Questions About World War I

Source

Link
PBS: The companion website for "The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, a "KCET/BBC" co-production in association with The Imperial War Museum.

Link
Library of Congress: America's Story from America's Library

Link
Kids Overview of World War I

Questions

1.  a) When did WWI begin?
           A: World War I began in 1914.
     b) Why?
           A: "Historians can easily identify the "smoking gun" that set the War in motion. A revolver used by a Serbian nationalist to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand ( heir apparent to the Austro- Hungarian throne) in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914."
     c) Between which two groups was the war fought?
          A: The war was fought between the Allies and the Central Powers.
     d) What were the names and members of the countries of the opposing sides?
          A: "The allies (Russia, France, and Britain) were pitted against the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungray, and Turkey). Later in 1917, America joined the war as well."

2. When and why did the United States join the war?
      A: The United States joined the War in 1917 when President Woodrow Wilson called on Americans to "make the world safe for democracy."

3. When and why did WWI come to an end?
     A: "Germany's civilian support for the war eventually collapsed, and a mutiny by the German navy that sparked civil riots sweep through the cities. In early November, the Kaiser abdicated and fled to neutral Holland. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, a cease-fire went into effect for all combatants."

4. What were the terms of the major agreement ending the war?  Why did the United States not ratify this treaty, even though President Wilson had played such a major role in negotiating it?

   A:"On June 28, 1919, Germany and the Allied Nations (including Britain, France, Italy and Russia) signed the Treaty of Versailles, formally ending the war. (Versailles is a city in France, 10 miles outside of Paris.) The United States did not sign the treaty, however, because it objected to its terms, specifically, the high price that Germany was to pay for its role as aggressor. Instead, the U.S. negotiated its own settlement with Germany in 1921."

5.  This data makes me wonder,  Why did the different sides have the names "Allies and Central Powers"?

    A: the Triple Alliance made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and their enemy was the Triple Entente of France, Russia and Great Britain. As other countries began to join sides, the Triple Alliance became known as the Central Powers and the Triple Entente became the Allied Forces.