Interesting facts about the first world war for children. Interesting facts about the First World War (15 photos)
First World War, or as it was previously called the "Great War" - one of the greatest events in the history of the world. It claimed millions of lives and forever changed the fate of the world's greatest empires. During the war, a lot of events happened: here are the most interesting facts about World War I:
- When developing helmets for soldiers, the Germans decided to make attachments to them in the form of horns, on which a metal plate was attached in the forehead area. This was done so that a bullet that hits the helmet, even if it pierces it, will not pass through the metal plate. But in practice, this method did not show its effectiveness, since the impact from the bullet was so strong when it hit the plate that the soldier's neck broke and he died.
- A well-known author of world bestsellers, Agatha Christie, constantly used murder with poison in her works. She was so well versed in this matter, because at the time great war For a long time she worked as a nurse in a military hospital. After that, she got a job in a pharmacy and worked there for many more years, studying the characteristics of toxic substances.
- Shooting champion American Annie Oakley taught soldiers shooting skills during World War I, she was such a professional that she hit a cigarette from a distance of 40 meters, and hit the end of a playing card from 25. While the card flew to the ground, Annie shot it several more times .
- One soldier was hit in the temple by a bullet and damaged his brain. But the soldier survived, however, he could no longer sleep.. Doctors have not identified the causes of this phenomenon. The soldier himself said that he did not feel tired and did not want to sleep. Thus, he did not sleep for 40 years until he died.
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- The British came up with the idea to paint their ships in variegated colors. A variety of color options were used. Naturally, they did not try to hide the ship by this. But such colors prevented the scouts from understanding the distance to the ship and the speed of its movement. The method was really effective, but it was not used in World War II due to the advent of radar.
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- The best trainers Russian Empire taught seals and dolphins to search sea worlds and neutralize the scouts. The idea was interesting and had to show its effectiveness. Several dozen marine animals were trained. But the Germans poisoned them all.
- Adolf Hitler served in the army during World War I. Then he still wore a wide and magnificent mustache. And the kind of mustache that we used to associate with him arose from the fact that he shaved off his mustache to make it easier to put on a gas mask.
- Americans call sauerkraut "Freedom Cabbage". The fact is that at the beginning of the 20th century it was a German dish, and Americans during and after the war hated everything German. Therefore, they renamed the original German names in their own way: freedom potatoes (in Russian - french fries) and freedom cabbage.
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- In 1916, a sudden truce was declared between Russia and Germany, due to the fact that on the territory of Belarus, where hostilities were taking place, there were attacks from wolf packs on both fronts. Most of the wolves were shot and then hostilities resumed with renewed vigor.
- It was at the beginning of the 20th century that the still fashionable concept of “trench coat” appeared.. Verbatim from of English language this translates as a trench coat, since it was in clothes of this style that the soldiers hid in the trenches. The style was chosen very well and is therefore still relevant in various colors and styles.
- Aviation technology has developed rapidly. The Japanese came up with a new type of naval aircraft carriers - underwater. They imperceptibly approached their destination, left the water, and in this position the plane took off from it. The Germans developed more aircraft carriers. They had huge airships that carried planes. This was necessary for flights over long distances, as there might not be enough fuel. Later, methods of refueling were invented, and this type of transportation has lost its relevance.
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- The British have a tradition of hoisting pirate flags after the return of a submarine to its port.. It happened because one Englishman, the admiral of an English ship, said that sailing in submarines is dishonest, only pirates can do this. Then it turned into a fun tradition.
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- During the First World War, pigeons were very popular as a way to transmit information.. Since the best option has not yet been invented. But the Germans went further and decided to use pigeons as photographers. The pictures came out pretty good. But this direction did not develop for unknown reasons.
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- So that the Germans would not get the French ships, even before the result of the hostilities, the French Admiral Reuther decided to flood all his ships. Thus, the French army lost about 80 ships, but they did not give them to the Germans.
- In Russia, the tank was originally called "tub". Because the British, in order to deliver the tanks to the Russian borders, spread rumors that these were water tanks on special order and no one touched them. The tank is translated as "tank". But settled down in Russia English version this word.
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On June 28, 1914, the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife was committed in Bosnia, in which Serbia was accused of involvement. And although the British statesman Edward Gray called for a settlement of the conflict, offering the 4 largest powers as mediators, he only managed to aggravate the situation more and draw the whole of Europe, including Russia, into the war.
