1. When did World War I (The Great War)
begin, and Why? (What was the immediate cause?) Between what two groups of
allies was it fought? Give the name and member countries for each of the
opposing sides.
- · World War I, which is also called the Great War because it was the second largest war in human history a,nd can be seen as the ultimate cause for WWII, began in July 1914 with the declaration of War from Austria-Hungary to Serbia. Following to that the supporter Countries of Germany (Austria-Hungary) and Russia (Serbia) declared war against each other and Germany also declared War against France. The immediate cause was the shooting of the Austrian Archduke from a Serbian Nationalist in his Car to which Austria-Hungary wanted to send police forces into Serbia to enlighten the deed or declare war. But because the conditions were unacceptable even for War Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on the 28th of July.
- · The Main actors in the War were Germany and Austria-Hungary on one side and Britain, France and Russia including all their colonies on the other side.
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2. When and Why did the United States enter
the War.
- · The US declared war on Germany on April, 6th 1917, because of two main reasons. One was that Germany was using a total Submarine War in the Atlantic to stop deliveries to the UK coming from the US and therefore destroyed almost every ship in the Atlantic including US passenger ships. As a result to this killing of a neutral country the opinion from the Citizen shifted and went more and more against Germany. And the second reason was that Germany offered to Mexico, that Germany would finance a War to take back their old territory in New-Mexico and Texas. And therefore openly spoke against the US.
3. When and why did WWI come to an end?
- · World War I ended at 11.11 am on the 11.11.1918 with the surrender of Germany. The ended because of various reasons like the Germany Kaiser fleeing from Germany, the tiredness from War or just simply the fact that with the entering of the United States Germany was losing really badly. And one of the first parliamentary actions of the German Government without a Kaiser was to start negotiations about peace.
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4. What were the terms of the major
agreement ending the War? Why did the United States not ratify this treaty,
even though President Wilson had played such a major role in negotiating it?
- · The biggest and most important “agreement” was that Germany and his allies have the main only responsibility for the War. Further Germany has to lose 1/5 of his territory, all his colonies, 4/5 of its coal industry and 1/4 of the iron industry. Germany is not allowed to have a Fleet, artillery or War Planes. And the trade fleet is to reduce to 10%. Furthermore Germany has to pay reparations to almost all of the wining nations. Also the army is to reduce to 100.000 men defensive force (very, very small).
- President Wilson was played a major role in negotiating the treaty in his role of trying to lower the payload for Germany because he directly saw that a humiliated Germany is also a dangerous Germany because the democracy was just arising. It is said that 1919 when the treaty of Versailles was signed one of the American delegation pointed on the map (on Poland) and said this peace is going to stay for 20 and here it will begin again. Also as a minor reason the US was always interest in new markets but a Germany that had to pay reparations would not be able to buy from other nations.
5. The Fact that me wonder most is that every War and every conflict in the 20th century had its roots in the first world war but yet no one really knows some thing about it. When I started my own journey through that huge topic I started with the fact, that the war started in 191, ended in 1918 and that it was a world war... not enough!!!
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