World War 1

At the beginning of the 20th Century (1900's) the powerful nations of Europe started upon aggressive policies towards one another. England, France, Germany, Russia, and others were using their strengths to conquer lands overseas and dominate regions in Europe. These countries were competing to acquire areas around the globe for raw materials to support their industrial growth. As a result, war became inevitable. World War 1, originally called the Great War because there wasn't a World War 2 yet, had its foundations with the struggle for advanced nations to maintain industrial output at the beginning of the 1900's. The competing countries began to make alliances, which would be the reasoning behind why the war became a "World" war.

Tangled Alliances

The European governments were beginning to feel uneasy with the advances in opponents' industry and technology. Consequently, the major European powers began to ally with other nations. Below is a basic summary of the two main alliances of World War 1.

The war dragged on into a stalemate, or in other words, neither side was winning. Trench warfare, the machine gun, the tank, and the airplane were all new technologies that made both sides extremely well prepared for defensive positioning. 

Trench Warfare

Machine Gun

Tank

Airplane

After several years of hard fighting some developments occurred which allowed the Triple Entente countries to take the advantage. In 1917, the Russians left the war to complete their Communist Revolution at home. With the loss of such an important ally, the people of France and England were struggling along the Western Front. Because of German submarine attacks on United States shipping and the interception of the Zimmerman Telegram (A letter from Germany to Mexico asking the Mexican Government to attack the United States) the United States joined the war on the side of England and France. With fresh troops and supplies the war was won and Germany was forced to surrender by signing the Treaty of Versailles.

Submarine Warfare

Zimmerman Telegram