World War I and II

World War I (1914-1918)

• Causes:
  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary
  • Imperialism and colonial rivalries
  • Nationalism and militarism
• Major Events:
  • Battle of the Somme (1916)
  • Battle of Verdun (1916)
  • United States' entry into the war (1917)
• Treaty of Versailles (1919):
  • Imposed harsh penalties on Germany
  • Created the League of Nations

World War II (1939-1945)

• Causes:
  • Rise of fascist and nationalist ideologies
  • Aggressive expansion of Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)
  • Appeasement policy of Britain and France
• Major Events:
  • Invasion of Poland (1939)
  • Battle of Britain (1940)
  • Pearl Harbor attack (1941)
  • D-Day invasion of Normandy (1944)
  • Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945)
• Consequences:
  • Formation of the United Nations (1945)
  • Division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs
  • Emergence of the United States and Soviet Union as superpowers

World War I (1914-1918)

• Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary sparked the war in 1914
• Imperialism and colonial rivalries contributed to the outbreak of war
• Nationalism and militarism were key factors in the lead-up to the war
• The Battle of the Somme (1916) resulted in over 1 million casualties
• The Battle of Verdun (1916) lasted for 303 days and resulted in over 700,000 casualties
• The United States entered the war in 1917, following Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare
• The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed harsh penalties on Germany, including massive reparations and territorial losses
• The League of Nations was established in 1919 to promote international cooperation and prevent future wars

World War II (1939-1945)

• The rise of fascist and nationalist ideologies in Germany, Italy, and Japan contributed to the outbreak of war
• Aggressive expansion of the Axis powers, including Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939, led to the war
• The appeasement policy of Britain and France, giving in to Germany's demands, emboldened Hitler's aggression
• The Battle of Britain (1940) was a decisive air campaign fought between the German and British air forces
• The Pearl Harbor attack (1941) drew the United States into the war
• The D-Day invasion of Normandy (1944) marked a turning point in the war, with Allied forces gaining a foothold in Europe
• The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) led to Japan's surrender
• The formation of the United Nations (1945) aimed to promote international cooperation and prevent future wars
• The war led to the division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs, with the United States and Soviet Union emerging as superpowers