Free Essays on WWI

The Great War World War I was the boiling point of years of rumblings under the surface between the great powers of Europe. In the end, it cost $332 billion, ten million lives, and twenty million wounded, with an entire generation in Europe and Russia wiped out (Paxson 5). Those figures do not even take into account those who were mentally scarred for life. Out of the war came a Europe that was based on the principles of self-determination and national unity. The largest and most prominent consequence was the revolution in Russia, yet there were also major developments in the Balkans in southern Europe with Austria-Hungary and drastic changes in international relations. Russia had been primed for a revolution since the days even before the Great War. After the not so successful revolution of 1905, the tsar still kept power over the bureaucracy and the army; he also had the power of veto over the legislative body, the Duma. Tsar, Nicholas II, ruled the Russian Empire as an absolute monarch. However, following the loss of the war with Japan in 1905, serious disturbances took place in St. Petersburg and Nicholas was persuaded to accept a reduction in his power. In March, 1905, he announced plans to form a Russian Parliament called the State Duma. As this was only a consultative body, many Russians felt that this reform did not go far enough and over the next few years the country remained unstable (www.worldwari.com). The War merely acted as a catalyst and a means for the Soviets, under Lenin, to take control. Always considered a Great Power based on their outwardly appearance of size and numbers, Russia was actually a fragile, backwards nation ma king revolution inevitable. World War I exposed the weakness of the peasant-dependant nation of Russia. Russia had been considered a world power ever since the days of Napoleon, with huge numbers of citizens and immense amounts of land. â€Å"Inside, Russia remained the weak, depe... Free Essays on WWI Free Essays on WWI The protracted, horrific carnage executed during the First World War forever changed the course of events and mentality of the twentieth century. The war was expected to last for weeks or for months, like all previous wars had lasted; however this war had devolved into a prolonged stalemate where millions upon millions of lives were lost. Why this war took place is not an easy an easy question. Many believe that the war had started because of the murder of Prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Duchess Sophie von Chotkova. Many are under the false assumption that this alone was what the primary reason as to why the war had broken out. It is safe to believe that this event was in fact something that fed fuel to a fire that was burning due to other more serious issues as it sort of worked as a catalyst in the beginning. In order to better understand WWI and the reasons behind it taking place, an accurate account of the circumstances leading to war requires a concise analy sis of several key areas some going as far back as the 1800’s. Four of the major reasons that pressed the great powers to this explosive war were nationalism, militarism, imperialism and formation and systems of alliances. Nationalism, as defined in the Encarta online dictionary means, â€Å"the desire to achieve political independence, especially by a country under foreign control or by a people with a separate identity and culture but no state of their own.† The love and support of one's country, is something that has existed throughout time. However, in this time period, it played a major role in the outbreak of one of the most famous and deadliest wars in history. The nationalistic pride that existed with various nations, made the possibilities of peace between rival powers all the less probable. In ninetieth and twentieth centuries, especially after the French Revolution nationalism was becoming a powerful force in Europe. The belief tha... Free Essays on WWI During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare. During The 1899 Hague Peace Conference it was put on record that the dropping or shooting of any projectiles or explosives from the air during a time of war was forbidden and was considered a crime of war. It was also decided that airplanes could only be used for reconnaissance or spying missions. Even by the beginning of the war in 1912, the use of planes in war was still prohibited by the War Office. Shortly thereafter this changed, people awakened to the possibilities of air warfare. The world soon started to realize the effectiveness of planes in war and how the control of the skies could influence the outcome. Although the French were the first to have a working, conscripting air force and to license fliers, their trust in airplanes still was not up to par. Their lack of trust was justified, for the planes had no armaments, too many wires, and no reliable motor. Soon all countries in the war effort had their own little air force, built hangers, and started to train pilots. The first bombing occurred in November 1911. Although the first bomb was dropped by the Italians, soon all countries were involved in bombing raids. It was followed by the first aerial dogfight in 1912. This consisted of a primitive exchange of pistol fire between British and German planes. The United States ultimately was slower than France and Germany to develop an air force. O... Free Essays on WWI The Historian John Lukacs has written that WWI and WWII