Thread by @bopinion

100 years ago today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the First World War in Europe ended bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

World War I ultimately led to:

- 15 million+ deaths
- the collapse of four empires
- the rise of communism and fascism bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

The conflict began with Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia. The events that followed profoundly altered the course of the 20th century bloom.bg/2QBB4Os #RemembranceSunday

WWI produced stunning technological advancements. The most obvious development? The air force.

Aviation wasn’t just used for simple scouting. It was also used for bombardment and attack missions bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

On land, WWI saw the first use of tanks: motorized, armored cannon and troop transports that could “crawl” through the destroyed terrain of the battlefields bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

Another crucial advancement came under the sea. German U-boats, allied anti-submarine tech, and attack torpedoes laid the foundation for the subsurface technologies we use today bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

WWI also saw remarkable improvements in medicine, communications and materials:

- blood banks
- antiseptics
- plastic surgery
- radio signals
- synthetic rubber bloom.bg/2QBB4Os

The First World War was a fundamental shifting point in how states have become willing to conduct “full national war.”

That trend has sadly continued – brutal wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and Africa have all inflicted broad societal harm bloom.bg/2QBB4Os