Nearly a month later, Russia announces troop mobilization and conscription after Serbia turns to it for help. However, what was originally planned as a precautionary measure provoked a backlash from Germany with demands for an end to conscription. As a result, on August 1, 1914, Germany declares war on Russia.
Major events of the First World War.
Years of the First World War.
- When did World War I start? The year of the beginning of the First World War is 1914 (July 28).
- When did World War II end? The year of the end of the First World War is 1918 (November 11).
Main dates of the First World War.
During the 5 years of the war there were many important events and operations, but among them there are several that played a decisive role in the war itself and its history.
- July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. Russia supports Serbia.
- August 1, 1914 Germany declares war on Russia. Germany in general has always strived for world domination. And throughout August, everyone puts ultimatums to each other and does nothing but declare war.
- In November 1914, Great Britain begins a naval blockade of Germany. Gradually, in all countries, an active mobilization of the population into the army begins.
- At the beginning of 1915, large-scale offensive operations were unfolding in Germany, on its eastern front. The spring of the same year, namely April, can be associated with such significant event as the beginning of the use of chemical weapons. Again from Germany.
- In October 1915, hostilities were unleashed against Serbia by Bulgaria. In response to these actions, the Entente declares war on Bulgaria.
- In 1916, the use of tank technology begins, mainly by the British.
- In 1917, Nicholas II abdicates the throne in Russia, a provisional government comes to power, which leads to a split in the army. Active hostilities continue.
- In November 1918, Germany proclaims itself a republic - the result of the revolution.
- November 11, 1918, in the morning, Germany signs the Armistice of Compiègne and from that very day the hostilities end.
End of the First World War.
Despite the fact that for most of the war, German troops were able to deliver serious blows to the Allied army, by December 1, 1918, the Allies were able to break through to the borders of Germany and begin its occupation.
Later, on June 28, 1919, having no other choice, the German representatives signed a peace treaty in Paris, eventually called the "Peace of Versailles", and put an end to the First World War.
People are accustomed to the fact that during the hostilities a lot of feats are performed. And in this regard, they simply do not remember them all. However, if the history of the Great Patriotic War known to many, only a small part of people know about the interesting facts that happened during the First World War. And it is about them that will be discussed in this review.
Facts that not everyone knows
Contributed to changing most ideas about how combat should take place. What are some facts about World War I? In mortal combat, of course, the infantry continued to play a major role. However, it was during this period that armored vehicles with military aviation began to take their first steps. Cavalrymen collided with each other amid explosions. And in this difficult time, people who became famous throughout the world were forged. However, not always on the positive side.
For Russia, this war was the most difficult, since the conflict was not only with the German and Austro-Hungarian troops. Inside the country, in its very heart, serious problems were also brewing. And after three bloody years of the First World War, for another five years the country could not cope with the revolution.
Today, few people know the history of the First World War. And this can be said about the well-known details of the hostilities. However, in this review it is worth talking especially about the interesting facts of the First World War, which can surprise many.
The attack that frightened the German troops
Many people know about the feat that the defenders accomplished Brest Fortress. However, not everyone can boast of knowing that about 40 years earlier, Russian soldiers survived the same hopeless battle. Osovets, not very large, lasted for 190 days. She became famous due to the fact that the 13th company of the 226th Zemlyansky regiment went on a completely hopeless counterattack. At the end of July 1915, the Germans fired gas towards the fortress. The defenders simply did not have a chance to protect themselves, since personal protective equipment had not yet been invented at that time. Accordingly, all Russian soldiers received severe poisoning. After some time, the German troops went on the attack under the cover of their artillery. And quite unexpectedly, Russian soldiers, wrapped in rags, in torn tunics, constantly coughing, stepped out to meet them from the green clubs of the poisonous substance. However, they held the rifles in their hands quite tightly. At the head of the attack was Lieutenant Kotlinsky. The Germans, frightened by such an offensive, were driven back to their original positions. Later, the Russian troops left the fortress on the orders of the main command.
The feat of the girl who broke the offensive of the enemy
What other terrifying and interesting facts of the First World War can be recalled? It should be mentioned about the "Stavropol maiden". That was the name of the sister of mercy Rimma Ivanova, who died in 1915 near the Carpathian village. What did she remember? When all the officers were killed during the battle, and the soldiers were demoralized, she was not afraid to rally the fighters around her. Rimma, leading the attack, managed to knock the enemy out of the trench. True, she never saw the moment of victory.
