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After the war ended, the victorious nations entered negotiations to prepare peace treaties with the defeated countries. The Paris Peace Conference was held in 1919, with figures like Woodrow Wilson of the United States, David Lloyd George of Britain, and Georges Clemenceau of France playing significant roles. Wilson emphasized self-determination and an international peace order, but France demanded strong security guarantees to prevent future German aggression. As a result, the Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany in June 1919. Germany lost parts of its territory, had its military restricted, and was burdened with war reparations. Strong opposition to the treaty's terms emerged among the German government and its people. Meanwhile, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were also dissolved, significantly altering the borders of Europe and the Middle East. While new nations emerged, issues of ethnicity and territory were not entirely resolved. The post-war peace system established a new international order but left behind the dissatisfaction of the defeated nations and ethnic conflicts in various regions.

As the German army's defeats continued in the autumn of 1918, debates within Germany intensified over whether to continue the war. Naval dissent led to insubordination, culminating in a mutiny by sailors in Kiel in November. Anti-government protests and the spread of workers' and soldiers' councils across various German regions caused severe political turmoil. Emperor Wilhelm II found it increasingly difficult to maintain his authority and ultimately abdicated on November 9, 1918. A republic was declared in Germany, and the new government began armistice negotiations with the Allied powers. The German army was in continuous retreat on the front lines, and domestic shortages of food and fuel were also severe. The German government eventually concluded that it could no longer sustain the war and agreed to the armistice terms. On November 11, an armistice was signed between Germany and the Allied powers in the Forest of Compiègne, northern France. This marked the cessation of major combat on the Western Front, effectively ending World War I. Following this, the victorious nations entered into peace negotiations to redefine the post-war borders of Europe and establish a new international order.

As the Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-ethnic state composed of various peoples and regions, internal political conflicts intensified as the war dragged on. Czechs, Slovaks, and South Slavic peoples, among others, demanded national independence during the ongoing war. On the front lines, vast numbers of troops were deployed against Russia, Italy, and the Allied powers, but military losses and food shortages became severe. In the autumn of 1918, the Allied offensive intensified, and nationalist movements within the empire rapidly expanded. Czechoslovakia declared independence, and movements to establish new states in the South Slavic regions emerged. Hungary also showed independent political movements, leading to the rapid disintegration of the empire's unity. Finally, in November 1918, Austria-Hungary signed an armistice with the Allied powers and withdrew from the war. Subsequently, the rule of the Habsburg dynasty ended, and new nations such as Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia emerged from the empire's territories. World War I resulted not only in victory or defeat on the battlefield but also in the collapse of the existing imperial order in Europe.

In August 1918, the Allied forces launched a large-scale counteroffensive on the Western Front. Starting with the Battle of Amiens, British, French, and American troops effectively combined tanks, aircraft, and artillery to pressure the German lines. The German army had already suffered heavy losses during the Spring Offensive, and soldier fatigue and supply shortages were severe. Under the continuous assault from the Allies, the German forces began a gradual retreat. During the so-called Hundred Days Offensive, which lasted from August to November, the Allies recaptured key areas on the Western Front and pushed the German army back. The American Expeditionary Forces also rapidly increased in size, playing a crucial role on the front. Internally, doubts grew within Germany about the possibility of continuing the war, exacerbated by economic hardship and political instability alongside military defeats. Allied nations like Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary also successively withdrew from the war. Germany found itself in a situation where continuing the war was unsustainable, leading them to prepare for armistice negotiations.

In early 1918, with Russia out of the war and American troops not yet fully deployed, Germany prepared for one last major offensive on the Western Front. The German army concentrated forces moved from the Eastern Front, aiming to break through the Allied lines and decisively end the war. The Spring Offensive, which began in March, saw initial rapid advances by the German forces, securing significant territory. However, as the German advance continued, supply issues became severe, and troop fatigue increased. The Allies strengthened cooperation between British and French forces and continued to deploy American Expeditionary Forces. Although German troops reached near Paris, they failed to achieve a decisive victory. Instead, the offensive significantly depleted elite troops, weakening their defensive capabilities afterward. Germany's spring offensive in 1918 was the war's final gamble, but it failed to break the Allied defenses. Subsequently, the initiative in the war gradually shifted to the Allies, and the German army was forced into a defensive posture.

