world war 1
world war 1
They call it the great war. Why? Can anyone explain to me what it was all for? Why did we do it? Just because some guy got himself killed in Sarajevo? There has to be more to it. Why did the world lose a whole generation of men?
~Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!~
world war 1
Raven wrote: They call it the great war. Why? Can anyone explain to me what it was all for? Why did we do it? Just because some guy got himself killed in Sarajevo? There has to be more to it. Why did the world lose a whole generation of men?This might be relevant - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war
The term "World War" was coined in the early 20th century, some years before the First World War broke out. It was recognised that the complex system of opposing alliances – Germany-Austria-Italy vs France-Russia-Britain-Serbia – was likely to lead to a global conflict in the event of war breaking out. The fact that the powers involved had large overseas empires virtually guaranteed that a conflict would be global, as the colonies' resources would be a crucial strategic factor. The same strategic considerations also ensured that the combatants would strike at each others' colonies, thus spreading the fighting far more widely than in the pre-colonial era.
While the First World War came to be described as a "world war" within days of its outbreak, it does not appear to have been called the First World War until the start of the 1920s. It was more commonly known as the Great War until the outbreak of the far greater Second World War made the distinction necessary.It had been forseen for at least a decade. Nobody seems to have thought it was escapable - I'd be interested in references to anyone at the time who thought it might be avoided somehow. The trigger that fired it off seems irrelevant, since the treaty obligations which dragged the nations into it would have been activated by so many alternative scenarios.
The term "World War" was coined in the early 20th century, some years before the First World War broke out. It was recognised that the complex system of opposing alliances – Germany-Austria-Italy vs France-Russia-Britain-Serbia – was likely to lead to a global conflict in the event of war breaking out. The fact that the powers involved had large overseas empires virtually guaranteed that a conflict would be global, as the colonies' resources would be a crucial strategic factor. The same strategic considerations also ensured that the combatants would strike at each others' colonies, thus spreading the fighting far more widely than in the pre-colonial era.
While the First World War came to be described as a "world war" within days of its outbreak, it does not appear to have been called the First World War until the start of the 1920s. It was more commonly known as the Great War until the outbreak of the far greater Second World War made the distinction necessary.It had been forseen for at least a decade. Nobody seems to have thought it was escapable - I'd be interested in references to anyone at the time who thought it might be avoided somehow. The trigger that fired it off seems irrelevant, since the treaty obligations which dragged the nations into it would have been activated by so many alternative scenarios.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
world war 1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I is, of course, huge. Just looking for the issue of why so many people died, though, this is a good starting paragraph:
Advances in military technology meant that defensive firepower out-weighed offensive capabilities, making the war particularly murderous, as tactics had failed to keep up. Barbed wire was a significant hindrance to massed infantry advances; artillery, now vastly more lethal than in the 1870s, coupled with machine guns, made crossing open ground a nightmarish prospect. General Staffs of European armies had uniformly ignored the lessons of the U.S. Civil War and were often indifferent to massive loss of life
Advances in military technology meant that defensive firepower out-weighed offensive capabilities, making the war particularly murderous, as tactics had failed to keep up. Barbed wire was a significant hindrance to massed infantry advances; artillery, now vastly more lethal than in the 1870s, coupled with machine guns, made crossing open ground a nightmarish prospect. General Staffs of European armies had uniformly ignored the lessons of the U.S. Civil War and were often indifferent to massive loss of life
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
world war 1
There were many, many reasons for World War I, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was just what set into motion what had already been anticipated and even planned. The two main reasons, next to which all other reasons can be considered details, were a general weariness of peace throughout Europe and what is known as the "German Question." Germany, now united, was emerging as the strongest country in Europe and it was believed in France, the UK, Russia and other countries that sooner or later some kind of confrontation with Germany was inevitable if they were to preserve their own status as world powers. Society was changing rapidly as well as a result of new techology, which resulted in widespread uneasiness and uncertainty over the future and people at all levels of society began to feel that a war was needed to decide things once and for all. As Hitler said himself in Mein Kampf: "Peace had become unsustainable." He was not the only one who felt that way.
world war 1
Starting a world war because governments were bored of peace??
There is something really dark in the psyche of man then.
Looks like peace is going the way of the dodo again. Inevitability is a sad, sad word.
There is something really dark in the psyche of man then.
Looks like peace is going the way of the dodo again. Inevitability is a sad, sad word.
~Quoth the Raven, Nevermore!~