World War 1 was a dramatic change in world history because new weapons were used, the death rate was very high, and there was loss of territory in many nations. World War 1 had the just as many casualties as armed force. This war changed the lives of many Americans and how we live our life today.
In World War 1 there were many new weapons used for the first time. The most effective and important weapon was the machine gun. It enabled soldiers to use rapid fire and spray the bullets side to side. An effective way to get into enemy's lines was to use the tank. The tank made it easy to tear down barded wire and to get into there enemy's fort. Air planes were the best way of observing troop movement and for dropping explosives. Germany the first nation to use submarines (U- boats) made it tough for other nations to cross the seas. They damaged and destroyed ships as they crossed. The Germans also introduced poison gas.
In the Great War it was estimated that there were more than 10 million soldiers dead and about 20 million soldiers wounded for life (crippled). Russia suffered the most by loosing more than 2 million. Germany lost a little fewer than 2 million. France and its colonies lost approximately 1.5 million. Austria-Hungary lost up to 1.25 million. Great Britain counted 1 million dead. Since the United States came into the war 3 years later than anyone else they only lost 115,000. For the first time in history, there were as many deaths as armed forces.
After World War 1 there were many changes. The territory's in the central powers has changed. Germany lost a lot of land to Poland. Austria-Hungary lost a lot of land to Czechoslovakia. Yugoslavia now takes up most of the Balkans. Russia lost a lot of land to the west. They lost land to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Ottoman Empire got the worst penalization. They lost their whole nation to Turkey. Bulgaria lost land to Greece so know Bulgaria has no access to the Aegean Sea.