Although the United States initially declared neutrality at the start of the war, it grew economically closer to the Allied powers by providing vast amounts of supplies and funds to Britain and France. Germany's submarine warfare escalated tensions with the U.S. The sinking of the British passenger liner Lusitania by a German submarine in 1915, in particular, intensified criticism against Germany within the United States. Germany temporarily refrained from unrestricted submarine warfare but resumed it in 1917. In the same year, the Zimmermann Telegram, which revealed Germany's proposal to Mexico for an alliance against the U.S., significantly swayed American public opinion. Consequently, the U.S. declared war on Germany in April 1917. While the American military did not immediately decide the war's outcome, its immense industrial capacity, manpower, and financial support became a crucial asset to the Allies. Especially as American Expeditionary Forces began arriving in Europe, Germany found it increasingly difficult to sustain its manpower and resource disadvantage in the long run. The U.S. entry into the war marked a significant turning point, shifting the balance of power in World War I.

As the war dragged on, Russia's internal economic and social turmoil deepened. Continuous defeats at the front, massive casualties, food shortages, and rising prices fueled discontent with the government. In March 1917, the revolution broke out, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the collapse of the Russian Empire. Although a provisional government was established, its decision to continue the war only intensified public dissatisfaction. After the Bolsheviks seized power in November of the same year, they pursued negotiations to withdraw from the war. In March 1918, Russia and Germany signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, and Russia officially exited the war. As a result, Germany was able to redeploy its forces from the Eastern Front to the Western Front. However, Russia's withdrawal did not solely benefit Germany. With the United States joining the Allied powers, Germany had to contend with the military strength and industrial capacity of a new superpower. The Russian Revolution not only altered the military landscape of the war but also became a catalyst for significant changes in the post-war political order of Europe.

In May 1916, the Battle of Jutland, a large-scale naval engagement between Britain and Germany, took place in the North Sea. Germany deployed its battle fleet to weaken the British naval superiority, and the British navy intercepted them. Both sides fiercely fought using battleships, cruisers, and other large vessels, suffering significant losses in ships and personnel. While Germany incurred fewer tactical losses, the British navy maintained its naval blockade in the North Sea throughout the war. Germany faced difficulties in securing food and raw materials due to the British blockade. In response, Germany intensified its strategy of using submarines to attack merchant ships and supply lines heading to Britain. Unlike land battles, naval warfare also affected civilian merchant ships and neutral vessels, becoming a factor that escalated international conflict. Notably, Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare significantly worsened relations with the United States. The Battle of Jutland demonstrated that World War I was a total war fought not only on land but also at sea, revolving around a nation's industrial and logistical capabilities.

In 1916, two major battles representative of the war took place on the Western Front. First, the German army attacked Verdun to deplete the French forces. The battle, which began in February, saw both sides deploy large numbers of artillery and infantry, and the fighting continued for months. The French army defended Verdun despite suffering immense casualties, and the German army also sustained heavy losses. Following this, in July, British and French forces launched a major offensive in the Somme River area. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the British army suffered very high casualties, and both sides incurred massive losses throughout the entire battle. Tanks were deployed in large-scale combat for the first time, but their technological limitations were significant at the time. Neither the Battle of Verdun nor the Battle of the Somme created a decisive breakthrough, but they severely depleted the manpower and equipment of both sides. These battles became prime examples of how costly an offensive could be in modern warfare when machine guns, artillery, and trenches were combined.

In 1915, fierce trench warfare continued on the Western Front between Germany and the Allied Powers. Machine guns, heavy artillery, and barbed wire significantly increased defensive capabilities, forcing attacking forces to endure massive casualties during advances. Germany attempted to break through the Western Front while also pressuring Russian forces on the Eastern Front. In the same year, Italy joined the Allied Powers, citing territorial disputes with Austria-Hungary. The Italian army engaged in several battles against the Austro-Hungarian army in the Alps and along the Isonzo River. However, the rugged terrain and strong defensive lines made significant progress difficult. As the war dragged on, nations began to fully mobilize their economies and industries for the war effort, and civilians suffered from food shortages and resource rationing. The war was no longer just a conflict between soldiers on the front lines but was evolving into a total war, mobilizing the entire nation's production capacity and resources. The battles of 1915 clearly demonstrated that the war was settling into a prolonged conflict.