World War 1 was meant to be the, “War to end all wars.” It was a war that affected most of the countries of Europe, America, and Russia. It was violent and protracted, and is often considered a transition point between old ways of fighting and new.
The War also marks the end of “old Europe” as it facilitated the collapse of the Austro Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
Although the resulting peace attempted to build a more just and peaceful world based on Wilson’s (America) 14 points and informed by enlightenment ideas of equally, the resulting Treaty of Versailles may have actually done more harm than good.
Resources and Assignments:
As a class, we’ve been studying the “causes” and “pushes” of change. Our treatment of WW1 will be no different. Your first learning activity will require you to dive deeply into understanding the causes of WW1. The assignment is linked below:
Assessment Rubric for Causes of WW1 assignment:
Causes of WW1 assessment rubric
Resources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/index.shtml The BBC on WW1 excellent site to help understand the TREATY OF VERSAILLES. This resource is paired with this learning activity:
Understanding the Treaty of Versailles: Treaty of Versailles Understood
Origins of the First World War – Primary Source activities