Crash Course #36
How destructive/deadly was World War I? What were the major reasons why it was so deadly?
Over 15 million people were killed and over 20 million wounded. World War I's most efficient killer was disease.
What does host John Green blame for the start of World War I?
The assassination in Sarajevo of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 by a Bosnian Serb nationalist named Gavrilo Princip is blamed for the start of World War I.
Describe trench warfare. What was the experience of trench warfare like for the typical soldier in World War I?
The trench warfare on the Western Front is most famous for its brutal futility. Trenches were wet and smelly; while going "over the top" of the trench to cross no-man's land, soldiers experienced the fear of shelling.
Describe the outcome of World War I on the following nations... (a) Germany (b) Russia (c) the United States (d) the Ottoman Empire.
The war increased geopolitical influence for the U.S.; marked the end of the Ottoman Empire; The Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I, fixed the blame for the war on Germany which proved ruinous to the German economy and destructive to its political institutions; and facilitated the rise of the Bolsheviks in Russia.
In what ways was World War I truly a "world war" considering that the large majority of the fighting took place in Europe?
World War I featured combatants from around the world - Britain's army, especially, included soldiers from India, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
