What caused World War I, how was it fought, and what were its consequences?
Apply social science skills to understand the causes and effects of World War I: the long-term causes of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism (MAIN) and the immediate cause of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the new technology of total war, and the consequences including the collapse of empires, the Treaty of Versailles, and the League of Nations (WHII.13).
A standards-level answer on World War I for the Virginia World History SOL: the long-term causes (militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism) and the immediate cause, the new technology of total war, and the consequences including the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations, with worked exam questions.
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What this topic is asking
Standard WHII.13 covers the causes and effects of World War I (1914 to 1918), the first total war and a catastrophe that reshaped the modern world. The standard asks you to distinguish the long-term causes (often remembered as MAIN: militarism, alliances, imperialism, nationalism) from the immediate cause (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand), to understand the new technology that made the war so deadly, and to explain the consequences: the collapse of empires, the punitive Treaty of Versailles, and the creation of the League of Nations. A key skill is separating underlying causes from the spark.
The long-term causes: MAIN
The immediate cause and the alliance system
A new kind of war: total war and technology
The consequences
Try this
Q1. What does MAIN stand for as the long-term causes of World War I? [Recall]
- Cue. Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism.
Q2. Explain how the Treaty of Versailles helped set the stage for World War II. [Short explanation]
- Cue. It blamed Germany for the war, imposed heavy reparations, took territory, and limited its military; many Germans deeply resented this harsh treaty, a resentment that helped the later rise of Hitler.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
VA SOL WHII (MC)1 marksThe long-term causes of World War I are often summarized by the acronym MAIN, which stands for (A) money, art, industry, nature; (B) militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism; (C) monarchy, agriculture, irrigation, navy; (D) media, advertising, internet, news.Show worked answer →
The correct answer is (B). The long-term causes of World War I are commonly remembered as MAIN: Militarism (the buildup of armies and the glorification of military power), Alliances (the system of treaties that pulled nations into war), Imperialism (rivalry over colonies), and Nationalism (intense national pride and rivalry).
Why the others are wrong: (A), (C), and (D) are not the historical causes. Markers reward identifying militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism as the four long-term causes.
VA SOL WHII (MC)1 marksThe immediate cause that triggered World War I in 1914 was (A) the Treaty of Versailles; (B) the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary; (C) the Russian Revolution; (D) the attack on Pearl Harbor.Show worked answer →
The correct answer is (B). The immediate (spark) cause of World War I was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, in 1914. The alliance system then pulled the major powers into war.
Why the others are wrong: (A) the Treaty of Versailles ended the war; (C) the Russian Revolution occurred during the war; (D) Pearl Harbor belongs to World War II. Markers reward distinguishing the immediate spark (the assassination) from the long-term causes (MAIN).
Related dot points
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A standards-level answer on the age of imperialism for the Virginia World History SOL: the economic, political, and ideological motives, the European domination of Africa and Asia, and the responses and resistance of colonized peoples, with worked exam questions.
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- Apply social science skills to understand the Russian Revolution: the causes including the hardships of World War I and the weakness of the czarist government, the 1917 revolutions, the Bolshevik seizure of power under Lenin, and the creation of the Soviet Union as the first communist state (WHII.14).
A standards-level answer on the Russian Revolution for the Virginia World History SOL: the causes including World War I and czarist weakness, the 1917 revolutions, Lenin and the Bolsheviks, and the creation of the Soviet Union as the first communist state, with worked exam questions.
- Apply social science skills to understand the interwar period: the economic and political instability after World War I, the Great Depression, and the rise of totalitarian regimes under Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Stalin in the Soviet Union, and the militarists in Japan (WHII.14).
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