nationalism, and the system of

The First World War of 1914-1918, also known as the Great War, was the first total war in history. What began as a European struggle over the balance of power between the triple alliance of France, Britain and Russia on one side and the central powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary on the other, soon became a global conflict that involved the imperial powers of Europe, their colonies and lands such as the Ottoman Empire, Japan and the United States. Although the sheer number of countries involved in the conflict is enough to describe the First World War as a mass war, what makes it total is the fact that it was waged not only against the enemy’s armies, but also against the civilian

War is always the worst tragedy of mankind in the world. We, as human beings, were experienced two most dolorous wars that were ever happened in our history: World War I and World War II. A young generation actually does not know how much hardship the predecessors, who joined and passed through the wars, undergo. We were taught about just how many people died in the wars, how much damage two participations in the wars suffered or just the general information about the wars. We absolutely do not know about the details, and that’s why we also do not know what the grief-stricken feeling of people joining in the wars really is. But we can somewhat understand that feeling through war novels, which describe the truthfulness of the soldiers’ lives, thoughts, feelings and experiences. All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, which takes World War I as background, is the great war novel which talks about the German soldiers ' extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the hopeless of these soldiers about the “future” – the time the war would have ended.

In 1914, European countries went to war with themselves. When the war broke out, it was expected to be done with quickly. However, much to Europe’s dismay, the war lasted for over four long years, with the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians being lost in the battle. After the war, Europeans questioned how this war came to be. There were many speculations and opinions on what caused the event known as World War One. However, only three of the most important reasons will be discussed.

When someone hears the words World War I, what do they think of? Some might think about the French or Germans, while others might think about the time period and the weapons involved. In the year of 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated while he went to check on some individuals who were involved in a bombing. Several days following his assassination, the great powers of Europe went to war against each other, later known as World War I. Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front, wrote a novel about World War I and in this novel one can see how World War I was a transformative event. By examining the horrors of war, the effects that war had on the soldiers who were involved, nationalism and sacrifice, and

While reading history, we typically see that wars were typically fought with soldiers in close- order formations with a musket that would be fired in unison on command. Everything changed after the American Civil War, a conflict to determine the fate of slaves in the Union, erupted. Today many historians consider the Civil War as the first modern war because it depended on: heavy industry, fast communication and transportation. But this time all of these new technologies were used to its full potential. As a result new weapon technology was mass produced which inflicted heavy losses on both the Union and the Confederate sides and resulted in

World War One was a time when millions of men and women joined the military to fight, because of their desires, or because their government forced them. The major world powers were eager for the war, and all expected greatness. “The outbreak of the war was greeted with enthusiasm in the major cities of all the belligerent powers” (Howard, 27). Ernst Junger describes his experiences before and during the war in his book, Storm of Steel. He speaks about his negative experiences, but also promotes the positivity of the war and his German comrades. Louis Barthas describes his experiences in his book, Pouilu, mainly speaking about the negativity he deals with while serving for the French military. Barathas is never truly able to find his

In 1914 World War I became the first event to impact society on a global scale. No person or country experienced such mass destruction or annihilation before. The closeness of Europe’s countries pitted them against each other and strong nationalist feelings emerged in government and civilian life. The soldiers experienced the worst of the war during its duration. Most lost their innocence due to the clouded perception of war by society, the young age of the recruits, and such high intensity falling on their shoulders. All Quiet on the Western Front candidly portrayed the struggles of the Lost Generation while and after the Great war took place.

Men, as young as the age of twelve, fought to protect their land and liberty. The tolls it took out on each country involved were tremendous. Empires were ripped apart and absorbed into neighboring countries, others were crushed with devastating numbers of casualties. World War I consumed the mental, physical, and emotional states of all human beings during the early 1900’s as a total war..

The events portrayed within this book serve to help the readers visualize and comprehend the horrendous and dreadful experiences that the war had generated in the lives of those living in the 20th century during the hardships of the endless,brutal, and frightening conflict between the countries of the world. The lethality of the shellings, biological warfare, and machine guns added with the staggering of the unprogressive trench warfare was the cause of a long-lasting war that proved detrimental to both of the opposing sides, the Triple Entente, composing of Russia, France, and the United Kingdom, and the Triple Alliance, composing of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. This war story deeply conveys a sense of what war truly is. Through its erratic moments of constant shellings and the adrenaline-pumping sluggishness of trench warfare, the true essence of the commonly known “great war” has revealed itself in a sorrowful yet realistic light, devoid of idealness. This book reveals an account of how a generation was lost during the war, creating a tense and downbeat tone repetitively utilized throughout the book,

“The Guns of August” by Barbara W. Tuchman is a military history non-fictional account of the beginning of World War I and was published in 1962. The book is based from firsthand accounts, official communications, and statements made by government officials and military leaders following the war. The author details the political atmosphere which lead to “the great war” and follows through the first steps of the campaigns up until the point where the stagnation of trench warfare took hold. An analysis is presented throughout the pages which outlines the hubris and nationalistic pride that caused the first truly global conflict and carnage on a scale never before seen. We start with the political atmosphere of Europe at the turn of the century

Ever since the fall into sin nations have fought over resources and over who could have the most power. World War I, also known as the Great War was the outcome of many tensions and a sequence of calamitous incidents that plunged Europe into a disaster zone. Due to the use of the machine gun and trench warfare, most of the war was a battle of attrition between the “Triple Alliance” and the “Triple Entente”. Millions of people fought and died in this war, among them thousands of Canadians.

Forward! The last word heard by millions of men rushing into a hailstorm of machinegun fire across no-man’s-land. World War I was unlike any other war that had ever been seen before. It changed how wars were fought by introducing trenches, tanks, machine guns, chemical warfare, and planes into combat. The war caused disillusionment and uncertainty in society. The accounts written about by Gabriel Chevallier forewarn of the consequences war can have. Chevallier questions why we go to war and what sense of nationality gives the right to fight and kill for your country.

Why does such deadly and horrifying conflict occur? Throughout history, conflict has repeated itself in many ways. Conflict has come from similar reasons from the past. Having similar technology or just picking another fight in the first place can also cause conflict.

World War I occurred as a result of a number of political, social, and economic changes that were taking place at a rapid pace in the region. A prominent transformation was the onset of industrial revolution that accompanied these changes. Many countries were investing significantly in industrialization while undergoing transformation that was changing the face of society. To enhance patriotism and to achieve objectives that were otherwise impossible, political forces were utilizing notions like nationalism. In this scenario, the colonies of European nations became the cause of significant rivalry and disputes, settled only after the blood of millions was shed. The war had far-reaching consequences for all nations that were involved in the conflict such that the entire boundaries of many countries were remarked. This paper will discuss the impact of nationalism, industrialization, and colonialism on WWI and its occurrence.