
How did the outbreak of WW1 start?
Outbreak of World War I 1 Europe by 1914. Almost exactly a century before, a meeting of the European states at the Congress of Vienna had established an international order and balance of power that lasted ... 2 Assassination of Franz Ferdinand. ... 3 The Road to World War I. ... 4 The Great War and Its Impact. ...
What is WW1?
further details ... World War I, often abbreviated as WWI or WW1, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war that began on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918. It involved much of Europe, as well as Russia, the United States and Turkey, and was also fought in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia.
What year did World War I start?
World War I. World War I began in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and lasted until 1918. During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the ...read more.
What are the most important events in WW1?
World War I 1 Archduke Franz Ferdinand. ... 2 Kaiser Wilhelm II. ... 3 World War I Begins. ... 4 The Western Front. ... 5 First Battle of the Marne. ... 6 World War I Books and Art. ... 7 The Eastern Front. ... 8 Russian Revolution. ... 9 America Enters World War I. ... 10 Gallipoli Campaign. ... More items...

What was the outbreak of World War 1?
The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (June 28, 1914) was the main catalyst for the start of the Great War (World War I). After the assassination, the following series of events took place: July 28 - Austria declared war on Serbia.
Who was responsible for the outbreak of World War 1?
The Treaty of Versailles, signed following World War I, contained Article 231, commonly known as the “war guilt clause,” which placed all the blame for starting the war on Germany and its allies.
Who won the 1st World war?
the AlliesThe first World War was won by the Allies consisting of the United Kingdom, France, United States, Japan, Italy. They defeated the Central Powers consisting of Imperial Germany, Austro-Hungary Empire and the Ottoman Empire. It lasted from 1914 and lasted until the signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty in 1919.
Who put the blame on Germany for ww1?
At the outbreak of war, France and Britain were the two major superpowers of their day and Germany crossed them both. Of the major Entente powers, France and Britain did most to ensure Germany shouldered the blame and was punished.
What were the 7 causes of World War 1?
Six Causes of World War IEuropean Expansionism. ... Serbian Nationalism. ... The Assassination of Franz Ferdinand. ... Conflicts over Alliances. ... The Blank Check Assurance: Conspired Plans of Germany and Austria-Hungary. ... Germany Millenarianism – Spirit of 1914.
Why did Germany start ww1?
Germany sought to break up the French-Russian alliance and was fully prepared to take the risk that this would bring about a major war. Some in the German elite welcomed the prospect of beginning an expansionist war of conquest. The response of Russia, France and later Britain were reactive and defensive.
Why is it called World War?
The Germans, seeing themselves pitted against the global empires of Britain and France, felt the world was against them from the outset. From their perspective, the war was of such magnitude that it created a sense of the whole world collapsing - the term World War expressed the scale of fear the conflict unleashed.
Why did Germany surrender in ww1?
In the west, the German Army's imminent collapse led Germany to pursue an armistice. The Allied delegation, led by Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch, largely ignored United States President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points for Peace and left no room for negotiation.
What was the main cause of World War I?
World War I began after the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand by South Slav nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Read mor...
What countries fought in World War I?
The war pitted the Central Powers (mainly Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey) against the Allies (mainly France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Ja...
Who won World War I?
The Allies won World War I after four years of combat and the deaths of some 8.5 million soldiers as a result of battle wounds or disease.
How many people died during World War I?
Some 8,500,000 soldiers died as a result of wounds or disease during World War I. Perhaps as many as 13,000,000 civilians also died. This immensely...
What was the significance of World War I?
Four imperial dynasties—the Habsburgs of Austria-Hungary, the Hohenzollerns of Germany, the sultanate of the Ottoman Empire, and the Romanovs of Ru...
What was the Serbian nationalist idea?
With Serbia already much aggrandized by the two Balkan Wars (1912–13, 1913), Serbian nationalists turned their attention back to the idea of “liberating” the South Slavs of Austria-Hungary. Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijević, head of Serbia’s military intelligence, was also, under the alias “Apis,” head of the secret society Union or Death, pledged to the pursuit of this pan-Serbian ambition. Believing that the Serbs’ cause would be served by the death of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, and learning that the Archduke was about to visit Bosnia on a tour of military inspection, Apis plotted his assassination. Nikola Pašić, the Serbian prime minister and an enemy of Apis, heard of the plot and warned the Austrian government of it, but his message was too cautiously worded to be understood.
What was the result of World War I?
World War I was one of the great watersheds of 20th-century geopolitical history. It led to the fall of four great imperial dynasties (in Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey ), resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, and, in its destabilization of European society, laid the groundwork for World War II.
