The first civilizations that we have knowledge of developed in the valleys of major rivers: the Nile (Egypt), the Tigris and the Euphrates (Mesopotamia), the Yellow River (China) and the Indus River (India).
These civilizations developed in the valleys of rivers because this environment provided them with various vital resources. A constant and reliable source of water was needed for the development of agriculture, which allowed them to sustain large populations. Agriculture also flourished due to the fertile soil that tends to surround river valleys. The rivers also worked as a highway, allowing them to develop trade and facilitating the exchange of information.
Began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and lasted until 1918. During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States.
Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the U.S. because he needed money.
A. Social Darwinism
A quote I found sums this question up, but it'd be better to do some side research.
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"<span>the theory that individuals, groups, and peoples are subject to the same Darwinian laws of natural selection as plants and animals. Now largely discredited, social Darwinism was advocated by Herbert Spencer and others in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was used to justify political conservatism, imperialism, and racism and to discourage intervention and reform."</span>
