World War I (28 jul 1914 año – 11 nov 1918 año)

Descripción:

Started because of secret alliances in Europe. European countries create two massive alliances: Central Powers (Germany, Austria Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottomans) vs Allied Powers (GB, France, Russia). Promised to protect an ally if they're attacked. So all these alliances get activated when Franz Ferdinand, heir to A-H, is assassinated. Also, longer trends of nationalism, industrialization, and militarism prompted countries to initiate or continue conflict.

First part of the war is basically a stalemate. Ends up becoming a war of attrition with each side building trenches and seeing who will last the longest. Not very much hostility between the soldiers themselves. In one instance, they actually played soccer together. Conditions were horrible. Introduced new weaponry like rapid firearms and poison gas, but also stuck to some old techniques like frontal charges. Tons of ppl died from both combat and disease.

In the US, some want to join the war on the side of England because of historic relationships. Others upset about Central invasion of neutral Belgium. Some immigrants want to intervene based on their own ancestry. Others want to stay out of it. Pits various immigrant communities against each other.Other people oppose the war on moral grounds or argue that the US should stay out of it and focus on domestic problems (isolationism). Isolationism particularly supported by labor groups, ex Industrial Workers of the World. Argued that war hurt the proletariat and only benefited the rich. Pres Wilson eventually declared neutrality.

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