World War I and the Rise of Global Conflict

Morgan, Elizabeth. World War I and the Rise of Global Conflict. 2017. 104p. ISBN 978-1534560581. Available at 940.4 MOR on the library shelves.

When nations went to war in August of 1914, it was believed that the conflict would be short-lived and contained to Europe. As countries mobilized their armed forces and as battle plans failed to achieve a breakthrough in the first few weeks of the war, however, it became clear to the generals that this would become a war of attrition. On the Western front a stalemate develops as trenches reach from the North Sea to Switzerland, and armies shoot at each other over a desolated No Man’s Land. In the East, the war is more mobile, but the vastness ensures that no triumphant battles are wedged.

As the participants seek to gain the advantage over their enemies, the conflict grows until it encompasses the entire globe, becoming a true world war. Innovations and weapons are developed at a breakneck pace. Curiosities such as the plane and the machine gun now prove deadly. Ever larger battleships cruise the oceans’ waters, hurling massive shells at each other. Lumbering assault vehicles known as tanks crush everything along the way, including barbed wires and trenches, while poison gas causes thousands of victims on both sides.

In the end, the war to end all war only postponed a more violent reckoning two decades. The harsh conditions imposed on Germany by the victors led to resentment, and the despair caused by Great Depression led to Adolf Hitler’s election and march towards the Second World War. This book presents the origins of the conflict, discusses how it became a global conflict, and examines what impacts it had on the world following the 1918 armistice. Fans of history will appreciate the conciseness yet detailed presentation of information, and will be forewarned that such a large conflict could arise out of seemingly small incidents.