Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. Battle aftermath. Remains of the Chateau Wood

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars, was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to 1918. No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers or involved so many in the field of battle. It was then the second-bloodiest conflict of all time (resulting in about half as many deaths as the Taiping Civil War). Chemical weapons were used for the first time, the first mass bombardment of civilians from the sky was executed, and some of the century's first large-scale civilian massacres took place. Four dynasties, the Habsburgs, the Romanovs, the Ottomans and the Hohenzollerns, who had roots of power back to the days of the Crusades, all fell after the war. Download high resolution version (800x769, 100 KB)Soldiers of an Australian 4th Division field artillery brigade on a duckboard track passing through Chateau Wood, near Hooge in the Ypres salient, October 29, 1917. ... Download high resolution version (800x769, 100 KB)Soldiers of an Australian 4th Division field artillery brigade on a duckboard track passing through Chateau Wood, near Hooge in the Ypres salient, October 29, 1917. ... Passchendaele village, before and after the Battle of Passchendaele The Battle of Passchendaele, otherwise known as the Third Battle of Ypres, was one of the major battles of World War I, fought by British, ANZAC, and Canadian soldiers against the German army near Ypres ( Ieper in Flemish) in West Flanders... A world war is a military conflict affecting the majority of the worlds countries. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Taiping Rebellion (1851 - 1864) was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history, a clash between the forces of Imperial China and those inspired by a Hakka self-proclaimed mystic named Hong Xiuquan, who was also a Christian convert. ... Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... Genocide has been defined as the deliberate killing of people based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, religion, or (sometimes) politics, as well as other deliberate actions leading to the physical elimination of any of the above categories. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... The House of Romanov (Рома́нов, pronounced Ro-MAH-nof), the second and last imperial dynasty of Russia, which ruled Muscovy and the Russian Empire for five generations from 1613 to 1762. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... Aerial view of the castle, Hohenzollern, Germany. ... This article is about historical Crusades . ...

World War I proved to be the decisive break with the old world order, marking the final demise of absolutist monarchy in Europe. It would prove the catalyst for the Russian Revolution, which would inspire later revolutions in countries as diverse as China and Cuba, and would lay the basis for the Cold War standoff between the Soviet Union and the United States. The defeat of Germany in the war and failure to resolve the unsettled issues that had caused the Great War would lay the basis for the rise of Nazism, and thus the outbreak of World War II in 1939. It also laid the basis for a new form of warfare that relied heavily on technology, and would involve non-combatants in war as never before. The term New World Order has been used several times in recent history, referring to what appeared to be a dramatic change in world political thought and the balance of power. ... Absolutism is a political theory which argues that one person (generally, a monarch) should hold all power. ... For related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation) A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... The phrase Russian Revolution can refer to three specific events in the history of Imperial Russia. ... The Great Wall of China, stretching over 6,700 km, was erected beginning in the 3rd century BC to guard the north from raids by men on horses. ... The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago in the northern Caribbean that lies at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Cold War ( 1947- 1991) was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of nations practicing different ideologies and political systems. ... Soviet Union - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Technology ( Gr. ...

It was commonly called "The Great War" (a title previously used to refer to the Napoleonic Wars) or sometimes "the war to end all wars" until World War II. The term "First World War," implying an event distinct from a "Second World War" has fallen into disfavor by some scholars, who regard World War I as merely the first phase of a three-decade long war spanning the period 1914–1945. It is now generally accepted, that World War II was a continuation of World War I and not a distinct war fought for distinct aims:  the claims and grievances were the same — Germany's "Place in the sun" replaced by "Lebensraum, Japan's claim of parity with Western Powers as a colonial power replaced by the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" (the post-war Versailles Treaty's being an aggravating factor for both) — battle theatres — France, The Eastern Front, The Levant — were the same, and many of the actors of World War I — Hitler, Göring, Pétain, Churchill, MacArthur, Truman — became or remained major actors in World War II. World War I was concluded by an armistice, with no surrender by any party, the anniversary of which is known as "Armistice Day," as opposed to the end of World War II, which was effected by unconditional surrenders. The Napoleonic Wars lasted from 1804 until 1815. ... World War I was at the time and in the years just after described as the war to end all wars. The phrase was in part a reaction to the horrors of the conflict with many believing that with the full cost of modern war so evident no nation would... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... A place in the sun is a term which commonly refers to the 19th century European colonial empires and their possessions. ... Lebensraum (Living space) is an idea that was used to justify the expansionist politics of Nazi Germany. ... For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ... The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was an attempt by Japan to create a bloc of Asian nations free of influence from Western nations. ... Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The ceremonial signing of the treaty with Germany occurred June... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Eastern Front usually refers to either Eastern Front (WWI) Eastern Front (WWII) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Levant is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in Southwest Asia south of the Taurus Mountains, bounded by the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia to the east. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... Philippe Pétain Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain (April 24, 1856 - July 23, 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain, was a French soldier and Head of State of Vichy France. ... MacArthur landing at Leyte Beach in 1944. ... Harry S. Truman - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... Armistice Day is the anniversary of the official end of World War I, November 11, 1918. ... Unconditional Surrender refers to a surrender without conditions, except for those provided by International Law conditional surrender. ...

World War I became infamous for trench warfare, where huge numbers of troops were confined to trenches and could move little because of tight defences. This was especially true of the Western Front. Over 9 million died on the battlefield, and nearly that many more on the home front due to food shortages, genocide, and ground combat. Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the United Kingdom, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. ... Genocide has been defined as the deliberate killing of people based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, religion, or (sometimes) politics, as well as other deliberate actions leading to the physical elimination of any of the above categories. ...

Haut-Rhin, France 1917
See World War I Colour Photos (http://www.poiemadesign.com/wwi/index.html) or original souce the French National Library (http://gallica.bnf.fr/scripts/ConsultationTout.exe?E=0&O=03300083) (Text in French language).

Diplomatic and political origins

See: Causes of World War I and Participants in World War I Main article: World War I Princip being arrested after the shooting On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in a conspiracy involving Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, and several others. ... This is a list of countries that participated in World War I, sorted by alphabetical order. ...

On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student. Though this assassination was the direct trigger for World War I, the war's origins lie further back, in the complex web of alliances and counterbalances that developed between the various European powers over the course of the nineteenth century, following the final 1815 defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo. Napoleon's rise to power was, in turn, a direct consequence of the 1789 French Revolution, which overthrew the French monarchy. This article is in need of attention. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Franz Ferdinand links to here. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... A plaque commemorating the exact scene of the Sarajevo Assasination. ... Gavrilo Princip Princip being arrested after the shooting Gavrilo Princip ( July 25, 1894 – April 28, 1918) was a Bosnian Serb nationalist who killed Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, and his wife Countess Sophie in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, prompting the Austrian action against Serbia that led to World War... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... Serbs (in the Serbian language Срби, Srbi) are a south Slavic people living chiefly in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. ... World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français... Battle of Waterloo Conflict Napoleonic Wars Date June 18, 1815 Place Waterloo, Belgium Result Decisive Allied victory Map of the Waterloo campaign The Battle of Waterloo, fought on June 18, 1815, was Napoleon Bonapartes last battle. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ...

Outbreak of war

Austrian regional security concerns grew with the near-doubling of neighbouring Serbia's territory as a result of the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Many in the Austrian leadership, not least Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, and Conrad von Hötzendorf, worried about Serbian nationalist agitation in the southern provinces of the Empire; they were still haunted by the memories of the Piedmontese inspired campaigns against the Austrian Italian provinces in 1859. Just as France had backed Piedmont in the campaign, culminating in the Battle of Solferino, they worried that Russia would back Serbia to annex Slavic areas of Austria. The feeling was that it was better to destroy Serbia before they were given the opportunity to launch a campaign. Serbia and Montenegro  – Serbia    – Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    – Vojvodina  – Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  – Total  – % water  88,361 km²  n/a Population  – Total (2002)     (without Kosovo)  – Density  7. ... The outcome as of April 1914 The Balkan Wars were two wars in South-eastern Europe in 1912- 1913 in the course of which the Balkan League ( Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria) first conquered Ottoman-held Macedonia and most of Thrace and then fell out over the division of the... 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I (in English also Francis Joseph) ( August 18, 1830 – November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916. ... Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf Franz Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf ( November 11, 1852– August 25, 1925) was an Austrian soldier and Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army at the outbreak of World War I. Biography Born in Penzing, a suburb of Vienna, Conrads father was a... Serbia and Montenegro  – Serbia    – Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    – Vojvodina  – Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  – Total  – % water  88,361 km²  n/a Population  – Total (2002)     (without Kosovo)  – Density  7. ... Piedmont is a region of northwestern Italy. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The Battle of Solférino was fought on June 21, 1859 and resulted in the victory of the allied French Army under Napoleon III and Piedmontese Army under Victor Emmanuel II against the Austrian Army under Emperor Franz-Joseph. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ...

