Dates: World War I. 28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918.
Teams: Central Powers consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria vs Allies of World War I (France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Italy and the United States)
Starting point: On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, to end Autro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina assassinated the Austro-Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.

1. Tensioin escalated between Autria- Hungary and Serbia which was backed by Russia which was part of one of the majors coalitions- the Triple Entente (of France, Russia and Britain, the other being the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy)
2. Germany in order to invade France invaded Belgium as part of Schlieffen Plan (of Armty head Alfred Schlieffen).
3. England joined the war to respect 1839 Treaty of London to guard Belgium.
4. France declared war on Austria-Hungary
5. Japan captured German possessions in China and the Pacific.
6. Both sides dug long ditches called trenches facing each other (30m – 200m apart) from the Belgian coast to Switzerland. These lines of narrow were the Western Front.
7. Ottomans fought for the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai Peninsula.
8. Remianing neutral initially, in 1915, Italy though part of Triple Alliance joined the Allied Powers
9. Bulgaria joined the Central Powers.
10. Russia’s economic instability led to the Februry Russian Revolution of 1917, ending czarist rule Czar Nicholas II followed by October (Bolshevik) Revolution commanded by Vladimir Lenin ending Russia’s involvement in World War.
11. German submarines sank seven US merchant ships and tied to provoke Mexico to make war on US.
12. US declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917.

Major battles:
• First Battle of The Marne.  French and British vs Germany. Retreat of Germans, casualty of one million.
• Gallipoli campaign (25 April 1915 - 9 January 1916) Allied launched a naval attack and  landed on the peninsula to  , capture Constantinople (now Istanbul) and ultimately knock Ottoman. After eight months' fighting the mission was withdrawn and it proved to be costly defeat for the Allies especially Winston Churchill.
• Battle of Jutland (31 May - 1 June 1916) was the largest naval battle of the First World War betweeb British and German fleets of battleships which showed British naval dominance.
• Battle of Verdun (21 February - 18 December 1916) was the costliest and the longest battle of the First World War. At the end the French retook lost ground.
Ending
On 29 September 1918. Bulgaria was the first Central Power to sign an armistice—the Armistice of Salonica On 30 October, the Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros, on 4 November, the Austro-Hungarian signed the Armistice of Villa Giusti. On 11 November 1918 Germany also signed an armistice as Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated. A formal state of war between the two sides continued till the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919.
Result:  Allies victory, dissolution of all continental empires in Europe (including Germany, Russia, Turkey and Austria-Hungary, Russian), formation of the Soviet Union, November Revolution in Germany resulting in establishment of the Weimar Republic.

Further impacts: formation of the League of Nations, rise of the Nazi Party

QUESTIONS

1) The phrase “It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread,”  pays a compliment to whose invention?
2) Which fashion retailer prints “John 3:16” on its yellow shopping bags?

ANSWERS

1) Otto Rohwedder
2) FOREVER 21