World War I

The Beginning 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.

Diseases in the trenches Not only did soldiers die from battle wounds or rifles in the war, they also died because of diseases that widely spread in the trenches. Many of these diseases were caused as result of whether change, lack of hygiene and the tainted environment. Some diseases were as small as an innocent cold; however, some were as deadly as the Shell Shock or the Trench Foot.

The German army were the first to use chlorine gas at the battle of Ypres in 1915. Chlorine gas causes a burning in the throat and chest pains. The problem with chlorine gas is that the weather must be right. If the wind is in the wrong direction it could end up killing your own troops rather than the enemy. Mustard gas was the most deadly weapon used. It was fired into the trenches in shells. It is colourless and takes 12 hours to take effect. Effects include: blistering skin, vomiting, sore eyes, internal and external bleeding. Death can take up to 5 weeks. Gas attacks

Fun Facts! World War I was also known as the Great War, the World War, the War of the Nations, and the War to End All Wars. The terrorist group responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was called Black Hand, Sarajevo. During WWI, the Germans released about 68,000 tons of gas, and the British and French released 51,000 tons. In total, 1,200,000 soldiers on both sides were gassed, of which 91,198 died horrible deaths. During the war, the U.S. shipped about 7.5 million tons of supplies to France to support the Allied effort. That included 70,000 horses or mules as well as nearly 50,000 trucks, 27,000 freight cars, and 1,800 locomotives. U.S. troops fought their first battle of World War I on November 2, 1917, in the trenches at Barthelemont, France. WWI transformed the United States into the largest military power in the world.

Christmas Day The Christmas truce was an, unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914, during World War I. Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides—as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units—independently ventured into "no man's land", where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides were also friendly enough to play games of football with one another

How the war ended The final Allied push towards the German border began on October 17, 1918. As the British, French and American armies advanced, the alliance between the Central Powers began to collapse. Turkey signed an armistice at the end of October, Austria-Hungary followed on November 3. The terms of the agreement called for the cessation of fighting along the entire Western Front to begin at precisely 11 AM that morning. After over four years of bloody conflict, the Great War was at an end.

Pictures of the war

By: Laura and Caoimhe