The event that set off World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife Sophie by Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo.
World War I was a war that differed from all others before it, in terms of scale, technology and scope. New technologies such as the tank and the use of chemical weapons were developed during this war, which led to the implementation of trenches as a way to avoid such methods. However, the use of trenches made it difficult for battles to be decisive, leading to a lengthening of the war and a stalemate that led to many casualties.
European societies were able to wage war on this scale because most of them were empires. They had colonies overseas that were very profitable, and protected from the war. This allowed countries to have a constant influx of wealth that allowed the fight to continue.
The impact on European society was massive. The war killed an entire generation of men in many areas of Europe. It also led to animosity between Germany and other countries. Finally, it also encouraged the development of a nihilistic and hedonistic youth during the 1920s.
The Treaty of Versailles that ended the war can be strongly linked to the beginning of World War II. Many scholars believe that the terms of the treaty were too harsh to Germany. This created resentment among the German people and government, as well as an economic crisis. These growing problems were used by the Nazi Party to encourage support for the Nazi regime.
