100 years of World War I: 20 curiosities you need to know
As you know, this year the beginning of World War I turns 100 years old. The conflict came as a result of a series of events that culminated in four years of violent clashes involving nations on five continents. The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 and, in addition to causing the fall of four great empires - the Ottoman, the Russian, the Austro-Hungarian and the German - also redefined world geopolitics.
And the conflict was not just about radically transforming the world map and leaving a trail of destruction and death: as a result of World War I the Armenian genocide, the Russian Revolution, and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. And as a consequence of all this, the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism, the occurrence of World War II, and the unfolding of the world as we know it today.
So, how about giving a super brief overview of what triggered the conflict and a host of curiosities you need to know?
Brief Overview
A decade before the outbreak of war, Europe was a cosmopolitan continent living a very favorable economic moment and witnessing rapid industrial development. Most countries shared common values and collectively witnessed the emergence of scientific innovations and cultural changes. However, Germany, due to various internal political and social issues, was not in favor of modernization.
And in the midst of all this, since the late 19th century, there had been strong imperial competition - don't forget that the Ottoman, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, German, British, Italian, and French Third Empire were virtually the “owners”. of the planet at the time - and the feeling was that the world was too full and there were no more places to conquer. Especially for Germany, which wished to consolidate its empire.
Over time, the Germans, who were surrounded by their imperialist "enemies, " began to feel under pressure, and therefore, despite the good times in Europe, there was a climate of deep tension on the continent. And finally, exactly 100 years ago, that is, on July 28, 1914, an attack served as a trigger for the beginning of the war.
Formal start
What formally triggered the conflict was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire - and his wife Sophie. The incident took place in Sarajevo and led the Austro-Hungarian Empire to declare war on Serbia.
Thus, although it began between the Austro-Hungarians and the Serbs, it was a matter of time before the other European powers - and countries in other parts of the world - joined the conflict in a true domino effect.
Curiosities about the First World War:
1 - Following the declaration of war between Austro-Hungarians and Serbs, Germany declared war on Russia on 1 August and, two days later, against France;
2 - On August 4, Great Britain declared war on Germany and joined France and Russia, forming the Allied group;
3 - On August 23, Japan declared war on Germany, and on November 1, the Ottoman Empire joined the Austro-Hungarian and German Empire to form the coalition called the Central Empires. The United States joined the conflict during the last year of the war;
4 - World War I involved the participation of nearly 70 million soldiers from 30 countries across five continents, causing the deaths of approximately 10 million during the fighting - not to mention the millions of lives lost due to famine and the emergence of diseases;
5 - Conflict is the sixth with the highest number of deaths in history;
6 - The Spanish Flu was responsible for the death of approximately 1/3 of all military personnel who lost their lives during the war;
7 - Dogs were widely used as messengers, carrying orders to the fronts through capsules that were attached to their bodies;
So far, no war had relied so much on the use of trenches. These ditches stretched for miles away, and many of them became flooded and muddy, while lice, disease, and huge rats made the lives of the entrenched soldiers in hell;
About 40 kilometers of trenches were built on the famous “Western Front” alone, and many of them had names inspired by real addresses;
10 Life expectancy in the trenches was approximately six weeks, with officers with less rank and those carrying stretchers were among those most at risk;
11 - About 6, 000 men died every day during the war;
12. Every week approximately 12 million letters were delivered to the soldiers;
World War I began the development of plastic surgery, and the first blood banks were also created during the conflict;
Officially, British soldiers had to be 19 years old to serve in the army. However, an estimated 250, 000 boys have lied their ages and the youngest soldier reportedly was only 12 years old;
15 In December 1914 British Expeditionary Force soldiers heard entrenched German soldiers in Frelinghien, France, singing Christmas hymns and saw that officers had placed small lanterns and Christmas trees along the trenches. The men of both armies began to exchange messages, and the next day everyone agreed to declare an informal truce, spending the day in each other's company;
16 - During the truce, soldiers exchanged gifts, played soccer, and took pictures together. That day became one of the most emotional memories of World War I, a time when enemies allowed compassion to triumph over their political differences and create a brief breath of the horrors of war;
One of the bloodiest conflicts in human history occurred during the First World War. Known as the “Battle of Somme, ” it resulted in the deaths of over 1 million people, and occurred during an effort by the British to expel German soldiers from their trenches;
Thus, on the first day of the Somme offensive, after digging tunnels under the German trenches and placing almost 30 tons of explosives, the British soldiers flew their enemies into the air. The resulting blast crater still exists today, measuring more than 90 meters in diameter and more than 20 meters deep;
19 - Red poppy became a symbol of World War I thanks to a Canadian surgeon named John McCrae. The doctor wrote a sad poem in honor of a friend who died during the conflict, and in it McCrae mentions the red poppies as blood from the Flanders camps in Belgium;
20 Today, the flowers can be seen in spring and early summer by the wartime site of the Western Front, and serve to remind all fallen soldiers during the battles.
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