World War I and the Lost Generation

By David Sedano, Crystal Blue, Kenneth Hill, and Stephanie Watson

*World War I
Causes:
World War One occurred from a complicated series of alliances and trust between European nations.
The two main alliances were:

• The Dual Alliance - An alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary to protect themselves from Russia. They later made the Triple Alliance with Italy so it wouldn't take sides with Russia.

• The Triple Entente - A pact between Russia, Britain and France to counter the increasing threat of Germany

The chain of events that led up to the Great War was begun by the murder of the Archduke of Austria-Hungary Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, believing that they were supporting the assassins. Russia, who was the traditional ally of Serbia, stepped in to help Serbia, forcing France into war as well. As a result, Germany stepped in to help Austria-Hungary. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium to attack France, which then forced Britain into the mosh pit. Later, Italy went to the ally side as well as the U.S. jumped in.

Consequences:

• Germany - After the war, Germany was severely crippled, economically and militarily. As a result of the peace treaty signed to end the war, Germany was not allowed to reach its full militaristic potential. Germany also lost a small portion of land to France. The loss of the war left the German people low on morale and money, giving rise to the Nazi party which would later start the Second World War

•  Austria-Hungary - After WWI, Austria-Hungary was divided into two different nations, Hungary and Austria. However, Austria was divided even further into the nations of Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia, greatly reducing its size. Hungary, on the other hand, became independent but lost a large portion of its population after losing Transylvania to Romania, due to the treaty.

• Russia - Once the war has ended, Russia begins to become a communist nation. The Russians also attempt to retrieve all the territories they had lost prior to the war. These included Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Belarus and Ukraine. Of these, Belarus and Ukraine were the only two they regained control over.

• Britain/UK - the United Kingdom won vast tracks of land from the war, mainly in the Middle East due to the Ottoman Empire's later involvement in the war on Germany's side. However, the war left England struggling due to the loss of many troops, as well as the loss of money. This made it extremely difficult for Britain to govern its territories overseas, eventually leading Ireland to its independence in 1921.

• France - As victors of the war, France won territory along the French-German border, territory that they had lost during the first years of fighting. Although they were victorious, the French land was heavily riddled with reminders of the war, as much of the fighting was done on French soil. Some territories that it gained were German colonies in Africa, as well as territories of the Ottoman Empire.

**Lost Generation
During the 1920's, Gertrude Stein coined the term "Lost Generation." This term refers to a group of author's that were "lost in the values that its members were being taught didn't fir the reality of life after the brutal war." It seemed as if World War I had destroyed the idea of good things happen to the virtuosos. These authors often wrote about and criticized American culture by giving it themes of self-exile, care-free living and unworldly separation. These "lost" authors were often characterized
 by these traits:
- Youthful Idealism
- Sought the meaning of life
- Drank a lot
- Numerous love affairs
- Many masterpieces were written
- Rejected modern American materialism
- Lived in Paris
- Made writing styles that are still used today
- Came of age during World War One
These authors often tried to live normal lives, ignoring the tragedy of the war that had just occurred.
These authors were:
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ernest Hemingway
John Dos Passos
Sherwood Anderson
Kay Boyle
Hart Crame
Ford Maddox Ford
Zelda Fitzgerald
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Citations:
1. http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/worldwar1/a/ovww1.htm
2. http://americanhistory.about.com/od/worldwari/tp/causes-of-world-war-1.htm
3. http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/harrachmemoir.htm
4. http://www.historyonthenet.com/WW1/causes.htm
5. http://www.historywiz.com/alliance.htm
6. http://www.worldology.com/Europe/world_war_1_effect.htm
7. http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/hpolscrv/jbolhofer.html
8. http://1920sgirls.tripod.com/lostgeneration.html