The First World War (1914 to 18) was the first truly global conflict and the first to be fully mechanised. Armies clashed across continents on land, in the air, and at sea. Civilians were caught up in the destruction as never before. In this article, we tell the story of WWI through the words of those who were there. Despite Germany's hopes that its prepared Schlieffen Plan would win a swift victory over France and its allies, the First World War settled down on the Western Front to a static ... Learn about the origins, events and consequences of World War I, also known as the Great War, which started in 1914 and ended in 1918. Explore the roles of the Central Powers, the Allied Powers, the Eastern Front, the Western Front, the Battle of the Marne, the Treaty of Versailles and more. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, it resulted in an estimated 30 million military casualties, and 8 million civilian deaths from war-related causes and genocide. The movement of large numbers of people was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic. World War I began in the Balkans on July 28, 1914, and hostilities ended on November 11, 1918, leaving 17 million dead and 25 million wounded. Moreover, the Russian Civil War can in many ways be considered a continuation of World War I, as can various other conflicts in the direct aftermath of 1918.
