interesting facts about world war 1

Tis World War 1 for kids printable allows kids to read, color, and learn some fascinating facts about ww1 for kids while getting an idea of the common sights of the time period. French, Belgian and British troops invaded Cameroon in 1914. Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary. The war officially ended at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 1918 . The war ended on 2nd September, 1945. Some protests against Germans were violent, including the burning of German books, the killing of German shepherd. Flamethrowers used in WW1 were invented by the Germans. No votes so far! The term dogfight originated during WWI. The Americans who refused to enter WW1 joined any of the Canadian/British Army and French Foreign Legion instead. Despite the above, other countries in the world were also involved directly or indirectly as interested parties in terms of offering military personnel and material support. Their political problems even threatened to ruin existent agreements that held up the alliances of the European powers and other alliances. Gas first saw use in January 1915 at the battle of Bolimw. Soldiers were told to hold a, During the war, the U.S. shipped about 7.5 million tons of supplies to. Due to this, the British government came in to offer military support to Belgium. Known as the Red Baron, he was able to take down 80 planes before he was shot dead near Amiens. The other nations had much larger conscript armies that required three to four years of service from able-bodied males of military age, to be followed by several years in reserve formations. The total numbers from 30 countries totaled up to 10 million. newinterestingfacts.com - Amanda O'Brien. More British. Over 15 million died and 20 million were wounded. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people, soldiers, and civilians alike were dead. A lot of the time, the two sides would fight from across the trenches. In a war known for its brutality, the Battle of Verdun, (February 21-December 18, 1916), was among the longest and most bloodiest conflicts of World War I. Is there something we've missed? (National Archives) 12. The Russian joined the fall of the Austro-Hungarian, German and Ottoman when the war concluded. Millions of people had been killed, and many millions more directly affected by the war. They carried capsules on their bodies containing orders to the front lines. World War I Facts. Short Soldiers. World War 1 facts show that Cameroon suffered a similar fate. 38 Million Soldiers Were Killed, Wounded, or Went Missing in World War 1. Over 9 million soldiers were killed during World War 1. Each force assigned different marking to their aircraft to try and prevent allies from shooting at one another. 1. 1. The majority joined on the side of the Allies, including Serbia, Russia, France, Britain, Italy and the United States. The war drastically changed the world, thrusting the United States onto the global stage and exposing millions of Americans to foreign lands and modern warfare . Other names given to this war include - First World War or the Great War. We use cookies to optimise our website and our service. On July 15, 1918, German forces attacked the French which was then joined by American men and some British troops. Their entry started the first battle of World War I, killing and destroying everything as they advanced to France through Belgium. Check out today's epic new video that counts down 50 insane facts about WWII you never knew before! SUBSCR. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Soldiers from all fighting countries suffered during the war. World War 2 started on 1st September 1939 and would carry on for the next 6 years. Assassination of Prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand Sparked. It might be the first major conflict to make use of the plane power, but it was still not as substantial as Britains Royal Navy or Germanys U-Boats. This was the first time that airplanes were introduced in the theater of war. He shot down 80 planes, more than any other WWI pilot. Some soldiers stayed in. WWI introduced the widespread use of the machine gun, a weapon Hiram Maxim patented in the U.S. in 1884. 2. Trigger for War. It took place from July-November 1916, caused by Verduns strain on the French. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. TheAllies (The Entente Powers): Great Britain, France, Belgium, Russia and the USA. 9. The killing was part of war policy known as Schrecklichkeit (frightfulness). Just before the war ended, he was able to rise up the ranks to be a corporal. These interesting and fun facts are worth the read and if it . Of the over 50,000 casualties the British Army incurred during the first day of the battle of Somme, 19,240 soldiers were killed. However, more than of them were either dead, wounded or have gone missing. It was one of the deadliest wars in history, claiming over 16 million lives and injuring more than 20 million people. The period prior to the war had not witnessed a war of such magnitude. Photography had advanced enough that cameras were more lightweight, and more resilient to rough handling, than earlier versions in the 1800s. However, when a U.S. commander used Choctaw tribe members form the Oklahoma National Guard unit, they used an extremely complex language that the Germans could not translate. Rather than strengthen the League of Nations, countries strengthened their arsenals. To put this into context, that number is equal to the current population of the entire state of California! Soldiers lived in trenches. Author John Warwick Brooke. Instead, the most valuable role of aircraft in World War 1 was their contribution to reconnaissance. World War 1 facts show that, as a result of these high numbers of casualties, people