100th Anniversary of the First World War (WW1) was observed in numerous countries all over the World on 28 July 2014 : WW1 was the first war fought on a global scale with almost all countries of the World involved in it either directly or indirectly. It was named World War because all the great economic powers participated in it.
The war started on 28 July 1914 when the Austro-Hungarian forces declared was on Serbia by firing shots and invading it. This pulled in Russia, Germany, Britain and later 
the United States into the War.
WW1 resulted in death of around 1 crore people all over the World and this included combatant soldiers and civilians. It also resulted in redrawing of the world map and later shaping the geopolitics of the world with organisations like the League of Nations.
When this war was started?
On 28 July 1914
The seeds for this war were, however, sown with the political and military alliances mainly in Europe in the 19th Century. This led to the existence of a complex network of political and military alliances throughout the continent by 1900. The arms race between a resurgent Germany and Britain also prepared the ground for this conflict.
However, the immediate reason for start of the conflict was the murder of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by pro-Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This incident slowly led to deep stress between Austrian-Hungarian government and Serbia.
The war formally took shape on 28 July 1914 when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Within a few weeks the war spread all over the world with all major economic powers plunging into it.
Who first used the term ‘First World War’?
- German Philosopher Ernst Haeckel was the first person to use the term ‘First World War’. He used this term for the first time in September 1914 shortly after start of the War.
When WW1 ended?
- On 11 November 1918. The war ended officially on this day after Germany agreed to a ceasefire (armistice) with the Allied Forces.
What was the total duration of WW1?
- 4 years, 3 months and 7 days
What were the major results of WW1?
- The victory for Allied Forces (The United States, England, Russia, France, Italy, etc.)
- The loss for Central Forces (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, etc.)
- The end of 4 empires of Germany, Russia, Ottoman and Austria-Hungary. (No other war had changed the map of Europe so dramatically)
- The emergence of USA as a major world power
- Establishment of the League of Nations on 28 June 1919, which later paved the path for the United Nations (UN) in the Second World War
- The imposition of huge fines on Germany and Ottoman Empire
15 Important Dates of the WW1
- 28 June 1914 : The assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo by a pro-Serb nationalist Gavrilo Princip
- 28 July 1914 : Declaration of war over Serbia by Austria-Hungary. This led to formal start of the World War 1.
- 30 July 1914 : Russia comes in aid of Serbia
- 1 August 1914 : Germany declares war on Russia
- 3 August 1914 : Germany declares war on France
- 4 August 1914 : Britain declares war on Germany, joins France, Russia in group known as the Allies
- 23 August 1914 : Japan declares war on Germany
- 23 May 1915 : Italy joins the war on the Allied side
- 7 June 1916 : Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire begins with help from Britain
- March 1917 : The first Russian Revolution topples Czar Nicolas II
- 6 April 1917 : United States joins the First World War by declaring a war on Germany
- 5-6 November 1917 : Second Russian Revolution, it brings Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik party to power
- 30 October 1918 : Ottoman Empire signs an armistice (ceasefire)
- 3 November 1918 : Austria-Hungary also sign an armistice
- 11 November 1918 : The First World War ends with victory for the Allied Forces. Germany signs an armistice
