World War I (jul 28, 1914 – nov 11, 1918)

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World War I, also known as the First World War, was a global conflict between the Allies and the Central Powers, primarily in Europe and the Middle East. The war was marked by trench warfare, the use of artillery, machine guns, and chemical weapons, and the introduction of tanks and aircraft. It resulted in an estimated 10 million military dead and over 20 million wounded, with 10 million civilian deaths from causes including genocide.

The causes of World War I included the rise of Germany and the decline of the Ottoman Empire, disrupting the balance of power in Europe, and economic competition between nations triggered by industrialization and imperialism. Tensions between the great powers and in the Balkans reached a breaking point on 28 June 1914 when Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, while Germany declared war on Russia and France. The United Kingdom entered after Germany invaded Belgium, and the Ottomans joined the Central Powers in November.

Germany's strategy in 1914 was to quickly defeat France and transfer its forces to the east, but its advance was halted in September. The Western Front consisted of a continuous line of trenches stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland. Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece joined in from 1915 onward.

Major battles, such as Verdun, the Somme, and Passchendaele, failed to break the stalemate on the Western Front. The Paris Peace Conference of 1919–1920 imposed settlements on the defeated powers, including the Treaty of Versailles, which led to Germany losing significant territories, disarmament, and large war reparations to the Allies. The dissolution of the Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires led to the creation of new independent states.

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