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Germany became a unified nation
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Between 1871 and 1913, Germany surpassed Britain to become Europe’s leading industrial power. These developments dramatically altered the balance of power in Europe.
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Bismarck’s foreign policy was shaped by his goal to protect Germany from the two potential enemies on its borders which was France and Russia. He reduced the threat from Russia in 1881 by forming an alliance with Russia and Austria-Hungary called the Three Emperors’ Alliance
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Russia seized Chinese Manchuria and established a protectorate over Mongolia
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Russia's Trans-Siberian Railroad was completed
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Russia's expansionism brought conflict with Japan which was also looking to expand. Neither Russia or Japan was satisfied with the outcome of the war
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The United States increased power in Latin America to protect investments and disable European imperialism from entering the region
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The French begged Russia to take pressure off of the Western Front by invading Germany. Yet russia's army was not ready for the challenge and faced casualties from it. Of 150,000 Russian troops, some 130,000 were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.
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The British created a naval blockade to stop food, clothing, and weapons from reaching Germany
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From 1914 until 1917, the Western Front was a brutal killing field as each side tried, with little success, to push the other back.
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With many countries perfecting different weaponry, Germany resorts to gasses which they frequently used in battle afterwards.
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New modern weapons such as the large British artillery gun shown here contributed to the shocking destruction of World War I.Such weaponry, when combined with trenches protected by entanglements of barbed wire gave defenders a major advantage.One battle in 1917, in which the French army lost 130,000 men in 10 days, ended when troops refused to make yet another attack.
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Planes and tanks were also starting to be used to spy and bomb enemies
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Russia is pulled out of the war after collapsing from advancing German troops. Thanks to a new russian government
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With the German's destruction of multiple Britain ships with American casualties
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President Woodrow Wilson issues a statement of war goals called the fourteen points and the overall points advocated for nationalism and every nation's right for self-determination,
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Germany surrendered partly based off the peace movements that came with the 14 points
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In January 1919, an international conference began at Paris, France, to set the terms of the peace. Twenty-seven nations were represented. However, the conference was dominated by the leaders of the most powerful Allies. Called the “Big Four,” they were Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Great Britain, French premier Georges Clemenceau, Italy’s premier Vittorio Orlando, and President Woodrow Wilson of the United States.
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Life was rough after the war had ended, and many books had been written about those events in the next few years to come as well.
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Many art and novels were made to depict the bitter scenes of war