Study Guide: World War I and World War II

World War I (1914-1918)

• Background: Tensions built due to nationalism, imperialism, militarism, and alliances.

• Main Causes:

  • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

  • Alliance system (Triple Alliance vs. Triple Entente)

  • Militarization and arms race

• Major Players:

  • Allies: France, Britain, Russia, Italy (joined later), USA (joined in 1917)

  • Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

• Key Battles:

  • Battle of the Somme

  • Battle of Verdun

  • Battle of Gallipoli

• End of War:

  • Armistice signed on November 11, 1918

  • The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed penalties on Germany

• Consequences:

  • Significant loss of life and widespread destruction

  • Economic turmoil in Europe

  • Redrawing of national boundaries and creation of new countries

  • Rise of totalitarian regimes and laid the groundwork for WWII

World War II (1939-1945)

• Background: Result of the unresolved issues from WWI and the Great Depression.

• Main Causes:

  • Expansionist policies of Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)

  • Failure of the League of Nations to prevent aggression

  • Economic instability and the Treaty of Versailles's harshness

• Major Players:

  • Allies: United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, China, France

  • Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

• Key Events:

  • Invasion of Poland (1939) sparked the war

  • Battle of Britain (1940)

  • Pearl Harbor attack (1941) led to U.S. joining the Allies

  • D-Day (1944) signified beginning of the end for Axis powers

• End of War:

  • Germany surrendered in May 1945; known as V-E Day

  • Japan surrendered in September 1945 after atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; known as V-J Day

• Consequences:

  • Over 70 million deaths, including the Holocaust

  • Formation of the United Nations

  • Cold War tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union

  • Major geopolitical shifts and the onset of decolonization in Asia and Africa.

Key Figures during World War I and World War II

World War I:

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand: His assassination sparked the war.

• Woodrow Wilson: President of the USA, known for his Fourteen Points and efforts to establish the League of Nations.

• David Lloyd George: Prime Minister of the UK, significant in wartime leadership and at the Versailles Peace Conference.

• Georges Clemenceau: French Prime Minister, influential at the Paris Peace Conference, and advocate for harsh penalties on Germany.

World War II:

• Adolf Hitler: The leader of Nazi Germany, initiated the war with aggressive expansionist policies.

• Winston Churchill: Prime Minister of the UK, known for his leadership during the Battle of Britain and for rallying Allied forces.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt: President of the USA during most of the war, instrumental in mobilizing the American economy for the war effort.

• Joseph Stalin: Leader of the Soviet Union, played a crucial role on the Eastern Front and in post-war Europe.

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States, which lasted roughly from 1947 to 1991. It was marked by the ideological conflict between communism, led by the Soviet Union, and capitalism, led by the United States. The Cold War featured a nuclear arms race, espionage, and indirect confrontations through proxy wars rather than direct military conflict between the two superpowers.

The Marshall Plan (often confused with the "Shuffick Plan" possibly due to a typo) was a significant U.S. initiative launched in 1948 to aid European economies in their recovery following the devastation of World War II. Officially known as the European Recovery Program, it aimed to rebuild war-torn regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, and improve European prosperity, thereby preventing the spread of communism. By providing over $12 billion (about $130 billion in today's dollars) in economic assistance, the Marshall Plan not only helped rebuild Western European economies but also fostered political stability in the region.