Shell Shock: 1914-19191914-1919 were the years of the First World War. At first, the United States tried to remain neutral, trading with both sides, but remaining neutral proved impossible. World War I was fought primarily in Europe and the Middle East. The Allies (mainly France, Russia, Great Britain, Italy after 1915, and the United States after 1917) faced and defeated the Central Powers (mainly Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey). It all started with the assassination of the Austrian crown prince and then developed rapidly. It began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918, with the collapse of the Central Powers. The Americans had never seen such a big war and it was a real shock. The pace in America was accelerating. More and more people had money and were willing to spend it. And what is better to spend your money on than on the cheap and extremely useful new car? Henry Ford managed to lower the cost of his automobile to $295; this lower price allowed more people to buy cars, and more and more of America began driving automobiles instead of carriages. The era of the horse and buggy was over; the automobile age was in full force. From 1914 to 1917 Europe was at war and America benefited from it. They were thriving economically. It can best be described as an economic boom. The United States lent money to European countries. These countries then used that money to purchase weapons and war supplies from America. The United States was effectively supplying weapons for the war to both sides in Europe. The war also cut off European immigrants. This was good and bad because, although it cut the American workforce, it forced factories to look to the South for workers. There were many unemployed... middle of paper... from Paris. Germany had given everything for this war and once the seemingly endless American soldiers joined the fight, they soon gave up. The leaders of Italy, Great Britain, France and the United States participated in the Versailles Peace Conference. It was less about peace and more about punishing Germany. Wilson attempted to create the League of Nations and find a peaceful solution to the war, but Britain and France were determined to punish Germany. The United States never signed the treaty. This punishment of Germany rather than peace was a major factor in why World War II broke out, only thirty years after this “peace” treaty. The First World War dominated the years 1914-1919. The world prepared for a war, and a war was what they got. World War I was on a scale never seen before, and it would not be the last time they would see such destruction.