WHY IS WORLD WAR I SO IMPORTANT?
1. Most historians would say that the 20th century began during or after WWI.
A. IT CHANGED THE WORLD IN A MAJOR WAY: We went from the 1800s to the 1900s not on New Year’s Eve in 1899, or 1900, but when WWI occurred (1914-1918) and the massive post-war changes. All walks of life were affected.
2. Empires and kingdoms vanished and 10 new countries were created:
A. Poland was re-established.
B. Czechoslovakia was created.
C. Austria was created.
D. Hungry was created.
E. Yugoslavia was created.
F. Three Baltic States Created:
1. Estonia
2. Latvia
3. Lithuania
G. Turkey was created from the Ottoman Empire.
H. Finland was created.
3. In many countries women/minorities/older people found work like never before because the average working man joined the armed services. For example, in the US alone 4.75 million men joined the military.
4. Have you ever heard of the workout program called Pilates? Joseph Pilates invented this program to rehabilitate World War I veterans with war injuries.
5. Major 20th century politicians-heroes played a military role in the Great War:
A. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Major in the US tank corps.
B. Benito Mussolini: Army corporal wounded during the war.
C. President Truman: Captain in the field artillery.
D. Adolf Hitler: Lance Corporal in the German army, and gassed in Verdun, 1916.
E. George Patton: Lt. Colonel as a US tank commander.
F. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: Colonel in Ottoman Army and commanded Ottoman troops at Gallipoli. After the war he became the future President of Turkey.
G. Charles de Gaulle: French Army captain wounded several times and taken as a POW by the Germans
6. New military inventions:
A. Poisonous gases: Mainly mustard, phosgene and chlorine.
B. Airplanes used in warfare for the 1st time: Changed ground tactics forever. Soldiers slept in the daytime, and marched to the front line and worked at night, to avoid detection by airplanes.
C. Flamethrowers: Developed by the Germans.
D. The tank was invented by the British to attack enemy trenches while protecting the soldiers inside.
E. Submarines.
F. Modern machine guns.
G. Modern heavy artillery.
7. More effective way of battlefield medicine.
A. Stretcher bearers ran into the fields after a major attack to pick up the wounded.
B. Ambulances were used to transport the wounded off of the battlefields.
8. Most historians would agree that World War II was simply a continuation of World War I.
A. Most historians would argue that the war continued 21 years later, on Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Hitler always blamed Germany’s loss in the Great War on the generals and the politicians.
9. Famous authors, including England’s J. R.R. Tolkien, (of Lord of the Rings trilogy fame), fought/participated in the war.
Tolkien’s experiences in trench warfare became the basis for the scenes in his trilogy…especially the evil place of Mordor—based upon the eerie and dangerous No Man’s Land of the Great War.
A. Other authors who participated in WWI were:
1. Ernest Hemingway—volunteered as an ambulance driver in Italy, and was wounded.
2. John Dos Passos—volunteered as an ambulance driver in Italy.
3. ee cummings—volunteered as an ambulance driver in France.
4. Somerset Maugham—volunteered as a British ambulance driver.
In conclusion, the major upheaval of the Great War, on virtually all aspects of society, remains most likely the most dramatic event of the 20th century.
WHY IS WORLD WAR I SO IMPORTANT?
1. Most historians would say that the 20th century began during or after WWI.
A. IT CHANGED THE WORLD IN A MAJOR WAY: We went from the 1800s to the 1900s not on New Year’s Eve in 1899, or 1900, but when WWI occurred (1914-1918) and the massive post-war changes. All walks of life were affected.
2. Empires and kingdoms vanished and 10 new countries were created:
Above: A map of Europe during the conflict.
A. Poland was re-established.
B. Czechoslovakia was created.
C. Austria was created.
D. Hungry was created.
E. Yugoslavia was created.
F. Three Baltic States Created:
1. Estonia
2. Latvia
3. Lithuania
G. Turkey was created from the Ottoman Empire.
H. Finland was created.
3. In many countries women/minorities/older people found work like never before because the average working man joined the armed services. For example, in the US alone 4.75 million men joined the military.
4. Have you ever heard of the workout program called Pilates? Joseph Pilates invented this program to rehabilitate World War I veterans with war injuries.
5. Major 20th century politicians-heroes played a military role in the Great War:
A. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Major in the US tank corps.
B. Benito Mussolini: Army corporal wounded during the war.
C. President Truman: Captain in the field artillery.
D. Adolf Hitler: Lance Corporal in the German army, and gassed in Verdun, 1916.
E. George Patton: Lt. Colonel as a US tank commander.
F. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: Colonel in Ottoman Army and commanded Ottoman troops at Gallipoli. After the war he became the future President of Turkey.
G. Charles de Gaulle: French Army captain wounded several times and taken as a POW by the Germans
6. New military inventions:
A. Poisonous gases: Mainly mustard, phosgene and chlorine.
B. Airplanes used in warfare for the 1st time: Changed ground tactics forever. Soldiers slept in the daytime, and marched to the front line and worked at night, to avoid detection by airplanes.
C. Flamethrowers: Developed by the Germans.
D. The tank was invented by the British to attack enemy trenches while protecting the soldiers inside.
E. Submarines.
F. Modern machine guns.
G. Modern heavy artillery.
7. More effective way of battlefield medicine.
A. Stretcher bearers ran into the fields after a major attack to pick up the wounded.
B. Ambulances were used to transport the wounded off of the battlefields.
8. Most historians would agree that World War II was simply a continuation of World War I.
A. Most historians would argue that the war continued 21 years later, on Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland. Hitler always blamed Germany’s loss in the Great War on the generals and the politicians.
9. Famous authors, including England’s J. R.R. Tolkien, (of Lord of the Rings trilogy fame), fought/participated in the war.
Tolkien’s experiences in trench warfare became the basis for the scenes in his trilogy…especially the evil place of Mordor—based upon the eerie and dangerous No Man’s Land of the Great War.
A. Other authors who participated in WWI were:
1. Ernest Hemingway—volunteered as an ambulance driver in Italy, and was wounded.
2. John Dos Passos—volunteered as an ambulance driver in Italy.
3. ee cummings—volunteered as an ambulance driver in France.
4. Somerset Maugham—volunteered as a British ambulance driver.
In conclusion, the major upheaval of the Great War, on virtually all aspects of society, remains most likely the most dramatic event of the 20th century.
In conclusion, the major upheaval of the Great War, on virtually all aspects of society, remains most likely the most dramatic event of the 20th century.