are two halves of the same coin. Discuss. The war that began in 1914 as a war to end all wars actually ended in 1945. World War Two was the child of World War One. The word treaty is defined in Webster’s dictionary as â€Å"negotiation; agreement between two or more nations†. At Versailles in 1919 there were no negotiations other than between the â€Å"victors†. The German delegation was told of the terms of the agreement only a few weeks prior to the signing of the document. They were given the choice of either sign the document or prepare to be invaded by Allied forces. The â€Å"Surrender† of Versailles was signed June 28, 1919 in the same railroad car where the Germans had celebrated the victory over the French in the Franco-Prussian War. The terms of the document signed at Versailles left Germany degraded, weak and embarrassed. They were unable to defend themselves as their once powerful army was all but destroyed. Much of their territory was annexed by neighboring states eager to take revenge for long past quarrels. And the huge burden of the War Guilt Class, which blamed Germany for the epidemic of war, made it a certainty that the German economy would eventually collapse. The new German government now had to take full responsibility for paying for the damages to the triumphant Allied countries. To complete the humiliation of Germany when the League of Nations was founded Germany was not allowed to become a member. This action effectively cut off Germany from the rest of Europe. The German people felt as if they were being treated quite unjustly for the decisions of the Kaiser’s government in 1914. The terms of the Versailles document that France, Britain and the United States felt so reasonable, left the average German feeling very angry. Lloyd George of Britain, Clemenceau of France and Wilson of the United States each had very different ideas on how to... Free Essays on WWI Wilson declares U.S. neutrality August 4, 1914 Washington, D.C. Reflecting strong public opinion, he states that U.S. will not join the war. However the U.S. change from neutrality to war in 1917, which some believe had many hidden reasons that violated the traditional values of the nation. Those values include freedom, public safety, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. One idea that proves that statement wrong is how long the U.S. took to go into the war. Figuring the war began in 1914 and the U.S. went to war in April of 1917, that shows that America took time thinking about going to war. America had patience before changing the stand in neutrality. Submarines threatened American merchant ships in addition Germany offered Mexico a deal. The offered deal was if Mexico joined Germany, Germany would help Mexico get New Mexico, Texas and Arizona, which is land that Mexico once had. Although America changed from neutrality to war, the reasons did have a strong ground and instead of violating the values they were protecting them. Another idea is the face that war is not a peaceful time, but in fighting WWI the U.S. got to keep the traditional American values, one of those values being freedom, and not have to worry about dictatorship. If Germany won the war, they would continue to conquer more land and may eventually have conquered the U.S. . â€Å"Our subject†¦is to vindicate the principles of peace and justice in the life of the world†¦Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the world is involved and the freedom of its peoples†¦ The world must be made safe for democracy.†... Free Essays on WwI The Great War World War I was the boiling point of years of rumblings under the surface between the great powers of Europe. In the end, it cost $332 billion, ten million lives, and twenty million wounded, with an entire generation in Europe and Russia wiped out (Paxson 5). Those figures do not even take into account those who were mentally scarred for life. Out of the war came a Europe that was based on the principles of self-determination and national unity. The largest and most prominent consequence was the revolution in Russia, yet there were also major developments in the Balkans in southern Europe with Austria-Hungary and drastic changes in international relations. Russia had been primed for a revolution since the days even before the Great War. After the not so successful revolution of 1905, the tsar still kept power over the bureaucracy and the army; he also had the power of veto over the legislative body, the Duma. Tsar, Nicholas II, ruled the Russian Empire as an absolute monarch. However, following the loss of the war with Japan in 1905, serious disturbances took place in St. Petersburg and Nicholas was persuaded to accept a reduction in his power. In March, 1905, he announced plans to form a Russian Parliament called the State Duma. As this was only a consultative body, many Russians felt that this reform did not go far enough and over the next few years the country remained unstable (www.worldwari.com). The War merely acted as a catalyst and a means for the Soviets, under Lenin, to take control. Always considered a Great Power based on their outwardly appearance of size and numbers, Russia was actually a fragile, backwards nation ma king revolution inevitable. World War I exposed the weakness of the peasant-dependant nation of Russia. Russia had been considered a world power ever since the days of Napoleon, with huge numbers of citizens and immense amounts of land. â€Å"Inside, Russia remained the weak, depe...