First tank on the battlefield
Speaking about the interesting facts of the First World War, we should also mention “Baby Willie”. That was the name of the first tank, which was designed in Britain. The speed of its movement was about 4.8 kilometers per hour. The transport was equipped with a cannon. Such a model appeared on the battlefield in 1916 during the battle of Fleur-Courcelet. Many years have passed since that moment, and various states continue to measure the length of the barrel and the thickness of the armor. The word "tank" in translation means "cistern". This is due to the fact that the British tried to disguise a new type of weapon as barrels of fuel. However, they did not deceive anyone with their cunning.
Tokens that made history
What interesting facts of the First World War are known? "Dead Man's Penny". Thus, posthumous tokens were nicknamed, on which there was an inscription that the fighter died for honor and freedom. These items were sent to relatives of fallen soldiers. For 6 years, more than one million such tokens were sent out. Their names were not indicated. This is due to the fact that the British authorities wanted to equalize all the dead.
Changes have also been made to food.
A lot of bad things were done during the time that the First World War lasted. Interesting facts can fully confirm this. However, there was a place for not too cruel events. For example, anti-German sentiments began to spread after that. And in order not to lose their money, restaurateurs in England and America renamed "German cabbage" into "freedom cabbage".
Fashion clothes in the trenches
Which are not known facts World War I can be mentioned in this review? Many modern fashionistas do not know that such a clothing name as "trench coat" was formed in the trenches. With this word, the soldiers called the overcoats-raincoats that the quartermasters gave them. However, the translation of the word "trench coat" speaks for itself - "trench coat."
Heroic deeds of animals during the fighting
talking about historical facts World War I, it is worth mentioning the pigeon number 888 and "trench cats". Animals are often used in war time. Pigeons mainly played the role of postmen. With their help, letters and orders were transmitted. The most famous postman was the pigeon number 888. During the entire period of hostilities, he forwarded more than a hundred important letters. And it should be noted that this is the only bird that has received military rank colonel. She was buried with full honors.
In the trenches, ordinary cats were also quite common. They were needed not only for catching mice. Cats also warned the fighters about the beginning of gas attacks better than any sensor. Four-legged fighters were also used in submarines as a "sensor" that controls the purity of the air. Why not original facts about the events that took place in those days when the First World War was going on?
During the war years, one original tradition appeared. English submariners, after the successful completion of the raid, hung out which today is known as the "Jolly Roger". Admiral Wilson thus showed that the use of submarines for him is a dishonest maneuver that is not worthy of gentlemen.
Temporary truces to achieve common goals
What secrets does the First World War still hold? Chronicles, the facts state that during Christmas in 1914, the soldiers of Germany and England announced a temporary truce in order to celebrate the holiday. During this period, a football match was held, Christian hymns were performed. Subsequently, this tradition could not be resumed. Another truce took place in Belarus, when German and Russian troops united in order to shoot down the wolves that attacked them. fighting were continued at the moment when all the beasts were killed.
Conclusion
In this article, we have made an attempt to highlight the main facts about the First World War that may be of interest. Few people know about them. However, accomplished feats require that they be remembered. Often the heroism of people turned the course of hostilities. And everyone should know this without exception.
For its time, the First World War was the most terrible and destructive military conflict that brought many victims, physical and psychological trauma to that generation.
We will not list known facts to everyone, but we will talk about little-known events, but interesting and even surprising.
In order to win back a 15-kilometer stretch of territory from the Germans (the village of Messen, Belgium), the British prepared 19 giant tunnels running at great depths under the German trenches, and mined these tunnels with 600 tons of explosives. The tunnels were blown up on June 7, 1917, and a deafening explosion was heard even in London, at a distance of 225 km. The German fortification lines were destroyed, and 10,000 people were killed in the explosion.
Yes, here's a fact: 16-year-old Walt Disney worked as a Red Cross ambulance driver. He wanted to volunteer for the war, but did not pass the age. Other notable volunteers include Agatha Christie - she worked as a hospital nurse caring for the wounded throughout the war - and writer Vera Britten, who was a Red Cross nurse. Vera Britten lost her brother, fiancé and two best friends in the war. Her autobiographical book about the war years, Testaments of Youth, published in 1933, was recently filmed (in our country the film was released under the title Memories of the Future).
The jingoistic spirit in the first months of the war infected literally all young people - both young men and boys. Participation in the war seemed to them an adventure, promising honor, glory and an escape from a boring home life. A serious motivation for underage recruits was also the widespread belief that this war would be very short.
