World War 1, also known as the Great War, was a pivotal moment in world history that shaped the 20th century. From 1914 to 1918, the world was embroiled in a brutal conflict that claimed the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians. The war marked the first time that the world saw the full destructive potential of modern technology, as well as the first time that the world’s major powers came together to fight a global war. Despite the devastating loss of life and property, the aftermath of World War 1 also gave rise to new ideas, technologies, and political movements that would shape the world for decades to come. So let’s delve into the history of this remarkable period and explore the fascinating facts about World War 1!
Facts about World War 1
1. The devastating toll of World War 1: 9 million fighters and 7 million civilians lost their lives.
2. The Spanish flu was the silent killer in WWI, causing a third of total military deaths.
3. After WW1, the shortage of men in Germany was so severe that only 1 in 3 women would find a husband. A bleak reality.
4. WW1 ranks as the 6th deadliest conflict in world history.
5. “He kept us out of war” was President Woodrow Wilson‘s election slogan. However, a month after he took office, the US declared war on Germany.
6. Nearly 13,000 Native Americans, who didn’t even have US citizenship, fought during WWI. A true testament to bravery!
7. In 1917, Germany tried to rope in Mexico to attack the US to reclaim lost territories.
8. A WW1 homing pigeon became a hero by saving 194 men with a message, despite losing a leg, an eye, and being shot through the chest!
9. A Hungarian man shot in the frontal lobe during WW1 couldn’t fall asleep his entire life.
10. On the 11th day, 11th month, at 11 am in 1918, WW1 ended.
Facts about World War 1
11. The irony of fate: A British soldier during WW1 spared the life of a wounded German, who later turned out to be Hitler.
12. Germany made its final reparations payment for WW1 in 2010, 92 years later.
13. The youngest soldier in WWI was just eight years old!
14. A cuppa a day keeps the blues away: British soldiers in WW1 had a daily tea ration of six pints!
15. Four-legged messengers: Dogs were used to carry orders to the front lines during WW1, with capsules attached to their bodies.
16. Patriotic eating: The US Government during WW1 tried to rebrand hamburgers as “liberty sandwiches” to promote nationalism.
17. A royal effort: During WW1, the Belgian King led the army, the Queen served as a nurse, and the 14-year-old Prince enlisted as a private.
18. Family ties: The King of England, the Tsar of Russia, and the Emperor of Germany were all first cousins during WW1.
19. A British prisoner of war captured by the Germans during WW1 was freed to see his dying mother but returned to the camp as he had given the Kaiser his word.
20. A new dawn for Eastern Europe: After WW1, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland emerged as independent nations.
Facts about World War 1
21. Marie Curie’s gold Nobel Prize medals were declined by the French National Bank when she tried to donate them for the war effort during WW1.
22. Allies made tea by firing rounds over the German trenches to boil the water in their machine guns.
23. A single Portuguese soldier successfully convinced Germans they were facing an entire unit.
24. Marcelino Serna, an undocumented Mexican immigrant, was the most decorated American WW1 veteran from Texas.
25. The name “The First World War” was used as early as 1918 by a journalist who believed it wouldn’t be the last conflict.
26. The Ottoman Empire’s killing of over 1.5 million Armenians during WW1 gave birth to the word “Genocide”
27. A monument honoring the almost 1 million Allied horses who died during WW1 exists.
28. Explosions in France were heard 140 miles away in London.
29. Tanks were categorized as male or female based on their armaments in WWI.
30. During World War I, many women entered the workforce. Those who handled TNT experienced toxic jaundice, which caused their skin to turn yellow.
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading 30 Interesting facts about WW1 for kids.
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