I World War

The Great War

The assassination on 28 June 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg and France

Austro-Hungarian invasion of Serbia

Russian attack against Prussia (1917 Russia left the war)

• After the first stages of the war the trench lines were set and didn’t change much until 1917

• Ottoman Empire 1914

• Italy 1915:The nation had its own designs on Austrian territory in Trentino, Istria and Dalmatia. There was a secret pact with France. Italy refused to commit troops, arguing that the triple Alliance was defensive in nature, while Austo- Hungary was an aggressor.

• At Caporetto the Italian army had heavy losses (the ’99 boys were called the males who were 18 years old on that battle)

• Italian Army estabilished the front at the Piave River to get reorganized.

• After a series of battles on the Asiago Plateau, the Austrians were defeated in the Battle of Vittorio Veneto in October 1918 and surrendered in early November 1918.

Causes

• Great designs of a few men having too much power

• Ignorance of the implications of modern warfare

Consequences• Death of nine million men. Ruin of four Empires• Rise of dictators like Hitler and Mussolini• Negative economic effects in Britain• Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires ceasing

to exist• Soviet Union emerged from Russian Empire• Numerous smaller states • League of Nations was formed.