Thus the struggle between the imperialist blocs – the Triple Alliance and the Entente – resulted in World War I with the subsequent participation of Japan , the U.S.A. , Turkey and other countries . The war was imperialist and predatory on both sides and was an unjust war . The German imperialists intended to create ” Great Germany ” or ” Central Europe ” , including the Baltic coun tries , Poland , the Ukraine , Scandinavia , Belgium , Holland , South – West Asia , Australia , Hungary , the Balkans and part of France . They planned to create a vast colonial empire in Africa and in the basin of the Pacific , and dreamt of domi nating South America , hoping to seize the colonies of England , France , Belgium and other countries . German imperialism wanted to oust its chief competitor – England , to crush its naval power and to lay its hands on the English naval bases . The English imperialists aimed at smashing Germany , as the most dangerous rival in the world market , weakening its economic power , destroying the , German navy and merchant marine , taking possession of the colonies , seizing Mesopotamia , Palestine and Arabia , and consolidating its hold on Egypt . The French imperialists strove not only to regain Alsace and Lorraine , wrested from France by Germany in 1871 , but also to seize the Ruhrbasin , annex the Saar region , weaken Germany’s economic and financial power and occupy the German colonies in Africa . The imperialists of tsarist Russia aspired to establish their political and military domination in the Balkans , annex Galicia and seize Constantinople and the Black Sea Straits . By unleashing war the imperialists of both groups tried to weaken and impede the working – class movement in their countries . World War I weakened economically some countries and fostered more rapid development and enrichment of other countries ( especially the U.S.A. and Japan ) . In 1916 only 48 of U.S. biggest trusts made about 965 million dollars profit , almost three times the average profits obtained during the three prewar years . The losses in human lives and material wealth during World War I exceeded those of the preceding 125 years . According to official figures , 9,700,000 people were killed , 21 million were wounded and crippled , and millions of people died of hunger and epidemics during World War I.