World War I

What you’ll learn

• The war was caused by a combination of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism (M.A.I.N.)
• The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was the immediate trigger for the war
• Trench warfare on the Western Front led to years of stalemate with enormous casualties
• New technologies like machine guns, poison gas, tanks, and airplanes changed warfare forever
• The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany harshly, creating resentment that contributed to World War II
• Four empires collapsed as a result of the war, redrawing the map of Europe and the Middle East