Douaumont Ossuary in memory of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Verdun A tough start to the 20th century. The First World War 1 The beginning of the 20th centur y was ver y turbulent. Tensions between the great powers, social conf licts and the rivalries between colonial empires created a climate of fierce confrontation . This climate gave rise to the First World War. It was the most destructive war humanity had ever known . The Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, while the First World War was raging. The revolution was successful and gave rise to the creation of a completely new regime. Some people believed the Revolution resulted in the seizure of power by the proletariat. The terrible consequences of the First World War marked the decline of Europe and the rise of the United States of America to world leadership. L E T ' S G E T S TA R T E D Look at the photograph on this page. What does it suggest to you about the First World War? Look at the infographic. What were the trenches like? What new weapons were used in the First World War? What were the consequences of their use? Can we link the trenches and the new weapons to the high number of dead and wounded? What is the link? L E A R N I N G S I T UAT I O N 24
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