American industrial power and fresh troops provided the Allies with a decisive advantage. In the summer of 1918, a final German "Spring Offensive" failed, and the Allied counter-attack began to break the German line. The Silence of the Guns
German U-boats (submarines) began sinking merchant ships, trying to starve Britain into submission. The Turning Point
With its allies surrendering and its home front collapsing under the weight of starvation and revolution, Germany signed an armistice. At , the guns finally fell silent. Short History of the First World War (Short His...
The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, leading to famous campaigns like Gallipoli and the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia.
Most soldiers marched off to battle believing they’d be "home by Christmas." Germany’s "Schlieffen Plan" aimed to knock France out of the war quickly by marching through neutral Belgium. However, the French and British halted the German advance at the in September 1914. American industrial power and fresh troops provided the
The war was officially ended by the in 1919. It redrew the map of the world, dismantling four empires—the German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian—and creating new nations like Poland and Czechoslovakia.
By 1917, the world was exhausted. Russia collapsed and exited the war, allowing Germany to move its entire army to the west. However, Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare and its attempt to lure Mexico into the war (the Zimmermann Telegram) finally brought the into the fight. The Turning Point With its allies surrendering and
Russia battled Germany and Austria-Hungary across vast territories, suffering immense losses that eventually triggered the Russian Revolution in 1917.
