The first world war began in 1914, it was directly triggered due to the assassination of Arch Duke

Franz Ferdinand, on 28th June 1914, by Gavrilo Princip due to many alliances, and various other
causes.

There were a number of alliances between the years 1879 and 1914. The two main alliances being
the triple alliance and the triple entente. The triple alliance was signed between the countries,
Hapsburg Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy, in the year 1882. The triple entente was
signed between France, Britain, and Russia. These alliances, led to the increase in fear and suspiscion
and was the contributing cause for the first world war.

The second cause being Imperialism. Imperialism is when a country or region takes over a new
country or region and makes them subject to their rule. In the early 1900s the British Empire had
control of colonies extended over five continents and France had control of large areas of Africa.
Hence the increase in the amount of land acquired by the British empire and France led to the
increase in animosity between France, British Empire and the Hapsburg Empire. Hence this also
being a contributing cause to the first world war.

Militarism is when the government of a country gives the main priority to the army and military
forces. In the early 1900s the European countries had led to an arms race. The army of France and
Germany had more than doubled between the years 1879 and 1914. Furthermore there was a lot of
competition between Germany and Britain, for the mastery of seas. Hence with huge stockpiles, it
was inevitable for a war to take place.

Nationalism also being a contributing cause to the first world war. Nationalism is the proud feeling of
a person’s nation. But what happened this pride of belongingness to one’s nation went to an extent
where in this person led to the demeaning of other nations. The assassination of Arch Duke Franz
Ferdinand by Gavrilo Princip led to the chain reaction of the alliance system, and hence the first
world war had begun, in August, 1914.

The armistice was signed on 11th of November. Armistice is an agreement between two countries
during a war to stop fighting for a certain period of time. During this time there were 3 people also
known as “The Big Three”. These 3 people played a pivotal role in establishing peace and these
people were David Lloyd George, the Prime minister of Britain, George Clemenceau the prime
minister of France, and Woodrow Wilson who was the president of the U.S. David Lloyd George
wanted peace and was a mediator. Woodrow Wilson was an idealist and wanted the U.S to
economically prosper, by trading with the European countries, and as the European countries he
wanted there to be peace between the European countries to carry out trade.

George Clemenceau of France, wanted to take revenge on Germany. As this goes back to the time
when there was a war between Germany and France in the year 1870, also known as the “Franco-
Prussian war”, where in France lost the war and were forced to give up the Ruhr Valley. The Ruhr
Valley were rich in minerals, such as coal and iron and had very fertile soil. This served as an
economic asset for Germany. Hence George Clemenceau wanted the return of the Ruhr Valley and
wanted to contain Germany from waging a war in the future on France.
Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed five precise years after the death of Arch Duke
Franz Ferdinand. It was signed on 28th June 1919. It was a dictated peace treaty signed between
Germany and the victors. The victors being Britain, France and Russia. The treaty contained over 440
clauses and the major clause which stood out in the treaty was the 231 st clause, being the ‘War-guilt’
clause. Wherein Germany had to accept the blame of starting the first world war. Also huge sum of
reparations of 33 billion dollars had to be paid. In addition Germany lost vital and agricultural and
industrial territory. Hultschin District was given to Czechoslovakia,, Memel District to Lithuania,
Upper Silesia given to Poland. Upper Silesia was said to have very fertile soil and hence Germany lost
vital agricultural territory. Eupen-Malamedy was given to Belgium. Also the Saar coalfields was given
to France for 15 years. Furthermore Germany’s colonies were given to League of nations as
mandates. The return of the Ruhr Valley to France, and demilitrization of the Rhineland also being
one of the clauses Germany had to agree upon. Germany’s military was stripped of its power.
Germany was only allowed to have 100,000 men and was not allowed to have an air force, heavy
artillery or tanks, and moreover this whole treaty was a dictated peace treaty. Hence with all the
clause, and terms Germany had to agree on this led to a weak, but aggressed Germany.

On 8th January, 1918 Woodrow Wilson went before the congress to explain his war aims. Although
the war was still raging he stated an ambitious program to make “the world a fit and safe place live
in”. He called his blueprint of peace the fourteen points.

