GENERAL CURRICULUM TEST OBJECTIVE : 0006  Understand major developments in the history of the United States from precolonial times to the present.

• Examine the emergence of the United States as a world power (e.g., the era of U.S. overseas expansion, WWI, WWII, the Cold War).

World War I (1914-1918)

Twenty-Eight nations were involved in this war in Europe and it ended with the Treaty of Versailles on Nov. 11, 1918. It was a very expensive war and caused the loss of markets, factories, and governmental stability as well as huge war debts. Nationalism increased in some countries, and many people were displaced. In Russia, the Communists seized power.

Causes:

• Surge of nationalism
• Increase in military strength and capabilities
• Massive colonization to acquire raw materials for industry and manufacturing
• Milliary and diplomatic alliances

The immense scale of the war meant for the first time enlisted men from all walks of life, not just professional soldiers, enlisted. In France, about half the men of an entire generation were lost as war casualties. In one battle, the British lost 60,000 soldiers in the first day. The expansiveness of the war and its cost in human lives is why this war was known to people at this time as "The Great War"  and "The War to End All Wars".

Resources:

https://youtu.be/_XPZQ0LAlR4

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/history/euro-hist