The Great War took place during 1914 to 1918, it was a global war where the world fought the triple Alliance, which was made up of Austria-Hungary, Germany and Italy. It was one of the first times in history where every resource and weapon was used against an opposing nation. It completely fulfilled all aspects of a total war, as all civilians, both men and women, were affected by the on-going warfare. Specifically in Britain, where everybody was driven to defeat the triple Alliance. Using their political power, the United Kingdom used censorship, propaganda and established the Defence of the Realm Act to govern all aspects of the country, in order to achieve victory on the battlefield. Hence why, World War I was a total war. Men were by far the most affected by the war, due to the Conscription Act that was passed in 1916. This included all men aged 18-40 who were able to fight against the triple Alliance. The number of volunteers were decreasing, because of circulating news reports of the horrifying experiences and the living conditions the men were expected to live in. War’s glamorous side was destroyed and replaced with fear. With Britain’s army diminishing, they had to bring in conscription to maintain the necessary numbers of troops. Not all men agreed with this measure and those who opposed conscription were known as conscientious objectors. These men were usually pacifists or highly religious individuals, who were treated like criminals by society; many were assaulted and publicly humiliated. These men were forced to take on jobs that aided the military. The men that refused this alternative to fighting were either sentenced to death or put in solitary confinement. This exhibits the extreme mea... ... middle of paper ... ...dom. Their entire lives revolved around the war situation. Anyone who questioned or rebelled against DORA could be put on trial. These harsh rules show it was not just the soldiers who were involved in the conflict, but normal people were profoundly affected as well. To conclude the Great War encompassed all factors of a total war; economic, social and political. The whole population was mobilized towards the war effort and everyone’s attention concentrated on winning the war. Being one of the first total wars in history, it showed that wars are not always conflicts of armies against armies, but rather conflicts of societies fighting societies. Britain had to create harsh laws, mobilize the entire population and use all accessible resources to defeat the triple alliance. Therefore, there is no doubt that World War I fulfilled all characteristics of a total war
that comes to mind is the scale of war. It was tremendous. I am going
during the war. This novel is able to portray the overwhelming effects and power war has
Wars have been around for centuries. A typical battle was fought on land. The infantry would line up and fire at the advancing enemy. World War I was first called "the Great War" because of the number of lives lost (Coetzee 11). There were approximately nine million deaths over the course of the four years the war lasted (11). World War I began because of the assassination of "Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne" (17). Tensions were high and war seemed the only solution (17). The alliances in Europe were well formed by the time 1914 arrived (17). "The Central Powers" were "Germany and Austria-Hungary" (Westwell 8). "The Triple Entente" were "Britain, France, and Russia" (8). All of the countries and citizens believed in the cause of the war from the very beginning (9). That enthusiasm would quickly change once the introduction of new weapons and strategies were revealed (9). Every country involved was seeking ways to improve on the resources they needed to fight, and hopefully win the war. None of the countries involved wanted the other side to have a military advantage over the other (7). World War I had technological inventions such as machine guns, poison gas, tanks and submarines, which changed the strategy of war. The outcome of these inventions resulted in more death and destruction than previous wars.
Historians generally refer to WWI as the first 'total war'. It was the first conflict in which modern industrialized societies mobilized their complete economic, technological and psychological resources in order to wage war. Unlike earlier wars, which involved relatively small numbers of soldiers on the battlefield, it affected many aspects of the lives of civilian populations and demanded enormous sacrifices and support from them. Mobilization of the home front was crucial to achieving military victory. Some of the main aspects of Total War include conscription of men into the armed services, increased government control of the economy and daily lives of citizens and subsequent loss of personal liberty. Control of the labor force, physical safety and security of civilian populations threatene...
Although there were many different individual and group experiences during and after the war, “the generation of 1914” may be used to collectively regard the suffering and sacrifice that all participants of this “generation” endured. Both Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth and Robert Graves’s Good-bye to All That express a common theme of suffering, sacrifice, and the betrayal of their generation. Brittain wrote extensively about her generation’s loss and endurance of so many physical and mental hardships. Parents sacrificed sons, wives sacrificed husbands, and soldiers sacrificed their lives. Much of Europe had to endure under a constant atmosphere of death, loss, and other hardships, like food shortages, and military occupations. This suffering was an important element in Brittain’s definition of her generation. She wrote that if her fiancé had been of the postwar generation she could not have married him, because “a gulf wider than any decade divides those who experienced the War as adults...
