Where can i find information on the legacy of World War One?

Question

Where can i find information on the legacy of World War One?

Mainly i'm lookin for The American Entrance, The Russian Exit, and The armistice.

Answer 1

I'll tell you some of what I know, and some of what I think.

WWI resulted from competing European imperialism, from the European arms race, from the system of alliances instigated by German chancellor Bismarck, and as a consequence of the Franco-German conflict of 1870 and German unification.

The Russians were pulled in by Serbia; they were ill-prepared for war, poorly supplied at the front, and the tsar used up all his political capital in prosecuting the war. When the Russians pulled out, Lenin and the Bolsheviks took advantage of the situation. The tsar was deposed, the government overthrown, and a communist government was installed. The Soviet Union lasted from 1917 until 1989, and was a principal in the Cold War.

The Americans didn't enter the war until 1917, and didn't have significant presence until 1918 when American troops went "over there" to win the war. Both sides in the European war exhausted themselves, and American industry made a lot of money supplying arms & equipment to the belligerents.

Since America entered late in the war with fresh troops, it was America that won the war. After WWI, America was a world power of the first rank.

The armistice was the end of fighting -- at 11:00 a.m. on 11 November 1918.

More significant than the armistice were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In retrospect, the treaty wasn't very good, because it didn't settle the underlying issues. Colonialism didn't end until after WWII. The reparations imposed on defeated Germany created conditions that would allow Hitler to gain power a decade later. Contrast the Marshall Plan after WWII. The League of Nations was ineffective, but it was a precursor of the United Nations. The Ottoman Empire came to an end, but new nations such as Iraq weren't delineated very effectively. The Middle East in general was configured in a way that led to conflict for the remainder of the century.

That's the legacy of WWI. In general, it settled nothing, and set the stage for WWII.

Answer 2

Let's see, when the Americans entered the war it became an initiation to the real world, a social, technological, and military quantum leap. The Russian Exit was part of the general disatisfaction that led to the overthrow of the Tzar, sort of the opposite of what happened in the U.S. The armistice then sowed the seeds of discontent when Wilson's direction was abandoned and the overly punitive terms were imposed. World War II was the price then paid.

Answer 3

I think Bush is right. The U.S. ousted Saddam Hussein, a horrible dictator responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of his own people, helped Iraq write a constitution, set up a democratic government, and drove out terrorists. Iraq is now a democracy in the middle of the Middle East. Strategically, we want peace and democracy to spread to some of the surrounding countries as well. Millions of Iraqis today are free, and because of it, there is peace in a place where there was once violence. It always amazes me how liberals only see the story from their points of view. Nobody ever said it would be perfect or that we wouldn't make mistakes along the way. Both sides have lost lives and made sacrifices. The world is a safer place. "Over a million Iraqis are dead?!" Where do you get that number? We probably saved lives in the long run. Yes, we are safer because we have an ally in the Middle East that has rejected terrorism. Get your facts straight.

Answer 4

American entrance, 1917: "The Zimmerman Telegram," by Barbara Tuchman
Russian exit, 1917: "Russia Leaves the War," by George F. Kennan
Armistice: Nov. 11, 1918

Answer 5

My recommendation would be to visit your schools library, or one in town