Some members of the Austrian government also felt that a campaign in Serbia would be the perfect remedy to the internal political problems of the Empire. Many of them were frustrated by the power of the Hungarian government in the Empire. In 1914 the government of the Austro-Hungarian Empire had a "dualistic" structure. Austria and Hungary had essentially separate governments under one monarch. The Austrian government retained control over foreign policy, but was still dependent on the Hungarians for such things as budgetary approval. Often the Hungarian leadership, under István Tisza refused Austrian requests for things such as increased military spending. In hopes of ending the political gridlock that this caused, many hoped to form a federation, or at least triadic monarchy, also known as "trialism". The solution was seen in increasing the numbers of Slavs in the Empire to balance the Magyar population. The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. ... The Republic of Hungary (Magyar Köztársaság) or Hungary (Magyarország) is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. ... Budget generally refers to a list of all planned expenses. ... Count István Fürst Tisza von Borosjenő ( 1861- 1918) was a Hungarian politician. ... A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples in Europe. ... Magyar may refer to: The Magyar language The Magyar people This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Franz Ferdinand's assassination in June 1914 provided the opportunity sought by some Austrian leaders for a reckoning with the smaller Slav kingdom. The Sarajevo conspirators were alleged by the Austro-Hungarian authorities to have been armed by the Black Hand, a pan-Serb nationalist grouping with alleged links to Serbian ruling circles. These links have proven to be somewhat dubious since then. In fact, Serbian government officials were eager not to antagonize their stronger northern neighbour and had ordered border officials to ensure Serbian radicals could not enter Bosnia or other portions of Austria-Hungary. However, since they were looking for an excuse for war, these considerations mattered little to Austro-Hungarian politicians. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Sarajevo (Summer 2004) Downtown Sarajevo and the Miljacka river. ... Black Hand, or Crna Ruka (Црна Рука), officially Ujedinjenje ili Smrt (Ујединјеје или Смрт) (Unification or Death) was a secret association founded in Serbia by pan- Serbian nationalists in May 1911 with the intention of uniting all of the territories containing Serb populations (notably Bosnia and Herzegovina, annexed by Austria...

With German backing, Austria-Hungary, acting primarily under the influence of Foreign Affairs Minister Leopold von Berchtold, sent an effectively unfulfillable 10-point ultimatum to Serbia (July 23, 1914), to be accepted within 48 hours. Leopold Anton Johann Sigismund Joseph Korsinus Ferdinand, Count von Berchtold ( 1863- 1942) was Austro-Hungarian foreign minister at the outbreak of the First World War. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Austria-Hungary demanded that the Serbian government undertake the following:

1. To suppress any publication which incites to hatred and contempt of the [Austrian] Monarchy . . .
2. To dissolve immediately the society styled Narodna Odbrana..and to proceed in the same manner against the other societies . . which engage in propaganda against [Austria]
3. To eliminate without delay from public instruction in Serbia, both as regards the teaching body and the methods of instruction, all that serves or might serve to foment the propaganda against Austria-Hungary
4. To remove from the military service and the administration in general all officers guilty of propaganda against [Austria--names to be given over by the Austrian govt.]
5. To accept the collaboration in Serbia of organs of [A-H govt.] in the suppression of the subversive movement directed against the territorial integrity of the Monarchy
6. To take judicial proceedings against the accessories to the plot of 28 June who are on Serbian territory; Organs delegated by [A-H] will take part in the investigations relating thereto
7. To proceed without delay to the arrest of [two named persons implicated according to the preliminary investigation undertaken by Austria]
8. To prevent by effective measures the cooperation of [Serbia] in the illicit traffic in arms and explosives across the frontier . . . .
9. To furnish [Austria] with explanations regarding the unjustifiable utterances of high Serbian officials both in Serbia and abroad, who . . . have not hesitated since the outrage of 28 June to express themselves . . in terms of hostility towards [Austria]
10. To notify [Austria] without delay of the execution of the[se] measures . . .

The Serbian government agreed to all but one of the demands, noting that participation in its judicial proceedings by a foreign power would violate its constitution. Austria-Hungary nonetheless broke off diplomatic relations (July 25) and declared war (July 28) through a telegram sent to the Serbian government. July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ...

The Russian government, which had pledged in 1909 to uphold Serbian independence in return for Serbia's acceptance of the Bosnia annexation, mobilized its military reserves on July 30 following a breakdown in crucial telegram communications between Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas II (the famous "Willy and Nicky" correspondence), who was under pressure by his military staff to prepare for war. Germany demanded (July 31) that Russia stand down her forces, but the Russian government persisted, as demobilization would have made it impossible to re-activate its military schedule in the short term. Germany declared war against Russia on August 1 and, two days later, against the latter's ally France. 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Mobilization (or mobilisation in British English) is the act of assembling and making both troops and supplies ready for war. ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... Tsar ( Bulgarian цар, Russian царь,  listen?; often spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English), was the title used for the autocratic rulers of the First and Second Bulgarian Empires since 913, in Serbia in the middle of the 14th century, and in Russia from 1547 to... Tsar Nicholas II ( 18 May 1868 – 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... The Willy and Nicky correspondence was the telegraphic communication between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Czar Nicholas II which took place on 29 July 1914, starting from 1:00 am. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... Demobilization is the process of standing down a nations armed forces from combat-ready status. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ...

The outbreak of the conflict is often attributed to the alliances established over the previous decades — Germany-Austria-Italy vs. France-Russia; Britain and Serbia being aligned with the latter. In fact, none of the alliances were activated in the initial outbreak, though Russian general mobilization and Germany's declaration of war against France were motivated by fear of the opposing alliance being brought into play. The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... The Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. ... The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent...

Britain declared war against Germany on August 4. This was not officially the result of understandings with France and Russia (Britain was technically allied to neither power), but of Germany's invasion of Belgium on August 4, 1914, whose independence Britain had guaranteed to uphold in the Treaty of London of 1839, and which stood astride the planned German route for invasion of Russia's ally France. Unofficially, it was already generally accepted in government that Britain could not remain neutral, since without the co-operation of France and Russia her colonies in Africa and India would be under threat, while German occupation of the French Atlantic ports would be an even larger threat to British trade as a whole. August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Treaty of London of 1839 signed on April 19, 1839. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ...

Responsibility

Many different hypotheses have been proposed to explain who is to blame for the outbreak of the First World War. Early explanations, prominent in the 1920s and 1930s, stressed the rigidity of the alliance system and the nature of secret diplomacy, a contention that implied that responsibility for the war's outbreak was shared equally among the powers. The rigidity of French, German, Austrian and Russian military planning factored heavily. The military doctrine of all of these nations was emphatic that victory would only be gained by striking first, and that mobilization, once begun, could not be halted or slowed without risking invasion and defeat. The civilian leaders of the European powers therefore found themselves with ever fewer options and little room to manoeuvre, as the last weeks of July 1914 slipped away. Frantic diplomatic efforts to mediate the Austrian-Serbian quarrel simply became irrelevant in the end, as the automatic military escalations between Germany and Russia reinforced one another.

The Fischer-Geise theory, proposed by Fritz Fischer and Immanuel Geise in the 1960s, places most blame upon Germany. David Fromkin, in Europe's Last Summer, published in 2004, blames Germany and Austria-Hungary entirely, stating bluntly that "Austria-Hungary started its local war with Serbia, whilst Germany's military leaders started the worldwide war against France and Russia." However, many modern historians are in disagreement over this issue. While some continue to value the merit of this assessment, others find this to be a subjective analysis that has survived due to the influence of the winning parties in writing history. Most interpretations are based on conclusions regarding the causes of World War I. Fritz Fischer ( March 5, 1908- December 1, 1999) was an well known left-wing German historian. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Main article: World War I Princip being arrested after the shooting On June 28, 1914, Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo in a conspiracy involving Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb student, and several others. ...

Opening battles

Some of the very first actions of the war occurred far from Europe, including Africa and the Pacific Ocean. On August 8, 1914 the German protectorate of Togoland was invaded by a combined French and British force. On August 10, German forces based in South-West Africa attacked South Africa, and on August 11, Australian forces landed on the island of Neu-Pommern, which was part of German New Guinea. Within several months German forces in the Pacific had surrendered, or had been driven out, whereas sporadic and often fierce fighting continued in Africa for the remainder of the war. World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ... British Togoland was a League of Nations Mandate in Africa, formed by the splitting of German Togoland into French Togoland and British Togoland. ... The Republic of Namibia is a country in southwestern Africa, on the Atlantic coast. ... The Republic of South Africa is a large republic located at the southern tip of the continent. ... Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only country to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/Oceania. ... (This article is about the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. ... German New Guinea ( Ger. ...

In Europe, Germany and Austria-Hungary suffered from miscommunication regarding each army's intentions. Germany had originally guaranteed to support Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia, but the interpretations of this idea differed. Austro-Hungarian leaders thought that Germany would cover their northern flank against Russia, but Germany had planned for Austria-Hungary to focus the majority of its troops on Russia, while Germany dealt with France on the Western Front. This confusion forced the Austro-Hungarian army to split its troop concentrations from the south in order to meet the Russians in the north. The Serb army, which was coming up from the south of the country, met the Austrian army at Cer on August 12 1914. The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The Serbians were set up in defensive positions against the Austrians. The first attack came on August 16th, between parts of the 21st Austro-Hungarian division and parts of the Serbian Combined division. In harsh night-time fighting, the battle ebbed and flowed, until the Serbian line was rallied under the leadership of Stepa Stepanovic. Three days later the Austrians retreated across the Danube, having suffered 21,000 casualties against 16,000 Serbian casualties. This marked the first allied victory of the war. The Austrians had not achieved their main goal of eliminating Serbia, and it became increasingly likely that Germany would be forced to maintain forces on both fronts. Stepa Stepanovic was Duke (vojvoda) of the Serbian and Yugoslavian Armies who participated in 1876 to 1918 Serbias wars. ...

Germany's plan (named the Schlieffen plan) to deal with the Franco-Russian alliance involved delivering a knock-out blow to the French and then turning to deal with the more slowly mobilized Russian army. Rather than attack France directly, it was deemed prudent to attack France from the north. To do so, the German army had to march through Belgium. Germany demanded this free passage from the Belgian government, promising that Belgium would be Germany's firm ally if this was agreed to. When Belgium refused, Germany invaded and began marching through Belgium anyway, after first invading and securing tiny Luxembourg. It soon encountered resistance before the forts of the Belgian city of Liège. Britain sent an army to France, which advanced into Belgium. The Schlieffen Plan The Schlieffen Plan, the German General Staffs overall strategic blueprint for victory on the Western Front against France in the years up to 1914, takes its name from its author, Alfred Graf von Schlieffen. ... The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked state in the north-west of the continental European Union, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. ... Liège ( Dutch: Luik, German: Lüttich) is a major city located in the Belgian province of Liège, of which it is the capital. ...