Among the many naive underage boys seeking to enter the war was 12-year-old Sidney Lewis. He lied about his age and was soon serving in the East Surrey Regiment with hundreds of adult soldiers. Lewis was only thirteen when he spent six weeks fighting on the Somme (the Battle of the Somme is one of the biggest battles of the First World War, and one of the bloodiest). However, then his mother wrote to the military headquarters about the error, sending her son's birth certificate, and he was dismissed from military service.
In order to confuse the German pilots and secure their capital, the French built a fake Paris by 1918, with an exact copy of the most famous places, with illumination that creates a feeling of life in the city. The fake was located 25 km from Paris. There was the Arc de Triomphe, and the Champs Elysees, and wooden copies of famous buildings. The planes of that time were not equipped with radar, so such a fake could really mislead the pilots. Fortunately, it was not possible to test it in action: when the fake Paris was completed, the war had already ended. Well, after the war it was quickly dismantled.
You may have heard the phrase "lions led by donkeys" in reference to the supposedly blatant incompetence and cowardice of World War I British military leaders. For the most part, this is an unfair stereotype and a label that was stuck to them later. As if the brave and heroic soldiers were under the control of indifferent and insensitive generals, who preferred to sit out their pants while thousands of people died.
In reality, many of these officers strove to line up with their soldiers and go on the attack with them, but this was strictly forbidden for the generals, since the loss of an experienced commander could be completely irreparable. So all the commanders were ordered to stay behind - and many then perceived this as cowardice and a desire to sit out the war in comfort and safety.
"Dazzling camouflage" of warships
Traditional camouflage is supposed to hide you from the enemy, but artist and Royal Navy officer Norman Wilkinson came up with an unusual idea: painting ships in bright colors and abstract patterns, with unexpected lines, illusory planes, angles, etc., to confuse the enemy. And it worked. The contrast of light and dark and hypnotizing patterns distorted the outlines of the ship, making it difficult to estimate the distance to it, its speed and course "by eye".
In the first few months of the war, Germany was advancing through France at an alarming rate. By September 1914, German troops were only 48 kilometers east of Paris. Just a month before, the French army had lost 27,000 men in just one battle and was in urgent need of reinforcements. Usually, recruits were brought to the front lines by train, but even this was not enough. Therefore, the French additionally used the type of transport that they had in abundance - taxis. Thus, approximately 5,000 people were delivered to the front. Reinforcements, delivered by taxi, helped to contain the onslaught of the Germans.
The men went to the front, and the women took their place at the bench. Soon the nickname "canaries" appeared: from regular exposure to TNT in weapons factories, the skin turned yellow (at best). Poisoning with dangerous substances was so strong that some women even had children born with yellow skin.
Requirements for recruits during the First World War were quite strict, especially in terms of growth. Men who want to join british army in August 1914, they were supposed to have a height of at least 160 cm. However, very soon they were created separate battalions for undersized - the army needed any help. By the way, many of them were miners and were very useful when digging tunnels.
Anyone inclined to belittle women's achievements in sport should know this: it was women who ensured that football as a sport in the UK did not die. After the start of the war, football clubs fell into decline, because all the players went to fight. And women took their place. They were factory workers who organized football teams and continued to organize football matches all over the country. These teams enjoyed success even for some time after the war, but in 1921 the women were expelled from the football league.
Of the 11 million soldiers who died in World War I, thousands were unidentified. The warring parties tried to adequately bury the fallen, but this was not always possible. Sometimes it was necessary to simply dig huge mass graves. In Great Britain, they tried to bury each fallen in a separate grave, and on the tombstone they beat out the words of Rudyard Kipling: "A soldier of the Great War known to God." Rudyard Kipling lost his son John in this war.
At some point, all the existing hospitals were overloaded, and the wounded kept coming and coming. And then people began to offer their houses to accommodate the wounded and their help in caring for them. There were many such temporary "home" hospitals and they were located in schools, and in private homes, both in the city and in the countryside.
There were so many people with facial injuries that a new word in medicine just had to be said. And plastic surgery appeared as a separate direction. The pioneer in this field was the surgeon Harold Gillis. Now he is called the father of plastic surgery. He performed hundreds of pioneering facial reconstruction surgeries at the time.
Exactly 100 years ago Germany declared war on the Russian Empire. Thus, our country entered into one of the largest and bloodiest armed conflicts in the history of mankind - the First World War.
However, this name appeared only in 1939. Contemporaries called this "meat grinder" the "Great War". Our compatriots also called her "Second Patriotic" or, simply, "German".
The slaughter went on for four years. Battles took place all over the globe, but most of the battles took place in Europe. 65 million men from 30 countries fought in active armies.
