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As a reply to one of your classmates, select two different nations (one for each reply) drawn into the Great War despite being on the periphery of the conflict. Be sure to discuss why the nation was drawn into the fight, their contributions to the fight, and the impact the war would have upon their nation. Some examples of nations on the periphery of the war would be South Africa, India, and the Philippines.
According to Marks, “It had been the bloodiest conflict that the world had ever seen, in large part because industrialization had made war more destructive than ever” (181). World War 1 was the first global war and an event that completely reshaped the world during the first half of the 20th century. World War I was a conflict between the Allied Forces and the Central Powers. The Allied Forces consisted of Great Britain, Russia, and France; meanwhile the Central Powers consisted of Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy. Eventually the United States would join to support the Allies. From the years 1914 to 1918 these nations would battle it out before eventually resolving the conflict.
A strong climate of European nationalism seems to be one of the major precursors to World War I. Nationalism is like patriotism, but to a much stronger degree. Nationalism was basically people uniting with each other based on their country’s values and beliefs and placing those values and beliefs ahead of the interest of any other country. Nationalism eventually spilled over into the formation of alliances. Germany, Austria Hungary, and Italy formed Central Powers. Britain, Russia, and France formed the Allies. Tension was continuing to build in Europe and on June 28th, 1914, that tension would finally break. Marks states, “In July 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife while they were visiting the city of Sarajevo, an administrative center in Bosnia that had recently been absorbed by the Austro-Hungarian empire” (181). This assassination led to a rapid chain reaction. Austria Hungary declared was on Serbia one month later leading to Russia mobilizing its military. Germany then declared war on Russia and France. Great Britain then declares war on Germany and Austria Hungary.
The original major players in World War I were Germany, Austria Hungary, Great Britain, and France. The United States initially sought to remain neutral and avoid involvement in the conflict, but a series of events would lead to the United States eventual involvement. The German u boats held a blockade along the German coast and used this blockade to prevent the inflow of supplies to Great Britain. The British ship Lusitania would eventually be sunk by a German u boat resulting in the death of 128 Americans. The German Kaiser then released a statement vowing to sink all ships in British waters regardless of their affiliation. This brought the United States to the brink of entering the war, but the Zimmerman Telegram ultimately pushed them over the edge. The Zimmerman Telegram was a message intercepted from the Germans to Mexico promising United States territory in exchange for Mexico joining the German cause. Congress then declared war.
The industrialized world allowed for war to take place in a way that had never been done before. There were several new military technologies deployed for the first time in World War I. Airships were deployed for bombing and for gun fighting. The British brought tanks to the battlefields. The Germans utilized the infamous U-boat, a submarine used for bombing enemy ships and merchants. The Germans also used many chemical weapons on the battlefield and was credited with first deploying flamethrowers in World War I. Germany and the Central Powers seemed to be on their way to winning the war after the withdrawal of Russia, but the United States involvement led to a change in momentum and the eventual retreat of the Germans. On November 11th, 1911, Germany would agree to a ceasefire bringing World War I to an end.
Marks states, “By the time an armistice was called on November 11, 1918, over ten million soldiers had been killed, and upward of twenty million had been maimed, blinded, or otherwise wounded” (181). World War I ultimately ended with the surrendering by the Germans, but with all the bloodshed there were no real winners.
Works Cited
Marks, Robert B. “The Origins of the Modern World 4th edition”. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019
Chapter six. Pp. 180-185.
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