The delays brought about by the resistance of the Belgian, French and British forces and the unexpectedly rapid mobilization of the Russians upset the German plans. Russia attacked in East Prussia, diverting German forces intended for the Western Front. Germany defeated Russia in a series of battles collectively known as the (second) Battle of Tannenberg, but this diversion allowed French and British forces to finally halt the German advance on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne (September 1914) as the Central Powers were forced into fighting a war on two fronts. East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the United Kingdom, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. ... Battle of Tannenberg Conflict World War I Date August 17 to September 2, 1914 PlaceNear Tannenberg ResultDecisive German victory Combatants Germany Russia Commanders Paul von HindenburgPavel Rennenkampf Alexander Samsonov Strength 210,000150,000 Casualties 20,00030,000 killed or wounded; 95,000 captured The Battle of Tannenberg of 1914 was... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... First Battle of the Marne Conflict World War I Date 5 September – 9 September 1914 Place Marne River near Paris, France Result Allied victory The First Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from September 5 to 9, 1914. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Southern theatres

Entry of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers in October–November 1914, threatening Russia's Caucasian territories and Britain's communications with India and the East via the Suez canal. British action opened another front in the South with the Gallipoli (1915) and Mesopotamia campaigns, though initially the Turks were successful in repelling enemy incursion. But in Mesopotamia, after the disastrous Siege of Kut (1915–16), the British reorganized and captured Baghdad in March 1917. Further to the west in Palestine, initial British failures were overcome with Jerusalem being captured in December 1917 and the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under Edmund Allenby going on to break the Ottoman forces at the Battle of Megiddo (September 1918). The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Caucasus is a region in West Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... 1881 drawing of the Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( Arabic, Qanā al-Suways), west of the Sinai Peninsula, forms a 163  km (118 miles) ship canal in Egypt between Port Said (Būr Saīd) on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea. ... Gallipoli, called Gelibolu in modern Turkish, is a town in northwestern Turkey. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Mesopotamia ( Greek: Μεσοποταμία, translated from Old Persian Miyanrudan the Land between the Rivers or the Aramaic name Beth-Nahrin two rivers) is a region of Southwest Asia. ... The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. ... The Siege of Kut-al-Amara ( December 7, 1915 - April 29, 1916) was part of the Mesopotamian campaign in World War I. The British Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force (MEF) suffered a very serious defeat against the Ottoman forces. ... A street map of Baghdad Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad Baghdad (بغداد) is the capital of Iraq and the Baghdad Province. ... The term Palestine may refer to: Palestine: A geographical region in the Middle East, centered on Jerusalem. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yerushalayim; Arabic: القدس al-Quds; see also names of Jerusalem) is an ancient Middle Eastern city of key importance to the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. ... Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby ( April 23, 1861 - May 14, 1936) was a British soldier most famous for his role during World War I, in which he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the conquest of Palestine and Syria in 1917 and 1918. ... Battle of Megiddo Conflict First World War Date September 19- 21, 1918 Place Megiddo, Palestine Result British victory The Battle of Megiddo of September 19- 21, 1918, was an important milestone in British General Edmund Allenbys conquest of Palestine during World War I. His forces made a massive push...

Russian armies generally had the best of it in the Caucasus. Enver Pasha, supreme commander of the Turkish armed forces, was a very ambitious man, with a dream to conquer central Asia. He was not a practical soldier. He launched an offensive with 100,000 troops against the Russians in the Caucasus in December of 1914. Insisting on a frontal attack against Russian positions in the mountains in the heart of winter, Enver lost 86% of his force. A new Russian commander on the front in the fall of 1915, Grand Duke Nicholas, brought new vigour. A major offensive in 1916 drove the Turks out of much of present-day Armenia, and tragically provided a context for the deportation and massacre of the Armenian population in eastern Anatolia. With control of part of the southern Black Sea coast, Nicholas pushed forward the construction of railway lines to bring up supplies. He was ready for an offensive in the spring of 1917. If it had gone ahead, there was a very good chance that Turkey would have been knocked out of the war in the summer of 1917. But, because of the Russian Revolution, Grand Duke Nicholas was recalled and the Russian armies soon fell apart. Ismail Enver Ismail Enver, known to Europeans during his political career as Enver Pasha ( Istanbul, November 22, 1881 - August 4, 1922) was a military officer and a leader of the Young Turk revolution in the closing days of the Ottoman Empire. ... Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaevich Romanov ( 6 November 1856 - 5 January 1929) was a Russian general in World War I. A grandson of the Tsar Nicholas I, he was commander in chief of the Russian armies on the main front in the first year of the war, and was later a... The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust or Armenian Massacre) was the mass forced evacuation and related deaths of hundreds of thousands or over a million Armenians during the government of the Young Turks from 1915 to 1917. ... The Armenians are a nation or ethnic group, originating in the Caucasus and eastern Asia Minor. ... Anatolia ( Greek: ανατολή anatolē or anatolí, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of... Satellite view of the Black Sea, taken by NASA MODIS Cities of the Black Sea The Black Sea (known as the Euxine Sea in the antiquity) is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and Asia Minor. ... The phrase Russian Revolution can refer to three specific events in the history of Imperial Russia. ...

Italian participation

Italy had been nominally allied to the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires since 1882, but had her own designs against Austrian territory in the South Tyrol, Istria and Dalmatia, and a secret 1902 understanding with France effectively nullifying her alliance commitments. Italy refused to join Germany and Austria-Hungary at the beginning of the war and joined the Entente by signing the London Pact in April and declaring war on Austria-Hungary in May 1915; it declared war against Germany fifteen months later. The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... South Tyrol ( German Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Italian Provincia autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige, Ladin Provinzia autonóma de Bulsan-Südtirol) is an autonomous province of Italy. ... Rovinj, on the western coast of Croatian Istria. ... Dalmatia ( Croatian Dalmacija, Italian Dalmazia, Serbian Далмација) is a region of Croatia on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, spreading between the island of Pag in the northwest and the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. ... The Triple Entente was the alliance formed in 1907 between the United Kingdom, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente. ... London Pact ( Italian Patto di Londra) was a secret pact between Italy and Triple Entente, signed in London on April 26, 1915 by Italy, Great Britain, France and Russia. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In general, the Italians enjoyed numerical superiority, but were poorly equipped; instead, the Austro-Hungarian defence took advantage of the mostly mountainous terrain. So, the 1915 Italian offensives on the Soča (Isonzo) front (the part of the border which was closest to Trieste, a major Italian objective) were repelled. The Austro-Hungarians counter-attacked from the South Tyrol in the spring of 1916 (Strafexpedition), but they made little progress. In the summer, the Italians took back the initiative, capturing the town of Gorizia. After this minor victory, the front remained practically stable for over one year, despite several Italian offensives. In the fall of 1917, thanks to the improving situation on the Eastern front, the Austrians received large reinforcements, including German assault troops. On October 26, they launched a crushing offensive that resulted in the victory of Kobarid (Caporetto): the Italian army was initially routed, but after retreating more than 100 km, it was able to reorganize and hold ground at the Battle of the Piave River. In 1918 the Austrians repeatedly failed to break this Italian line, and surrendered to the Entente powers in November. See: Soca River (pronounced Socha River), ( Slovenian original reka Soča). ... Location within Italy Trieste ( Latin Tergeste, Slovenian and Croatian Trst, German and Friulian Triest) is a city in northeastern Italy, capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and Trieste province, population 211,184 (2001). ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Gorizia ( Slovenian Gorica, German Görz, ( Friulian Gurize) is a small town (pop. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Area: 192. ... The Battle of the Piave River was a decisive victory for the Italian army during World War I. The defeat directly led to the downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the disintegration of the Austrian army. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Throughout the war Austro-Hungarian Chief of Staff, Conrad von Hötzendorf had a deep hatred for the Italians because he had always perceived them to be the greatest threat to his state. Their betrayal in 1914 enraged him even further. His hatred for Italy blinded him in many ways, and he made many foolish tactical and strategic errors during the campaigns in Italy. Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf Franz Graf Conrad von Hötzendorf ( November 11, 1852– August 25, 1925) was an Austrian soldier and Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army at the outbreak of World War I. Biography Born in Penzing, a suburb of Vienna, Conrads father was a...

Fall of Serbia

After repelling three Austrian invasions in August-December 1914, Serbia fell to combined German, Austrian and Bulgarian invasion in October 1915. Serbian troops continued to hold out in Albania and Greece, where a Franco-British force had landed to offer assistance and to pressure the Greek government into war against the Central Powers. 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Albania is a Mediterranean country in southeastern Europe. ... Greece, officaly called the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ...

Early stages: from romanticism to the trenches

The perception of war in 1914 was almost romantic, and its declaration was met with great enthusiasm by many people. The common view was that it would be a short war of manoeuvre with a few sharp actions (to "teach the enemy a lesson") and would end with a victorious entry into the capital (the enemy capital, naturally) then home for a victory parade or two and back to "normal" life. There were some pessimists (like Lord Kitchener) who predicted the war would be a long haul, but "everyone knew" the War would be "Over by Christmas". Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Leuven in 2004 Leuven (Louvain in French, Löwen in German) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, of which it is the capital. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum PC, KBE, KCB, ADC ( June 24, 1850 - June 5, 1916) was a British Field Marshal and statesman. ...

