World War 1: Facts and Information

James World War 1

Here are some facts about World War 1

  • World War 1 began on July 28, 1914 and lasted until November 11, 1918. Differences in foreign policies were to blame, although the immediate cause was the assassination of Austria’s Archduke Ferdinand. (Follow this link to learn more about how World War 1 started)

  • The two main sides were the Allies, which included France, Great Britain and Russia; and Germany and Austria-Hungary. In total, 30 countries were involved in the conflict. Italy, once part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, fought on the side of the Allies.
  • King George V (Great Britain), Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany) and Tsar Nicholas II (Russia) were cousins, and grandchildren of Queen Victoria.
  • Soldiers fought largely in trenches during the war, and thousands suffered from stress, known as shell-shock.  The British and French trenches were often squalid, whereas the German trenches were almost luxurious in comparison, with bunks and decent cooking facilities. (Click here to learn more about life in the trenches)
  • By the end of WW1, over 9 million soldiers had been killed, and another 21 million wounded. Over a million soldiers were killed in the infamous Battle of the Somme alone, including about 30,000 in just one day.
  • Around 11 percent of the population of France was killed or wounded during the war. About 116,000 Americans were killed, even though the US was only in the war for about 7 months.

World War 1

  • During World War 1, dogs were used to carry messages in capsules attached to their body. Dogs also carried and placed telegraph wires in important areas.
  • Pigeons were also used during the war. About 500,000 pigeons were regularly dropped into enemy lines by parachute, and then sent back with messages.
  • On Christmas Eve, 1914, both sides declared an unofficial truce and sang Christmas carols to each other. Football matches were played in no-man’s land (the area between the German and British) trenches, and German and British soldiers exchanged food and souvenirs. The ceasefire was known as the Christmas Truce. The following Christmas, sentries on both sides had orders to shoot any soldier who did this.
  • Cannons and artillery were often extremely loud. In 1917, the explosives used to destroy a bridge in France could be be heard over 130 miles away in London.
  • Many new weapons were invented or first used during World War 1. Big Bertha was one of the most famous; it was a 48 ton gun capable of firing a shell over 9 miles. It took 200 men several hours to assemble the gun.
  • Tanks were so called because of early attempts to disguise them as water tanks. They were also known as male and female tanks; male tanks had cannons and female tanks had machine guns.

What next? Discover more facts about World War 1, or check out these World War 1 resources and factfiles.

290 thoughts to “World War 1: Facts and Information”

  3. thanks so much, this really helped my with my History homework and i will always go back to this amazing site

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  8. hi james this is a really good website and it is helping me with my social studies work in class on WW1 thanks ;p

    Reply

  10. those are really good facts…. thanks james you help me with my school work

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  12. Thanks James, This was very helpful in my history assignment. I will definitely use this again and definitely spread the word. Well done on gathering relevant, easy to remember but still brilliant and true facts.

    Reply

  17. This has really helped me in my genius hour ( a time on a Friday in school when we can research what we want and do a project on it). ( :

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  22. cool this helped me heaps with my research in history

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  23. James, thank you so much for this information. This is helping so much on my essay.

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  25. thanks!!!
    this help a lot! But whats “both sides” in the war? did u mean the allies and central powers? or just Germany and Russia?

    Reply

    1. and when they played football, was it american football? or just football?

      Reply

  26. thank you so much i now have some facts for english.

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  27. nice it helped with my christmas holiday project thanks

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  29. This is so useful,I used it to finish my poster for my world history class.

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  31. these are amazing facts. I learned a lot and got to know how WWI started.
    thanks

    Reply

  32. Omg. Thank you so much . I have such a hard time doing my world war 1 homework in history. I hope I get a A+ on my work!!!

    Reply

  39. these facts helped me a lot in my homework!!! THX A+ HERE I COME

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  45. Thank you so much you helped me with my English homework I’m so glad that it is over thanks

    Reply

  51. OMG Best Thing ever Thanks James so much I appreciate it so much I got a(n) A+ and I thought I was in trouble when the teacher told me to come in after school but she wanted to tell me I did better than the others and she didn’t wanna say it in front of them, So for that thanks so much for all the information!

    Reply

  52. Thank-you, this managed to get me 100% on my History assessment the ight before it was due! Great useful site 🙂

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  53. Thanks really helped!! I think these facts are so amazing.!!

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  56. My great uncle fought in this war so i wanted to know more about it and this helped a lot!

    Reply

  61. My father was in the Air Force in New Guinea during the second World War and like a lot of Australians he never talked about the World Wars .
    My son now wears his service medals on ANZAC Day and I can know explain the facts about World War One.

    Thank you
    John

    Reply

  62. This is the day before my world war 1 test and I forgot to bring home my study guide and this helped me so much thank you

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  73. thx so much you helped me get an a on my history report

    Reply

  74. thanks so much this helped me with my english homework!

    Reply

  75. This was so useful for my English homework it was so much work but i got it done in time

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  80. Thanks! This really was useful for my US history project!! THANK YOU!! ={D

    Reply

    1. Thanks for using Primary Facts, Jenna. Glad we were able to help you with your project.

      Reply

  81. Thanks thanks and more thanks for helping me with my work great facts you shoulduse this web for your progect to:):):):):):)

    Reply

  82. Thanks so much, my homework looks fab! Incredible facts, thanks for the time and effort xxx

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  84. thanx this website helped me with my homework thank you again

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  85. so cool website thank you for the useful information helped me a lot in my world war 1 project in school

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  86. thanks this website is good helped me on nearly everything, this is gonna be good for my project. lol thnx

    Reply

  93. I am doing a project about world war 1 love these facts

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  96. Thanks so much. This really helped me with my homework.

    Reply

  104. Thanks this really helped me out because I have to learn about World War 1 I needed to find facts about it and I could not find the right website but I finally have I can’t wait for my teacher to see this and read it so thanks again. 😀 😀 : D : D : D 😀

    Reply

  106. Thanks this really helped with my ww1 homework

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  108. Thank you,you helped me with my classwork for the day

    Reply

  112. this is the best site that i have found all day long and i will surly came back to do my paper.

    Reply

  113. thanks james I am so happy I got an a plus in my English test THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

    Reply

  119. Hi thanks for it my English teacher gave me a an a+ and im in year 7

    Reply

  120. Thx!!
    In school we are reading Private peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, and for homework we had to write 5 WWI facts!
    You are a lifesaver, primaryfacts!

    Reply

  122. thanks it helped with my drame homework because we are acting out scenes for world war 1

    Reply

  125. Wow! Thanks! This helped a lot, I had a home learning project in the Summer about WW1, and this helped!!! Thanks man!

    Reply

  126. Thanks this helped me a lot for my homework. Thanks again. 🙂

    Reply

  137. Thanks so much. Hope this helps tomorrow with my test gonna be using this page a lot tonight. Need an A+

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  141. Thanks James, great revision help, ill definitely be coming back keep up the good work 🙂

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  142. That was great, thanks! Really interesting and informative.

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  143. these are great facts. thnx. this will help me in school. Thanks, thanks and thanks again.

    Reply

  149. i used these facts they are absolutly amazing especially with my sats this week
    thank you very much james
    lewis.

    Reply

  150. i love all the facts i can’t wait to tell all my class thank u so much

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  151. if it was not for this website i wouldn’t of been able to my homework

    Reply

  152. Thanks this helped me with my english homework and my revision thanks 🙂

    Reply

  158. Thank you so much. This really helped me and I acctually enjoyed reading it. I cant wait to turn in my assignment!!!

    Reply

  161. Thank you so much these facts are so useful!☺️ Helped me a lot with doing my English homework. I’ll be thanking you if I get a good mark.

    Reply

  164. Thanks this help me for my English assignment! We have to write a story about ww1 with fiction characters!

    Reply

  167. Thanks loads! This added to the stuff I already knew about WW1. Also helped a bit with my drama homework, due tomorrow! Without your help I probably would have had a lunchtime detention. Thanks a lot James! xox <3

    Reply

  168. Thanks for the facts.It really helped me do my homework.
    Year 5

    Reply

  173. you really helped me study for this test. thank you soo much ;D 🙂

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    1. me too i am learning about ww1 and my teatcher mis wyatt is going to be so happy when i show her my extra homework.i am only y5 and i thought i wouldnt find this

      Reply

  176. thank you for all the help with my history homework!!! 🙂

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  177. This really helped me, as I am doing a P.I. on WW1! I couldn’t find any sites with information that I could understand, till’ I found this one! Thanks again x

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  178. This information is brilliant my 8year old daughter is amazed at the information she has found on here

    Reply

  179. Thanks for all of that really helped me with my heritage fair project

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  181. Those facts were great they helped me to do a ww1 booklet for homework thank u :)!!!!!❤️

    Reply

  184. Thank you so much. It was so hard trying to find a website with as awesome facts as this. I’ll be back… xx

    Reply

  190. thank this helped me a lot for my home work and there is so many good facts about this thanks again

