Essay about The Beginning of World War I - 1494 Words

WWI Synthesis Essay Bruce Lee once said, â€Å"Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them† (â€Å"Bruce Lee†). During World War I, the mistake of Serbia killing the archduke was neither admitted nor forgiven. A series of events brought together the European continent into a bloody and unprecedented war. WWI depicts that a small error or miscommunication leads to a bigger issue and suffering of people as portrayed through the aftereffects of the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. At the beginning of WWI, the civilians and soldier’s initial expectations were expressed through various forms of propaganda, which instilled a sense of nationalism into the civilians and became a driving force to begin the war at all fronts†¦show more content†¦Where would the world be if one brought every man to book? There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best--in a way that cost them nothing†(Remarque 12). Remarque makes the point that the soldiers are not patriotic, and it is the nationalism of teachers and adults that causes them to reinforce the importance of protecting the fatherland. Kantorek’s small speech was able to change Paul’s view on the war from dangerous to honorable; however, as the story continues Paul and his friends fight to protect each other rather than their country. Therefore nationalistic heroism is of no value because nothing positive results from it. In conclusion, th e beginning of the war was conveyed through the driving force nationalism created by propaganda. The changing technology of the warfare on the battlefield was combined with old tactics, which eventually eased the transition into modern warfare. Each country dug trenches and would throw poison gas, or bombshells into the enemy trench. Although there were heavy casualties, one side did not have a significant advantage, or disadvantage and the war quickly turned into a stalemate. The stalemate called for new technologies, and tactics to help give one’s country an advantage. The most significant invention was the machine gun because with it, thousands of charging enemy soldiers could be shot down effortlessly (Maxwell â€Å"Entering WWI†). ChristopherShow MoreRelatedThe Beginning to World Instability: World War I956 Words   |  4 Pages Optimistically the Great War, later termed World War I, was predicted to be the war to end all wars. Given the number of wars that have ensued since, unfortunately, this prediction was unreliable. Nearly 10,000,000 military personnel and 7,000,000 civilians lost their lives in World War I and an additional 20,000,000 people were wounded. War land damage was catastrophic. Of the nine French villages completely destroyed on the Western Front during World War I, six remain uninhabited to thisRead MoreThe Beginning of World War I Essay examples572 Words   |  3 PagesWhat started World War One and the events that drew the United States in to it? A young man by the name of Gavrilo Princip shot and killed the archduke heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie at point blank range. Princip actions cause an outrage among the Europeans which escalated the bitter freud with the Serbian and the Austro-Hungarians. The disputes over and many other issues lead to t he Austro-Hungarians and its German ally declaring war on Serbia. The Russians alliedRead MoreThe Political And Geographic Situation Of Europe At The Beginning Of World War I991 Words   |  4 Pages The political/geographic situation in Europe at the beginning of World War I was full of conflict and strife with nations already seeped in rivalry and hatred, bidding for power with military might and seeking to obtain it no matter what the cost or how much human life it would take to attain. Alliances are formed in a amalgamation of shared hatred for equal enemies and desire for power , Europe is abound with chaos. European borders seem to be ever changing like that of a snaking river. Austria-HungaryRead MoreThe Beginning Of World War I And Commencement Of A Tumultuous Era For Politics, Society And Art2149 Words   |  9 PagesThe year of 1914 marked the beginning of World War I and the commencement of a tumultuous era for politics, society and art. Amongst the considerable number of people negatively affected by the dreadfulness of the war, many of them found different ways of expressing their repugnance towards the horrific routes that humanity had taken. The Dada movement in particular began not only as a reaction against the war but also as a commentary on the social circumstances that lead to it. This essay reflectsRead MoreWar and Death in the Twentieth Century 1046 Words   |  4 Pages The twentieth century was dominated by war and death. From the turn of the century, major powers fought against one another trying to fight against those that oppressed them and others fighting to keep oppressors from oppressing the people. World War I, World War II, and the Cold War were wars that dominated this century, though there were many other, smaller, battles that took place throughout these years. Powerful regimes that had been around for hundreds of years came crashing downRead MoreCompare and Contrast Women at Home in Ww1 and Ww21249 Words   |  5 Pagesrole of women at home during World War I and World War II. Before World War I and World War II, women at home had the roles of maintaining duties for their family and children, such as cleaning, caring for the house, and cooking for the family. They were more likely judged by their exquisiteness rather than their ability. Just before World War I began, women were beginning to break away from the traditional roles they had played at home. Throughout both World Wars, women in the United StatesRead MoreChanges Throughout Russia And Germany During The 20th Century910 Words   |  4 PagesChanges in Russia and Germany during the 20th Century The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century brought major change to the world at a global scale, as well as to many countries at a more regional scale. The greatest changes were seen after World War I, when many large empires were forced to separate in order to avoid global catastrophe. Secret military alliances posed a threat to the global community, and the countries that engaged in these clandestine agreements were atRead MoreEssay On Foreign Affairs1216 Words   |  5 Pagesisolationism to internationalism. At the beginning of the Spanish-American War, William McKinley was not interested in getting involved in other nations’ affairs. It has been a policy of the Unites States to â€Å"maintain relations of peace and friendship with all the nations of the world.† The Unites States has also cherished the policy of â€Å"not interfering with the affairs of foreign governments.† They always kept themselves away from entanglement and would never enter a war unless keeping peace have failedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Guns Of August Essay1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great War, more known as World war 1 is perhaps the most famous war in American history. Most people only know that the Great war was the first world war that caused catastrophe through the worlds alliances. The Guns of August also known as August 1914 is a historical work of nonfiction written about the beginning of World War I. The Guns of August is an interesting book that goes through the first co uple of months of the war. This book explains in great detail of the causes of the war like theRead MoreThe Causes Of The Great War I1632 Words   |  7 PagesWorld War I was a complex war with tensions simmering for numerous years before finally boiling over. The immediate and obvious cause to the war was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist society in June of 1914. The underlying causes of World War I were nationalism, imperialism, and militarism by actors on both sides of the war and would only be resolved by American intervention. The causes of the Great War go further back into the nineteenth century The powers