It has been proposed that the war established with German youths a militaristic and fascist mindset that made it possible for the Nazi party to take control of Germany two decades later. In the aftermath of WWI, post-war depression and nationalist (retributionist) views were a prominent aspect of German public sentiment; an important cornerstone of what would become Nazi ideology. Militarism is an ideology which claims that military strength is the source of all security, and that the military represents the forward direction of the society as a whole, as it expands into the world, asserting its influence. ... Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... The Nazi swastika symbol The National Socialist German Workers Party ( German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... Nationalism is an ethno- political ideology that sustains the concept of a nation- identity for an exclusive group of people. ...

The perceived excitement of war captured the imagination of the warring nations. Spurred on by propaganda and nationalist fervour, many eagerly joined the ranks in search of adventure. Few were prepared for what they actually encountered at the front.

See also: Recruitment to the British Army during WW I At the start of 1914 the British Army had a reported strength of 710,000 men, of which around 80,000 were actually ready for war. ...

Trench warfare begins

After their initial success on the Marne, Entente and German forces began a series of outflanking manoeuvres to try to force the other to retreat, in the so-called Race to the Sea. Britain and France soon found themselves facing entrenched German positions from Lorraine to Belgium's Flemish coast. The sides took set positions, the British and French seeking to take the offensive while Germany sought to defend the territories they had occupied. One consequence of this was that the German trenches were much better constructed than those of their enemy: the Anglo-French trenches were only intended to be 'temporary' before their forces broke through the German defences. Neither side proved able to deliver a decisive blow for the next four years, though protracted German action at Verdun (1916) and Allied failure the following spring brought the French army to the brink of collapse. Futile attempts at more frontal assaults, at terrible cost to the French poilu infantry, led to mutinies which threatened the integrity of the front line. First Battle of the Marne Conflict World War I Date 5 September – 9 September 1914 Place Marne River near Paris, France Result Allied victory The First Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from September 5 to 9, 1914. ... Course of the Race to the Sea showing dates of encounters and highlighting the significant battles. ... Capital Metz Area 23,547 km² Regional President Jean-Pierre Masseret Population  - 2005 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 2,310,376 98/km² Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Départements Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Lorraine ( German: Lothringen) is a historical area in present-day northeast France. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Battle of Verdun Conflict World War I Date 21 February 1916 – 19 December 1916 Place Verdun, France Result Stalemate They shall not pass — Robert Nivelle The Battle of Verdun was a major battle of the Western Front in World War I. The battle was fought between the German and French... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... Poilu is a warmly informal term for a French infantryman, meaning, literally, hairy one. ...

In the trenches

Around 800,000 soldiers from Britain and the Empire were on the Western Front at any one time, 1,000 battalions each occupying a sector of the line from Belgium to the Arne and operating a month-long four stage system, unless an offensive was underway. The front contained over 6,000 miles of trenches. Each battalion held its sector for around a week before moving back to support lines and then the reserve lines before a week out-of-line, often in the Poperinge or Amiens areas. File links The following pages link to this file: Infantry World War I Wikipedia:Todays featured article/June 2004 Wikipedia:Todays featured article/June 8, 2004 Categories: U.S. military images ... A database query syntax error has occurred. ...

The Eastern Front and Russia

While the Western Front had reached stalemate in the trenches, the war continued to the east.

See also: Eastern Front (World War I) The Eastern Front refers to a theatre of war during the first World War in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. ...

German victories in the East

The Russian initial plans for war had called for simultaneous invasions of Austrian Galicia and German East Prussia. Although Russia's initial advance into Galicia was largely successful, they were driven back from East Prussia by the victories of the German generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes in August and September 1914. Russia's less-developed economic and military organization soon proved unequal to the combined might of the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires. In the spring of 1915 the Russians were driven back in Galicia, and in May the Central Powers achieved a remarkable breakthrough on Poland's southern fringes, capturing Warsaw on August 5 and forcing the Russians to withdraw from all of Poland, known as the "Great Retreat". The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, or simply Galicia, was the largest and northernmost province of Austria from 1772 until 1918, with Lemberg (Lwów, Lviv) as its capital city. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ... Paul von Hindenburg President of Germany Paul von Hindenburg (full name Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg) ( October 2, 1847– August 2, 1934) was a German Field Marshal and statesman. ... General Erich Ludendorff Erich Ludendorff (sometimes given incorrectly as Erich von Ludendorff) ( April 9, 1865 – December 20, 1937, Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany) was a German Army officer, noted as a general during World War I. Ludendorff was born in Kruszewnia near Posen, Prussia (now Poznań, Poland). ... Battle of Tannenberg Conflict World War I Date August 17 to September 2, 1914 PlaceNear Tannenberg ResultDecisive German victory Combatants Germany Russia Commanders Paul von HindenburgPavel Rennenkampf Alexander Samsonov Strength 210,000150,000 Casualties 20,00030,000 killed or wounded; 95,000 captured The Battle of Tannenberg of 1914 was... During World War I, there was: First Battle of the Masurian Lakes, September 1914 Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes, February 1915 This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and... Warsaw ( Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... August 5 is the 217th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (218th in leap years), with 148 days remaining. ...

Russia unsettled

Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war in Russia, 1915

Dissatisfaction with the Russian government's conduct of the war grew despite the success of the June 1916 Brusilov offensive in eastern Galicia against the Austrians, when Russian success was undermined by the reluctance of other generals to commit their forces in support of the victorious sector commander. Allied fortunes revived only temporarily with Romania's entry into the war on August 27: German forces came to the aid of embattled Austrian units in Transylvania, and Bucharest fell to the Central Powers on December 6. Meanwhile, internal unrest grew in Russia, as the Tsar remained out of touch at the front, while Empress Alexandra's increasingly incompetent rule drew protests from all segments of Russian political life, resulting in the murder of Alexandra's favourite Rasputin by conservative noblemen at the end of 1916. Download high resolution version (800x691, 124 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Prisoner of war World War I Austro-Hungarian Army ... Download high resolution version (800x691, 124 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Prisoner of war World War I Austro-Hungarian Army ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Brusilov Offensive was the greatest Russian feat of arms during World War I. It was a major offensive against the armies of the Central Powers on the Eastern Front, launched on June 4, 1916 and lasting until early August. ... The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, or simply Galicia, was the largest and northernmost province of Austria from 1772 until 1918, with Lemberg (Lwów, Lviv) as its capital city. ... Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... Transylvania ( Romanian: Transilvania or Ardeal, Hungarian: Erdély, German: Siebenbürgen, Serbian: Transilvanija, Turkish: Erdel, Slovak: Sedmohradsko or Transylvania, Polish: Siedmiogród) is a historic region that forms the western and the central parts of Romania. ... Bucharest (population 2. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Princess Alix of Hesse, as Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia (1872-1918) Her Grand Ducal Highness Princess Alix of Hesse and by Rhine (Alix Victoria Helena Louise Beatrice, 6 June 1872 - 17 July 1918), was the consort of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last Tsar of Russia. ... Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( Russian: Григо́рий Ефи́мович Распу́тин) ( January 10, 1869 – December 16, 1916 (O.S.)) was a Russian mystic with an influence in the later days of Russias Romanov dynasty. ...

The Russian Revolution

In March 1917, demonstrations in St. Petersburg culminated in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the appointment of a weak centrist Provisional Government, which shared power with the socialists of the Petrograd Soviet. This division of power led to confusion and chaos, both on the front and at home, and the army became progressively less able to effectively resist Germany. Meanwhile, the war, and the government, became more and more unpopular, and the discontent was used strategically by the Bolshevik party, led by Vladimir Lenin, in order to gain power. The phrase Russian Revolution can refer to three specific events in the history of Imperial Russia. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Saint Petersburg  listen (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of... Tsar Nicholas II ( 18 May 1868 – 17 July 1918)1 was the last crowned Emperor of Russia. ... The Russian Provisional Government was formed in Petrograd after the deterioration of the Russian Empire and the abdication of the Tsars. ... The Petrograd Soviet, or the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers Deputies, was the council set up in Petrograd ( Saint Petersburg, Russia) in March 1917 as the representative body of the citys workers. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) (April 22 (April 10 (O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a Russian revolutionary, the leader of the Bolshevik party, the first Premier of the Soviet Union, and the founder of the ideology of Leninism. ...

The triumph of the Bolsheviks in November was followed in December by an armistice and negotiations with Germany. At first, the Bolsheviks refused to agree to the harsh German terms, but when Germany resumed the war and marched with impunity across Ukraine, the new government acceded to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on March 3, 1918, which took Russia out of the war and ceded vast territories including Finland, the Baltic provinces, Poland and Ukraine to the Central Powers. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest, formerly Brest-Litovsk, between Russia and the Central Powers, marking Russias exit from World War I. The treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year but is significant as a chief... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Republic of Finland (Finnish: Suomen tasavalta, Swedish: Republiken Finland) is a Nordic country in northeastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the southwest, the Gulf of Finland to the southeast and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west. ... Baltic states and the Baltic Sea The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a term which nowadays refers to three countries in Northern Europe: Estonia Latvia Lithuania Prior to World War II, Finland was sometimes considered, particularly by the Soviet Union, a fourth Baltic state. ... The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and... Ukraine (Україна, Ukrayina in Ukrainian; Украина in Russian) is a republic in eastern Europe which borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest and the Black Sea to the south. ...

After the Russians initially dropped out of the war, the Allies led a small-scale invasion of Russia. The invasion was made with intent to punish the Russians for dropping out of World War I and to support the Czarists in the Russian Revolution. Troops landed in Archangel and in another city on the Pacific coast of Russia. The bulk of the troops were from Michigan, a northern state in the United States. The Allied forces were initially told they were invading to defend supplies from German troops. In reality, they were defending them from communist Russians. A memorial commemorating the event is located in White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, Michigan. The force also included a number of Canadians who were based in Vladivostok. The Canadian force contained an artillery unit, but they saw minimal combat. Murmansk, Archangelsk, Dikson, Tiksi, on the Arctic Ocean The city of Arkhangelsk (Арха́нгельск, formerly in English Archangel) lies on the Northern Dvina River (Се́верная Двина́) near its exit into the White Sea in the far north of European Russia. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... Troy is a city located in Oakland County, Michigan. ...

