Now that the United States has become a belligerent, it is very essential that our people understand the events that led up to our participation in the war. So many of our citizens are of a peace-loving nature, we are so far removed from the militarism of continental Europe, and the whole war seems so needless and so profitless to those who have not studied carefully its causes, that there is danger of a want of harmony with the program of the government if all are not taught the simple truth of the matter. There is no quicker channel through which to reach all the people than the public schools. With this in mind, two entire chapters and part of a third are devoted to demonstrating why no other course was open to this country than to accept the war which was forced upon her. In the preparation of this little work, the author has received many helpful suggestions from co-workers. His thanks are especially due to Professor A. G. Terry of Northwestern University and Professor A. H. Sanford of the Wisconsin State Normal School at La Crosse, who were kind enough to read through and correct the manuscript before its final revision. The author is especially indebted to the Committee on Public Information at Washington, D. C., for furnishing to him authoritative data on many phases of the war. Acknowledgment is also made to Row, Peterson and Company for kind permission to use illustrations from _History Stories of Other Lands_; also to the International Film Service, Inc., of New York City for the use of many valuable copyright illustrations of scenes relating to the great war. L. P. BÉNÉZET. _Evansville, Indiana, January 2, 1918_ Contents Preface I. The Great War II. Rome and the Barbarian Tribes III. From Chiefs to Kings IV. Master and Man V. A Babel of Tongues VI. “The Terrible Turk” VII. The Rise of Modern Nations VIII. The Fall of Two Kingdoms IX. The Little Man from the Common People X. A King-Made Map and Its Trail of Wrongs XI. Italy a Nation at Last XII. The Man of Blood and Iron XIII. The Balance of Power XIV. The “Entente Cordiale” XV. The Sowing of the Dragon’s Teeth XVI. Who Profits? XVII. The Spark that Exploded the Magazine XVIII. Why England Came In XIX. Diplomacy and Kingly Ambition XX. Back to the Balkans XXI. The War under the Sea XXII. Another Crown Topples XXIII. The United States at War—Why? XXIV. Europe As It Should Be XXV. The Cost of It All XXVI. What Germany Must Learn Pronouncing Glossary Index List of Maps