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The Assassination Of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
"The first global conflict began because of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and his wife by a member of a Serbian secret society on June 18, 1914. Furious at the brazen actions of this small Balkan nation, Austria was determined to punish Serbia severely for the assassination"-(Ignitia.com editors).
Austria had decided to give Serbia two options, meet demands, or war, and when Serbia chose to only partially meet demands, Austria declared war. -
Other Nations Join The Austria-Serbia Conflict
Germany backed up Austria when it declared war, they were extremely brotherly, but Serbia was also Allies with Russia at the time, and Russia with France. "Russia, pledging to aid the Serbian government, refused to stop its mobilization in defense of the Serbs when Germany ordered it to halt"-(Ignitia.com editors). Germany strategically chose that they should go after France first, before Russia was ready to fight, marching right across Belgium territory, causing Great Britain to join Russia. -
Germany Attempts Take France
As was previously mentioned, Germany wanted to quickly go ahead and take France for themselves while Russia was still preparing for war, but they underestimated the French quite simply, and they put up a great fight, destroying hopes of a quick victory over France on the Germans end. -
Russia Battered And Bruised
"Germany had little difficulty overcoming Russian resistance. Poor equipment, disorganized supply lines, and weak leadership contributed to the defeat and containment of the Russian forces by the well-equipped, disciplined Germans. When the Allies (Great Britain, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Japan, and Montenegro) were defeated in their efforts to aid the battered Russians, Germany grew confident in its strong, strategic military position in Central Europe"-(Ignitia.com editors). -
Italy, Japan, And Turkey Joins WW1
"Realizing that the only possible gains in war would come from Austrian-controlled territories, Italy joined the war in 1915 as an ally of Russia, France, and England. Nation by nation, battle lines were drawn. Turkey joined the Central Powers, giving Germany and Austria control of Constantinople, and blockading the Russian Navy fleet"-(Ignitia.com editors). Japan also played a minor role, in compliance with an alliance between them and Britain known as the Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902. -
Stalemate
In the year 1916, the war had reached a stalemate that looked to have no end, and so, propaganda absolutely flooded the U.S., some sympathizing with Germany, and some with Europe, "Nevertheless, the impasse could not last forever; and both sides were desperate in their attempts to enlist additional support"-(Ignitia.com editors). -
America Joins The Fight
The U.S. wished to stay neutral in all this, but this was unrealistic thinking, America became provoked by the Germans into joining. "Propaganda was widely used by both sides in the conflict, but French and British data was far more convincing to the United States public. However, the United States was not drawn into global war through propaganda tactics; it entered the war because Germany was sinking American supply ships heading for England and France, killing many"-(Ignitia.com editors). -
America's Influence On The War
"The entrance of the United States into the war gave the Triple Entente and its allies a tremendous boost in morale. Although training troops for the battlefield takes time, by the end of the war in November of 1918, more than two million United States soldiers were in France. The United States had been preparing for the possibility of war since the early days of European tension"-(Ignitia.com editors). -
Germany Signs Armstice To End War
"As their German partners were being pushed steadily back, Bulgaria and Turkey saw no hope for victory and asked for peace. Austria-Hungary split into two separate countries when a peaceful revolution ended that empire. Its allies retreating from the war, Germany foresaw the inevitable invasion of its homeland. Germany signed an armistice on November 11, 1918, following seven days of talks"-(Ignitia.com editors) "The war to end all wars" was over, with 40 million dead soldiers finally at rest. -
The Summary, And End Of the Very First Worldwide Conflict
"Suspicion and distrust among nations on the European mainland reached the breaking point in 1914 when Serbian-Austrian relations collapsed. This event set off a chain reaction of active and reactive involvement as Europe and the world embarked on the first global conflict. The United States strove to remain neutral but was drawn into the conflict of World War I. Supplying the men and equipment, the United States brought the war to a close and the Allies to victory"-(Ignitia.com editors).