World War I
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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World War I took place between 1914 and 1918. It brought together two large alliances: the Allies (France, the British Empire, Russia, followed by Italy and the United States) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria). The war took place across much of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the seas.
It is described as a 'total war' because states deployed all their economic resources, industries, and civilian populations to support the war effort. Modern weapons—such as heavy artillery, bombs, poison gas, aircraft, and submarines—caused massive casualties among both combatants and civilians.
Causes and outbreak
Long-term causes included imperial competition, arms races, nationalism, and interlocking defense treaties. The immediate trigger was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia a few weeks later. Because of the treaty system, other states entered the war rapidly, by August 1914.
Conduct of the war
On the Western Front, between France and Belgium, the war became a network of long trench lines. The two sides held small amounts of territory for years. The largest battles included Verdun and the Somme, both fought in 1916. On the Eastern Front, the lines moved, but casualties remained enormous.
Global expansion
The war was not confined to Europe. The Ottoman Empire, allied with the Central Powers, brought conflict to western Asia and the Sinai. Colonial territories in Africa and Asia supplied soldiers, workers, and resources. Somali communities and other peoples of the Horn of Africa were significantly affected by disruptions to maritime trade and the movement of colonial forces in the region.
End and aftermath
In 1917, Russia withdrew from the war following political upheaval, while the United States joined the Allies. In November 1918, an armistice was signed and fighting stopped. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 imposed harsh terms on Germany. The empires of Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia were dismantled, new states were created, and the League of Nations was established.