Since the 1870s, most of the major countries in Europe had been gearing for war with each other. Preparations had been subtle. The independent German kingdoms united in the 1870s and had quickly become the largest power on the continent. France meanwhile was arming heavily in case its centuries-old rival Germany chose to attack. Russia also feared the growing German threat and sought to ally itself with Great Britain, France, and even Germany itself for protection. The British, for their part, tried hard to remain out of the conflict, but found that having the world's most powerful navy made that impossible. Rebellious provinces within the Austro-Hungarian Empire made central Europe extremely unstable, and the leaders of the Ottoman Empire in the Near East sought to expand their power. Historians have generally noted that the European powers had managed to avoid war for so long, that when it did erupt in the autumn of 1914, it quickly escalated into the most deadly war the world had seen. On one side were the Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and the Ottoman Turks united as the Central powers, while Great Britain, France, and Russia fought together as the Entente powers on the other.
The port of New Orleans experienced economic growth resulting from the exchange of agricultural products with Europeans. of technological innovations including the cotton gin and the vacuum pan evaporator for refining sugar.
