World war I and World War II

A world war is a military conflict involving most or all of the principal countries of the
world. The term “World War” has historically been used primarily to refer to two major conflicts
in the early 20 th century. The first world war (WW1) and the second world war (WWII) were the
most significant military conflicts in history. The two conflicts involved encounters between
major world nations and powers. WWI occurred from 1914 to 1918, while WWII lasted from
1939 to 1945. Each war led to many injuries and deaths of military and civilian personnel. While
the instability created by WWI in Europe set the stage for WWII decades later, the two World
Wars differ in terms of the triggers and the powers involved, the methods of warfare used, and
the outcome.
On 28 th June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated (Cashman and Leonard
39). Serbian nationalists killed him. This is the trigger of WWI. After the assassination, Austria-
Hungary attacked Serbia, and almost immediately, Germany launched an attack on France,
Belgium, and Luxembourg. The war continued as Russia attacked Germany. The conflict quickly
escalated from assassination and conflict between two nations to a full-blown war. The
conflicting groups comprised the Central powers Bulgaria, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and
Germany. This group went to war against the Allied powers, composed of Russia, France, Italy,
Britain, and the U.S joined the group in the later years of the war.

On the other hand, WWII was triggered by different political and economic events. The
political takeover of Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933 led to political instability (Cashman and
Leonard 181). Hitler allied with Japan and Italy to oppose the Soviet Union, creating harsh
conditions that bred the second world war. The two warring groups during WWII were the
Allies, France, Britain, the U.S., China, and the Soviet Union. They went through two wars
against the Axis powers, which comprised Japan, Italy, and Germany (Cashman and Leonard
39). Remarkably, the common thing about the wars is that in each case, there were two warring
groups where nations had teamed up against each other.
While WWI was fought in trenches using ancient methods such as poisonous gas and
machine guns, WWII utilized modern war machines and artillery. The fighters often used
submarines, airplanes, tanks, and ships. Military personnel also developed unique methods used
in the operations (Mulligan 105). These were used during the war together with atomic missiles.
Secret communications were utilized to help communicate with spies and launch attacks when
the enemy was least expecting. However, mobility was minimal due to the methods used during
WWI. The development of the atomic bomb and consequent attacks on Japan acted as a catalyst
for the war to end (Mulligan 105). while WWI had many casualties and led to the death of
approximately seven million civilians and ten million military personnel, WWII had the most
damage. This war led to the death of approximately sixty million people (Cashman and Leonard
2). These were killed directly in the war, while about twenty million died from disease and
famine directly related to the war. The two wars had devastating effects, but the adverse effects
of WWII were worse and experienced many years after the war was over.
WWI ended with a peace conference that was held in 1919 in Paris. The countries signed
the Treaty of Versailles and agreed to end the war (Mosse 500). Germany then took

responsibility for the war. Austria-Hungary separated into several independent states, and
Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia became independent from Russia. On the other hand,
different events marked the end of WWII. Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan were bombed, and
the effects of the atomic bombs were catastrophic (Mosse 505). Japan and Germany were
defeated, leading to the rise of the Soviet Union and the USA as superpowers. After WWI, the
league of nations was formed. The WWII also led to the formation of the United Nations. The
organization aimed to foster peace and cooperation among nations. Most importantly, it was to
prevent a repeat of what had happened for the past six years, WWII. Remarkably, Germany
surrendered towards the end of the war; Germany was actively involved in both wars.
The first and second world wars were historic. Different causes triggered each war, but
the damage caused affected the entire world population. More than one hundred million people
died, and millions of others were injured. The warring countries entered Treaties at the end to
ensure that the world does not experience a repeat of the same. These are historical mistakes that
leaders across the world learn. Cumulatively, the wars lasted for ten years. It was a decade of
loss and devastation. Since then, no war of such magnitude has ever occurred. Many decades
later, countries have been to wars, such as the Cold war, but these have not had casualties of the
same level as the two world wars.

Works Cited

Cashman, Greg, and Leonard C. Robinson. An introduction to the causes of war: Patterns of
interstate conflict from World War I to Iraq. Rowman & Littlefield, 2021.
Mosse, George L. “Two world wars and the myth of the war experience.” Journal of
Contemporary History 21.4 (1986): 491-513.
Mulligan, William. The Origins of the First World War. Vol. 52. Cambridge University Press,
2017.