It was the summer of 1914,
yet it was a cold one.
Every nation across the globe
felt the chill,
and dreaded the approaching, devastating storm on the horizon.
The black clouds of thunder
were starting to block out the
light of the bright sun.
Every nation was tensed to spring, to war.
Distrust and suspicion hung in the air like a looming cloud.
One could not take a long breath
for the very air was polluted.
Alliances were made between nations;
friends who would aid them in war.
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy
formed the Triple Alliance.
Britain, France and Russia made up the Triple Entente.
Countries armed themselves,
competed to become
the greatest military power ever.
Germany desired the supremacy of the seas,
yet Great Britain stood in its way with powerful navy ships.
The European countries vied for colonies,
a larger land empire.
More colonies meant greater power
and more sources for raw materials.
As nationalistic sentiments grew exponentially in many countries,
the winds of war kept getting colder and more menacing.
They penetrated the very souls of people
who desired an identity for themselves and their country.
Patriotic feelings reached their heights,
adding more to the already congested air.
This tensed and volatile air finally found a spark,
a spark that would shatter the peace
and prosperity of many nations.
In Sarajevo, Bosnia, Archduke Francis Ferdinand
had been assassinated by a Bosnian
whose nationalistic sentiments had reached a breaking point.
War was declared by Austria-Hungary upon Serbia,
and what every nation feared had come true.
Everything came into play and
pieces of a puzzle fell into places.
The winds of war could not be kept at bay anymore.
They swept across the earth,
whispering the words of war into the ears of people,
and flapping their clothes as if trying
to tell them to seek shelter and protection of their home.
The devastating storm, World War 1,
that had been on the horizon had finally arrived.
It shattered the prosperity of many people
who had wished to live a long and prosperous life.
People say that the winners of the war were the Allies.
However, history shows us that DEATH was the real winner.