World War 1 Chronology

The Great War saw an estimated 10 million lives lost, with more than twice of that number wounded. Follow the harrowing history of the conflict with our WW1 chronology.

November 11th 2018 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the Armistice, the official end of the First World War, or ‘the war to end all wars’. The war was fought between the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and allies) on one side and the Triple Entente (Britain and the British Empire, France and Russia) and their allies on the other side.

ArmisticePhotograph taken after the signing of the Armistice in Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch’s railway carriage in Compiègne.

An estimated 10 million lives were lost and more than twice that number were wounded. It was fought on the eastern and western fronts, in the Middle East, in Africa, and at sea. Follow the links below which outline the major events of the world’s most bloodiest conflict, from the assassination in Sarajevo that started it all, to the signing of the peace treaty of Versailles …’Lest we Forget’.

World War One: By Year

Important events of 1914, the first year of the First World War, including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (pictured to the left), the official start of the war and the trench warfare of the Western Front.

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Important events of 1915, the second year of the First World War, including the first German Zeppelin (pictured to the left) raid on England, the Gallipoli Campaign and the Battle of Loos.

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Important events of 1916, the third year of the First World War, including Field Marshal Lord Kitchener (pictured to the left) asking for US military participation.

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Important events of 1917, the fourth and penultimate year of the First World War, including the Battle of Cambrai which saw a surprise tank attack by the British (pictured to the left).

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Important events of 1918, the fifth and final year of the First World War, including the French Marshal Ferdinand Foch (pictured) being appointed Supreme Allied Commander.

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Uboat at Tower Bridge in 1919

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Conscription during World War One

By Ellen Castelow

By late 1915 volunteers for the armed forces in World War One had slowed to a trickle. The British Government was now forced to consider introducing conscription...

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