World War One was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. Britain and its Empire played a major role, suffering enormous losses that affected almost every family in the country.
Causes
The war had several underlying causes: - **Alliance systems** - Europe was divided into two armed camps - **Imperial rivalries** - Competition for colonies and trade - **Arms race** - Military build-up, especially between Britain and Germany - **Nationalism** - Especially in the Balkans - **Assassination** - Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria killed in Sarajevo (28 June 1914)
The Sides
Allied Powers - Britain and the British Empire - France - Russia (until 1917) - Italy (from 1915) - USA (from 1917)
Central Powers - Germany - Austria-Hungary - Ottoman Empire
Key Events
- **1914** - War begins; Battle of Mons; trench warfare develops
- **1915** - Gallipoli campaign; use of poison gas
- **1916** - Battle of the Somme (1 million casualties); Battle of Jutland
- **1917** - USA enters war; Battle of Passchendaele
- **1918** - German spring offensive fails; Armistice (11 November)
Remembrance
The war killed around 17 million people, including nearly 1 million from Britain and its Empire. Remembrance Day on 11 November honours those who died.
- **Two-minute silence** at 11am on 11 November
- **Poppies** - Worn to remember the fallen (inspired by poppies in Flanders fields)
- **Cenotaph** - The national war memorial in London
Legacy
- Empires collapsed (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian)
- Women gained greater rights (including the vote in 1918)
- League of Nations created (forerunner of the UN)
- Seeds of World War Two planted by the Treaty of Versailles