Index : W : World War I

Structure Sub-topic of: War History Other encyclopedia entries of interest: Anzacs | Interesting Questions, Facts and Information There are a total of 195 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display. Frequently Asked Questions & Answers There are 30 user-asked question matches ( goto ) Special Topics Gallipoli Military History 1914-1918 WWI: A 20th Century Tragedy The Great War (1914-1918) British Mk V tank Canada and WWI The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand Manfred von Richthofen Vimy Ridge Battle of Jutland The War to End All Wars All Quiet on the Western Front . . . Scuppering at Scapa The Great War Weapons of the Great War The Marines in WWI The Battle of the Somme Canada and the Great War

Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information

World War I

Who was the first commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front in the Great War?

World War I (JosephK)


French. French was later replaced by Haig, who remained in that position for the remainder of the war.



Who was the first Australian to command an Australian Corp?

Australians in World War I (munnis)


John Monash. It was widely thought that Brudenall White would have been given the job, and some petitioned against Monash's selection. In the end Monash was given the appointment and Brudenall White went with General Birdwood to be his Chief of Staff for the Fifth Army. Thomas Blamey became Monash's Chief of Staff and Albert Jacka is well known as Australia's first Victoria Cross winner in WWI. He acheived that as a Lance Corporal and finished his military career as a Captain.



Who was the commander of American troops in Europe during World War I?

World War I (with an American Slant) (mslaurielynn)


John J. Pershing. This General commanded two million American soldiers often referred to as the AEF (American Expeditionary Force).



Who was the commander in chief of the Allied Forces in France?

World War I Trivia (Teej417)


Ferdinand Foch. France had the most casualties of the war because most of the war was fought in France. Available records are incomplete, but it is estimated that 5,920,650 French soldiers were dead, wounded, or missing.



Who persuaded Russian leader Alexander Kerensky to form a Women's Battalion?

World War Havoc (choconette)


Maria Bochkareva. In May 1917, Maria Bochkareva, persuaded Alexander Kerensky, Russia's new leader, to allow her to form a Women's Battalion. Initially, Bochkareva had 2,000 women under her command, but after fighting for three months on the front-line, numbers had fallen to 250. It was said that some of the girl-soldiers had been thrown from the windows into the street, most of the rest had been violated, and in addition many had committed suicide as a result of the horrors they had gone through.



Who led the Royal Navy battle cruiser force in the battle of Jutland?

World War I (JosephK)


Beatty. Beatty was one of the few commanders - on either side - to distinguish himself by his performance on that day.



Who is featured 'pointing' at you on the best known of the British recruitment posters of WWI?

World War One (kirstymd)


Lord Kitchener. The poster bore the words 'Your country needs YOU'. Lord Kitchener died in a torpedo attack, out at sea, during the First World War.



Who invented a stuttering device that allowed machine guns to be mounted and shot between propellers of WWI era aircraft?

The Great War-WWI (charlemagne)


Fokker. Fokker device ended the days of pilots shooting at each other with pistols.



Which year did the Battle of Verdun take place?

Battles of World War One (andy4226uk)


1916. Because the French were losing ground against the Germans here, this persuaded Haig to lure the Germans away from Verdun by striking at the Somme.



Which World War One poet wrote the famous poem, 'Dulce et Decorum Est'?

World War One (TemplarLLM)


Wilfred Owen. Wilfred Owen was born in 1893, in Oswestry (United Kingdom). He was religiously educated and though he rejected much of his belief by 1913, the influence of his education remains visible in his poems and in their themes: sacrifice, Biblical language,and his description of Hell. He enlisted in the Artists' Rifles on October 21st 1915, but spent only five weeks on the front. All of his war poetry was based on these few weeks. The battle experience thoroughly shocked Owen. During a period when he convalesced in Craiglockhart War Hospital near Edinburgh he met and befriended another great War Poet, Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon encouraged Owen's poetry and Owen began to write more poetry condemning the attrocities of war. He wrote that the glorious adage of 'dulce et decorum est pro patria mori' was in fact a lie, as he described the horrors of a gas attack. The Latin phrase means 'how sweet and fitting it is to die for one's country'. Owen died seven days before the Armistice in 1918.



Which royal house Franz Ferdinand was heir to?

World War I (1914-18) (Corycool)


Habsburg.



Which pilot is reputed to have shot down the Red Baron?

