The Great War, renamed World War One in the 1930s, was a turning point in modern world history. It resulted in changes that shape today's world in many ways, including the division of the Middle East, the rise of the Soviet Union, the creation of new countries in eastern Europe, and the weakening of Europe's empires in Africa and Asia. World War Two was probably the most important effect. In this unit students learn about key aspects of the war, including...
its long-term and short-term causes
the new weapons that made the war so deadly
the battlefield experiences that traumatized a generation of young men
the expansion of state power in some countries (and the drastic weakening of state power in others)
the experience of people who did not fight but were expected to support the war effort