The Consequences of World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Consequences of World War I - Essay Example Although that might not get you a very high grade on a history test, many modern scholars perceive WWII as a continuation of WWI, just after a short reprieve. The First World War is often remembered as one of the bloodiest of wars fought; bloodier than what was experienced during the American Civil War. In fact, it is fair to say that no one is Europe, Asia, and the United States, nor the rest of the world, believed that this war would be so destructive, caused so much death, or last so long (Keylor 1). The events of WWI and those that occurred directly after led to consequences that changed the societal structures, national economies, and, ultimately, led to the start of WWII 20 years later. History Prior to WWI the United States had not been involved in any wars since the turn of the century. Things in Europe were going quite differently. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, nephew of the Austrian Emperor, along with his wife while vacationing had outraged the Austrians. Serbia was held responsible. However, while waiting to be certain that they had the support and backing of Germany, gave the Serbians time to guarantee the backing and support of Russia. War was declared, approximately a month later, in July of 1914. The Central Powers included Germany, Austrio-Hungary, and Turkey opposing the Allies, which included Russia, France, Serbia, Great Britain, Japan, Belgium, and later the United States (Keylor 1). Trench warfare began. However, it was not long before troops and financing began to dwindle. It was not until 1917 that the United States entered and declared war on Germany. This was a direct reaction to the German’s sinking the British Ship the Lusitania, which killed a number of American passengers, and a telegram sent by Germany offering Untied States lands to Mexico if they would join them in opposing the United States. The war would rage throughout until 1919. In total, More than 9 million sailors, soldiers, and pilots were killed, 5 million civilians were caught in the crossfire of war, and then another 7 million men returned home injured and/or permanently disabled. There were also huge costs involved in the length of the world, billions of dollars spent across the 28 different countries (Mintz 1). Discussion The consequences of WWI saw the United States begin to rise as dominate economic and political power in the world, mostly because many of the nations of Europe were so depleted. For Europeans the consequences were quite harsh. The political, economic, and social orders of European society, in some cases, came â€Å"crashing down.† It saw the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Germany, Austrio-Hungary, and Russian empires (Keylor 1). New nations were emerging as borders began to change, ethnic tensions were heightening, and an inability to recover from the losses suffered due to the war. As a response many leaders sought to establish a â€Å"new international system† that would help repair damage in Europe and lead to a more productive future for all of the nations. Delegates from these nations met in Paris, France in 1919 to discuss the â€Å"Treaty of Versailles.† However, the major powers, in the treaty discussions were left to Britain, France, Italy, and the United States. It was during this time that the â€Å"league of Nations† was established which would ideally aid in preventing other armed warfare in the future. Although, Germany felt slighted by the treaty, but did not lose territory and therefore signed the treaty. Also, many felt that the Germans were responsible for the majority of WWI, and therefore cost them dearly. Ultimately, the United State