E.+Adding+links+brings+depth+to+text


 * http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/worldwarone/hq/trenchwarfare.shtml

World War I** //*Excerpts and summaries from Prentice Hall World Explorer Medieval Times to Today//

After Russia withdrew from World War I, the fighting in Europe continued for another year. **[|World War I]** was one of the most terrible wars in human history. Never before had so many countries become involved in a single war, and never had there been so much death.

For almost 100 years before World War I, Europe had seen only small wars. Two things make a large conflict like World War I possible. One was the growth of **[|nationalism]**, feelings of loyalty to one’s country. Nationalism encouraged countries to build big armies and to use force to reach their national goals. Feelings of nationalism also helped small conflicts blow up into big ones.
 * //The Spread of Nationalism://**

The other main cause of World War I was the development of **[|alliances]**, or agreements that nations make with one another. Usually these alliances include promises to protect each other in case of attack. Nations that have made an alliance are called **[|allies]**. By teaming up before World War I, nations had hoped to discourage enemy attacks.
 * //Countries Seek Allies://**

But alliances also helped nations become unfriendly toward others. Each country knew that its allies would give their support. Because of alliances, many nations were soon drawn into wars against countries with whom they had no disagreements.

The spark that brought European alliances to war was the **[|murder]** of **[|Archduke Franz Ferdinand]** of **[|Austria-Hungary]**. The leaders of Austria-Hungary declared war on **[|Serbia]**. They suspected the Serbians of organizing the killing. Russia sided with its ally, Serbia. Immediately, Germany joined forces with its ally Austria-Hungary. Then Britain and France entered the war on the side of their ally, Russia. Most other European nations soon chose sides. Eventually, more than 20 nations joined the conflict, including the United States.
 * //World War I://**


 * [|Tanks] (see a [|WW1 tank in action]), [|fighter planes], [|submarines], [|machine guns], and [|poison gas]** were all used for the first time in World War I. **[|Trench warfare]** took place all over Europe. These terrible new weapons led to more deaths than had occurred in any earlier war. Almost **[|10 million soldiers died] [|.] ** No one knows how many non-soldiers were killed. The war left large areas of **Europe in ruins**.

In 1918, the warring nations agreed to an **[|armistice]**, or cease-fire. The winning nations – Britain, France, and the allies – forced a **[|harsh and humiliating peace agreement]** on Germany and Austria-Hungary.