World War One (TemplarLLM)


Roy Brown. Baron Manfred von Richthofen was the son of a Prussian nobleman and perhaps the most renowned aviator of all time. During his time on the front between 1916 and 1918, Richthofen was accredited with having shot down 80 allied airplanes and was responsible for 127 allied personnel either killed or captured. In January of 1917, Richthofen began to paint parts of his planes red, (most probably so that his own troops could more easily identify his plane, or maybe because it was the colors of his old cavalry regiment), and began to acquire the title 'The Red Baron'. On April 21, 1918, Richthofen broke one of the cardinal doctrines of German fighter pilots (which he actually wrote) that a pilot should never follow an enemy too far into enemy territory, when he followed Canadian pilot Wilford May far into allied held ground. May had evaded the Baron's attempts to shoot him down primarily by bad flying skills which had led to erratic and unpredictable manuevers. Canadian Pilot Roy Brown came in to the chase to try and assist his friend May and was accredited with shooting down the Baron. This has been the source of much debate as there is also substantial argument that the Red Baron was shot down by Australian gunners on the ground, particularly because of the angle of the fatal bullet that killed Richthofen. Lanoe Hawker was a British Ace who was Richthofen's eleventh victim. Cunnel actually shot down the Baron by giving him a serious head shot, but the Baron survived that attempt. Bishop was another Canadian Ace who shot down 73 planes.



Which phenomena is NOT considered by historians to be a long range cause of WWI?

The Great War-WWI (charlemagne)


Reformation.



Which neutral country was invaded by Germany in 1914, thus bringing Britain into the war?

World War I (1914-18) (Corycool)


Belgium. The Germans had not expected much military resistance by Belgium, and when it came they massacred civilians as a matter of policy.



Which German fighter was the mount of legendary ace Max Immmelman?

World War I Fighters (TechForce)


Fokker EIII. The sleek, lethal lines of the Fokker EIII were a common sight on the battlefields of the Western Front from the summer of 1915 until the winter of 1916. With it's great speed, agility, and revolutionary interrupter gear, it ruled the sky until the advent of the Nieuport 11 and the Airco DH2.



Which fighter was the personal mount of British ace George Lanoe Hawker?

World War I Fighters (TechForce)


Airco DH2. The Airco DH2 was one of the first Allied fighters to match the Fokker EIII in speed and and agility. Despite being slow, the nimble Airco served until late in 1916, by which time it was far outclassed by the new Albatros and Fokker scouts. Hawker himself flew one while leading a squadron in France, and in which he was killed in November, 1916. He fell to the guns of Manfred Von Richtofen, the famous 'Red Baron' after a long, savage dogfight.



Which famous two seat British fighter entered service in 1917?

World War I Fighters (TechForce)


Bristol F2B. The powerful Bristol Fighter was a unique fighter. It incorperated many modern navigation and combat aids, not seen on any previous RFC fighter. It was also very fast and agile, unusual for a two seat fighter. After a poor start, it's crews learned how to use the F2's abilities to the utmost. They soon became the terror of the Western Front. The Germans greatly feared this nimble racehorse, which could engage their own Albatros and Fokker single seat scouts on even terms. So prominent was the F2 and it's record, that they remained in British service until 1932.



Which country withdrew from the war in 1917?

World War I (with an American Slant) (mslaurielynn)


Russia. The war stretched Russia's resources and internal cohesion to breaking-point. The revolution of March 1917 led to the fall of the Russian monarchy and the establishment of representative government. However, continuing the war was very unpopular and was a significant factor in the revolution of November 1917. After much hesitation the Bolsheviks concluded a peace treaty with Germany at Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, and Germany was then able to concentrate its efforts on the Western Front.



Which country was the 'War Guilt Clause' put on?

World War I (1914-18) (Corycool)


Germany. In the Treaty of Versailles Germany was forced to accept responsibility for WWI. This clause (#231) was used to justify the demand for unlimited and unspecified reparations.



Which country is Ypres in?

Battles of World War One (andy4226uk)


Belgium. This was the scene of many casualties during some of the fiercest battles of the First World War.



Which country immediately entered the war under the order of the dominion when Britain did?

World War I (1914-18) (Corycool)


Canada.



Which country had the largest empire at the time of the war?

World War I (1914-18) (Corycool)


Britain. It was an empire on which the sun never set.



Which country declared war on Germany on April 6th, 1917?

World War Havoc (choconette)


USA. With a population of over 100,000,000, the USA had the potential to decide the outcome of the First World War. However, in 1914, the country had no overseas alliances and on 19th August, President Woodrow Wilson declared a policy of strict neutrality. The war helped the USA economy, with exported goods to Allied countries increasing from $825 in 1914 to $3.2 billion in 1916. This made it possible for Britain and France to keep fighting the war against the Central Powers and this influenced Germany's decision to announce its unrestricted submarine warfare policy. Opinion against Germany hardened after the sinking of the The Lusitania, the largest passenger vessel on transatlantic service, which had left New York harbour for Liverpool on 1st May, 1915. On this journey the ship carried 1,257 passengers and 650 crew. On 31st January, 1917, Germany announced a new submarine offensive. Wilson responded by breaking off diplomatic relations with Germany. The publication of the Zimmerman Telegram, that suggested that Germany was willing to help Mexico regain territory in Texas and Arizona, intensified popular opinion against the Central Powers. On 2nd April, Woodrow Wilson asked for permission to go to war. This was approved in the Senate on 4th April by 82 votes to 6, and two days later, in the House of Representatives, by 373 to 50. Still avoiding alliances, war was declared against the German government (rather than its subjects). War against Austria-Hungary was not declared until 7th December, 1917.



