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The Great War: A Global Conflict

Overview of World War I

• The First World War, also known as the Great War, is recognized as the first global military confrontation in human history, affecting nearly every part of the world.

• The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. In contrast, the Allies comprised major nations like Britain, France, and Russia along with Serbia, Montenegro, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Romania, Portugal, and Japan.

Causes of the Conflict

• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28th, 1914 by a Serbian nationalist triggered Austria's declaration of war against Serbia.

• Russia entered the conflict to support Serbia due to its role as protector of Slavic nations. This led to a rapid escalation when Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.

Escalation and Global Impact

• The sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine in 1917 prompted the United States to join the Allies. This marked a significant turning point in making the war truly global.

• The war lasted four years until November 11th, 1918. It resulted in profound changes across Europe with four empires—the Austro-Hungarian Empire, German Empire, Ottoman Empire, and Russian Empire—disappearing.

Human Cost and Warfare Innovations

• Over 65 million soldiers were mobilized during WWI; approximately 10 million died at an alarming rate of about 6 thousand daily casualties. Additionally, over six million were left disabled.

• Biological and chemical warfare emerged during this conflict alongside unprecedented levels of material destruction.

Reflection on Future Conflicts

• Conrad Adenauer remarked that humanity has not fully recovered from this conflict even decades later. This suggests that WWI was merely a precursor to future global conflicts yet to come.