World War I Modern history

the causes of world war included many factors, including conflicts , antagonisms of 4 decades leading war. triple entente name given loose alignment between united kingdom, france, , russia after signing of anglo-russian entente in 1907. alignment of 3 powers, supplemented various agreements japan, united states, , spain, constituted powerful counterweight triple alliance of germany, austria-hungary, , italy, third having concluded additional secret agreement france nullifying alliance commitments. militarism, alliances, imperialism, , nationalism played major roles in conflict. immediate origins of war lay in decisions taken statesmen , generals during july crisis of 1914, spark (or casus belli) assassination of archduke franz ferdinand of austria.

however, crisis did not exist in void; came after long series of diplomatic clashes between great powers on european , colonial issues in decade prior 1914 had left tensions high. diplomatic clashes can traced changes in balance of power in europe since 1870. example baghdad railway planned connect ottoman empire cities of konya , baghdad line through modern-day turkey, syria , iraq. railway became source of international disputes during years preceding world war i. although has been argued resolved in 1914 before war began, has been argued railroad cause of first world war. fundamentally war sparked tensions on territory in balkans. austria-hungary competed serbia , russia territory , influence in region , pulled rest of great powers conflict through various alliances , treaties. balkan wars 2 wars in south-eastern europe in 1912–1913 in course of balkan league (bulgaria, montenegro, greece, , serbia) first captured ottoman-held remaining part of thessaly, macedonia, epirus, albania , of thrace , fell out on division of spoils, incorporation of romania time.

various periods of world war i; 1914.07.28 (tsar nicholas ii of russia orders partial mobilization against austria-hungary), 1914.08.01 (germany declares war on russia), 1914.08.03 (germany declares war on russia s ally france), 1914.08.04 (britain declares war on germany), 1914.12 (british , german christmas truce), 1915.12 (french , german christmas truce), 1916.12 (battle of magdhaba), 1917.12 (british troops take jerusalem ottoman empire), , 1918.11.11 (world war ends: germany signs armistice agreement allies).

allies , central powers in first world war

         allied powers , areas

         central powers , colonies or occupied territory

     neutral countries

the first world war began in 1914 , lasted final armistice in 1918. allied powers, led british empire, france, russia until march 1918, japan , united states after 1917, defeated central powers, led german empire, austro-hungarian empire , ottoman empire. war caused disintegration of 4 empires—the austro-hungarian, german, ottoman, , russian ones—as radical change in european , west asian maps. allied powers before 1917 referred triple entente, , central powers referred triple alliance.

much of fighting in world war took place along western front, within system of opposing manned trenches , fortifications (separated no man s land ) running north sea border of switzerland. on eastern front, vast eastern plains , limited rail network prevented trench warfare stalemate developing, although scale of conflict large. hostilities occurred on , under sea and—for first time—from air. more 9 million soldiers died on various battlefields, , many more in participating countries home fronts on account of food shortages , genocide committed under cover of various civil wars , internal conflicts. notably, more people died of worldwide influenza outbreak @ end of war , shortly after died in hostilities. unsanitary conditions engendered war, severe overcrowding in barracks, wartime propaganda interfering public health warnings, , migration of many soldiers around world helped outbreak become pandemic.

ultimately, world war created decisive break old world order had emerged after napoleonic wars, modified mid-19th century s nationalistic revolutions. results of world war important factors in development of world war ii approximately 20 years later. more immediate time, partitioning of ottoman empire political event redrew political boundaries of west asia. huge conglomeration of territories , peoples formerly ruled sultan of ottoman empire divided several new nations. partitioning brought creation of modern arab world , republic of turkey. league of nations granted france mandates on syria , lebanon , granted united kingdom mandates on mesopotamia , palestine (which later divided 2 regions: palestine , transjordan). parts of ottoman empire on arabian peninsula became parts of today saudi arabia , yemen.