Question

What led to the outbreak of the First World War?

Answer 1

Hint: The immediate cause is the assasination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria with his wife by a Serbian group. This was a tumultuous time in Europe, with a power struggle and consequential political instability in the Balkans (southeastern Europe).

Complete answer:
The First World War was caused by the following events:

1)Kaiser Wilhelm picked sides when Bosnia-Herzegovena and Serbia were sided with Germany, who went and invaded Belgium.

2)Important battles include those of Marne, Somme, Verdun, Liege and Tannenberg.

3)Beginning August of 1914, the world witnessed new levels of destruction with advancements in military technology (eg. trench warfare), resulting in 16 million casualties.

4)International politics saw two factions forming, the Central Powers (Bulgaria, Germany, the Ottoman Empire which is now Turkey and Austria-Hungary) and the Allied Powers (Romania, Japan, Britain, France, United States of America, Russia and Italy) who won.

5)The war also influenced other movements. For example, Russia’s involvement led to the October Revolution happening, which abolished the Czar’s authority.

6)Interesting shifts in power dynamics were seen. For instance, for the first time the British Navy's hegemony was severely challenged by the Germans.

Some consequences of the war include:

1)It caused the widespread Spanish Flu

2)Signing of the Treaty of Versailles after the Paris Peace Conference of 1918, killing over 12 million people.

3)Establishment of the League of Nations for international peace.

Note: It has been nicknamed the ‘Great war’. It was the first major conflict to see the use of aircrafts. Other firsts include the practice of plastic surgery. It however, also showcased the dark side of humanity, with soldiers as young as 12 year olds.