The Great War, one of the bloodiest wars, its beginning stared on July 28, and ended on November 11, 1918. The cause for this war was an assassination and Germany using U-boats sinking a boat. Austria hungry, Germany and Italy being the central powers, and the United Kingdom, France and Russian being the allies, the united states was also a part of the allies but did not join the blood bath right away it took the United States three years to join the war.
World War I, also known as the Great War was one of the most revolutionary wars in modern history. The war started in 1914 and ended in 1919 and included many advancements such as tanks and mustard gas. The Great War was one of the most deadly and gruesome wars ever. There were many different pivotal things that led to the breakout of war in Europe and eventually the world. One could see alliances escalating the the amount of countries in the war, an extreme amount of nationalism, and tensions over colonies and technological advances. All of these ultimately led to commencement of World War I.
Analyzing the events prior to 1914 and the events that occurred from 1914 to 1918 is important because it explains the ways in which World War I was a total war. Beginning as a regional war and transforming into a world war, effecting nations who were both directly and indirectly involved in combat, and resulting in the devastation of Germany are all ways in which the First World War was a total war.
The Great War , or as it is known now, World War One was a global conflict fought between the Allied Powers ; Great Britain, France, Russia, and the United States along will other smaller nations and the Central Powers ; Germany, Austria – Hungary, Turkey/Ottoman Empire and other small nations from 1914 to 1918. World War One began from a series of tumultuous events, that in turn affected the balance of alliances that had been made between countries at that time in the world.
World War I, also referred to as the Great War, was global conflict among the greatest Western powers and beyond. From 1914-1918, this turf war swept across rivaling nations, intensifying oppositions and battling until victory was declared. World War I was immediately triggered by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, however several long-term causes also contributed. The growing development of militarism, the eruption of powerful alliances, as well as the spread of imperialism, and a deepening sense of nationalism, significantly promoted to the outbreak of the Great War.
“War is unorganized murder, and nothing else” (Harry Patch). In World War 1, which was first called the Great War, there were many causes of the war breaking out. The Great War started August 1st 1914, days after the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophia, when they visited Bosnia. Many soldiers went to war for no reason but to fight for their country. The Great War was not only affected by the soldiers, but also by the civilians as well.
World War 1 was a worldwide conflict that took place mainly in Europe. It lasted from 1914 to 1918. Over 40 million people were killed. The war was fought by Britain, France, Russia, and the U.S. against Germany and its allies. Many people think that the U.S. should have stayed out of the war, but if we did it would have caused many problems here in the U.S.
World War 1 was called “The Great War”, “The war to end all wars”, and “The first modern war”. It had many causes and a few repercussions and I will describe them in detail.
World War I is recognized as the first war, the Great War, the war of the nations and the war to end all wars. It was a conflict of wars that lasted from august 1914 to the final truce on November 11, 1918. Although it only lasted four years, it was the most destructive war that had ever happened in history. The death toll was about eight and a half million people and it wounded roughly twenty million or more. The war ended up destroying empires and economies and forever changing all of Europe. The allied powers had defeated the central powers, therefor leading to the fall of four empires and a huge change in the map of Europe. There are plenty of reasons on why World War I was so different from all the past conflicts. For example it was the first time in nearly one hundred years that all major countries where fighting. Another reason on why it was a different type of war was of the fact that the over sea had possessions. All the fighting was inevitable. A huge roll that made World War I truly modern was the Industrial Revolution. It was no longer a man-to-man war. The invention of guns as well as the machine gun made anybody a death threat.
In conclusion, the causes of World War One included many factors both long term and short term. Some factors go deeper and contributed to the tension and rivalry developing in the nineteenth century among the Great Powers stage. Such as things involving politics, cultures, economics and what I believe to be the most important, the alliance system; lots of other factors tie in with the complex web of alliances. There are many factors that lead on and link in with one another; this just explains a few of the well known factors. Most involve contributing to tension and rivalry. The Great War is considered to be one of the most significant events of the twentieth century.