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Social Studies/WWI
The End of WWI
1914 - 1918
World War One began in 1914. It ended in 1918. It might have ended
earlier. In 1916 the Central Powers suggested a peace agreement. People
were getting tired of the war, and Germany had achieved some of its goals.
But the other side, the Allies, were not interested. The U.S. planned to
enter the war soon on their side. The Allies were sure they would win. They
were not interested in a compromise. They made severe demands. The
Central Powers refused and the war continued.
Russia, one of the Allies, left the war in 1917. It had lost an important battle
with Germany, and there had been a revolution in their country. Even with
Russia out of the war, the Central Powers were losing. By 1918 it was
obvious that Austria-Hungary could not fight much longer. The Germans
knew their situation was hopeless.
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was the first Central Power to sign a cease-fire
agreement on September 29. This gave the Allies control of Serbia and
Greece. The Ottoman Empire gave up on October 20, 1918. AustriaHungary gave up on November 3, 1918.
Germany kept fighting, but it knew it would lose soon. It was running out of
food and other supplies. The U.S. was sending thousands of fresh troops to
fight it every day. Some German troops refused to serve. There was a
revolution in the country. A German republic was declared on November 9,
1918. It replaced Imperial Germany. A cease-fire agreement was signed on
November 11, 1918. It went into effect the same day.
The war officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the Treaty of Versailles. The
victors wanted to make sure that Germany would never fight another war.
The treaty said Germany could not have a large army. It said it could not
have equipment such as tanks, warships, and submarines. Germany had to
take the blame for the war and pay for damages.
WWI changed much in Europe, Asia and Africa. New countries were
created, and old ones disappeared. International organizations were
founded. People debated old and new beliefs like nationalism,
internationalism, and pacifism. Four empires broke up, and many new
smaller countries were created in Europe.
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Germany lost land to other countries including Poland, Belgium, and
France. Germans were unhappy about the tough terms of the Versailles
Treaty. The new German government printed more money to pay its debts.
This caused high inflation. Prices rose so much that people’s money was
almost worthless. Many Germans were unhappy. They later supported
Adolf Hitler because he criticized the treaty.
The hardships of World War I helped cause the Russian Revolution of 1917
and the Russian civil war. The Russian civil war killed more than 5.5 million
people and caused much destruction.
Many new states were formed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They
included Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, and Slovenia. The last three united with Serbia to form Yugoslavia.
The Ottoman Empire also broke up. It was replaced by Turkey. Like the
other empires, it also lost territories. Parts became what is now Saudi
Arabia and Yemen. The breakup of the Ottoman Empire led to the creation
of the modern Middle East.
British Commonwealth nations also saw changes. Fighting in the war was a
source of national pride. They were no longer happy to be controlled by
Britain. In the coming years they grew more independent. The same was
true for colonies such as India and Nigeria. They tried harder to win
independence from Great Britain.
Whole societies suffered from the war, especially in central Europe, Russia
and France. WWI was touched the lives of millions of people. Many lost
their optimism and hope for a better future. Men who fought in the war were
called "the Lost Generation" because they never got over their
experiences.
Many people thought nationalism had helped cause the war. They wanted
the world to be more international. They created international organizations
like the League of Nations. Pacifism also became popular. However, other
people believed that only a strong military would protect their country.
WWI lasted five years and killed 15 million. People had hoped it would be
“a war to end all wars.” Instead, it led to another even worse world war.
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Social Studies/WWI
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ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE END OF WWI
1.
When did the Central Powers first want to end the war?
a. 1915
b. 1916
c. 1917
d. 1918
2.
Why did the Allies make demands the Central Powers rejected?
a. Out of a sense of honor
b. Because the Central Powers started the war.
c. Because they believed they would win.
d. The article does not say.
3.
Which country quit the war first?
a. Germany
b. Austria
c. The United States
d. Russia
4.
Which Central Power gave up first?
a. Bulgaria
b. The Austro-Hungarian Empire
c. The German Empire
d. The Ottoman Empire
5.
Why was there inflation in Germany after the war?
a. Hitler came to power
b. Nationalism was strong
c. Germany lost territory to Poland
d. The government printed money to pay its war debts
6.
Why did many people oppose nationalism after the war?
a. Nationalism was one of the reasons the war started
b. Nationalism failed to end the war
c. The war was traumatic
d. Nationalism was strong in Germany
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Social Studies/WWI
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Write complete sentences to answer the questions below.
1. Imagine you are a soldier who has survived a long and terrible war.
How would you feel about war?
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2. Tell how the story of Germany fighting a war it knew it would lose
reminds you of an experience you have had.
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3. After reading the story what do you think is meant by inflation?
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4. What did you learn about the end of WWI that you did not know? How
will you use that new information?
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Social Studies/WWI
Name___________________________________________________ Date_________
Answers to THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED IN WWI
Multiple-choice questions
1.
b
2.
c
3.
d
4.
a
5.
d
6.
a
Short-answer questions
1.
Answers will vary. Accept logical, realistic answers.
2.
Answers will vary. Accept logical, realistic answers.
3.
Inflation = rising prices
4.
Answers will vary. Accept logical, realistic answers.
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