A few months after the end of World War I, the German high command requested an armistice. They claimed it was due to an uprising in their own country, but many believed it was due to inflation. Inflation and food shortages drained the German people, while the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was weakened by a war. The resulting treaty forced Germany to give up its overseas colonies and 13 percent of its territory in Europe. The treaty also limited the size of the German army and navy, and forced it to pay reparations to the war-winning nations.

While few anticipated the war’s duration, many Europeans welcomed the war as a defensive necessity. Others welcomed it idealistically as an opportunity to uphold right against might, the sanctity of international morality, and the sanctity of treaties. The first world war ended on July 28, but the horrors were not yet over. The following list details the main events of World War I. It is arranged chronologically, with the onset of the conflict in 1914.

Despite the widespread destruction and the loss of life, World War II eventually ended with the victory of the Allies over Germany and the Soviet Union. After the war, the League of Nations was established to foster international cooperation. In the aftermath of the war, the United States emerged as a rival superpower, while the Soviet Union emerged as a new rival superpower. The United Nations was also established to promote international cooperation and prevent future conflicts. This event was also the catalyst for the rise of Adolf Hitler’s Germany and the Soviet Union.