World War 1 Facts for Kids

World War 1
  • Conflict Name: World War I, First World War, Great War and Seminal Catastrophe
  • Conflict Start: July 28th, 1914
  • Conflict End: November 11th, 1918
  • Conflict Belligerents: Entente Powers and the Central Powers
  • Conflict Winner: The Entente Powers
  • Military Death Toll: 9,900,000+ fatalities
  • Civilian Death Toll: 7,700,000+ fatalities

20 World War 1 Facts for Kids

  1. World War 1 was fought between July 28th, 1914, and November 11th, 1918.
  2. This war is also called the Great War, the Seminal Catastrophe or simply the First World War.
  3. World War 1 is often abbreviated as WW1 or WWI.
  4. World War 1 was fought between two alliances, the Entente Powers and the Central Powers.
  5. The Entente Powers included the British Empire, Empire of Japan, French Republic, Kingdom of Italy, Russian Empire and the United States of America.
  6. The Central Powers include Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.
  7. The Entente Powers were victorious and won World War 1. However, both alliances had millions of military and civilian deaths, suffered from diseases and major economic hardship.
  8. It’s estimated that over 9.9 million military personnel were killed in World War 1.
  9. It’s estimated that over 7.7 million civilians were killed in World War 1.
  10. Trench warfare lasted for many years on the Western Front during World War 1.
  11. Trench warfare was miserable for both alliances. Dead bodies, large rats, lice infestations and overflowing latrines were an everyday part of life in the trenches. Alongside the constant threat from the enemy.
  12. No man’s land was a term used to reference the area between both sides’ trenches. This area could be as wide as 600 feet or as short as 30 feet.
  13. New military technology for use on the sea, in the air and on land were used in World War 1. It’s estimated that 75% of all the military deaths during WW1 were from artillery fire.
  14. During the 1st month of World War 1, the Battle of Tannenberg was fought between August 26th and August 30th, 1914. The German Empire almost destroyed the entire Russian Second Army.
  15. The Battle of Gallipoli fought between February 17th, 1915 and January 9th, 1916 was a huge victory for the Ottoman Empire and a costly defeat for the Allied Powers. The Allies failed their attempt to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul) and to gain control of the straits.
  16. The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle fought over two days between the United Kingdom and the German Empire in the North Sea near Denmark. Both sides claim they were victorious and historians’ debate to this day which country won the battle.
  17. At the Battle of the Somme the German Empire fought the United Kingdom and the French Empire on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. The Battle of the Somme is considered one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare with over one million casualties.
  18. The longest battle of World War 1 was the Battle of Verdun. The German Empire fought the French Empire for 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse on the Western Front.
  19. The Treaty of Versailles ended the state of war between Germany and the Entente Powers. Historians believe the harsh reparations and limitations the Treaty of Versailles put on Germany paved the way for Hitler, the Nazi party and World War 2 just 21 years later.
  20. The 1918 influenza pandemic, also called the Spanish flu, broke out during World War 1. It’s believed the transporting of troops helped further spread this H1N1 influenza strain across the globe.

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