Prominent among the war's causes were the imperialist, territorial, and economic rivalries of the great powers. The German empire in particular was determined to establish itself as the preeminent power on the Continent.
On June 28, 1914, Archduke FRANCIS FERDINAND, heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated at Sarajervo by a Serbian nationalist. One month later, after its humiliating demands were refused, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Other declarations of war followed quickly, and soon every major power in Europe was in the war.
The armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918. The Treaty of Versailles and the other treaties that ended the war changed the face of Europe and the Middle East. Four great empires-Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Turkey-had disappeared by the and of the war. Replacing them were governmewnts ranging from monarchies and sheikhdoms through constitutional republics to the Maxist socialist stste of the USSR.
The war itself had been one of the bloodiest in history, without a single decisive battle. A total of 65 millon men and women had served in the armies and navies; an estimated 10 millon persons had been killed and double that number wounded. Such statistics contributed to a general revulsion against war, leading many to put their trust in multinational disarmamnent pacts and in the newly formed LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