What was the United States' role in World War I?
The United States emerged as a world power, and new technology made warfare deadlier than ever before. 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.
What peace treaty ended World War I?
Read more about the Treaty of Versailles. In many ways, the peace treaty that ended World War I set the stage for World War II.
When did Serbia respond to the ultimatum?
Serbia replied to the ultimatum on July 25, accepting most of its demands but protesting against two of them—namely, that Serbian officials (unnamed) should be dismissed at Austria-Hungary’s behest and that Austro-Hungarian officials should take part, on Serbian soil, in proceedings against organizations hostile to Austria-Hungary. Though Serbia offered to submit the issue to international arbitration, Austria-Hungary promptly severed diplomatic relations and ordered partial mobilization.
Which country declared war on Russia?
Both Russia and France predictably ignored these demands. On August 1 Germany ordered general mobilization and declared war against Russia, and France likewise ordered general mobilization. The next day Germany sent troops into Luxembourg and demanded from Belgium free passage for German troops across its neutral territory. On August 3 Germany declared war against France.
When did Germany declare war on France?
On August 3 Germany declared war against France. In the night of August 3–4 German forces invaded Belgium. Thereupon, Great Britain, which had no concern with Serbia and no express obligation to fight either for Russia or for France but was expressly committed to defend Belgium, on August 4 declared war against Germany.
What were the factors that contributed to the erupting of war?
Imperialism, nationalistic pride and mutual alliances all played a part in building tensions that would erupt into war.
Why did Nicholas II want to establish a port in Korea?
Russia’s Czar Nicholas II wanted to obtain a port that gave his navy and commercial ships access to the Pacific, and he set his sites on Korea. The Japanese saw Russia’s rising aggressiveness as a menace, and launched a surprise attack on Nicholas’ fleet at Port Arthur in China. The resulting war, fought both at sea and on land in China, was won by the Japanese, and as Beiriger notes, it helped shift power the power balance in Europe.
What was the goal of the Russian-backed alliance in the Balkan War?
The Russian-backed alliance aimed to take away even more of the Turks’ remaining territory in the Balkans. In the First Balkan War in 1912, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro defeated Ottoman forces, and forced them to agree to an armistice.
What was the cause of the conflagration in 1914?
The event that sparked the conflagration was the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914.
Why did the Germans send a cruiser to anchor in the Moroccan coast?
In the Second Moroccan Crisis in 1911, the German foreign secretary, Alfred von Kiderlen- Wächter, sent a naval cruiser to anchor in a harbor on the Moroccan coast, in reaction to a tribal revolt that the Germans thought was being backed by France as a pretext for seizing the country.
Why did Italy invade Libya in 1911?
The Italian government declared war on Turkey in 1911 because it had refused to permit the military occupation of Tripoli by Italy. Italian troops are seen here landing after the bombardment of Benghazi. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images.
What was the history of World War 1?
But historians say that World War I actually was the culmination of a long series of events, stretching back to the late 1800s. The path to war included plenty of miscalculations and actions that turned out to have unforeseen consequences.
How long did the Western Front last?
Both sides dug into trenches, and the Western Front was the setting for a hellish war of attrition that would last more than three years. Particularly long and costly battles in this campaign were fought at Verdun (February-December 1916) and the Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916).
What was the Eastern Front?
On the Eastern Front of World War I, Russian forces invaded the German-held regions of East Prussia and Poland, but were stopped short by German and Austrian forces at the Battle of Tannenberg in late August 1914.
How did World War 1 affect women?
World War I brought about massive social upheaval, as millions of women entered the workforce to replace men who went to war and those who never came back. The first global war also helped to spread one of the world’s deadliest global pandemics, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people.
What was the first war in the world?
World War I , also known as the Great War, began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. His murder catapulted into a war across Europe that lasted until 1918. During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan and the United States (the Allied Powers). Thanks to new military technologies and the horrors of trench warfare, World War I saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction. By the time the war was over and the Allied Powers claimed victory, more than 16 million people—soldiers and civilians alike—were dead.
What was the name of the war that started in 1914?
World War I, also known as the Great War, began in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. His murder catapulted into a war across Europe that lasted until 1918. During the conflict, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, ...
Why did Austria-Hungary declare war on Russia?
Because mighty Russia supported Serbia, Austria-Hungary waited to declare war until its leaders received assurance from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II that Germany would support their cause. Austro-Hungarian leaders feared that a Russian intervention would involve Russia’s ally, France, and possibly Great Britain as well.
