Editing World War I
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{{Quote|The Great War differed from all ancient wars in the immense power of the combatants and their fearful agencies of destruction, and from all modern wars in the utter ruthlessness with which it was fought. … Europe and large parts of Asia and Africa became one vast battlefield on which after years of struggle not armies but nations broke and ran. When all was over, Torture and Cannibalism were the only two expedients that the civilized, scientific, Christian States had been able to deny themselves: and they were of doubtful utility.|Winston Churchill, ''The World Crisis, 1911-1918''.}} | {{Quote|The Great War differed from all ancient wars in the immense power of the combatants and their fearful agencies of destruction, and from all modern wars in the utter ruthlessness with which it was fought. … Europe and large parts of Asia and Africa became one vast battlefield on which after years of struggle not armies but nations broke and ran. When all was over, Torture and Cannibalism were the only two expedients that the civilized, scientific, Christian States had been able to deny themselves: and they were of doubtful utility.|Winston Churchill, ''The World Crisis, 1911-1918''.}} | ||
'''World War I''' was a global conflict that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was predominantly called the '''World War''' or the '''Great War''' from its occurrence until the start of [[World | '''World War I''' was a global conflict that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It was predominantly called the '''World War''' or the '''Great War''' from its occurrence until the start of [[World war II]] in 1939, and the '''First World War''' or World War I thereafter. It involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy; Italy did not enter into the war, as Austria–Hungary had taken the offensive against the terms of the alliance). These alliances were both reorganized and expanded as more nations entered the war: Italy, [[Imperial Japan]] and the United States joined the Allies, and the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria the Central Powers. Ultimately, more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilized in one of the largest wars in history. More than 9 million combatants were killed, largely because of technological advancements that led to enormous increases in the lethality of weapons without corresponding improvements in protection or mobility, causing both sides to resort to large-scale human wave attacks, which proved extremely costly in terms of casualties. It was the fifth-deadliest conflict in world history, subsequently paving the way for various political changes, such as revolutions in many of the nations involved. | ||
One of the long-term causes of the war was the resurgence of imperialism in the foreign policies of the great powers of Europe. More immediately, the [[assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand]] of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, on 28 June 1914 by Yugoslav nationalist [[Gavrillo Princip]] (a member of a secret society known as the [[Black Hand]]) in Sarajevo triggered a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary subsequently delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked. Within weeks, the major powers were at war and, via their colonies, the conflict soon spread around the world. On 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians fired the first shots of the war as preparation for the invasion of Serbia. While the Russians mobilized, the Germans under Kaiser [[Wilhelm II]] invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg on the way to France, providing a ''casus belli'' for Britain's declaration of war against Germany. | One of the long-term causes of the war was the resurgence of imperialism in the foreign policies of the great powers of Europe. More immediately, the [[assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand]] of Austria, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, on 28 June 1914 by Yugoslav nationalist [[Gavrillo Princip]] (a member of a secret society known as the [[Black Hand]]) in Sarajevo triggered a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary subsequently delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Several alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked. Within weeks, the major powers were at war and, via their colonies, the conflict soon spread around the world. On 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians fired the first shots of the war as preparation for the invasion of Serbia. While the Russians mobilized, the Germans under Kaiser [[Wilhelm II]] invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg on the way to France, providing a ''casus belli'' for Britain's declaration of war against Germany. | ||