Revolution, World Wars, and Depression h 221of Europe’s colonies in Asia and Africa participated in the war as combatants and support
personnel. Many colonial peoples hoped to be granted independence as a result of their
war efforts.
Throughout the early war years the U.S. government sold arms to the Allies, while
U.S. bankers lent money to the Allied nations. In 1917, the United States was drawn into
World War I by two events: Germany’s declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare and
Great Britain’s interception of the Zimmermann Telegram. The telegram proposed that, if
Mexico would enter the war as an ally of Germany, the German government would assist
Mexico to recover the territory it had lost to the United States as a result of the Mexican
War. U.S. entry into World War I provided the Allies with additional supplies and freshly
trained troops, two factors that helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Allies.Revolution in Russia
Nationalism and a mutual desire to control Korea led to war between Russia and Japan in- When the Russo-Japanese War ended in Russian defeat in 1905, an uprising known
as the Revolution of 1905 forced Tsar Nicholas II to allow the Duma, or Russian Parlia-
ment, to convene. When Nicholas abolished the Duma a few weeks later, small groups of
radicals began planning the overthrow of tsarist rule.
In March 1917, Russia’s decline as a world power, peasant dissatisfaction, political
repression, and the human and fi nancial costs of World War I brought about the end of
tsarist rule. After a weak provisional government failed to maintain social order, a second
revolution in October 1917 brought the Bolsheviks, or Communists, into power. The new
government, led by V. I. Lenin, decided that Russia was too devastated by revolution to
continue the war. In March 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treat y of Brest-Lito-
vsk, which ceded vast amounts of Russian territory to Germany.
Between 1918 and 1921, Russia was engaged in a civil war in which the Bolsheviks, or
Red Army, solidifi ed their power over supporters of tsarist rule and wealthy landowners.
The opposing forces, or White Army, were supported by troops from the United States,
France, Great Britain, and Japan.
The Peace Settlements
Several peace treaties were signed following the war’s end in November 1918; the most well
known was the Treaty of Versailles between most of the Allied nations and Germany. As
a result of the Treaty of Versailles:- A war guilt clause placed total blame for the war on Germany.
- Germany was assigned reparations payments of $33 billion.
- Germany lost its colonies.
- Alsace and Lorraine were returned to France.
- Germany’s military power was severely limited.
- The coal-rich Rhineland was demilitarized.
- A League of Nations was established to work for international peace. The dream of
U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, the League’s future impact was weakened when the
United States refused to join. (The United States later signed a separate peace treaty with
Germany.) Also, Germany and Russia were forbidden to join the League.
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