Causes and Impact of World War I

• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European nations formed alliances to maintain the balance of power and ensure security through mutual defense, aiming to protect themselves from rival nations.
• Before 1914, nationalism in the Balkan Peninsula led to resistance by ethnic groups against Austria-Hungary.
• Imperialism heightened tensions in Europe as countries built up their military forces to protect their colonies.
• European alliances were formed in an attempt to maintain the balance of power.
• The assassination of the archduke was the immediate cause of World War I.
• The Schlieffen Plan was Germany's strategy to quickly defeat Russia to avoid a two-front war.
• Great Britain entered World War I mainly because Germany invaded neutral Belgium.
• Trench warfare on the Western Front resulted in a stalemate due to the machine gun which led to high casualties and limited offensive maneuvers.
• Mustard gas and tanks were developed to break the stalemate on the Western Front.
• U-boat attacks significantly impacted land fighting by destroying vital supplies.
• Russia was not well-equipped for modern warfare in World War I because it was the least industrialized of the great powers.
• European colonies provided the European powers with manpower and materials during the war.
• To gain Arab support against the Ottomans during the war, the Allies promised to recognize independent Arab states.
• Total war is when nations use every aspect of society to prepare for war.
• Women worked in factories and provided materials during the war.
• Governments used propaganda to control public opinion during World War I.
• The sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman Telegram prompted the U.S. to enter World War I against the Central Powers.
• The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany for its role in World War I by forcing it to accept blame and pay reparations.
• The Spanish influenza spread among the trenches and home fronts, killing millions of people.
• The League of Nations was significant because it was the first attempt to create a world peace organization.
• Food and fuel shortages and huge casualties in the war caused Russia's March Revolution.
• "Peace, land, and bread" was the slogan expressing the goals of the Bolsheviks.
• The U.S. was the "economic winner" of World War I because it supplied weapons and other resources to its allies.

Explore the key factors leading to World War I, including nationalism, imperialism, alliances, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Understand the strategies employed, such as the Schlieffen Plan, and the resulting stalemate of trench warfare. Learn about the role of new technologies like mustard gas and tanks.