Question

18. World War I became a global war because: A. Germany planned a campaign of world conquest B. Modern transportation made a global war inevitable C. Most of the major European powers were also imperial powers D. Both sides knew they could win only with the United States as an ally

Answer 1

c. Most of the major European powers were also imperial powers

In the First World War, two large alliances faced off against each other. On one side, the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austro-Hungary, soon joined by the Ottoman Empire. On the other side were the Entente powers: France, Russia, and a group of smaller allies including Portugal, Belgium, and Serbia. They were soon joined by Italy and then Britain.

These European nations had colonies across the entire globe and had imperial powers. The British Empire had colonies in North America, the Caribbean,Australia, and a large part of South Asia and Africa. France also had a large overseas empire, mostly in the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The Ottoman Empire stretched into Arabia. Italy, Portugal, and Belgium all had African colonies. Russia, in its vastness, extended all the way from the eastern edge of Europe to the Pacific Coast of Asia, although much of this territory had very few inhabitants. All these imperial powers inducted soldiers from these colonies into their armies. Hence World War I became a global war.