Reading Comprehension – World War 1
Develop your reading skills. Read the following text about World War 1 and do the comprehension task.
The Outbreak and Aftermath of World War I
The Beginning:
In June 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip ignited a diplomatic crisis. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, intentionally making demands to provoke conflict. This event triggered a chain reaction, leading to the outbreak of World War I as international alliances solidified and major powers were drawn into the conflict.
Central Powers vs. the Allies:
The conflict quickly escalated into a global war, with Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire forming the Central Powers. They faced off against the Allied Powers, consisting of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and Japan. The United States later joined the Allies in 1917, shifting the balance of power.
Unprecedented Casualty Rate:
World War I saw the mobilization of over 70 million military personnel, resulting in an unprecedented scale of casualties. The advent of modern weaponry such as machine guns, tanks, and chemical weapons, coupled with the tactical stalemate of trench warfare, led to devastating loss of life. The conflict claimed the lives of over 9 million combatants and 7 million civilians, leaving a profound impact on societies worldwide.
The End of World War I and Its Consequences:
On November 11th, 1918, the war finally came to an end, marking the collapse of several empires including the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires. National borders were redrawn, and new nations emerged from the ashes of the old order. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919, dominated by the Big Four nations, imposed terms that reshaped the geopolitical landscape. The League of Nations was established in an attempt to prevent future conflicts, but it ultimately failed to address the underlying tensions that fueled global instability. Economic depression, resurgent nationalism, and the rise of ideologies like Nazism set the stage for the outbreak of World War II, casting a long shadow over the turbulent aftermath of World War I.
Source: Wikipedia
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