1. The Germans were the first to adopt flamethrowers in World War I. Their flamethrowers could throw flames up to 40 meters.
2. More than 65 million men from 30 countries fought in World War I. About 10 million died. The Allies (Entente forces) lost approximately 6 million soldiers. The Triple Alliance lost about 4 million soldiers.
3. In the First World War there were over 35 million injured soldiers and civilians. Over 15 million died and 20 million were injured.
4. Nearly 2/3 of the deaths in World War I occurred in battle. In previous conflicts, most deaths were due to disease.
5. During the First World War, about 1/3 of all military casualties died from the Spanish flu.
6. The Russian armed forces in World War I numbered 12 million soldiers, so it was the most big army in this war. More than 3/4 were killed, wounded or missing.
7. In August 1914 German soldiers killed 150 civilians in Arshot. These killings were part of a strategy known as Schrecklichkeit ("intimidation"). Its purpose was to intimidate the citizens of the occupied territories in order to avoid uprisings.
8. During the First World War, British tanks were initially divided into "male" and "female". The males were equipped with cannons and the females with heavy machine guns.
9. "Baby Willie" was the first tank prototype in World War I. Designed in 1915, it accommodated a team of three and moved at a speed of 4.8 km / h.
10. Artillery shelling and mines created an incredible noise. In 1917, explosions behind the German front line at the Battle of Messina near the Ypres River in Belgium were heard in London, 140 miles (220 km) away.
11. The Peace Basin is a 40-foot (12 m) deep lake located near Messina in Belgium. It fills a crater created by an explosion in 1917 when the British detonated a mine containing 45 tons of explosives.
12. In the First World War, dogs were used as messengers, they carried orders to the front line in capsules attached to the torso. Dogs were also used to lay telegraph wires.
13. Tanks were first used at the Battle of Fleur-Courcelet (1916).
14. Tanks were originally called "land ships". However, in order to pass them off as water tanks rather than weapons, the British decided to give them the code name "tanks". It was on the fields of the First World War that tank building began to develop, which received a second equally powerful impetus already in the Second World War. Despite the large number of innovations and changes in the design of these vehicles at the beginning of the century and their rapid evolution, tanks did not become the main technique of war. By the way, even such a seemingly simple device as stainless steel handrails on the tank hull for tank assault on armor was invented only by the middle of the Second World War, so what can we say about more serious improvements. But, it is worth paying tribute, it was she who opened armored vehicles for mankind as an independent species armed forces and showed his great potential on the battlefield.
15. The most successful fighter pilot of World War I was the Rietmeister von Richthofen (1892-1918). He shot down 80 aircraft, more than any other pilot in that war. He died after being shot near Amiens. The most successful Allied fighter pilot was the Frenchman René Fonck (1894-1953), who shot down 75 enemy aircraft.
16. Margherita Zelle (1876-1917), also known as Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer accused of double espionage. Although she always denied being a spy, the French executed her in 1917.
17. Shortly before death french second Lieutenant Alfred Joubert wrote about the First World War in his diary: “Humanity has gone mad! You have to be crazy to do what's going on. What a massacre... What a scene of horror and carnage! I can't find words to express my experience. Even hell can't be that terrible! People are crazy!”
18. Some Americans were against the US's initial refusal to enter World War I, so they joined the French Foreign Legion or the British or Canadian armies.
19. A group of American pilots formed the Lafayette squadron, which became part of the French air force and one of the strongest military units on the Western Front.
20. For the United States, World War I cost $30 billion.
21. After the First World War, four empires ceased to exist: the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, German and Russian.
22. World War I lasted from 1914 to 1918, with battles taking place on every ocean and almost every continent. Most of battles, however, took place in Europe.
23. The terrorist group from Sarajevo responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was called the Black Hand.
24. The United States entered World War I last year when the war was almost over.
25. Woodrow Wilson's campaign slogan for a second term was: "He saved us from war." About a month after he took office, on April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany.
26. World War I is the sixth deadliest conflict in world history.
27. The First World War was the catalyst for the transformation of Russia into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR). This was the creation of the world's first communist state and the opening of a new milestone in world history. Historians note that the emergence of the USSR was the most striking and important consequence of the First World War.
28. After the First World War, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland were declared independent states.
29. The war disfigured and left thousands of soldiers disabled. Doctors resorted to reconstructive surgery to correct facial injuries, and masks were used to cover up the worst deformities. Some soldiers remained in private hospitals all their lives.