In the initial duration of the war, the U.S. had declared her neutrality. The German submarine attack on the British liner ’Lusitania’ killed a few American civilians. This incident propelled the U.S. into a war. The entry of the U.S. gave a new lease of life to the Allies. The Central Powers of Germany, Austria, Hungary and Turkey were defeated.

At the Peace Conference at Versailles, the defeated nations were forced to sign a treaty with the most humiliating conditions. This sowed seeds for future conflicts.

It should be noted that this was the first time a war was fought on such a large scale. New kinds of weapons, both on sea and land, caused massive destruction to human life and property. The war also saw the rise of nationalism in various countries. In Italy and Germany it took the bizarre form of fascism. The popularity of Woodrow Wilson (as messenger of peace) grew abroad. At home, however, he drew flak for his policies.

Table of Contents

8.0 - Chronology of Major Events
8.1 - Woodrow Silson's Administration
8.2 - The U.S. And The First World War
8.3 - Neutrality Rights
8.4 - Peace And Diplomacy At The Versailles Conference
8.5 - Points To Remember

Chapter 9