“World War 1”- World War 1 may have been the war to end all wars, but it was also the beginning of many military and civilian technologies. (1914 to 1918)

1. World War 1 may have been the war to
endall wars,but it wasalso the beginning
of manymilitaryandciviliantechnologies.
World War 1
(War took place due to certain
wrong decisions which could
have stopped WWI)
SymbiosisCentre forLiberal Arts(SCLA)
Sudhanshu N Malewar

2. 1
“World War 1”
(1914 to 1918)
Introduction:
World War 1 was a major conflict fought in the year 1914 to 1918. World War 1 also known
as First World War, WWI, the War to End All Wars, and the Great War.
Parties Involved in World War 1 - World War I was fought between the Allied Powers and
the Central Powers. The main members of the Allied Powers were France, Russia, and
Britain. The United States also fought on the side of the Allies after 1917. The main
members of the Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and
Bulgaria.
Where the fighting held - The majority of the fighting took place in Europe along two fronts:
the western front (long line of trenches that ran from the coast of Belgiumto Switzerland
and places like France and Belgium) and the eastern front was between Germany, Austria-
Hungary, and Bulgaria on one side and Russia and Romania on the other.
How the War started - Although there were a number of causes for the war, the
assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the main catalyst for starting the
war. After the assassination, Austria declared war on Serbia. Then Russia prepared to
defend its ally Serbia. Next, Germany declared war on Russia to protect Austria. This caused
France to declare war on Germany to protect its ally Russia. Germany invaded Belgiumto
get to France which caused Britain to declare war on Germany. This all happened in just a
few days.
Allied Powers Central Powers
France German Empire
British Empire Austria- Hungary
Russia (Till 1917) Ottoman Empire
Others… Bulgaria (1915 – 18)
Major Battles - A lot of the war was fought using trench warfare along the western front.
Some of the major battles during the war included the First Battle of the Marne, Battle of
the Somme, Battle of Tannenberg, Battle of Gallipoli, and the Battle of Verdun.
How did it end - The fighting ended on November 11, 1918 when a general armistice was
agreed to by both sides. The war officially ended between Germany and the Allies with the
signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

3. 2
Reasons for WWI:
There were many factors that were rooted in the deep history of the old powers of Europe
including Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Britain. The real causes of
World War I included politics, secret alliances, imperialism, and nationalistic pride. However,
there was one single event, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, which
started a chain of war.
1. Alliances and Politics - In the years leading up to the war, the nations of Europe were
making alliances. Germany made an alliance with Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1881. These
countries all agreed to protect each other. However, Later Italy then went and made a
secret alliance with France saying they would not aide Germany.
In response to Germany's alliances, France and Russia established an alliance in 1892. In
1904, Britain and France signed an agreement. The Triple Entente was formed between
France, Britain, and Russia in 1907. Germany felt that this powerful alliance surrounding
them posed a real threat to their existence and power in the region.
2. Imperialism - Imperialism is when a country expands its influence and power into a large
empire. Some European countries, such as France and Britain, had created large worldwide
empires and had become very rich. Other European countries, such as Russia and Germany,
wanted to create their own vast empires. This caused competition and conflict between
many of the countries throughout the world.
3. Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand - On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir
to the thxrone of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated in Sarajevo. The Austria government
believed that the assassination was organized by the Serbian government. They also saw
this as an opportunity to regain control of Serbia.
4. Militarism – In 20th century, an Arms race begun. By 1914, Germany had the greatest
increase in military buildup. Great Britain and Germany both greatly increased their navies
as well. Further, in Germany and Russia particularly, the military establishment began to
have a greater influence on public policy. This increase in militarism helped push the
countries involved into war.
5. Nationalism - Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina were no longer wants to be part
of Austria Hungary but instead want be part of Serbia. In this way, nationalism led directly to
the War. But more generally, nationalism in various countries throughout Europe
contributed not only to the beginning but the extension of the war in Europe. Each country
tried to prove their dominance and power.

4. 3
Things which may have Stopped WWI:
1. Nobody Wanted It - The greatest irony of WWI was that none of the key
decision-makers wanted it to happen (and neither ordinary people). Germany’s
Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II prided himself on his reputation as peacekeeper and
tried to avert WWI at the last minute. Previously Austria-Hungary’s Emperor
Franz Josef went to extraordinary lengths to keep the peace, and Russia’s Tsar
Nicholas II was known for his peaceful nature. Although this obviously wasn’t
enough to stop the war on its own, it shows the will for peace was there, if only
circumstances would allow.
2. Better Instructions - One of the most foolish moves Germany made in July
1914 was giving Austria-Hungary a “blank check,” promising unconditional
support for whatever measures Vienna proposed to take against Serbia. The
Germans could have benefited themselves (and everyone else) by being a little
more, well, German—for example by dictating exactly when, where, and how
Austria-Hungary could chastise Serbia; how far to go in trying to call Russia’s
bluff; and what their fallback plan should be in case they encountered real
resistance from Russia, France, and Britain. Instead Germany said “go for it!”
Very un-German.
3. A Word to the Wise - In July 1914, Germany and Austria-Hungary faced off
with Russia and France over Serbia, while Europe’s other Great Powers—Britain
and Italy mostly remained on the sidelines. If Britain’s Foreign Secretary Edward
Grey and Italy’s Foreign Minister San Giuliano intervened earlier more forcefully
by warning that they would fight, it might have persuaded Germany and Austria-
Hungary to back down (San Giuliano had already warned Austria-Hungary not to

5. 4
attack Serbia in 1913, and Grey could have informed the Germans of Britain’s
commitment to protect France).
4. Britain entering the WWI –
 Britain could have lived with a German victory in the First World War, and
should have stayed out of the conflict in 1914, according to some historian.
 There had been no immediate threat to Britain, which could have faced a
Germany dominated Europe at a later date on its own terms, instead of rushing
in unprepared, which led to catastrophic costs.
 If Britain had not gone to war in 1914, it would still have had the option to
intervene later, just as it had the option to intervene after the revolutionary
wars had been under way for some time. But Britain intervened so early on
land so early in 1914, when it was quite unprepared. Thus, "Creating an army
more or less from scratch and then sending it into combat against the Germans
was a recipe for disastrous losses.”