World War 1 Writing Assignment

World War 1(WW1) did not begin as a global dispute but began as a small dispute between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. This dispute began when a Serb, Gavrilo Princip, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and Russia prepared to defend Serbia. Germany declared war on Russia, then on France. The reason for this chain of defense and war declarations is because between 1880 and 1907 the European powers had formed alliances to increase their armies and navies. On one side were the alliances that included Britain, France, Russia and Japan. On the other side were central powers that included the countries of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Serbia. Italy joined the allies later. WW1 was fought primarily on European land. The war began in 1914.

During WW1 there was a certain type of fighting that took place called trench warfare. Trenches were never straight but were dug in a square-toothed pattern that broke the line into bays connected by traverses.

English: Memorial plaque at the location of the Sa...

English: Gabro Princip just arrested by police, af...

The Sarajevo trial in progress. Princip is seated ...

Although a smart idea it was not an easy escape for soldiers. When wanting to leave the trench, soldiers would have to scramble through their own barbed-wire defenses, then cross open ground to reach enemy lines. In the trenches soldiers ate and slept while waiting for orders to go into battle. Trenches were cold, muddy and wet for soldiers.

The United States involvement in the beginning of the war was to stay neutral which helped lead to a booming U.S. economy. The U.S. stayed neutral until 1917 on the side of the allies. What pushed the U.S. to join the war was when the German U-Boats sunk the ship, Lusitania killing 128 Americans. The U.S provided troops, supplies, and money for the weak Allies.

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that ended the...