360The First World War begins
After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in June 1914, a chain of alliances drew Europe's great powers into war. The First World War lasted until 11 November 1918 and killed around 20 million people. It reshaped the world's map and led to the League of Nations.
On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated in Sarajevo. On 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.
Within days, alliances pulled in other powers. Russia, France and Britain fought against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Other countries later joined, including Italy, Japan and, in 1917, the United States.
On the Western Front, armies dug long lines of trenches across Belgium and France. Machine guns, artillery and poison gas caused enormous losses for small gains of ground. New weapons, including tanks, aircraft and submarines, changed warfare.
An armistice ended the fighting at 11 o'clock on 11 November 1918. Around 20 million soldiers and civilians had died. The Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, empires broke up, and the League of Nations was created to try to prevent future wars. Many countries still remember the dead each November.
- 28 June 1914
- Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
- 28 July 1914
- War begins
- 1917
- United States enters the war
- 11 November 1918
- Armistice
- 1919
- Treaty of Versailles
Sources: Imperial War Museums · Britannica.