WWI Causes

Nationalism:
- Countries prioritized their own interests and sought to expand their territories
- Ethnic groups sought independence and self-determination
Imperialism:
- European powers competed for colonies and resources
- Many countries had complex systems of alliances and rivalries
Militarism:
- Build-up of military forces and glorification of war
- Arms races and aggressive military posturing
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand:
- Sparked the chain reaction of events leading to war
- Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, followed by declarations of war by other countries

European Theater:
- Battle of Britain (1940): Germany's air campaign against the UK
- Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943): Soviet Union's decisive victory against Germany
- D-Day Invasion (1944): Allied forces landed in Normandy, France
Pacific Theater:
- Battle of Midway (1942): US naval victory against Japan
- Battle of Iwo Jima (1945): US capture of Japanese island
- Battle of Okinawa (1945): US capture of Japanese island, leading to Japanese surrender

Treaty of Versailles (1919):
- Imposed harsh penalties on Germany, contributing to economic instability
- Established the League of Nations, but failed to prevent future conflicts
Rise of Dictators:
- Adolf Hitler in Germany (1933)
- Benito Mussolini in Italy (1922)
- Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union (1922)
Global Economic Crisis:
- The Great Depression (1929-1939): global economic downturn
- Protectionism and trade wars: countries raised tariffs and restricted trade

** Ideological Conflict**:
- Capitalism vs. Communism: opposing economic and political systems
- Democracy vs. Authoritarianism: opposing forms of government
Proxy Wars and Alliances:
- NATO (1949): military alliance of Western countries
- Warsaw Pact (1955): military alliance of Eastern European countries
- Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): US and Soviet Union nearly went to war over missiles in Cuba
Decolonization and National Liberation:
- Many countries gained independence from colonial powers
- Nationalist movements: sought to overthrow colonial powers and establish independent governments

Nationalism led countries to prioritize their own interests and seek territorial expansion
Ethnic groups sought independence and self-determination
Imperialism fueled competition for colonies and resources among European powers
Complex systems of alliances and rivalries emerged
Militarism led to the build-up of military forces and glorification of war
Arms races and aggressive military posturing increased tensions
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked the chain reaction of events leading to war

Battle of Britain (1940): Germany's air campaign against the UK
Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943): Soviet Union's decisive victory against Germany
D-Day Invasion (1944): Allied forces landed in Normandy, France

Battle of Midway (1942): US naval victory against Japan
Battle of Iwo Jima (1945): US capture of Japanese island
Battle of Okinawa (1945): US capture of Japanese island, leading to Japanese surrender

Treaty of Versailles (1919): imposed harsh penalties on Germany, contributing to economic instability
Treaty of Versailles established the League of Nations, but failed to prevent future conflicts
Rise of dictators:
- Adolf Hitler in Germany (1933)
- Benito Mussolini in Italy (1922)
- Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union (1922)
Global Economic Crisis:
- The Great Depression (1929-1939): global economic downturn
- Protectionism and trade wars: countries raised tariffs and restricted trade

Ideological conflict:
- Capitalism vs. Communism: opposing economic and political systems
- Democracy vs. Authoritarianism: opposing forms of government
Proxy wars and alliances:
- NATO (1949): military alliance of Western countries
- Warsaw Pact (1955): military alliance of Eastern European countries
- Cuban Missile Crisis (1962): US and Soviet Union nearly went to war over missiles in Cuba
Decolonization and national liberation:
- Many countries gained independence from colonial powers
- Nationalist movements sought to overthrow colonial powers and establish independent governments

Militarism led to an arms race and aggressive nationalism among European nations
Rival alliances, including the Triple Entente and Triple Alliance, created a complex system of entangling agreements
Imperialism led to competition for colonies and resources, further straining relationships between nations
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in 1914 sparked the war

Widespread poverty, famine, and discontent among the Russian people contributed to the 1917 revolutions
Disillusionment with the war effort and Tsar Nicholas II's leadership weakened the Russian monarchy
Marxist ideology and socialist movements influenced the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin
The provisional government established after the February Revolution was eventually overthrown by the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution
Key figures included Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin

The Battle of Britain (1940) was the Luftwaffe's failed campaign to gain air superiority over the UK
The Soviet Union's decisive victory in the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943) marked a turning point on the Eastern Front
The D-Day Invasion (1944) was the Allied forces' landing in Normandy, France
The Battle of Midway (1942) was the United States' decisive naval victory, halting the Japanese advance
The Battle of Iwo Jima (1945) was the brutal fight for the Japanese island, securing a crucial airbase
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945) led to Japan's surrender

The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed harsh penalties on Germany, contributing to the rise of WWII
Totalitarian regimes, including Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and Communist Soviet Union, rose to power
The Global economic crisis, known as the Great Depression (1929-1939), had far-reaching consequences
The Appeasement policy, which gave in to Germany's demands, failed to avoid war

The Yalta Conference (1945) led to the post-WWII reorganization of Europe, dividing the continent into Soviet and American spheres
The Potsdam Conference (1945) highlighted the Allied powers' disagreements on post-war Germany and the emergence of the Iron Curtain
The Truman Doctrine (1947) committed the US to containing Soviet expansion
The Marshall Plan (1948) aimed to rebuild war-torn Europe and counter Soviet influence
The Berlin Blockade and Airlift (1948-1949) was the Soviet Union's failed attempt to isolate West Berlin
The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) brought the world closest to nuclear war