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When did World War One begin?

On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany.

It became known as The Great War, as it affected people all over the world.

A colourful world map showing European countries and their empires in 1914
Image caption,
World map showing countries and empires before World War One began.
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Who was the war between?

The war was between:

The Triple AllianceThe Triple Entente
GermanyGreat Britain
Austria - HungaryFrance
Their AlliesRussia

Each of the countries got their troops ready to fight. They included the army (people who fight on land) and the navy (people who fight on the seas).

Crew of HMS Swift, a British high speed ship, on deck during World War One
Image caption,
The crew of HMS Swift, a British high speed ship
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Why were empires important?

Great Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia all ruled many countries (colonies) across the world. They wanted to keep their empires strong and saw other countries taking over new territories as a threat.

When Germany and Austria-Hungary took control of small countries like Bosnia and Morocco, the rest of the world thought they were being aggressive.

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How did the war start?

A portrait of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary
Image caption,
Franz Ferdinand was murdered while visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia

Many countries had made alliances with one other. They agreed to protect each other. If one was attacked, the others would defend them.

On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot and killed by a Serbian man who thought Serbia should control Bosnia instead of Austria.

Because its leader had been shot, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. As a result:

  1. Russia got involved because Russia had an alliance with Serbia.

  2. Germany then declared war on Russia because Germany had an alliance with Austria-Hungary.

  3. Britain declared war on Germany because of its invasion of neutral Belgium. Britain had agreements to protect both Belgium and France.

A portrait of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary
Image caption,
Franz Ferdinand was murdered while visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia
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Where were battles fought?

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 3, A Mark I tank on the Western Front on 15th September 1916, War on land Battles took place in France, Luxembourg and Belgium, called the Western Front; and in Russia, called the Eastern Front. There was also fighting on land in Italy, the Middle East and parts of Africa.
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What was trench warfare?

A group of soldiers take supplies into a World War One trench

Many battles were fought using trench warfare.

Long ditches were dug in the ground. Soldiers lived in these trenches and sometimes climbed out to attack.

A famous example of trench warfare was the Battle of the Somme. It lasted from July to November 1916. Around one million soldiers were killed, wounded or missing in the battle.

A group of soldiers take supplies into a World War One trench
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How did life at home change?

The Defence of the Realm Act gave the government more power than it would usually have.

  • There were restrictions on bonfires, pubs, and buying binoculars.
  • Feeding wild animals was seen as a waste of food so it became a crime.
  • Newspapers were stopped from writing anything that didn't support the war.

Lots of new jobs were created, such as making weapons in factories. Some women got the chance to have paid jobs for the first time.

The war years affected everybody. Their lives would never be the same again.

World War One soldier marching reflected in a lake.
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Activities

Activity 1: Quiz 鈥 Causes of World War One

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Activity 2: History Explorer game

Play this game to test your knowledge and learn even more facts about World War One.

History Explorer: Secrets through time

History Explorer: Secrets through time: KS2 History

History Explorer: Secrets through time
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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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