    Reply

  191. Your fact are totally amazing and helped me with my homework so much
    Thanks guys!!!:-)

    Reply

  192. amazing my teacher told me and my class to find facts about word war 1 this really helped

    Reply

  196. found it really helpful on my English homework I would recommend you to a friend for this homework thanks xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    Reply

  197. Finally,a website that actually has good facts! Thanks a lot James!;-)

    Reply

  198. Thank u it really helped me with mt English homework we are reading a book called private peaceful.

    It seems that it is really helping people with English homework. 😀

    Reply

  199. hi thank u you really hellped me with my english homeowrk there are some really fascinating facts there

    Reply

  203. you knw what james, u rock it!!!!!
    you have helped me so much. iam having my history exam on wednesday. i am fully prepared for now.
    once agian thanks alot

    Reply

  205. hay…. thanks for the help of this website my home work is done….

    Reply

  206. I came on this website because there are lots of good facts about world war 1 and it was for my English homework as well.

    Reply

  207. These facts really helped me with my homework my mum says that she will spread the word about this amazing website

    Reply

      1. james thanks alot for helping me out i had to write a letter about the WW1 in history again thanks for the facts its helped me alot x

        Reply

  212. Thanks!! really helped me with my English H/W as we are doing Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo!!!

    Reply

  213. thanks a lot this really helped with my homework as we are studying world war 1 poetry in English. this was a brilliant source of information for my project thanks!

    Reply

  214. thanks this has helped with my english homework a lot thanks again 🙂

    Reply

  215. Hello James. This really helped me with my history project, Thanks!!!!

    Reply

  218. thx I may be at secondary school but this got me a A+ yaya thx james

    Reply

  219. These facts were helpful with my extensive research into Private Peaceful, also. Thanks for the outstanding facts, I’m sure that A* is in my grasp!

    Reply

  221. hello I think that the website is really great for kids projects.
    Also really good for world war 1:facts and info…
    The trenches are also a very sad place.

    Reply

  223. Thank’s James for this site!!!
    I am also doing English Homework based around Private Peaceful by Micheal Morpurgo so this site really helped me to finish my homework.

    Thanks Again!
    Nat 😛 🙂 😀 XD

    Reply

    1. haha! I was reading Private Peaceful and this helped me too!

      Reply

  224. Thank you lots it really,really,really helped me LOL! My History homework wouldn’t be the same without your help, gave me a few ideas.

    Reply

      1. Amazing website re ally helped me with homework as the topic is ww1 thanks soooo much ????

        Reply

  227. thanks this helped me a lot witrh my English homework 🙂 and thanks again xx

    Reply

    1. Glad we could help you out with your homework, Shannon. Hope you get a good grade!

      Reply

      1. Thanks a lot James! 😀 it helped with an essay, i hope i get a good grade tbh 😀

        Reply

    2. This helped for my English homework as well as I am doing the book called Private Peaceful which is about WW1! 🙂

      Reply

        1. This isnspired me to want to be able to pass my GCSE’s as i was finding it so hard to understand my teacher and you have really guided me towards the light. Thankyu my guirdan angel!!!

          Reply

          1. Thanks for this website James! Helped me with HW for private peaceful 🙂

  228. these are amazing and outstanding facts about world war 1 there are lots of facts about it and I enjoyed reading them thank you

    Reply

      1. that’s so so usefull thanks thousands and thousands of times !!!!!
        :):):)

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        2. me too I feel so much smarter haha and now I can say ik when people are talking about world war 1

          Reply

      2. these are outstanding facts i cant wait to tell my class about them as my subject at school is world war 1 thank u millions and millions 🙂

        Reply

        1. This is really helpful considering I need to write a story about world war 1

          Thanks☺

          Reply

      6. Thanks! This website has lots of important information as well as links to more! ^_^ Seriously useful if you want an A+!!!

        Reply

    2. Thanks this really helped me with my English homework, and gave me some good decent facts about world war 1, thanks

      Reply

      1. This was really helpful for my English homework which I had to do with my friend we got all of our facts off this website and it was approved by my teacher that it is all correct

        Reply

    3. thats really useful thank a millon lately i have been learning about ww1 so this website has really helped me thank loads

      Reply

    8. I got the best story from in my class XDDDDDDDD

      Reply

    13. It is really good it helped me and my older brother with our exams thx

      Reply

    14. Thx to this website helped me with My Try-fold in social very easy to read and you understand.

      Reply

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