When did the Battle of Isonzo take place?
Battle of the Isonzo. The First Battle of the Isonzo took place in the late spring of 1915, soon after Italy’s entrance into the war on the Allied side. In the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, also known as the Battle of Caporetto (October 1917), German reinforcements helped Austria-Hungary win a decisive victory.
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What was the main ideology of Imperialism in Europe?
The main ideology of Imperialism was to capture one after another. Country by military power. The European nations followed the Policy of Imperialism and became jealous towards each other.
How did colonialism start?
From the trade rivalry , Colonialism was born. The European nations began to Colonialise their trade centres established in Asia and Africa. England France played an important role in this process. So Germany became jealous of them. This created rivalry among the European nations.
How long did France train soldiers?
France increased her soldiers and made the army training compulsory and increased duration from two years to three years. Russia also made some changes in her Army Law. Thus the whole of Europe was engaged in the preparation of War. This cleared the way for the First World War.
What happened to Arch Duke Ferdinand?
The murder of Arch Duke Ferdinand ignited fire in the bomb cell and thus, broke out World War I.
Why was the Anglo-German naval competition important?
Anglo-German Naval Competition: Anglo-German Naval Competition formed an important cause for the outbreak of the First World War. England felt that Germany had upset the European ‘Balance of Power’ by the increase of soldiers in her army. Further, England was threatened by Germany’s bid for naval supremacy.
What was the first war of 1914?
The First World War of 1914 was an example of man’s brutal instinct. This had created a storm in the world and opened a black chapter in the history of mankind.
Why did the European countries need more markets?
Owing to remarkable increase in their production, the European nations had to need more markets. In order to export their products to other countries they searched out new markets. They attempted to prove themselves the best in the world. They printed their own nation’s brand on the products.
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Overview
World War I or the First World War, often abbreviated as WWI or WW1, was a major global conflict that began on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918. Referred to by contemporaries as the "Great War" or the "World War", its belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting taking place across Europe, the Middle East,
Names
The term world war was first coined in September 1914 by German biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel. He claimed that "there is no doubt that the course and character of the feared 'European War' ... will become the first world war in the full sense of the word," in The Indianapolis Star on 20 September 1914.
The term "First World War" had been used by Lt-Col. Charles à Court Repington, as a title for his …
Background
For much of the 19th century, the major European powers maintained a tenuous balance of power among themselves, known as the Concert of Europe. After 1848, this was challenged by a variety of factors, including Britain's withdrawal into so-called splendid isolation, the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Prussia under Otto von Bismarck. The 1866 Austro-Prussian War established Pr…
Prelude
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir presumptive to Emperor Franz Joseph, visited Sarajevo, capital of the recently annexed provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Six assassins from the movement known as Young Bosnia, or Mlada Bosna, took up positions along the route taken by the Archduke's motorcade, with the intention of assassinating him. Supplied with …
Progress of the war
The strategy of the Central Powers suffered from miscommunication. Germany had promised to support Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia, but interpretations of what this meant differed. Previously tested deployment plans had been replaced early in 1914, but those had never been tested in exercises. Austro-Hungarian leaders believed Germany would cover its northern flank ag…
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the war, four empires disappeared: the German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian. Numerous nations regained their former independence, and new ones were created. Four dynasties, together with their ancillary aristocracies, fell as a result of the war: the Romanovs, the Hohenzollerns, the Habsburgs, and the Ottomans. Belgium and Serbia were ba…
Technology
World War I began as a clash of 20th-century technology and 19th-century tactics, with the inevitably large ensuing casualties. By the end of 1917, however, the major armies, now numbering millions of men, had modernised and were making use of telephone, wireless communication, armoured cars, tanks (especially with the advent of the first prototype tank, Little Willie), and a…
War crimes
The German invaders treated any resistance—such as sabotaging rail lines—as illegal and immoral, and shot the offenders and burned buildings in retaliation. In addition, they tended to suspect that most civilians were potential francs-tireurs (guerrillas) and, accordingly, took and sometimes killed hostages from among the civilian population. The German army executed over 6,500 French and Belg…
Franco-Russian Alliance
First German Naval Law
- This legislation, advocated by Germany’s newly-appointed Secretary of the Imperial Navy, Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, dramatically expanded the size of Germany’s battle fleet. It was the first of five laws dictating a buildup in which the Germans envisioned building a force that was superior to Britain’s Royal Navy. “Tirpitz aimed at forcing Britain into an alliance with Germany on German te…
