World War I was a military conflict waged in Europe and worldwide between July 28, 1914, and November 11, 1918. Countries from all non-polar continents participated, although Russia, Britain, France, Germany, and Austria-Hungary prevailed. Much of the war was characterized by slow trench warfare and tremendous loss of life in failed attacks; nearly eight million people were killed.
Five Important Facts
1. It was a world war.
Between 1914 and 1918, over 30 nations declared war. The majority, including Serbia, Russia, France, Britain, Italy, and the United States, joined the Allies. The Central Powers, composed of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire, resisted them. What began as a local struggle in southeast Europe escalated into a conflict between European empires. Britain and her Empire’s participation in the war made it a genuinely global struggle waged on an unprecedented geographical scale. In addition to the Western Front, fighting occurred in eastern and southeast Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
2. It is by far preferable to confront the bullets…
The First World War was neither inevitable nor unavoidable; human actions and decisions precipitated it. In enormous citizen armies, almost 65 million individuals volunteered or were compelled to fight. Moreover, millions of civilians contributed to the war effort by working in industry, agriculture, or positions left vacant when men enlisted. Winning was contingent upon popular backing. Several nations were compelled to surrender because their citizens, pushed to their physical and emotional limitations, lost the desire to fight.
Moreover, the First World War was a fight against individuals. Invading forces perpetrated crimes against populations in the seized territories. As each nation attempted to undermine the morale of the other’s home nation and reduce popular support for the war, the frequency of attacks on civilians rose. Whole nations were demonized, and their “national characters” were assailed by propaganda.
3. It was a production war.
Each combatant nation mobilized national resources to supply its armed forces with sufficient personnel and equipment. Early industrial failures in the United Kingdom resulted in complete government intervention in war production. By 1918, these constraints enabled its industry to produce roughly 4 million weapons, 250,000 machine guns, 52,000 aircraft, 2,800 tanks, 25,000 artillery pieces, and over 170 million artillery shells.
4. It was a fight for creativity.
Weaponry and military technology advancements prompted tactical adjustments as each side sought an advantage. The advent of aircraft into warfare exposed soldiers and civilians for the first time to attacks from above. In addition to manufacturing, chemistry, and communications, significant advancements were also achieved in other fields. The number of British soldiers killed in combat exceeded those killed through sickness. Early industrial failures in the United Kingdom resulted in complete government intervention in war production. By 1918, these constraints enabled its industry to produce roughly 4 million weapons, 250,000 machine guns, 52,000 aircraft, 2,800 tanks, 25,000 artillery pieces, and over 170 million artillery shells.
5 It was a destructive war.
An estimated 16 million troops and civilians perished during the First World War, while countless others were physically and psychologically injured. The conflict also irrevocably transformed the social and political landscape of the planet. It expedited changes in gender and class views and precipitated the fall of the Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman empires.
The cost of total war and its aftermath was catastrophic for the victors in Europe and the losers in the Central Powers. The human toll of World War One in the United Kingdom inspired a language of Remembrance that lives on to this day. It is visible in war memorials in cities, towns, schools, places of worship, and workplaces, as well as in rituals such as Remembrance Sunday and the two-minute silence at 11 am on November 11 every year.
