Facts About First World War

Here are some facts about World War 1
*.World War 1 began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11,
1918. Differences in foreign policies were to blame, although the
immediate cause was the assassination of Austria's Archduke Ferdinand.
*.The two main sides were the Allies, which included France, Great

Britain and Russia; and Germany and Austria-Hungary. In total, 30
countries were involved in the conflict. Italy, once part of the
Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, fought on the side
of the Allies.
*.Soldiers fought largely in trenches during the war, and thousands
suffered from stress, known as shell-shock. The British and French
trenches were often squalid, whereas the German trenches were almost
luxurious in comparison, with bunks and decent cooking facilities. (
Click hereto learn more about life in the trenches)
*.By the end of WW1, over 9 million soldiers had been killed, and
another 21 million wounded. Over a million soldiers were killed in the
infamous Battle of the Sommealone, including about 30,000 in just one
day.
*.Around 11 percent of the population of France was killed or wounded
during the war. About 116,000 Americans were killed, even though the
US was only in the war for about 7 months.
*.During World War 1, dogs were used to carry messages in capsules
attached to their body. Dogs also carried and placed telegraph wires
in important areas.
*.Pigeons were also used during the war. About 500,000 pigeons were
regularly dropped into enemy lines by parachute, and then sent back
with messages.
*.On Christmas Eve, 1914, both sides declared an unofficial truce and
sung Christmascarols to each other. A football match was played in
no-man's land (the area between the German and British) trenches, and
German and British soldiers exchanged food and souvenirs.The following
Christmas, sentries on both sides had orders to shoot any soldier who
did this.
*.Cannons and artillery were often extremely loud. In 1917, the
explosives used to destroy a bridge in France could be be heard over

130 miles away in London.
*.Many new weapons were invented or first used during World War 1. Big
Bertha was one of the most famous; it was a 48 ton gun capable of
firing a shell over 9 miles. It took 200 men several hours to assemble
the gun.
*.Tanks were so called because of early attempts to disguise them as
water tanks. They were also known as male and female tanks; male tanks
had cannons and female tanks had machine guns.

Source: www.primaryfacts.com