World War I & The Interwar Era (1914–1939)
World War I (1914–1918), known as the Great War, was an industrialized global conflict triggered by imperial rivalries, militarism, secret alliance networks (Triple Entente versus Triple Alliance), and ethnic nationalism in the Balkans. The conflict was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. Fighting across the Western and Eastern Fronts featured deadly trench warfare, chemical weapons, tanks, and submarines. The war concluded with the Armistice of November 11, 1918, followed by the Paris Peace Conference and the punitive Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed on Germany. The interwar period was marked by the collapse of four empires, the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression of 1929, and the rise of fascism.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, ignited World War I.
- The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, imposed Article 231 (War Guilt Clause) and heavy financial reparations on Germany.
- The League of Nations was established in 1920 on the initiative of US President Woodrow Wilson to maintain international collective security.
- The Wall Street Crash in October 1929 initiated the Great Depression, triggering worldwide economic collapse and mass unemployment.