100 Years Later: Why WWI Still Echoes Today
Monday marks the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.
Pope Francis marked the day with an impassioned plea for people to "not repeat the mistakes of the past," urging the world to embrace dialogue to overcome conflicts.
On this day in 1914, forces of Austria-Hungary made the first moves in their invasion of Serbia. It came exactly one month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
Within days Russia, Germany, France, and Great Britain joined the fighting. The United States eventually joined the war on the side of the Allies in 1917.
WWI was one of the bloodiest wars in history, with more than 9 million soldiers killed in trench warfare as weapons became more sophisticated while military tactics did not.
The peace treaty signed in 1918 did not bring a lasting peace. Instead, it sowed the seeds of World War II in Europe.
The war also led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Middle East for centuries. That led to the creation of the modern-day Middle East, including the states of Iraq, Jordan, and eventually, Israel.