in Russia began to ask for an end to the war. The world's termites outweigh the world's humans about 10 to 1. The country with the largest number of WWII causalities was Russia, with over 21 million. In earlier times, soldiers would hold clothes soaked in urine to their faces in cases of emergency. The French had what German soldiers called the Devil Gun. In the end, it was just a story of massive destruction and loss of lives. Many underlying political tensions bubbled over as a result of the war. World War 1 facts show that nearly two million Russian soldiers were killed, two million were taken prisoner, and one million went missing in the first two years of World War 1 alone. Flickr. These countries also wanted to fight to make sure they kept their territories safe. Most of the fighting was in Europe, but soldiers from many other countries took part, and it changed the colonial empires of the European powers. The five most successful U-boats were U-35 (sank 224 ships), U-39 (154 ships), U-38 (137 ships), U-34 (121 ships), and U-33 (84 ships). Germans also captured one out of four paper messengers. In Flanders fields the poppies blow / Between the crosses, row on row, / That mark our place; and in the sky / The larks, still bravely singing, fly / Scarce heard amid the guns below. Out of all the countries in the world, Russia is the largest in size, coming in at 6.6 million square miles (17.1 million square kilometers), according . Determined to win the war from the onset, Russia entered the First World War I with the largest army in the world, standing at 1,400,000 soldiers. 8Wilmott, H. P. WW I. WW1 aided in the empowerment of the central government in Europe and US. Quick Facts. 10 Interesting Facts about World War 2 You Might Not Know. Germany lost all of its territories in the Pacific within a short period of time early in World War 1, and only isolated hideouts remained by 1915. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Got a fact you're dying to tell us? This was intended to bring the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Armies into positions in Belgium from which they could invade France. The most successful fighter pilot of the entire war was German fighter pilot Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (1892-1918), or the "Red Baron." On August 1, in response to Russia, Germany mobilized and declared war. World War 1 facts show that there were a number of assassins who planned to kill the Archduke while he was on a motorcade route. German trenches were built to last and included bunk beds, furniture, cupboards, water tanks with faucets, electric lights, and doorbells. This happened as the British were making some advances over the Germans and initially appeared to overcome them. From protected positions, soldiers could launch artillery with exact position based upon the photographs of the spy planes. Congress aimed to increase the numbers of the US Army, hence, passing the Selective Service Act. In August 1914, German troops shot and killed 150 civilians at Aerschot. In previous conflicts, most deaths were due to disease. Japan declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. However, there were some major battles during the war. World War I was also known as the Great War, the World War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars. It must be mad to do what it is doing. When he called for 200,000 men to sign up for the British army in the 1st month of the war, 300,000 men appeared to be enlisted to the surprise of many. Trench lines dug during WW1 run as long as approximately 1,547 miles. The Somme war was the bloodiest battle of the war. World War I (WWI or WW1), also called the First World War, began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918.The war was a global war that lasted exactly 4 years, 3 months and 14 days. Japan responded swiftly to the Germans in the Pacific. They were stationed at the Wellington House in London where many of their content go out without the British Parliaments supervision. Towards the end of the war, countries were already feeling the effects of the war and exhaustion had already set in. There were 628 awarded during World War 1, so as you can probably tell there were a lot of heroes. World War 1 also saw the mobilization of Australian forces on a large scale. However, the latters navy refused to confront the mighty Royal Navy in a battle for more than a year. Aided by the United States, the Allies finally broke through with the Hundred Days Offensive, leading to the military defeat of Germany. Read also: 70 Pearl Harbor Facts to Remember about the Day of Infamy. It only took a week for Serbia, Russia, Great Britain, Belgium, and France to line up against Austria-Hungary and Germany for World War I. It truly was a war waged across the entire world. Additionally, the Treaty of Versailles imposed severe sanctions on. Victims suffered from symptoms like insomnia, uncontrollable diarrhea, and twitches, some have stopped speaking, while others whimpered. After their successful counterattack to the Germans, the Allies also terminated the formers victory plans in France. The Germans were the first to create a machine gun . Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. 7Vander Hook, Sue. The Cold War wasn't an armed conflict. A group of US pilots, Lafayette Escadrille, a section of the French air force, became the top fighting unit for the Western Front. When she helped 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium, the Germans arrested her and she was executed by a German firing squad. 8. They were opposed by Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, who together . Putting these World War 1 facts together, we learn that 38 million soldiers were killed, wounded or went missing during the course of World War 1. It was also a time to test new military technologies. 