WW1

World War I (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the
deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the
United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting occurring throughout Europe, the Middle
East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat,
plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action,
hunger, and disease. Millions more died in genocides within the Ottoman Empire and in the 1918
influenza pandemic, which was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war.

Prior to 1914, the European great powers were divided between the Triple Entente (comprising
France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (containing Germany, Austria-Hungary, and
Italy). Tensions in the Balkans came to a head on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb. Austria-
Hungary blamed Serbia, which led to the July Crisis, an unsuccessful attempt to avoid conflict
through diplomacy. On 28 July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, while Russia came
to the latter's defence. By 4 August, Germany, France, and Britain (along with their respective
colonies) were also drawn into the war. In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire, Germany, and
Austria-Hungary formed the Central Powers, and on 26 April 1915, Italy joined Britain, France,
Russia, and Serbia as the Allies of World War I.