Which event triggered the war in 1914?
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The assassination in Sarajevo
The Austrian heir to the throne was shot.
💡 Did you know? A system of alliances then drew all of Europe into war.
All questions with answers
Which heir was assassinated in Sarajevo?
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Franz Ferdinand
The Austro-Hungarian heir died with his wife.
💡 Did you know? Austria then issued Serbia an ultimatum.
Who carried out the Sarajevo assassination?
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Gavrilo Princip
The young Serbian nationalist shot the couple.
💡 Did you know? He wanted to free the South Slavs from Austria-Hungary.
In which year did the First World War begin?
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1914
Within weeks the great powers mobilised.
💡 Did you know? Many believed the war would be over by Christmas.
Which alliances faced each other?
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Central Powers and Entente
Germany and Austria-Hungary against France, Russia, Britain.
💡 Did you know? In 1917 the USA joined the Entente.
Which German attack plan failed at the Marne in 1914?
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The Schlieffen Plan
It envisaged a quick victory over France.
💡 Did you know? The Battle of the Marne stopped the German advance.
What is the grinding form of warfare on the Western Front called?
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Trench warfare
For months the front barely moved.
💡 Did you know? Soldiers lived and died in miles of trenches.
Which 1916 battle of attrition became a symbol of horror?
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Battle of Verdun
Hundreds of thousands died over a few kilometres of ground.
💡 Did you know? The “hell of Verdun” lasted almost the whole year.
Which terrible new weapon was first used on a mass scale?
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Poison gas
Chlorine and mustard gas caused horrific injuries.
💡 Did you know? Soon the soldiers wore gas masks.
Which armoured weapon first appeared on the battlefield in 1916?
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The tank
The British used it at the Somme.
💡 Did you know? It was meant to break the frozen trench warfare.
Which great power entered the war on the Entente side in 1917?
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The USA
Fresh American troops tipped the balance for the Entente.
💡 Did you know? One trigger was the German submarine warfare.
With which weapon did Germany try to starve out Britain?
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With submarines
Unrestricted submarine warfare sank civilian ships too.
💡 Did you know? The sinking of the “Lusitania” outraged the world.
Why did Russia leave the war in 1917?
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Because of the revolution
The Bolsheviks made a separate peace.
💡 Did you know? The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war in the east.
In which year did the First World War end?
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1918
In Germany the monarchy collapsed at the same time.
💡 Did you know? The armistice was signed in a railway carriage.
Where was the 1918 armistice signed?
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At Compiègne
It was concluded in a railway carriage in the forest of Compiègne.
💡 Did you know? In 1940 Hitler had France surrender in the same carriage.
Which treaty settled the consequences for Germany in 1919?
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Treaty of Versailles
It burdened Germany with high reparations and territorial losses.
💡 Did you know? Many see it as a cause of the Second World War.
Which international organisation was founded after the war?
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The League of Nations
It was meant to prevent future wars.
💡 Did you know? The USA, of all countries, never joined.
Which ruling houses fell as a result of the war?
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Kaiser, tsar and sultan
The German, Russian, Austrian and Ottoman monarchies ended.
💡 Did you know? Many new states arose from the ruins.
Why is it called the “First World War”?
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It engulfed the whole world
Fighting took place on several continents and seas.
💡 Did you know? Colonial troops from around the world took part too.
Roughly how many died in the war?
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About 17 million
Plus millions of wounded and missing.
💡 Did you know? A flu pandemic then claimed millions more.
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