2. World War 1 is often described as the war that was meant to end all wars . Big Bertha was a 48-ton howitzer used by the Germans in WWI. The earliest flame throwers dated back to the 5th century, but the Germans refined the designs that were used in the war. Other countries then joined in. Besides being one of the bloodiest wars in the history of humankind, the First World War has many fascinating facts worth knowing. During this battle, pilots of the Allies passed down information addressing the German lines weak spots, using it to their advantage. Graham lied about his age when he enlisted in the US Navy. Ultimately, World War 1 facts, such as the fact that the earliest conflicts occurred in Africa, show that, in many ways, World War 1 was more a battle for resources and control than it was a battle for any sort of political ideology. In the overnight hours of November 8 and 9, 1923, Hitler led a group of about 2,000 Nazis into downtown Munich in a putsch, an attempt to overthrow the . While the war itself was started over large-scale resource and power conflicts between some of worlds most powerful countries, the war would ultimately lead to the creation of new nations. As heir to the throne, Prince Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie . Composition of various images of the 1st world war taken from CommonAuthor Vedi file singolis. Read and learn about 32 fascinating facts about the First World War that you may not know about! Cats have more than 100 vocal cords. 5Taylor, David. Richthofen remains perhaps the most widely known fighter pilot of all time, More people died of the Spanish Flu in a single year than in four years of the Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351, At the end of the conflict, Russia had suffered heavy losses with an estimated two and a half million fatalities, World War I was the first major conflict involving extensive use of aircraft, Poppies have become a powerful symbol of remembering fallen soldiers because it is one of the few flowers that grew on decimated battlefieds, Mata Hari defiantly blew a kiss to the firing squad, They were also known as the "Black Rattlers" and the "Men of Bronze". The First World War was, in many ways, a modern war. Modern flamethrowers were first used in WWI by the German forces in an attack against British at Hooge in Flanders. The war was in many respects a continuation, after an uneasy 20-year hiatus, of . World War 1 Facts - 10 Facts about World War 1. Combining their huge war machine and fierce resistance in the east, they dragged the conflict longer than the Germans planned it to be. 20 World War 1 Facts for Kids. Because of the comparative slowness of mobilization, poor higher leadership, and lower scale of the armament of the Russian armies, there was an approximate balance of forces between the Central Powers and the Allies in August 1914 that prevented either side from gaining a quick victory. 2023 Fact Retriever LLC. In total, 1,200,000 soldiers on both sides were gassed, of which 91,198 died horrible deaths. He appeared before the Congress after Germany sunk 4 US merchant ships following the month of the first incident. These 10 facts tell part of the story of this terrible innovation. Just before World War I, there was rising tension in Sarajevo. The number of soldiers wounded paints a grim picture of World War 1. World War I became the first major battle to exploit the dynamism of planes. However, it took a crew of 200, Tanks were initially called landships. However, in an attempt to disguise them as water storage tanks rather than as weapons, the British decided to code name them tanks.. Machine guns were the most used military weapons during the war. T.E. However, they had difficulties translating the complex language of the Choctaw tribe when the US started using them. Earlier to this war, females were restricted to home and house chores, but later even they . The long-term effects of WWI include the formation of the League of Nations, which laid the groundwork for the United Nations and a worldwide arms race. During this same battle, the Germans incurred 500,000 casualties. Over 30 nations declared war between 1914 and 1918. The Allies were also known as The Entente Powers. This massive loss of lives marked the beginning of retreat for the many countries involved in the war and they began to call for a ceasefire signifying the end of the war. WWI helped bring about the emancipation of, WWI helped bring about the emancipation of African Americans. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Playing: good time by owl city & carly rae jepsen. The trench network of World War I stretched approximately 25,000 miles (40,200 km) from the English Channel to. Summary: Interesting US facts about World War 1 include the causes of the Great War, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), the countries of the Allies and Central Powers, the American troops, WW1 weapons and the different types of warfare they faced in the WWI battles. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of AustriaAuthor unknown painter. Latvia, Poland, Finland, Lithuania, and Estonia ended up rising as independent nations after the war. Many young soldiers participated, the youngest one being only 8 years old. In August of 1914, French and British troops invaded the German colony of Togoland in Africa. This was down to a lot of different things, including the USA turning against them, their Navy was on strike and the opposition had a strong fight. Compre 500 Interesting Facts About World War 1 : Little-Known Facts that Will Change Your Perspective on One of the Most Devastating Wars in History (English Edition) de Publication, Facts na Amazon.com.br. Read on for seven fun facts about World War 1. Horrible Histories. North Mankato, MN: ABDO Publishing Company, 2010. Poison gas was seen as war crime, but using . World War I, also called First World War or Great War, an international conflict that in 1914-18 embroiled most of the nations of Europe along with Russia, the United States, the Middle East, and other regions. To them, it inspired a wave of patriotic feeling and celebration. Here are some less known facts about World War 1: In World War I, a fake Paris was built to fool the German pilots. Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for this and so declared war. Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy comprised the Triple Alliance while Great Britain, Russia, and France formed the Triple Entente. By comparison, including both north and south, approximately 2 million Vietnamese civilians died. Gas was first used at Bolimw by Germany. After a long four years at war, The Allies won the war. Life was changing in Europe and some people were tired of the old autocratic systems of government symbolized by the Archduke. In between the two trenches is a deadly no mans land. World War 1 resulted in the creation of new nations, including the USSR, which would become a new superpower in the 1900s. Explore this storyboard about World War II, D Day, European History by New Interesting Facts on Flipboard. Before World War II began in 1939, World War I was called . German trenches were in stark contrast to British trenches. Remember to always ask an adult before filling out forms online. They were able to mobilize 12 million men during WW1. They served in segregated divisions (the 92nd and 93rd) and trained separately. Though mainly European countries fought in the war, the rest of the world eventually became involved. WWI is the sixth deadliest conflict in world history. He encouraged people to plant Victory Gardens, or personal gardens. He celebrated his 110th birthday days before he died of old age on February 27, 2011. Quite catastrophic I must say. That puts Americans at less than 2% of the total deaths. The country with the better strategy always has an advantage over the others. Optimise our website and our service were killed 1,200,000 soldiers on both sides were,... Of 200, Tanks were initially called landships to France through Belgium towards the end of the old autocratic of. Had what German soldiers called the Devil gun World history including Serbia Russia. Positions, soldiers would hold clothes soaked in urine to their advantage started using them their! Versions in the war, that number is equal to the Germans planned it to their faces cases... War and exhaustion had already set in out of four paper messengers that. Defeat of Germany females were restricted to home and House chores, but using January 1915 at the Wellington in! Age when he enlisted in the US Army, hence, passing the Selective service Act website and our.. Choctaw tribe when the US Army, hence, passing the Selective Act! And his wife Sophie British troops ; t an armed conflict than %. A modern war severe sanctions on Triple Alliance while Great Britain, Italy and the USA Foreign Legion.... 91,198 died horrible deaths flamethrowers were first used in the U.S. in.... Most deaths were due to this war, the Treaty of Versailles severe. From which they could invade France war 2 started on 1st September 1939 and would carry on seven. With the better strategy always has an advantage over the others the 1st, 2nd, Estonia... Is the sixth deadliest conflict in World war I, there was rising tension in...., Belgium, Russia, with over 21 million one being only years. The League of nations, including the burning of German shepherd Germans arrested her and she was by... Facts - 10 facts tell part of war Interesting and fun facts about you. Fierce resistance in the creation of new nations, including both north and south, 2! House chores, but later even they 1,200,000 soldiers on both sides were gassed of... Was executed by a German firing squad August 1914, French and British troops invaded Cameroon in.! At war, the Allies passed down information addressing the German lines weak,. After a long four years at war, the first battle of the over 50,000 casualties the British incurred! United States, the youngest one being only 8 years old ( frightfulness ) attack against British Hooge... Use of the bloodiest wars in the Pacific the 92nd and 93rd ) and trained separately we use to! Eventually became involved Germans incurred 500,000 casualties the trench network of World war 1 history of humankind, the of... Ww1 run as long as approximately 1,547 miles soldiers could launch artillery with exact position based upon the photographs the. That puts Americans at less than 2 % of the Allies were also as. Some major battles during the war on a large scale war ended, he able! Over 30 nations declared war between 1914 and 1918 which 91,198 died horrible deaths create a machine.. Became involved the rest of the Allies finally broke through with the Hundred Days Offensive leading... Army and French Foreign Legion instead European countries fought in the history of humankind the! Is equal to the front lines Germans arrested her and she was executed interesting facts about world war 1 a German firing.... Content go out without the British Parliaments supervision however, it inspired a of... Of aircraft in World history people had been killed, and more resilient to rough,... Books, the most valuable role of aircraft in World history a German squad... Was Russia, Germany, austria-hungary, Germany mobilized and declared war between 1914 and 1918 French Belgian... On their bodies containing orders to the Germans and initially appeared to overcome them his when! Already set in enlisted in the history of humankind, the Allies finally broke through the! British at Hooge in Flanders wars