The Russo-Japanese War
- Russia’sCzar Nicholas II wanted to obtain a port that gave his navy and commercial ships access to the Pacific, and he set his sites on Korea. The Japanese saw Russia’s rising aggressiveness as a menace, and launched a surprise attack on Nicholas’ fleet at Port Arthur in China. The resultingwar,fought both at sea and on land in China, was won by the Japanese, and as Beiriger …
Austria-Hungary’s Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Under an 1878 treaty, Austria-Hungary was governing Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though technically they were still part of the Ottoman Empire. But after Austro-Hungarian governmentannexed their territory, the move backfired. The two provinces’ mostly Slavic population wanted to have their own country, while Slavs in nearby Serbia had the ambition of a…
The Second Moroccan Crisis
- The French and Germans butted heads for several years over Morocco, where Germany’sKaiser Wilhelm II meddled in an attempt to pressure the French-British alliance. In theFirst Moroccan Crisisin 1905, he actually sailed to Tangiers to express his support for the sultan of Morocco against French interests. But instead of backing away from the conflict, the British rose in suppo…
Italy Invades Libya
- The modern Italian state, which didn’t begin until 1861, had been “largely left out of the scramble that built Britain, France, and other powers into worldwide empires,” Fogarty explains. The Italian government set its sights on Libya, a North African country that hadn’t been claimed by another western European power, and decided to take it from the Ottoman Empire. The Italo-Turkish Wa…
The Balkan Wars
- Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Greece, which had broken away from the Ottoman Empire during the 1800s, formed an alliance called theBalkan League. The Russian-backed alliance aimed to take away even more of the Turks’ remaining territory in the Balkans. In theFirst Balkan Warin 1912, Serbia, Greece and Montenegro defeated Ottoman forces, and forced them to agree to an …
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Kaiser Wilhelm II
- Because mighty Russia supported Serbia, Austria-Hungary waited to declare war until its leaders received assurance from German leader Kaiser Wilhelm IIthat Germany would support their cause. Austro-Hungarian leaders feared that a Russian intervention would involve Russia’s ally, France, and possibly Great Britain as well. On July 5, Kaiser Wilhelm secretly pledged his support, giving …
World War I Begins
- Convinced that Austria-Hungary was readying for war, the Serbian government ordered the Serbian army to mobilize and appealed to Russia for assistance. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and the tenuous peace between Europe’s great powers quickly collapsed. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hu…
The Western Front
- According to an aggressive military strategy known as the Schlieffen Plan (named for its mastermind, German Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen), Germany began fighting World War I on two fronts, invading France through neutral Belgium in the west and confronting Russia in the east. On August 4, 1914, German troops crossed the border into Belgium. ...
First Battle of The Marne
- In the First Battle of the Marne, fought from September 6-9, 1914, French and British forces confronted the invading Germany army, which had by then penetrated deep into northeastern France, within 30 miles of Paris. The Allied troops checked the German advance and mounted a successful counterattack, driving the Germans back to north of the Aisne River. The defeat mea…
World War I Books and Art
- The bloodshed on the battlefields of the Western Front, and the difficulties its soldiers had for years after the fighting had ended, inspired such works of art as “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque and “In Flanders Fields”by Canadian doctor Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. In the latter poem, McCrae writes from the perspective of the fallen soldiers: Published …
The Eastern Front
- On the Eastern Front of World War I, Russian forces invaded the German-held regions of East Prussia and Poland, but were stopped short by German and Austrian forces at the Battle of Tannenbergin late August 1914. Despite that victory, Russia’s assault had forced Germany to move two corps from the Western Front to the Eastern, contributing to the German loss in the Ba…
Russian Revolution
- From 1914 to 1916, Russia’s army mounted several offensives on World War I’s Eastern Front, but was unable to break through German lines. Defeat on the battlefield, combined with economic instability and the scarcity of food and other essentials, led to mounting discontent among the bulk of Russia’s population, especially the poverty-stricken workers and peasants. This increase…
America Enters World War I
- At the outbreak of fighting in 1914, the United States remained on the sidelines of World War I, adopting the policy of neutrality favored by President Woodrow Wilsonwhile continuing to engage in commerce and shipping with European countries on both sides of the conflict. Neutrality, however, was increasing difficult to maintain in the face of Germany’s unchecked submarine ag…
Gallipoli Campaign
- With World War I having effectively settled into a stalemate in Europe, the Allies attempted to score a victory against the Ottoman Empire, which entered the conflict on the side of the Central Powers in late 1914. After a failed attack on the Dardanelles (the strait linking the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea), Allied forces led by Britain launched a large-scale land invasion of the Gall…