The First World War began in July 1914 and ended in November 1918. It grew from long-term rivalry and the immediate crisis in the Balkans.
Remote Causes
- Militarism and the arms race.
- Nationalism.
- Imperial and colonial rivalries.
- The alliance system.
- Tensions caused by the decline of the Ottoman Empire and Balkan nationalism.
Immediate Causes
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. Alliances widened the conflict.
Course
- Germany fought France, Britain and Belgium on the Western Front.
- Russia fought Germany and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front.
- The war extended to the Middle East and African colonies.
- The United States joined the Allied side in 1917.
- Germany and its allies were defeated in 1918.
Result
The war caused the collapse of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and Russian empires and led to a major peace settlement.