Societal effects

One of the distinguishing features of the war was its totality. All aspects of the societies fighting were affected by the conflict, often causing profound societal change, even if the countries were not in the warzone. Total war describes an international war in which countries or nations use all of their resources to destroy another organized countrys or nations ability to engage in war. ...

One of the most dramatic such effects was the expansion of government, its powers and responsibilities in Britain, France, the United States, and the British dominions. In order to harness all the power of their societies, new government ministries and powers were created. New taxes were levied, and laws enacted, all designed to bolster the war effort, many of which have lasted to this day.

At the same time, the war strained the abilities of the formerly large and bureaucratized governments such as in Austria-Hungary and Germany. Here, however, the long term effects were clouded by the defeat of these governments.

Families were altered by the departure of many men. With the death or absence of the primary wage earner women were forced into the workforce in unprecedented numbers, at least in many of the Entente powers. At the same time, industry needed to replace the lost labourers sent to war. This aided the struggle for voting rights for women. The workforce is the labour pool in employment. ... Suffragette with banner, Washington DC, 1918 The title of suffragette was given to members of the womens suffrage movement in the United Kingdom and United States, particularly in the years prior to World War I. The name was the Womens Social and Political Union (founded in 1903). ...

Turning the tide

Events of 1917 would prove decisive in ending the war, although their effects would not fully be felt until 1918. The Allied naval blockade of Germany began to have serious impact on morale and productivity on the German home-front. In response, in February 1917, the German General Staff (OHL) were able to convince Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg to declare unrestricted submarine warfare, with the goal of starving Britain out of the war. Tonnage sunk rose above 500,000 tonnes per month from February until July, peaking at 860,000 tonnes in April. After July, the newly introduced convoy system was extremely effective in neutralizing the U-boat threat. Britain was safe from the threat of starvation. Even more importantly, April 1917 finally saw the formal entry of the United States into the war, in response to the sinking of the Lusitania, on May 17, 1915. A blockade is an effort usually (but not always, see below) at sea, to prevent supplies from reaching the enemy. ... Oberste Heeresleitung (OHL, or Supreme Army Command) was the highest echelon of command of the German army in World War I. Between the OHL and the Seekriegsleitung (SKL, or Naval Warfare Command), which was responsible for naval warfare, there was insufficient coordination, at least during the preparations for war; e. ... Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg ( November 29, 1856– January 1, 1921) was a German politician and statesman who served as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. ... Unrestricted submarine warfare is a kind of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning. ... Tonnage refers to several methods of calculating the carrying capacity, or the weight, of ships. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... RMS Lusitania RMS Lusitania was an ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Lines. ...

Indicator Nets were predominantly deployed by the British Royal Navy as a means—albeit generally unsuccessful—of discouraging enemy (usually German) submarines from entering Allied waters. Constructed using light steel nets these were anchored at various depths to the sea bed around key Allied naval bases and were intended to entangle enemy U-boat traffic, although even then submarines were often able to disentangle themselves and escape before they were blown up by depth charges. They were seldom used as the sole anti-submarine measure but were instead mixed with other defences, which usually included extensive minefields and patrolling warships. In time mines were actually attached to the nets, thereby reducing the survival chances of an entangled submarine.

Once a submarine became entangled a marker buoy attached to the net would drift along the surface indicating enemy activity below. The first example of indicator nets assisting in the destruction of a German U-boat occurred at Dover when the U-8 became entangled on 4 March 1915.

Indicator Nets were used extensively—dropped from light fishing craft—at both Dover and Otranto Barrages. Individual nets were sometimes as much as 100 metres in length. While these were ultimately of some benefit at Dover (where the barrage was constantly fine-tuned to produce results) they proved ineffective at Otranto, with gaps between the light steel nets sufficiently wide to allow enemy submarines through. Under cover of darkness, U-boats could also thwart the nets by coasting along the surface, as happened at the Otranto Barrage.

The decisive victory of Germany at the Battle of Caporetto led to the Allied decision at the Rapallo Conference to form the Supreme Allied Council at Versailles to co-ordinate plans and action. The Battle of Caporetto (or Battle of Karfreit as it was known by the Central Powers), took place from October 24 to November 9, 1917, near Kobarid (now Slovenia) on the Austro-Italian front of World War I. Austro-Hungarian forces, reinforced by German units, were able to break into... The Rapallo Conference was convened by the allied powers of World War I, on 1917- 11-05 in Rapallo, Italy, following their defeat by Germany at the Battle of Caporetto. ... Versailles, formerly the capital city of the kingdom of France, is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and is still an important administrative and judicial center. ...

In December, the Central Powers signed an Armistice with Russia, thereby releasing troops from the eastern front for use in the west. With both German reinforcements and new American troops pouring into the Western Front, the final outcome of the war was to be decided in that front. The Central Powers knew that they could not win a protracted war now that American forces were certain to be arriving in increasing numbers, but held high hopes for a rapid offensive in the West, using their reinforced troops and new infantry tactics. Furthermore, rulers of both the Central Powers and the Entente began to recognize the threat first raised by Ivan Bloch in 1899, that protracted industrialized war threatened social collapse and revolution throughout Europe. Both sides urgently sought a decisive, rapid victory on the Western Front. Central Powers is a term used to refer to the Dual Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I. They are so called because they all lay between Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. ... Central Powers is a term used to refer to the Dual Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I. They are so called because they all lay between Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. ... Ivan Stanislavovic Bloch ( 1836 - 1902) (aka Johann von Bloch, Jean de Bloch, Ivan Bliokh) was a Polish banker and railway financier who devoted his private life to the study of modern industrial warfare. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A revolution is a relatively sudden and absolutely drastic change. ...

President Wilson before Congress, announcing the break in the official relations with Germany. February 3, 1917.

Download high resolution version (1185x867, 269 KB)President Wilson before Congress, announcing the break in the official relations with Germany. ... Download high resolution version (1185x867, 269 KB)President Wilson before Congress, announcing the break in the official relations with Germany. ...

Entry of the United States

A long stretch of American isolationism left the United States reluctant to involve itself with what was popularly conceived as a European dispute. Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ...

Early in 1917 Germany resumed its policy of unrestricted submarine warfare. This, combined with public indignation over the Zimmerman telegram, led to a final break of relations with the Central Powers. President Woodrow Wilson requested that the U.S. Congress declare war, which it did on April 6, 1917 (see: Woodrow Wilson declares war on Germany on Wikisource). The Senate approved the war resolution 82-6, the House with 373-50. Unrestricted submarine warfare is a kind of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning. ... The Zimmermann Telegram was a telegram dispatched by the Foreign Secretary of the German Empire, Arthur Zimmermann, on January 16, 1917, to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt, at the height of World War I. It instructed the ambassador to approach the Mexican government with a proposal to... President of the United States - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson ( December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 45th state Governor of New Jersey ( 1911- 1913) and later the 28th President of the United States ( 1913- 1921). ... Seal of the Congress. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Wikisource is a sister project to Wikipedia that aims to create a free wiki compendium of primary source texts in any language, as well as translations of source texts. ...

Although the American contribution to the war was important, particularly in terms of the threat posed by increased US presence in Europe, the United States was never formally a member of the Allies, but an "Associated Power".

The United States Army and the National Guard had mobilized in 1916 to pursue the Mexican "bandit" Pancho Villa, which helped speed up the mobilization. The United States Navy was able to send a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet, a number of destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland and several divisions of submarines to the Azores and Bantry Bay Ireland to help guard convoys . However, it would be some time before the United States forces would be able to contribute significant manpower to the Western and Italian fronts. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The United States National Guard is a significant component of the United States armed forces military reserve. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... General Pancho Villa José Doroteo Arango Arámbula ( June 5, 1878 – July 20, 1923) — better known by his nom de guerre Francisco Villa or, in its diminutive form, Pancho Villa — was one of the foremost generals of the Mexican Revolution. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... This article is about a battleship as a type of warship. ... Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ... Cobh (An Cóbh in Irish, derived from English the cove) is a seaport in County Cork, Ireland ( 51°51′ N 8°18′ W). ... A true colour image of Ireland, captured by a NASA satellite on January 4, 2003. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Flag of Azores Shaded relief map of the Azores from 1975 The Azores ( Portuguese: Açores) are an archipelago of Portuguese islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km from Lisbon and about 3,900 km from the east coast of North America. ... Bantry Bay is a natural harbour at the County Cork town of Bantry in the Republic of Ireland. ... A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ...

The British and French insisted that the United States emphasize sending infantry to reinforce the line. Throughout the war, the American forces were short of their own artillery, aviation, and engineering units. However, General John J. Pershing, American Expeditionary Force commander, resisted breaking up American units and using them as reinforcements for British and French units, as suggested by the Allies. Infantry in the First World War Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Photo portrait from May 1917 New York Times John Joseph Black Jack Pershing ( September 13, 1860 – July 15, 1948) was a soldier in the United States Army. ... Officers of the American Expeditionary Forces and the Baker mission The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF was the United States military force in World War I. The AEF helped the French defend the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in May. ...

