World War I Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 4 PDF Download

Introduction

World War I was a big war that happened a long time ago, from 1914 to 1918. It involved many countries around the world fighting against each other. This war was important because it changed the world in many ways. In these notes, we will learn how the war started, what happened during the war, and how it ended. We will also understand why this war is remembered today.

The Road to War

World War I began in 1914 because of problems between many countries in Europe.

• Countries in Europe made groups called alliances to protect each other, like teams picking sides.
• The two main groups were the Allies (including Britain, France, and Russia) and the Central Powers (including Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire).
• Countries were building big armies and weapons, which made everyone nervous.
• Some countries wanted more land or power, which caused arguments.
• A big event called the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand happened in June 1914 in a place called Sarajevo.
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand was a prince from Austria-Hungary, and his death made Austria-Hungary very angry.
• Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination and declared war on them.
• Because of alliances, other countries joined in, and soon many countries were fighting.
• The war started because of these alliances, arguments over land, and the assassination.

The War Begins

World War I officially started in July 1914 when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

• Germany supported Austria-Hungary, and Russia supported Serbia, so they joined the fight.
• Soon, Britain and France also joined the war to help their allies, Russia.
• The war spread quickly because countries had promised to help each other.
• Germany made a plan called the Schlieffen Plan to attack France quickly by going through Belgium.
• Belgium was a small country that didn’t want to fight, but Germany invaded it, which made Britain join the war.
• Soldiers fought in trenches, which were long ditches dug in the ground to stay safe from enemy attacks.
• The fighting was very hard, and soldiers lived in muddy and dangerous trenches.
• Many battles happened in Europe, especially in countries like France and Belgium.
• The United States did not join the war at first but stayed neutral, which means they didn’t pick a side.

Events of the War

The war lasted from 1914 to 1918, and many important events happened during this time.

• Soldiers fought in trenches, and battles were very long and dangerous.
• Big battles included the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Verdun, where many soldiers were hurt or lost their lives.
• New weapons were used, like machine guns, tanks, airplanes, and poison gas, which made the war very scary.
• Ships were also used to fight at sea, and Germany used submarines called U-boats to attack ships.
• In 1915, a ship called the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat, and many people, including Americans, died.
• The sinking of the Lusitania made the United States very upset with Germany.
• In 1917, the United States joined the war on the side of the Allies because of the U-boat attacks and a secret message called the Zimmermann Telegram.
• The Zimmermann Telegram was a message from Germany asking Mexico to fight against the United States.
• American soldiers, called doughboys, went to Europe to help the Allies fight.
• By 1918, the Allies were winning because they had more soldiers and supplies, and the Central Powers were getting tired.

The Road to Peace

By late 1918, the Central Powers were losing the war and wanted to stop fighting.

• Germany and its allies were running out of soldiers, food, and supplies.
• On November 11, 1918, an agreement called an armistice was signed to stop the fighting.
• The armistice meant all countries agreed to stop fighting at 11 a.m. on that day.
• In 1919, a meeting called the Paris Peace Conference was held to make a plan for peace.
• Leaders from the winning countries, like Britain, France, and the United States, met to decide what to do next.
• A treaty called the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919 to officially end the war.
• The Treaty of Versailles made Germany give up land, pay a lot of money, and promise not to build a big army again.
• The treaty was very hard on Germany, and many people were not happy with it.
• A group called the League of Nations was created to help countries work together and prevent future wars.
• The United States did not join the League of Nations, but it still helped make peace.
• World War I changed the world, and many people worked hard to make sure there would be peace afterward.