Context

    In 1865, Sir Henry Bessemer developed the Bessemer Process, which allowed for the mass production of steel. This resulted in the Second Industrial Revolution, a period of rapid industrialization and innovation that occurred from 1865 until 1914. Inventions revolutionized manufacturing processes, transportation systems, and communication networks, enabling the creation of new industries and the expansion of existing ones. With a drive to get more resources and thus increase their production, European powers were engaged in intense competition for colonies and resources around the world, known as imperialism. This era of imperialism heightened tensions and rivalries among nations. Additionally, rising nationalism within European countries fueled a sense of pride, identity, and rivalry, contributing to the buildup of tensions between nations. This tension finally snapped when Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated on June 28, 1914, by a Serbian nationalist. This event triggered a chain reaction of diplomatic tensions and declarations of war between various nations. The upcoming war was characterized by new military technologies, including machine guns, artillery, poison gas, and aircraft, which increased the scale and lethality of the conflict.