UPSC Quick Revision
World War I (1914 – 1918): One-Chapter Summary
Compact UPSC revision covering causes, course, consequences, and treaties of the First World War with tabular recall aids.
I. Causes of World War I
| Category | Details / Examples | Memory Cue |
|---|
| Militarism | European arms race; glorification of war; German naval build-up | “Guns before dialogue” |
| Alliances | Triple Alliance (Germany–Austria–Italy) vs Triple Entente (UK–France–Russia) | “Entangled commitments” |
| Imperialism | Rivalry for colonies — Africa, Asia — esp. Germany vs Britain/France | “Empire envy” |
| Nationalism | Balkan nationalism; Slavic unity vs Austrian control | “Powder-keg Balkans” |
| Immediate Trigger | Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (June 1914, Sarajevo) | “One bullet → world on fire” |
MilitarismAlliancesImperialism
NationalismAssassination
II. Timeline at a Glance (1914–1918)
- 28 Jun 1914 – Archduke Ferdinand assassinated (Sarajevo)
- Jul–Aug 1914 – Chain reaction of war declarations
- 1915 – Italy joins Allies; Gallipoli campaign fails
- 1916 – Verdun & Somme → heavy losses; Tanks introduced
- 1917 – USA enters war; Russian Revolution → Russia exits
- 1918 – German Spring Offensive fails; Armistice 11 Nov 1918
III. Major Fronts
| Front | Key Battles | Outcome |
|---|
| Western Front | Marne, Verdun, Somme | Stalemate → Allied victory |
| Eastern Front | Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes | Russia defeated; 1917 exit |
| Balkan Front | Serbia invaded | Austrian victory early; later collapse 1918 |
| Middle East | Arab Revolt, Gallipoli | Allied success under Lawrence of Arabia |
IV. Major Alliances
| Allied Powers | Central Powers |
|---|
| UK, France, Russia, Italy (1915), USA (1917), Japan | Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria |
V. Consequences of World War I
| Type | Impact |
|---|
| Human | ~17 million dead; 20 million wounded |
| Political | Collapse of four empires (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian) |
| Economic | Europe devastated; US emerges creditor nation |
| Ideological | Rise of Communism (Russia) and Fascism (Italy) |
| Institutional | Creation of League of Nations (1919) |
| Geopolitical | New nation-states — Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Finland |
VI. Post-War Treaties (1919 – 1920)
| Treaty | With Whom | Main Terms |
|---|
| Versailles | Germany (1919) | War guilt clause; reparations; loss of Alsace-Lorraine; disarmament |
| St. Germain | Austria | Empire dissolved; territory to Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia |
| Trianon | Hungary | Reduced territory; loss to Romania & Yugoslavia |
| Neuilly | Bulgaria | Minor territorial losses; reparations |
| Sèvres / Lausanne | Ottoman Empire | Partition of Turkey; Lausanne (1923) revised boundaries |
VII. Cause → Effect Flow
Militarism➜
Alliances➜
Imperialism➜
Nationalism➜
Assassination➜
World War I➜
Treaty of Versailles➜
Economic Crisis + WWII Seeds
VIII. Mnemonic
“MAIN A” → Militarism | Alliances | Imperialism | Nationalism | Assassination.
IX. Quick Recap
- WWI (1914–18) → First industrial war triggered by nationalism & alliances after Franz Ferdinand’s assassination.
- Outcome → Defeat of Central Powers, Treaty of Versailles, League of Nations creation, and paved path for WWII.
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