The reasons the United States got involved in the war are numerous and much-debated. In 1934, the US government created the Nye Committee to investigate the matter. In 1936, the committee reported that between 1915 and April 1917, the US loaned Germany 27 million dollars ($27,000,000, or $470,000,000 adjusted for inflation in 2005 dollars). In the same period, the US loaned France and its allies 2.3 billion dollars ($2,300,000,000 or $40,000,000,000 adjusted for inflation in 2005 dollars), or about 85 times as much. They concluded that the US entered the war because it was in its commercial interest for Britain not to lose. 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Nye Committee studied the causes of United States involvement in World War I between 1934 and 1936. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

German Spring Offensive of 1918

Ludendorff made plans for a 1918 general offensive along the Western Front. The Spring Offensive sought to divide the British and French armies in a series of feints and advances. To the German leadership, a deteriorating economic and manpower situation compared to the Allies' strengthening through the United States' entry made 1918 the last chance for victory. German strength in the West was additionally boosted by the recent transfer of divisions from the Eastern Front. 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) was a German offensive along the Western Front during the First World War which marked the deepest advance by any side since 1914. ...

Operation Michael opened on 21 March 1918 with an attack against the British towards the rail junction at Amiens. It was Ludendorff's intention to split the British and French armies at this point. German forces achieved an unprecedented advance of 60km. For the first time since 1914, manoeuvre had returned to the battlefield. The Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) was a German offensive along the Western Front during the First World War which marked the deepest advance by any side since 1914. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The cathedral in Amiens Location within France Amiens is a city and commune in the north of France, 120 km north of Paris. ...

British and French trenches were defeated using novel infiltration tactics. To this time, attacks had been characterized by long artillery bombardments and continuous-front mass assaults. However, in the Spring Offensive the German Army used artillery briefly and infiltrated small groups of infantry at weak points, attacking command and logistics areas and surrounding points of serious resistance. These isolated positions were then destroyed by more heavily armed infantry. German success relied greatly on this tactic. In warfare, infiltration tactics involves small forces bypassing enemy strongpoints, instead isolating these strongpoints for later forces and disrupting rear areas. ...

The frontline had now moved to within 120 kilometres of Paris. Three super-heavy Krupp railway guns advanced to fire 183 shells on Paris, causing many Parisians to flee the city. The initial stages of the offensive were so successful that Wilhelm II declared March 24 a national holiday. Many Germans thought victory to be close. However, supply shortages and attrition caused the German offensive to halt. German casualties between March and April 1918 were 270,000. The Krupp family is a prominent 400-year-old German family from Essen, famous for their steel production and manufacture of ammunition and armaments. ... A railway gun is a large artillery piece, designed to be placed on rail tracks. ... Wilhelm II German Emperor and King of Prussia Wilhelm II of Prussia and Germany, Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Hohenzollern ( January 27, 1859– June 4, 1941) was the last German Emperor ( Kaiser) and the last King (König) of Prussia, ruling from 1888 to 1918. ...

United States divisions, which Pershing sought to field as an independent force, were assigned to depleted French and British commands on 28 March. A supreme command of Allied forces was created at the Doullers conference in which Field Marshal Douglas Haig handed control of his forces over to Ferdinand Foch. March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... Ferdinand Foch ( October 2, 1851 – March 20, 1929) was a French soldier. ...

Following Operation Michael, Germany launched Operation Georgette to the north against the Channel ports. This was halted with less significant territorial gains. The Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) was a German offensive along the Western Front during the First World War which marked the deepest advance by any side since 1914. ... The English Channel ( French:La Manche) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Operations Blucher and Yorck were then conducted by the German Army to the south, broadly towards Paris.

Operation Marne was then launched on 15 July as an attempt to encircle Reims, beginning the Second Battle of the Marne. The resulting Allied counter attack marked the first successful Allied offensive of the war. By July 20, 1918, the Germans were at their Kaiserschlacht starting lines. Following the last phase, the German Army never again held the initiative. July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... Location within France Reims (English traditionally Rheims) (pronounced in French) is a city of northern France, 144 km. ... The Second Battle of the Marne, was a World War I battle fought from July 15 to July 18, 1918 near the Marne River. ...

Meanwhile, Germany was crumbling internally as well. Anti-war marches were a frequent occurrence and morale within the army was at low levels. Industrial output had fallen 53% from 1913. Anti war protest in Melbourne, Australia, 2003 Anti_war is a name that is widely adopted by any social movement or person that seeks to end or oppose a future or current war. ...

On August 8, 1918, the predicted counter-offensive occurred. It involved 414 tanks, and 120,000 men. The allies had advanced twelve kilometres into German territory in just seven hours. Erich Ludendorff referred to this day as "the blackest day for the German army in the history of the war".

Allied victory

Throughout World War I, Allied forces were stalled at trenches on the Western Front.

However, after a few days the offensive had slowed down— the British had encountered problems with all but seven of their four hundred and fourteen tanks. On August 15, 1918, Haig called an end to the offensive and began to plan for an offensive in Albert. That offensive came on August 21. Some 130,000 American troops were involved, along with soldiers from British third and fourth armies. The offensive was an overwhelming success. The German second army had been pushed back over a fifty-five kilometre front. The town of Bapaume was captured on August 29 and by September 2, the Germans had been forced back to the Hindenburg Line. Bishop Museum archive photos of World War I This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Bishop Museum archive photos of World War I This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... For most of World War I, Allied Forces, predominantly those of France and the United Kingdom, were stalled at trenches on the Western Front. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... August 21 is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Bapaume is a chief town of canton of northern France, in the département of Pas-de-Calais, arrondissement of Arras. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). ... The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in Northern France constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916– 17 during World War I; the Germans called it the Siegfried Line. ...

The attempt to take the Hindenburg Line occurred on September 26 (known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive): 260,000 American soldiers went "over the top" towards the Hindenburg Line. All divisions were successful in capturing their initial objectives, except the 79th division of the AEF. They met stiff resistance at Montfaucon and were unable to progress. This failure allowed the Germans to recover and regroup. Montfaucon was captured on September 27; however, failure to take it the day before proved to be one of the most costly mistakes of the entire campaign. September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... Meuse-Argonne Offensive Conflict World War I, Western Front Date 1918- 09-26 – 1918- 11-11 Place Argonne Forest, France Result Allied victory The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was a major battle of World War I. It was the biggest operation and victory of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in that... Officers of the American Expeditionary Forces and the Baker mission The American Expeditionary Forces or AEF was the United States military force in World War I. The AEF helped the French defend the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in May. ... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 95 days remaining. ...

By the start of October it was evident that things were not going according to plan. Many tanks were once again breaking down, and those that were actually operable were rendered useless due to tank commanders finding the terrain impossible to navigate. Regardless of this, Ludendorff had decided by October 1 that Germany had two ways out—total annihilation or an armistice. He recommended the latter to senior figures at a summit in Spa, Belgium on that very same day. Pershing continued to pound the exhausted and bewildered Germans without relent for all of October along the Meuse-Argonne front. This would continue until the end of the war. October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ...

Meanwhile, news of Germany's impending defeat had spread throughout the German Armed forces. The threat of mutiny was rife. Naval commander Admiral Scheer and Ludendorff decided to launch a last ditch attempt to restore the "valour" of the German navy. He knew that any such action would be vetoed by the government of Max von Baden, so he made the decision not to inform him. Via word of mouth or otherwise, word of the impending assault reached sailors at Kiel. Many of the sailors took unofficial leave—refusing to be part of an offensive which they believed to be nothing more than a suicide bid. It was mostly Ludendorff who took the fall for this—the Kaiser dismissing him on October 26. Prince Maximilian of Baden (Max von Baden) ( 1 July 1867– 6 November 1929) was the cousin and heir of Grand Duke Frederick II of Baden, and succeeded Frederick as head of the Grand Ducal House in 1928. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ...

However, since the end of September 1918 Ludendorff had been concocting a plan of his own. Although he was a traditionalist conservative, he decided to try and incite a political revolution by introducing new reforms that "democratized" Germany; also satisfying the monarchists as the Kaiser's reign would continue unabridged. He believed that democratization would show the German people that the government was prepared to change, thus reducing the chance of a socialist style revolt as was seen in Russia in 1917. However, it is the belief of some historians that by doing so Ludendorff had an ulterior motive. His reforms would hand more power over to the members of the Reichstag—particularly the ruling parties, at this time the centre party (under Matthias Erzberger), the liberals, and the social democrats. Therefore, with Luderndorff handing more power to these parties they would have the authority to request an armistice. With 5,989,758 Germans casualties (4,216,058 wounded, 1,773,700 killed), they did just that. Soon after that, Ludendorff had a dramatic change of heart—and began to claim that the very parties who he handed power to had lost Germany the war. These politicians had "stabbed Germany in the back". Prince Max von Baden (SDP) was put in charge. Negotiations for a peace were immediately put into place on his appointment. Also, he was torn between the idea of a constitutional monarchy or complete abolition. However, the matter was taken out of his hands by Philipp Scheidemann, who on November 9, 1918, declared Germany a Republic from a balcony atop the Reichstag. Von Baden announced that the Kaiser was to abdicate—before the Kaiser had himself made up his mind. Imperial Germany had died, and a new Germany had been born: the Weimar Republic. The Reichstag is both an institutional assembly and a specific building. ... Matthias Erzberger (September 20, 1875 - August 26, 1921) was a German political figure. ... Philipp Scheidemann ( 26 July 1865– 29 November 1939) was a German Social Democratic politician, who was responsible for the proclamation of the Republic on 9 November 1918, and who became the first Chancellor of the Weimar Republic. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (Pronounced Vye-Mar, and in German it is known as the Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German monarchy...

End of the war

Front page of the New York Times on Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.

