The First World War went down in history as one of the worst wars ever to be fought, owing to the magnitude of destruction and loss of life it left in its wake. The war started in 1914 ending in 1919, and has been described variously as the Great War the War of Nations and the War to End All Wars. (Dwight E, 1966)
It was fought by many nations around the world, with Europeans being the main players, and is very significant for the way it shaped the continents years after it ended.
Many explanations for the possible causes of the war have been given, some of which have been accepted while others have been disputed. The war was fought in a series of battles fought at different locations at different times and involved over 65million men. This paper discusses the genesis, chronology of events during the war, the main players, the casualties and the implication of the war on modern history.
The Genesis, Main Players, Events, Casualties and Implications
First of all, it is thought that competition among the major European powers was an ingredient in fuelling the war.
This was so especially between Britain and Germany, who were competing to have the most powerful navy in the world. All parties were building up large armies and navies, and from this there emerged a professional and powerful class of military officers. At one point, Germany had a well trained, large army that could match the entire army of Great Britain. This led to emergence of tension in Europe, which might have acted as a catalyst for the war. (Dwight E, 1966)
Secondly, at about the same time, the Scramble for Africa was taking place, and there was a myriad of conflicts among the various colonial powers. The rush to acquire new territories led to enmity between the colonists over disputed regions. To make matters worse, the 1870 to 1871 war between the French and the Germans in which Germany won helped to foster distrust between the two nations. (Dwight E, 1966)
Furthermore, the feelings of nationalism among the nations were at their peak especially in Bismarck”s Germany. People were very eager to prove how strong or important their country was and each felt superior in comparison to other countries. This nurtured hatred among the countries and made them eager to go to war to prove their might.
The First World War went down in history as one of the worst wars ever to be fought, owing to the magnitude of destruction and loss of life it left in its wake. The war started in 1914 ending in 1919, and has been described variously as the Great War the War of Nations and the War to End All Wars. (Dwight E, 1966)
It was fought by many nations around the world, with Europeans being the main players, and is very significant for the way it shaped the continents years after it ended. Many explanations for the possible causes of the war have been given, some of which have been accepted while others have been disputed. The war was fought in a series of battles fought at different locations at different times and involved over 65million men. This paper discusses the genesis, chronology of events during the war, the main players, the casualties and the implication of the war on modern history.
The Genesis, Main Players, Events, Casualties and Implications
First of all, it is thought that competition among the major European powers was an ingredient in fuelling the war. This was so especially between Britain and Germany, who were competing to have the most powerful navy in the world. All parties were building up large armies and navies, and from this there emerged a professional and powerful class of military officers. At one point, Germany had a well trained, large army that could match the entire army of Great Britain. This led to emergence of tension in Europe, which might have acted as a catalyst for the war. (Dwight E, 1966)
Secondly, at about the same time, the Scramble for Africa was taking place, and there was a myriad of conflicts among the various colonial powers. The rush to acquire new territories led to enmity between the colonists over disputed regions. To make matters worse, the 1870 to 1871 war between the French and the Germans in which Germany won helped to foster distrust between the two nations. (Dwight E, 1966)
Furthermore, the feelings of nationalism among the nations were at their peak especially in Bismarck”s Germany. People were very eager to prove how strong or important their country was and each felt superior in comparison to other countries. This nurtured hatred among the countries and made them eager to go to war to prove their might.
The First World War went down in history as one of the worst wars ever to be fought, owing to the magnitude of destruction and loss of life it left in its wake. The war started in 1914 ending in 1919, and has been described variously as the Great War the War of Nations and the War to End All Wars. (Dwight E, 1966)
It was fought by many nations around the world, with Europeans being the main players, and is very significant for the way it shaped the continents years after it ended. Many explanations for the possible causes of the war have been given, some of which have been accepted while others have been disputed. The war was fought in a series of battles fought at different locations at different times and involved over 65million men. This paper discusses the genesis, chronology of events during the war, the main players, the casualties and the implication of the war on modern history.
The Genesis, Main Players, Events, Casualties and Implications
First of all, it is thought that competition among the major European powers was an ingredient in fuelling the war. This was so especially between Britain and Germany, who were competing to have the most powerful navy in the world. All parties were building up large armies and navies, and from this there emerged a professional and powerful class of military officers. At one point, Germany had a well trained, large army that could match the entire army of Great Britain. This led to emergence of tension in Europe, which might have acted as a catalyst for the war. (Dwight E, 1966)
Secondly, at about the same time, the Scramble for Africa was taking place, and there was a myriad of conflicts among the various colonial powers. The rush to acquire new territories led to enmity between the colonists over disputed regions. To make matters worse, the 1870 to 1871 war between the French and the Germans in which Germany won helped to foster distrust between the two nations. (Dwight E, 1966)
Furthermore, the feelings of nationalism among the nations were at their peak especially in Bismarck”s Germany. People were very eager to prove how strong or important their country was and each felt superior in comparison to other countries. This nurtured hatred among the countries and made them eager to go to war to prove their might.