World War 1

World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict that lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918. It involved many of the world’s great powers, which were divided into two main alliances: the Allies and the Central Powers. The war was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by a Bosnian Serb nationalist. The main combatants on the Allied side included France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States (which joined in 1917). The Central Powers were primarily Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria. World War I was characterized by trench warfare, with soldiers fighting from deep trenches dug into the ground. The war saw the introduction of new military technologies, such as tanks, machine guns, and chemical weapons, which led to unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction. The war resulted in significant geopolitical changes, including the collapse of four major empires: the Austro-Hungarian, German, Ottoman, and Russian Empires. It also set the stage for World War II due to the harsh terms imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles.