page_title: 20th-century events
section_title: "The war to end all wars": World War I (1914–1918)
hierarchical_section_title: 20th-century events / Events in the 20th century / The world at the beginning of the century / "The war to end all wars": World War I (1914–1918)
caption_attribution_description: Čeština: Rozdělení Rakouska-Uherska po první světové válce, podle Pařížských předměstských smluv (Versailles s Německem, Saint-Germain-en-Laye s Rakouskem, Neuilly-sur-Seine s Bulharskem, Trianon s Maďarskem, Sèvres s Tureckem), dojednaných na Pařížské mírové konferenci (1919). Deutsch: Das Ende Österreich-Ungarns nach den Pariser Vorortverträgen. English: The end of Austria-Hungary after the Paris Treaty. &#160;&#160; Border of Austria-Hungary in 1914 &#160;&#160; Borders in 1914 &#160;&#160; Borders in 1920 &#160;&#160; Austrian Empire in 1914 &#160;&#160; Kingdom of Hungary in 1914 &#160;&#160; Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1914
context_page_description: Following the 19th century, 20th-century events changed the world in unprecedented ways. The World Wars sparked tension between countries and led to the creation of atomic bombs, the Cold War led to the Space Race and creation of rockets, and the World Wide Web was created. These advancements have played a significant role in citizens' lives and shaped the 21st century into what it is today.
context_section_description: The First World War (or simply WWI), termed "The Great War" by contemporaries, started in 1914 and ended in 1918. It was ignited by the Assassination in Sarajevo of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's heir to the throne, Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, by Gavrilo Princip of the organization "Young Bosnia," Bosnian Serbs' liberation movement. Bound by Slavic nationalism to help the small Serbian state, the Russians came to the aid of the Serbs when they were attacked. Interwoven alliances, an increasing arms race, and old hatreds dragged Europe into the war. The Allies, known initially as "The Triple Entente", comprised the British Empire, France and Russia. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Bulgaria, and later the Ottoman Empire, were known as "The Central Powers".
  In 1917, Russia ended hostile actions against the Central Powers after the fall of the Tsar. The Bolsheviks negotiated the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany, although it was at huge cost to Russia. In the treaty, Bolshevik Russia ceded the Baltic States to Germany, and its province of Kars Oblast in the south Caucasus to the Ottoman Empire. It also recognized the independence of Ukraine. Although Germany shifted huge forces from the eastern to the western front after signing the treaty, it was unable to stop the Allied advance, especially with the entrance of American troops in 1918.
  The war itself was also a chance for the combatant nations to show off their military strength and technological ingenuity. The Germans introduced the machine gun, U-Boats and deadly gases. The British first used the tank. Both sides had a chance to test out their new aircraft to see if they could be used in warfare. It was widely believed that the war would be short. Unfortunately, since trench warfare was the best form of defense, advances on both sides were very slow, and came at a terrible cost in lives.
  When the war was finally over in 1918, the results would set the stage for the next twenty years. First and foremost, the Germans were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, forcing them to make exorbitant payments to repair damages caused during the War. Many Germans felt these reparations were unfair because they did not actually "lose" the war nor did they feel they caused the war (see Stab-in-the-back legend). Germany was never occupied by Allied troops, yet it had to accept a liberal democratic government imposed on it by the victors after the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm.
  Much of the map of Europe was redrawn by the victors based upon the theory that future wars could be prevented if all ethnic groups had their own "homeland".  New states like Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were created out of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire to accommodate the nationalist aspirations of these groups.  An international body called the League of Nations was formed to mediate disputes and prevent future wars, although its effectiveness was severely limited by, among other things, its reluctance and inability to act.
caption: Division of Austria-Hungary after World War I
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