There were three goals for Wilson’s Peace plan. The first one being, to eliminate all the causes of the
first world war. The second goal being to ensure the right to self-determination for ethnic groups so
that they can control their own political futures. The last goal being to setting up an international
organization, called the League of Nations which would look into establishing everlasting peace.

The first point out of the fourteen points was countries would not make or form secret alliances.

The second point being that the ships to move freely at all times

The third point being countries to be following free trade as it promotes economic growth and
prevents trade conflicts which could draw nations into a war.

The fourth point being countries to disarm and reduce their stockpiles.

The fifth point being the desires of colonial people will be considered in creating a peaceful world.

The 6th to 13th point being restoring land taken from countries by war, to ensure respect for
international law.

Member nations in the league of nations would agree to protect one and another’s independence
and territorial integrity. Under the principle of territorial integrity nations would respect one and
another’s borders and would not try to gain another nation’s border by force.
Redrawing borders on the basis of self determination would reduce the conflicts among ethnic
groups. The countries in the league of nations would resolve conflicts, before these conflicts get
escalated to a war.

The league of nations was the predecessor of the United Nations and was established on 10 th
January 1920. It functioned on the basis of Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points. The league struck a
chord among the people after the devastation of the first world war.

The 5 main goal were to

1. Keep world peace by discouraging aggression from any nation

2. Encourage co-operation between countries to boost trade and their economies
3. Enhance living and working conditions
4. Persuade nations to disarm
5. TOV to uphold its terms.

When a country had done something illegal the LON would either condemn, arbitrate or pose
sanctions. Condemn meaning that the league would tell the country it had done wrong in the open
assembly. Arbitrate meaning the league would choose to mediate between two conflicting countries
and lasts pose sanctions, by this the league would pose trade embargoes to push the country
towards bankruptcy. The assembly of the LON served as a forum for smaller countries to voice their
opinions and views, on their country and other topics. The major weakness of the LON was there
was no real army as such to enforce rules. Last point being that, although the LON operates based on
Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points, U.S. was never part of the LON.

The LON would organize aid for the countries which would need help and would also send volunteer
forces. There were various successes of the league of nations. The first success of the league of
nation was it worked to prevent the spread of leprosy and malaria. The second success being that
the LON set up a system for regulating opium, and they closed down 4 major companies that were
selling drugs. The LON also organised conferences in discussing monetary solutions to prevent the
economic collapse of newly born countries, mainly Hungary and Austria. Lastly the LON also helped
in freeing 200,000 slaves, after attacking slave traders in Burma and Africa.

The League also politically helped in preventing wars. Firstly about the dispute of the Aaland Islands
between Finland and Sweden. It was seen that the Aaland Islands were equidistant between Sweden
and Finland, and the island traditionally belonged to Finland but most islanders wanted to be
governed by Sweden. So the league came to the decision of giving Aaland Islands to Finland with the
condition being that no army of Sweden or Finland should be place on the island.

Secondly the splitting of Upper Silesia. Upper Silesia was between Poland and Weimar Germany.
Both the countries wanted this piece of land as it contained very fertile soil and could help flourish in
the field of agriculture. So both these countries approached the LON, to resolve this argument. The
LON decided to ask the people of Upper Silesia what country they would like to be joining, 50000
people said they anted to be part of Weimar Germany and 700000 people said that they wanted to
be a part of Poland. So eventually the LON came to the conclusion that Upper Silesia be split in half,
and half of the land goes to Weimar Germany and the other to Poland. Both the nations agreed to
this decision and hence even this conflict got solved.

The last event that the LON stopped was a war between Greece and Bulgaria. Since Greece and
Bulgaria share a border their soldiers are very close together and also the training camps. So one day
a Bulgarian soldier was training but accidently shot a Greek soldier. When Greece got to know about
this they were furious and invaded the Bulgarian soldiers, and few were killed but many injured.
Bulgaria approached the LON, the LON decided to fine Greece of 43000 pounds and even this small
conflict got resolved and was not escalated to a war.