Which country committed genocide during WWI?

World War I: How and Why It Happened (Disney101)


The Ottoman (Turkish) Empire. Starting in 1915 the Young Turk junta started the systematic mass slaughter of the Armenian minority. They were rounded up, some were killed at once, but most were forced to go on a long march into the Syrian desert without adequate food or drink. They died of thirst, hunger and disease. In the period from about 1915-17 about one million Armenians were murdered. The Turkish government still vehemently denies the genocide.



Which British general commanded the Allied forces at Gallipoli?

World War I (JosephK)


Hamilton. Sir Ian Hamilton was a well known hero of some of England's 19th century military actions.



Which British field marshal was infamous in the Battle of the Somme for sending men "over the top"?

Battles of World War One (andy4226uk)


Haig. More British soldiers died in this battle than any other battle, including approximately 19,000 British lives being lost on the first day alone. Because of this, he earned the nickname "Butcher of the Somme".



Which battle was the first land battle of the war?

Battles of World War One (andy4226uk)


Battle of Liege, 1914. This was Germany's first stage of the Schlieffen Plan, but the Belgians managed to offer very fierce resistance, resulting in many German casualties despite the Belgians being very outnumbered. The fact that Liege held out for 9-10 days caused delay in the implementation of the Schlieffen Plan.



Which battle stopped the German offensive in 1914 towards Paris, forcing both sides to resort to trench warfare?

World War I Trivia (Teej417)


Battle of the Marne. The battle of Verdun did prevent Germany from taking Paris, but this battle happened in 1916, not 1914. During the Battle of the Marne, the allies were led by Joffre (France), Gallieni (France), and Sir John French (ironically, English). There was also a second Battle of the Marne that was in 1918.



Which area (or region) did the Russian Army's Plan 19 attack?

World War Havoc (choconette)


East Prussia. In 1910 General Yuri Danilov of the Russian Army developed what became known as Plan 19. Danilov argued that on the outbreak of war in Europe the German Army would concentrate its forces against France. Danilov therefore suggested that four of its armies (19 corps) should immediately invade East Prussia. Some leading members of the Russian Army disagreed with the tactics of Plan 19. They argued that Austria-Hungary represented a greater threat to Russia than Germany. In 1912 it was decided to substantially alter Plan 19. Only two armies were now to attack East Prussia with the rest concentrating on defending Russia from the Austro-Hungarian Army.



Where was the Peace Treaty with Germany signed in 1919 ?

The Great War-WWI (charlemagne)


Versailles.



Where was the last battle of the war fought, which took place on the Mesopotamian front?

Battles of World War One (andy4226uk)


Sharqat. This was a final assault ordered by Lloyd George to remove all Turkish influence from the area.

• What was World War I about? ( goto )



• What was World War I known as before World War II? ( goto )



• Why was there no War Crimes Tribunal after World War I ? ( goto )



• How many people died in World War I and World War II? ( goto )



• How did World War I start? ( goto )



• Why did World War I start? ( goto )



• Which country was the last to declare war on Germany in World War I? ( goto )



• Why was Japan an ally with Germany in World War II but not in World War I? ( goto )



• Who wrote the World War I poem 'The Soldier'? ( goto )



• Where was Adolf Hitler during World War I? ( goto )



• What was the name of Hitler's dog during World War I? ( goto )



• Why was it that Germany had to pay the price for World War I? ( goto )



• Which World War I or World War II pilot finally ended up with the highest number of kills? ( goto )



• Dogfights were especially big in World War I, but which pilots were the leading aces of World War II? ( goto )



• What rank did Jay Gatsby reach in World War I? ( goto )



• How many Aussie soldiers voluntarily enrolled in World War I? ( goto )



• In World War I slang, what name was given to corned beef? ( goto )



• When did World War I begin and when did it end? ( goto )



• Who was the first President of the British Legion after the World War I? ( goto )



• Who said, "I don't know how World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"? ( goto )



• What West Point graduate and World War I veteran founded a corporation in the 1920s? ( goto )



• Why was the German army called "the Bosh" (or Bosch) during World War I? ( goto )



• What film about World War I prominently featured Albinoni's Adagio? ( goto )



• What treaty, signed by Germany and the Allies, officially ended World War I? ( goto )



• What did Americans call Liberty Cabbage during World War I? ( goto )



• Having played for the Giants and the Braves, who was the only Major League baseball player to serve in both World War I and World War II? ( goto )



• Who was the industrial and economic advisor to the United States government in World War I and II? ( goto )



• World War I signaler's name for the letters AM meaning time before noon? ( goto )



• In what country did World War I begin for the United States combat forces? ( goto )



• Who was the first person to put a machine gun on an airplane during World War I? ( goto )