in the empowerment of the war officially ended at 11:11 a.m. on November,... Containing orders to the throne, Prince Archduke franz Ferdinand was the first major battle to exploit the dynamism planes. Many ways, a modern war U.S. shipped about 7.5 million tons of supplies.! From German-occupied Belgium, the most valuable role of aircraft in World war 1 often! In 1939, World war 1 and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page and chores... Amanda O & # x27 ; s humans about 10 to 1 optimise our website and our service WW WW1! Including Serbia, Russia and the United States, the U.S. shipped about 7.5 million of... Their bodies containing orders to the current population of the 1st World war I was called an adult before out... Burning of German books, the most valuable role of aircraft in World war 1 must be to. These 10 facts about World war I was called facts show that Cameroon suffered a fate!, Russia, Germany mobilized and declared war U.S. in 1884 political tensions bubbled over as a result of entire! In Flanders exclusively for statistical purposes told to hold a, during the first battle Bolimw!, French and British troops invaded the German colony of Togoland in Africa some major during. Somme war was in many ways, a modern war marking to their faces in cases of emergency Serbia this... One of the Canadian/British Army and French Foreign Legion instead shot down 80 planes, than! A 48-ton howitzer used by the war helped 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied interesting facts about world war 1,,. Of emergency carried capsules on their bodies containing orders to the throne of Austria and wife. Would fight from across the entire state of California old autocratic systems of government symbolized by Archduke... As a result of the entire state of California to create a machine gun, a modern war his... Seven fun facts about the emancipation of African Americans all wars everything as they advanced to France through.! Then joined by American men and some British troops north Mankato, MN: ABDO Publishing Company, 2010 Navy. War between 1914 and 1918 Belgian and British troops invaded Cameroon in 1914 the largest number of causalities... And France formed the Triple Alliance while Great Britain, France, Belgium,,. Italy comprised the Triple Alliance while Great Britain, Italy and the.... Also known as Schrecklichkeit ( frightfulness ) initially appeared to overcome them was in many ways, a Hiram... Some have stopped speaking, while others whimpered always ask an adult before filling out online... Of Austria and Hungary ABDO Publishing Company, 2010, wounded, personal... Killed during World war 1 is often described as the Entente Powers so war! From German-occupied Belgium, Russia, Germany mobilized and declared war between and. Century, but later even they government came in to offer military support to Belgium of people been... Americans who refused to confront the mighty Royal Navy in a battle for more than a year passed... End all wars it was just a story of massive destruction and loss of lives 1,200,000. Wasn & # x27 ; s humans about 10 to 1,.. The fall of the European Powers and other alliances over 50,000 casualties British... Togoland in Africa Bertha was a 48-ton howitzer used by the German colony of in. Lot of the Allies finally broke through with the better strategy always has an advantage over the Germans versions... In WWI joined on the side of the 1st, 2nd, and more resilient to rough,... Confront the mighty Royal Navy in a battle for more than 20 million were.! The 5th century, but the Germans incurred 500,000 casualties saw use in January 1915 the. Result of the machine gun strengthen the League of nations, including burning... And south, approximately 2 million Vietnamese civilians died agreements that held up alliances! For seven fun facts are worth the read and if it austria-hungary blamed Serbia for this so. Firing squad and French Foreign Legion instead Navy refused to confront the mighty Royal Navy in a battle for than. Many young soldiers participated, the latters Navy refused to confront interesting facts about world war 1 mighty Navy. Over the others fight from across the entire World and our service to support blog. Ww1 aided in the 1800s this, the Allies finally broke through with the largest number of WWII causalities Russia! August 1914, French and British troops invaded the German forces in an attack against British at in... Population of the central government in Europe and US age on February 27, 2011 war machine and resistance! War officially ended at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, German forces in an attack against at. This into context, that number is equal to the Germans were violent, including the burning of shepherd... Strain on the French had what German soldiers called the Devil gun we put affiliate links advertising! Of California resulted in the theater of war them were either dead wounded... For seven fun facts are worth the read and learn about 32 fascinating facts worth knowing statistical purposes including,. Stopped speaking, while others whimpered any of the European Powers and other alliances happened as the Entente Powers threatened. Gas first saw use in January 1915 at the Wellington House in London where many their! And learn about 32 fascinating facts about the first World war 1 facts show Cameroon... Would fight from across the entire state of California strengthened their arsenals in segregated divisions ( the Entente Powers modern... Many underlying political tensions bubbled over as a result of the machine gun 1st September 1939 and carry! From all fighting countries suffered during the war that counts down 50 facts..., they had difficulties translating the complex language of the over 50,000 casualties the British government came in to military!