Bulgaria was the first of the Central Powers to sign an armistice (September 29, 1918). Germany requested a cease-fire on October 3, 1918. When Wilhelm II ordered the German High Seas Fleet to sortie against the Allied navies, they mutinied in Wilhelmshaven starting October 29, 1918. On October 30 the Ottoman Empire capitulated. On November 3 Austria-Hungary sent a flag of truce to the Italian Commander to ask an Armistice and terms of peace. The terms having been arranged by telegraph with the Allied Authorities in Paris, were communicated to the Austrian Commander, and were accepted. The Armistice with Austria was granted to take effect at three o'clock on the afternoon of November 4. Austria and Hungary had signed separate armistices following the overthrow of the Habsburg monarchy. Download high resolution version (707x894, 217 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (707x894, 217 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... 3rd October Organization is also the name of a Marxist terrorist group . ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The High Seas Fleet ( German: Hochseeflotte) was the main battle fleet of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) during World War I. The fleet was based at Wilhelmshaven in the Jade estuary, and commanded by Admirals Friedrich von Ingenohl (1913–1915), Hugo von Pohl (1915–1916), Reinhard Scheer (1916–1918... Sortie is a term for deployment of aircraft or ships for the purposes of a specific mission. ... Wilhelmshaven is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 63 days remaining. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... German troops after surrendering to the U.S. Third Army carry the white flag ( WW2 photo). ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 57 days remaining. ...

Following the outbreak of the German Revolution, a Republic was proclaimed on November 9, marking the end of the German Empire. The Kaiser fled the next day to the Netherlands, which granted him political asylum. (See Weimar Republic for details.) On November 11 Germany signed in a railroad car at Compiègne, in France, an armistice with the Allies. On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour it was official, the war was over.The treaty was known as the Treaty of Versailles, and was signed in 1918. Revolutionaries at machine gun posts, Berlin, November 1918 The German Revolution describes a series of events that occurred in 1918- 1919, culminating in the overthrow of the Kaiser and the establishment of a democratic republic. ... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... The term German Empire (Deutsches Reich) commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Kaiser ( Emperor) Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic (Pronounced Vye-Mar, and in German it is known as the Weimarer Republik). It is named after the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to produce a new constitution after the German monarchy... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... Compiègne is a commune in the Oise département of France, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The ceremonial signing of the treaty with Germany occurred June...

For data on military and civilian deaths by nationality, see World War I casualties. This article contains a summary of deaths by nationality during World War I. Military Deaths Included in brackets the percent of the total forces mobilized by that country that were killed in action. ...

Technology

The First World War was different from prior military conflicts: it was a meeting of 20th century technology with 19th century mentality and tactics. This time, millions of soldiers, both volunteers and conscripts fought on all sides with Kitchener's Army being a notable volunteer force. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Technology ( Gr. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tactics is the collective name for methods of winning a small-scale conflict, performing an optimization, etc. ... Following the outbreak of hostilities in the Great War the then British Secretary of State for War Horatio Kitchener, Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, advised forming a volunteer army of a million men. ...

Much of the war's combat involved trench warfare, where hundreds often died for each metre of land gained. Many of the deadliest battles in history occurred during the First World War. Such battles include Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Marne, Cambrai, Somme, Verdun, and Gallipoli. Artillery was responsible for the largest number of casualties during the First World War. Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... There were four Battles of Ypres during World War I: First Battle of Ypres ( October 19 – November 22, 1914) Second Battle of Ypres ( April 22 – May 15, 1915) Third Battle of Ypres ( July 31 – November 6, 1917) (also known as Passchendaele) Fourth Battle of Ypres ( September 28 – October 2, 1918... The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British campaign known as the Battle of Arras. ... There were two Battles of the Marne during World War I: First Battle of the Marne (1914) Second Battle of the Marne (1918) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Battle of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 3, 1917) was a British campaign of World War I. Noted for the first successful use of tanks, the British attack ended as another failure. ... Battle of the Somme Conflict First World War Date 1 July 1916 – 18 November 1916 Place Somme, Picardy, France Result Stalemate The 1916 Battle of the Somme was one of the largest battles of the First World War, with more than one million casualties. ... Battle of Verdun Conflict World War I Date 21 February 1916 – 19 December 1916 Place Verdun, France Result Stalemate They shall not pass — Robert Nivelle The Battle of Verdun was a major battle of the Western Front in World War I. The battle was fought between the German and French... Battle of Gallipoli Conflict First World War Date 19 February 1915 - 9 January 1916 Place Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey Result Ottoman victory The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli in 1915 during the First World War. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

The First World War also saw the use of chemical warfare and aerial bombardment, both of which had been outlawed under the 1907 Hague Convention. Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and 1907, respectively, and were, along with the Geneva Conventions, among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the nascent body of international law. ...

Chemical warfare was a major distinguishing factor of the war. Gases used ranged from tear gas to disabling chemicals such as mustard gas and killing agents like phosgene. Only a small proportion of casualties were caused by gas, but it achieved harassment and psychological effects. Effective countermeasures to gas were found in gas masks and hence in the later stages of the war, as the use of gas increased, in many cases its effectiveness was diminished. Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... A poison gas attack in World War I. The use of poison gas was a major military innovation of the First World War. ... A riot control agent is a type of lachrymatory agent (or lacrimatory agent). ... A chemical substance is any material substance used in or obtained by a process in chemistry: A chemical compound is a substance consisting of two or more chemical elements that are chemically combined in fixed proportions. ... Chemical Structure of Mustard Gas Compound Mustard gas (HD) is a chemical compound that was first used as a chemical weapon in World War I. In pure form, it is a colourless, odourless, viscous liquid at room temperature and causes blistering of the skin. ... Phosgene (also known as carbonyl chloride, C O Cl2) is a highly toxic gas or refrigerated liquid that was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. It has no color, but is detectable in air by its odor, which resembles moldy hay. ... A countermeasure is a system (usually for a military application) designed to prevent weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target. ... A gas mask is a mask worn on the face to protect the body from airborne pollutants and toxins. ...

Nieuport Fighter Aisne, France 1917

Fixed-wing aircraft were first used militarily during the First World War. Initial uses consisted principally of reconnaissance, though this developed into ground-attack and fighter duties as well. Strategic bombing aircraft were created principally by the German and British empires, though the former used Zeppelins to this end as well. WW1 - Nieuport biplane fighter. ... Aisne is a département in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River. ... Fixed-wing aircraft is a term used to refer to what are more commonly known as aeroplanes in Commonwealth English (excluding Canada) or airplanes in North American English. ... Nieuport Fighter Aisne, France 1917 The Early Years of War The early years of war saw canvas-and-wood aircraft used primarily to function as mobile observation vehicles. ... Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Strategic bombing is a military strategem used in a total war style campaign that attempts to destroy the economic ability of a nation-state to wage war. ... LZ127 Graf Zeppelin, the most traveled airship in history A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship (or dirigible) pioneered by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. ...

U-boats, or submarines, were first used in combat shortly after the war began. Alternating between restricted and unrestricted submarine warfare during the First Battle of the Atlantic, they were employed by the Kaiserliche Marine in a strategy of weakening the British Empire by attacking its merchant shipping. In 1915, the RMS Lusitania liner was sunk with United States citizens aboard, affecting the United States' entry into the war. U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... Unrestricted submarine warfare is a kind of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchant ships without warning. ... The First battle of the Atlantic ( 1914– 1918) was a naval campaign of World War I, largely fought in the seas around the British Isles and in the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire and existed between 1871 and 1919; it grew out of the Prussian Navy and the Norddeutsche Bundesmarine. ... RMS Lusitania RMS Lusitania was an ocean liner of the Cunard Steamship Lines. ...

Aftermath

Main article: Aftermath of World War I

The First World War ended with a Europe scarred by trenches, spent of resources, and littered with the bodies of the millions who died in battle. The direct consequences of WWI brought many old regimes crashing to the ground, and ultimately, would lead to the end of 300 years of European hegemony. The fighting in World War I ended when an armistice took effect at 11:00 hours on November 11, 1918. ...

The spread of war

1914

• July 28: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
• August 1: Germany declares war on Russia.
• August 2: German troops occupy Luxembourg
• August 3: Germany declares war on France
• August 4: Germany invades neutral Belgium; the United Kingdom declares war on Germany in response.
• August 10: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.
• August 12: The United Kingdom and France declare war on Austria-Hungary.
• August 23: Japan declares war on Germany
• September: Unity Pact signed by France, Britain, and Russia
• October 9: Belgium falls to German troops at the Siege of Antwerp
• October 29: The Ottoman Empire enters the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.
• November 2: Russia declares war on Turkey.
• November 5: France and United Kingdom declare war on Turkey.
• December 25: Christmas Truce in Trenches

1915

• April 24: Young Turk Ottoman government begins deportation and murder of Armenians accusing them of collaboration with the Allies
• April 25: Gallipoli campaign commences
• April 26: Italy secretly signs the London Pact with the Triple Entente
• May 23: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary
• October 14: Bulgaria declares war on Serbia and enters the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

1916

• March 9: Germany declares war on Portugal (see Portugal in the Great War)
• August 27: Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary
• August 28: Italy declares war on Germany

1917

• January 16: Germany sends the Zimmermann Telegram to Mexico, proposing an alliance against the United States.
• April 6: The United States declares war on Germany.
• June 27: Greece enters the war on the side of the Allies.
• August 14: The Republic of China declares war on Germany.
• October 26: Brazil declares war on Germany.
• December 7: United States declares war on Austria-Hungary.

1918

• November 11: Armistice signed, end of World War I.

