±«Óătv

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.
Back to top

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
Back to top

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
Back to top

Where were battles fought?

War on land
A Mark I tank on the Western Front on 15th September 1916
Image caption,
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.
A British submarine in action in World War One, firing its gun
Image caption,
Battles in water mainly took place in the North Sea and the Atlantic. Britain's ships blocked Germany's way to stop it receiving supplies by sea. Germany reacted by using U-boats (submarines) to attack ships travelling to Britain.
A German Gotha bomber plane in World War One
Image caption,
Aeroplanes were new at this time. There were three different types of aircraft: Scouting, used for fighting; Bombers; and Reconnaissance, used for photography and directing weapons.
Back to top

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 group of soldiers take supplies into a World War One trench
Back to top

How did life at home change?

  • 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.
World War One soldier marching reflected in a lake.
Back to top

Activities

Activity 1: Quiz - What started World War One

Back to top

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
Back to top

Bitesize Primary games. game

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

Bitesize Primary games
Back to top

More on World War One

Find out more by working through a topic