What were the causes and development of World War I?
Causes of World War I
Development of the War
I. The development of nationalism/imperialism of European powers was the general cause of the Great War.
II. The tensions between European countries led to the establishment of secret defensive alliances.
III. The war had few stages, including a lightning war that ended in December 1914, followed by trench warfare until 1917, and the collapse of the Central Powers in 1918.
IV. The consequences of World War I were tremendous, including economic destruction, millions of deaths, and a shift in global power from Europe to the United States and the Soviet Union.
V. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was the immediate cause of the war.