The History of the Twentieth Century

Finland was able to win its independence from Russia peacefully, but soon after came a bloody civil war.

The birth of Poland was a foregone conclusion, but where its boundaries should lie was very much in dispute and led to bloodshed.

By 1916, both sides in the Great War had declared their desire to see an independent Poland after the war. Now the time had come.

In this final episode on Austria-Hungary, we look at the new nations of Austria and Hungary that emerged from the old Empire. We also take a look at two young Hungarians of the time who became important figures in the US film industry.

In this episode, we look at the birth of Yugoslavia and the cession of ethnic Romanian regions of Hungary to Romania.

This first of a three-part series on the end of Austria-Hungary tells the story of the birth of Czechoslovakia.

Before the Allies were ready to negotiate with the Central Powers, they had to have a "pre-meeting" among themselves to establish a common negotiating position. This "pre-meeting" lasted five months.

With the War now behind us, we take a moment to reflect on its most important lessons.

The United States had a mid-term election just before the Armistice. The UK had a general election just after. Both elections would help shape the post-war world. Also, we say goodbye to Theodore Roosevelt.

The influenza virus that emerged in 1918 was more deadly than was typical for the disease. Because of the Great War, the virus was carried to every corner of the world, including into populations of human beings who had never known the disease before. The death toll was staggering. This epidemic was the deadliest in human history, in terms of absolute number of persons killed.

Influenza has plagued the human race for some 12,000 years. It is caused by a virus, an infectious agent barely understood in 1918.

Once Bulgaria quit the war, the dominoes began to fall. By early October, both Germany and Austria were in diplomatic exchanges with the US over peace terms. When news of this became public, both of those governments experienced domestic political collapse.

The German commanders and their African askari soldiers fought a smart and determined guerilla campaign against the British that actually lasted longer than the war in Europe had. But when news of the Armistice reached them, it was time to lay down their weapons.

The German spring offensives of 1918 were intended to force an end to the war before Allied numerical superiority became decisive. But the offensives failed, the German Army is crumbling, and mobile warfare has returned to the Western Front.

It was poetic that the war would end where it began, in the Balkans. An Allied offensive against a weary Bulgaria led to an armistice, forcing the Ottoman Empire--and Austria and Germany--also to sue for peace.