3.3 World War One The End of the Old World


Competition Leads to Conflict


During the era known as the New Imperialism, various nations competed for territory and economic power around the globe. This led inevitably to conflict and war. The First World War, also known as the Great War or World War I, lasted from 1914 until 1918.

War and Industrialization


Warship HMS Barham, 1917
The new technology invented during the Industrial Revolution made transportation and communication easier, so troops and weapons could reach their targets more efficiently. The airplane took the fight to the skies while ships formerly used to transport goods and resources were used in battle.

Sopwith Camel



Gas attacks killed thousands, and more powerful weapons significantly increased the number of deaths.
 
Canadian soldier with mustard gas burns


War and Imperialism

The nations of Europe fought with each other on a grand scale. During the First World War, they also brought their colonies in to the conflict. In some cases, soldiers from the colonies fought beside their European masters, while others provided food and financial support.

Along with changing ideologies and emerging nationalism, imperialism was an important cause of World War I. While most of the fighting on land was confined to Europe and the Middle East, there were confrontations in colonies around the world as well as naval battles in both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. The War was truly global in scope, and most of the world felt its impact.


French Foreign Legion
Donald Mcleish/National Geographic Stock


World War I is a Legacy of Imperialism

As an outgrowth of WWI, the fight between imperial powers had a major impact upon colonies and empires, but also upon history itself. Over 15 million people were dead, nations had been left in ruins, four empires collapsed, and the world was industrialized. As a result, the map of Europe and the Middle East changed. The course of nations and world interactions between people and nations was changed. People faced with the horrors of modern warfare changed their outlook and perspectives about their world.