1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... Serbia and Montenegro  – Serbia    – Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    – Vojvodina  – Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  – Total  – % water  88,361 km²  n/a Population  – Total (2002)     (without Kosovo)  – Density  7. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... The Russian Federation (Russian: Росси́йская Федера́ция, transliteration: Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossijskaja Federacija), or Russia (Russian: Росси́я, transliteration: Rossiya or Rossija), is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. ... August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked state in the north-west of the continental European Union, bordered by France, Germany and Belgium. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in Leap years). ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The Siege of Antwerp was an engagement of the Germans and the Belgians during World War I. The German army invaded Belgium on the morning of August 4, 1914, two days after the decision of the Belgian government not to allow German troops unhindered passage to France. ... October 29 is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 63 days remaining. ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... November 2 is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 59 days remaining. ... The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... The so-called Christmas truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, during World War I, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium for Christmas. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... The Young Turks were a Turkish nationalist reform party, officially known as the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) — in Turkish the Ittihad ve Terakki Cemiyeti — whose leaders led a rebellion against Sultan Abdul Hamid II (who was officially deposed and exiled in 1909). ... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29, 1923... The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust or Armenian Massacre) was the mass forced evacuation and related deaths of hundreds of thousands or over a million Armenians during the government of the Young Turks from 1915 to 1917. ... The Armenians are a nation or ethnic group, originating in the Caucasus and eastern Asia Minor. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... Gallipoli, called Gelibolu in modern Turkish, is a town in northwestern Turkey. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... The Italian Republic or Italy (Italian: Repubblica Italiana or Italia) is a country in southern Europe. ... London Pact ( Italian Patto di Londra) was a secret pact between Italy and Triple Entente, signed in London on April 26, 1915 by Italy, Great Britain, France and Russia. ... The Triple Entente was the alliance formed in 1907 between the United Kingdom, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente. ... May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years). ... The Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. ... Serbia and Montenegro  – Serbia    – Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    – Vojvodina  – Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  – Total  – % water  88,361 km²  n/a Population  – Total (2002)     (without Kosovo)  – Density  7. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... The Republic of Portugal (Portuguese: República Portuguesa) is a democratic republic located on the west and southwest parts of the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, the westernmost country in continental Europe. ... 1914/1915 - Portugal Neutral Bosnian separatists assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June, 28, 1914. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Zimmermann Telegram was a telegram dispatched by the Foreign Secretary of the German Empire, Arthur Zimmermann, on January 16, 1917, to the German ambassador in Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt, at the height of World War I. It instructed the ambassador to approach the Mexican government with a proposal to... The United Mexican States or Mexico (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México; regarding the use of the variant spelling Méjico, see section The name below) is a country located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States of America, to the southeast by Guatemala and Belize, to... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... Greece, officaly called the Hellenic Republic (Greek: Ελληνική Δημοκρατία), is a country in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula. ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... The Republic of China ( Traditional Chinese: 中華民國; Simplified Chinese: 中华民国; Wade-Giles: Chung-hua Min-kuo, Tongyong Pinyin: JhongHuá MínGuó, Hanyu Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó) is a multiparty democratic state that is composed of the island groups of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Quemoy, and the Matsu. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... The Federative Republic of Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil in Portuguese) is the largest and most populous country in South America, and fifth largest in the world. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... An armistice is the effective end of a war, when the warring parties agree to stop fighting. ...

Casualties

Country	Casualties	Dead	Wounded
Russia	6,650,000	1,700,000	5,950,000
Germany	5,989,758	2,037,700	4,216,058
France	5,623,800	1,357,800	4,266,000
Austria-Hungary	4,820,000	1,200,000	3,620,000
British Empire*	2,998,583	908,371	2,090,300
Italy	1,597,000	650,000	947,000
Serbia	1,178,148	450,000	728,148
Ottoman Empire	725,000	325,000	400,000
Romania	455,706	335,706	120,000
United States	360,300	126,000	234,300
Bulgaria	239,890	87,500	152,390
Canada*	239,605	66,655	172,950
Australia*	218,501	59,330	159,171
Montenegro	60,000	50,000	10,000
Belgium	58,402	13,716	44,686
Greece	26,000	5,000	21,000
Portugal	20,973	7,222	13,751
Japan	1,207	300	907

*British Empire includes Canadian, Australian, and Indian casualties.

See also: World War I casualties This article contains a summary of deaths by nationality during World War I. Military Deaths Included in brackets the percent of the total forces mobilized by that country that were killed in action. ...

Media

Download high resolution version (1024x1024, 83 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

See also

• Aircraft of World War I
• Gott strafe England
• History of Europe
• History of the Balkans
• Literature of World War I
• Female roles in the world wars
• Polish-Soviet War
• Portugal in the Great War
• Trench warfare
• Use of poison gas in World War I
• War Department Light Railways
• World War

• List of battles 1901-2000
• List of people associated with World War I
• List of Allies and Central Powers

Nieuport Fighter Aisne, France 1917 The Early Years of War The early years of war saw canvas-and-wood aircraft used primarily to function as mobile observation vehicles. ... During World War I, Gott strafe England was a slogan of the German Army. ... This article discusses the history of the continent of Europe. ... Current political map of the Balkans. ... World War I has inspired great novels, drama and poetry. ... Rosie the Riveter: We Can Do It! - Many women first found economic strength in World War II-era manufacturing jobs. ... Polish-Bolshevik War Conflict Polish-Bolshevik War Date 1919– 1921 Place Central and Eastern Europe Result Polish victory The Polish-Soviet War was the war (February 1919 – March 1921) that determined the borders between the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic and Second Polish Republic. ... 1914/1915 - Portugal Neutral Bosnian separatists assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on June, 28, 1914. ... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... A poison gas attack in World War I. The use of poison gas was a major military innovation of the First World War. ... Light railways made an important contribution to the Allied war effort in World War I. They were used for the supply of ammunition and stores, the transport of troops and the evacuation of the wounded. ... A world war is a military conflict affecting the majority of the worlds countries. ... List of battles - List of battles before AD 601 - List of battles 601-1400 - List of battles 1401-1800 - List of battles 1801-1900 - List of battles 1901-2000 - List of battles 2001-2100 Major Battles of the Twentieth Century Before 1914 Russo-Japanese War 1904- 1905 1904 Battle of... See: World War I Australia (Entered the War on: August 4, 1914) C.E.W. Bean (1879-1968) Official Australian war correspondent Henry Gordon Bennett (1887-1962) Commander, 3rd Infantry Brigade William Throsby Bridges (1861-1915) Commander, Australian Imperial Force, Australian 1st Division Henry George Chauvel (1865-1945), Commander, Anzac... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... Central Powers is a term used to refer to the Dual Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria during World War I. They are so called because they all lay between Russia in the east and France and the United Kingdom in the west. ...

Quotations

"Yesterday I visited the battlefield of last year. The place was scarcely recognisable. Instead of a wilderness of ground torn up by shell, the ground was a garden of wild flowers and tall grasses. Most remarkable of all was the appearance of many thousands of white butterflies which fluttered around. It was as if the souls of the dead soldiers had come to haunt the spot where so many fell. It was eerie to see them. And the silence! It was so still that I could almost hear the beat of the butterflies' wings." --A British officer, 1919

"The First World War killed fewer victims than the Second World War, destroyed fewer buildings, and uprooted millions instead of tens of millions - but in many ways it left even deeper scars both on the mind and on the map of Europe. The old world never recovered from the shock." -- Edmond Taylor, in "The Fossil Monarchies"

References

• Herwig, Holger H. Operation Michael: The "Last Card". University of Calgary, 2001. Available online (http://www.stratnet.ucalgary.ca/publications/pdf/herwig_operation-michael_nov2001.pdf), accessed 11 February 2005.
• Taylor, A. J. P. The First World War: An Illustrated History. Hamish Hamilton, 1963.
• Pope, Stephen and Wheal, Elizabeth-Anne, eds.The Macmillian Dictionary of the First World War. Macmillian Reference Books, 1995.

A. J. P. Taylor ( March 25, 1906– September 7, 1990) (full name Alan John Percivale Taylor) was a renowned British historian of the 20th century. ...

Further reading

For more details on the subject, consult these histories:

• Hew Strachan ed.: "The Oxford Illustrated History of the First World War" is a collection of chapters from various scholars that survey the War.
• Hew Strachan: "The First World War: Volume I: to arms" puts emphasis on the extra-European war, but gives extensive coverage of the war on the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1914.
• Barbara Tuchman: The Guns of August tells of the opening diplomatic and military manoeuvres.
• The Great War television documentary by the BBC

Professor Hew Strachan is a military historian, well known for his work on the administration of the British Army and the history of the First World War. ... Professor Hew Strachan is a military historian, well known for his work on the administration of the British Army and the history of the First World War. ... Barbara Wertheim Tuchman ( January 30, 1912 - February 6, 1989) was an American historian and author. ... Original 1962 cover of The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman The Guns of August ( 1962) (also published as August 1914) is a military history book by Barbara Tuchman describing the crisis and events of the first 30 days of World War I. Beginning on July 28, 1914, The Guns... ...

External links

• First World War.com (http://www.firstworldwar.com/) "A multimedia history of World War One"
• The war to end all wars on BBC site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/world_war_i/198172.stm)
• "The Heritage of the Great War" (http://www.greatwar.nl/) with numerous pictures
• GenealogyBuff.com - World War I Casualty Reports for the US Army 1918 (http://www.genealogybuff.com/il/il-ww1-casualties.htm)
• The British Army in the Great War (http://www.1914-1918.net/)
• World War I, Wars And Battles (http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/W/WW1.html)
• World War I rap, by Jonathan Pagel (http://www.pagel.clara.co.uk/rr/audio/ww1.ram)
• Encyclopaedia of the First World War (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWW.htm)
• A "Revisionist Historian's" Account of the Cause of World War I (http://www.threeworldwars.com/world-war-1/ww1.htm)
• Trenches on the Web (http://www.worldwar1.com/)
• Online World War I Records & Indexes (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/)
• World War I Document Archive (http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/)
• World War I Naval Combat (http://worldwar1.co.uk/)
• Pre-war German Army (http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~maampo/militaer/milindex.html)
• Wanted! 500 000 Canadians for WW I (http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/webtours/GE_P3_1_EN.html) — Illustrated Historical Essay