World War I was a major conflict fought between 1914 and 1918. Other names for World War I include the First World War, WWI, the War to End All Wars, and the Great War.
Who fought in World War I?
World War I was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. The main members of the Allied Powers were France, Russia, and Britain. The United States also fought on the side of the Allies after 1917. The main members of the Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
The majority of the fighting took place in Europe along two fronts: the western front and the eastern front. The western front was a long line of trenches that ran from the coast of Belgium to Switzerland. A lot of the fighting along this front took place in France and Belgium. The eastern front was between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Bulgaria on one side and Russia and Romania on the other.
How did it start?
Although there were a number of causes for the war, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the main catalyst for starting the war. After the assassination, Austria declared war on Serbia. Then Russia prepared to defend its ally Serbia. Next, Germany declared war on Russia to protect Austria. This caused France to declare war on Germany to protect its ally Russia. Germany invaded Belgium to get to France which caused Britain to declare war on Germany. This all happened in just a few days.
Major Battles
A lot of the war was fought using trench warfare along the western front. The armies hardly moved at all. They just bombed and shot at each other from across the trenches. Some of the major battles during the war included the First Battle of the Marne, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Tannenberg, Battle of Gallipoli, and the Battle of Verdun.
The fighting ended on November 11, 1918 when a general armistice was agreed to by both sides. The war officially ended between Germany and the Allies with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
Interesting Facts about World War I
More than 65 million men fought in the war.
Dogs were used in the trenches to carry messages. A well-trained messenger dog was considered a very fast and reliable way to carry messages.
It was the first major war where airplanes and tanks were used.
Ninety percent of the 7.8 million soldiers from Austria-Hungary who fought in the war were either injured or killed.
When the British first invented tanks they called them "landships."
The terrorist group responsible for assassinating Archduke Ferdinand was called the Black Hand.
Famed scientist Marie Curie helped to equip vans with x-ray machines that enabled French doctors to see bullets in wounded men. These vans were called "petites Curies", meaning "little Curies."
For reference and further reading:
Causes of World War I by John Ziff. 2006. DK Eyewitness Books: World War I by Simon Adams. 2007. Leaders of World War I by Stewart Ross. 2003. Unraveling Freedom by Ann Bausum. 2010. World War I: An Interactive History Adventure by Gwenyth Swain. 2012.
Try our World War I Crossword Puzzle or word search.
Listen to a recorded reading of this page:
Learn More about World War I:
Overview:
World War I Timeline
Causes of World War I
Allied Powers
Central Powers
The U.S. in World War I
Trench Warfare
Battles and Events:
Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
Sinking of the Lusitania
Battle of Tannenberg
First Battle of the Marne
Battle of the Somme
Russian Revolution
Leaders:
David Lloyd George
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Red Baron
Tsar Nicholas II
Vladimir Lenin
Woodrow Wilson
Other:
Aviation in WWI
Christmas Truce
Wilson's Fourteen Points
WWI Changes in Modern Warfare
Post-WWI and Treaties
Glossary and Terms
Works Cited
History
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World War I was one of the great watersheds of 20th-century geopolitical history. It led to the fall of four great imperial dynasties (in Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey), resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and, in its destabilization of European society, laid the groundwork for World War II.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 was due to a combination of causes which were both long-term and short-term: alliances, militarism, imperialism, nationalism, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Fighting took place throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia.
The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (June 28, 1914) was the main catalyst for the start of the Great War (World War I). After the assassination, the following series of events took place: • July 28 - Austria declared war on Serbia.
A major international conflict fought from 1914 to 1918, World War I was the most deadly and destructive war the world had ever seen to that time. More than 25 countries eventually participated, aligned with either the Allied or the Central powers.
However, by 1917, the continued submarine attacks on U.S. merchant and passenger ships, and the “Zimmermann Telegram's” implied threat of a German attack on the United States, swayed U.S. public opinion in support of a declaration of war.
The House concurred two days later. The United States later declared war on Austria-Hungary on December 7, 1917. Germany's resumption of submarine attacks on passenger and merchant ships in 1917 was the primary motivation behind Wilson's decision to lead the United States into World War I.
Armistice on the Western Front. On Nov. 11, 1918, after more than four years of horrific fighting and the loss of millions of lives, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. Although fighting continued elsewhere, the armistice between Germany and the Allies was the first step to ending World War I.
After 1945, historians found the term "First World War" appropriate because they saw 1914-1918 as the first of a particular type of international conflict - the world's first industrialised "total" war - which had been followed by a second industrialised world war of this kind - 1939-1945.
When it was learned that the heir-apparent to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was scheduled to visit Sarajevo in June of 1914, the Black Hand decided to assassinate him because of his perceived threat to Serbian independence.
The First World War saw the Entente Powers, led by France, Russia, the British Empire, and later Italy (from 1915) and the United States (from 1917), defeat the Central Powers, led by the German, Austro-Hungarian, Bulgarian and Ottoman Empires. Russia withdrew from the war after the revolution in 1917.
The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 set off a chain of events that led to war in early August 1914. The assassination was traced to a Serbian extremist group that wanted to increase Serbian power in the Balkans by breaking up the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The first World War was won by the Allies consisting of the United Kingdom, France, United States, Japan, Italy. They defeated the Central Powers consisting of Imperial Germany, Austro-Hungary Empire and the Ottoman Empire. It lasted from 1914 and lasted until the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty in 1919.
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