Maailmasõdadest

Maailmasõdadest, often translated as "World Wars," refers to the two major global conflicts that profoundly reshaped the 20th century. The First World War, occurring from 1914 to 1918, was initially sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. It pitted the Central Powers, primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, against the Allied Powers, including France, Britain, Russia, and later the United States. The war introduced new and devastating technologies like machine guns, poison gas, and tanks, leading to unprecedented casualties and the collapse of empires.

The Second World War, spanning from 1939 to 1945, was even more widespread and destructive. It began with Germany's invasion of Poland, driven by Adolf Hitler's expansionist ambitions. The conflict involved the Axis powers, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan, against the Allied powers, which included Great Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China. This war witnessed the Holocaust, the systematic genocide of European Jews, and culminated in the use of atomic bombs by the United States on Japan. The aftermath of both wars led to significant geopolitical shifts, the establishment of international organizations like the United Nations, and a lasting impact on global society, economics, and politics. The term "maailmasõjad" encapsulates these two catastrophic events and their enduring legacies.