The West in the World, 4th Edition (Sherman)

Chapter 22: Descending into the Twentieth Century

Chapter Summaries

The Age of Progress came to a sudden halt in 1914 as World War I left its mark, leaving a new Europe in its wake. Although the military groundwork and alliances had been forming for decades, it took the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne to push events over the precipice into a total war that altered Europe forever. The very map of Europe was redrawn, and the Treaty of Versailles left many countries resentful. Even the nature of warfare changed. War lost any connotation of glory as a result of new technologies and military techniques. The war also destroyed much. Almost an entire generation of young men lost their lives. Domestic economies were fragmented, so that hardship lingered after the war ended. Even empires, including the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman ones, fragmented. The Russian Empire, beset by overwhelming military losses and revolution, collapsed. In its place, a communist government formed, which also contributed to changing international relations.