Facts about the First World War. Interesting facts about the first world war

The First World War, or as it was previously called the “Great War”, is 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:

1. 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.
2. A well-known author of world bestsellers, Agatha Christie, constantly used murder by 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, having studied the characteristics of toxic substances.

   
   

3. Shooting champion American Annie Oakley trained soldiers in shooting skills during World War I, she was such a professional that she hit a cigarette from a distance of 40 meters, and in the butt playing card from 25. While the card was flying to the ground, Annie shot through it several more times.

   
   

4. 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.

   
   

5. The British came up with the idea to paint their ships in variegated colors. The most various options coloring. 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.

   
   

6. The best trainers of the Russian Empire taught seals and dolphins to search for sea worlds and neutralize scouts. The idea was interesting and had to show its effectiveness. Several dozen marine animals were trained. But the Germans poisoned them all.

   
   

7. 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.

   
   

8. 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.

   
   

9. 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.

   
   

10. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that the still fashionable concept of “trench coat” appeared.. Verbatim from in English 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.

    
    

11. 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.

    
    

12. 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.

    
    

13. 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.

    

14. 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.

    
    

15. 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 the English version of this word has taken root in Russia.

    
    

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 into this hard times people who became famous all over 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 performed by the defenders of the Brest Fortress. However, not everyone can boast of knowing that about 40 years earlier, Russian soldiers survived the same hopeless battle. The siege of the Osovets fortress, which is 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 confirm this completely. 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

What unknown facts of the First World War 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

Speaking about the historical facts of the First World War, it is worth mentioning the pigeon number 888 and "trench cats". Animals are quite often used in wartime. 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 received the military rank of 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. The fighting was continued at the moment when all the animals 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.

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. One in six died. About 35 million soldiers and civilians suffered from injuries. Before the First World War, the armed forces of the Russian Empire numbered 12 million people, and it was the largest army in that war. Three quarters of the soldiers were killed, wounded or missing.

After the end of the war, four empires ceased to exist: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German. However, this massacre had another, more important consequence. The First World War became a kind of catalyst for the transformation of Russia into the USSR - the world's first "communist" state.

Despite the fact that Russia lost a lot of territory as a result of the war, Germany remained the main victim. Only in October 2010 did the Germans complete the payment of reparations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. In addition, her army was not supposed to exceed 100,000 people, could not have aviation, fleet and tanks. The Rhineland was occupied for 15 years. Germany lost 12% of its territories and all colonies. Loss in the war, reparations, revolution and other unpleasant consequences of the First World War led Germany to hyperinflation. By November 1923, the Reichsmark had fallen in price by a trillion times. According to many experts, it was the enslaving terms of the contract that helped the National Socialists come to power.

For Russia, the war actually began on August 4 with the East Prussian operation. At first, our compatriots won victories, but in mid-August, the army of General Samsonov was completely defeated. In German tradition, these events are called the Battle of Tannenberg. The Battle of Tannenberg became a powerful tool for German propaganda. A huge memorial was built at the site of the fighting, in which Field Marshal Hindenburg was later buried.

To summer next year the battles of the First World War on the eastern front were transferred to the territory of long-suffering Belarus. The German offensive was stopped near Smorgon, where it was held back for more than two years until the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The battles were so fierce that the soldiers had a saying: "He who has not been near Smorgon has not seen the war." The future Minister of Defense of the USSR, machine gunner of the 256 Elisavetgrad Regiment Rodion Malinovsky, volunteer Valentin Kataev, future Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Shaposhnikov, Captain Alexander Kutepov, Staff Captain of the 16 Mengrel Grenadier Regiment Mikhail Zoshchenko and many other lesser-known people fought in the Smorgon battles.

In the winter of 1916-1917, a new attack awaited German and Russian soldiers near the borders of Lithuania and Belarus. The starving wolves were emboldened. They gathered in large flocks near cities and army stations. Small groups of soldiers began to suffer regular losses from the fangs of predators. The effect was so strong that the commanders of the Russian and German armies were forced to conclude a temporary truce to exterminate the wolves. After the destruction of several hundred "gray" threat passed, and the fighting continued with the same force.

The First World War was a very serious impetus for the development of military technology. For the first time, toxic substances were used, aviation, flamethrowers, and the first tanks appeared. By the way, armored vehicles indirectly owe their name to Russia. When sending the first tanks to the front, British counterintelligence fired a "bullet" that the Russian government ordered a batch of drinking water tanks from England. Under the guise of tanks (tank), the first tanks were sent by rail, the name stuck. In Russia, the term was first translated into their native language. Fighting vehicles at first were called "tubs". Feminism at that time was only just raising its head, so in the British army of that era, tanks were divided into males and females. The males were armed with cannons, the females with heavy machine guns.

Tank designers at that time gravitated toward gigantomania. World War I machines are much larger than their World War II descendants. Our compatriots were no exception. In particular, engineer Lebedenko designed and built a combat vehicle with wheels 9 meters in diameter, armed with machine guns and cannons. Later she was nicknamed the tsar-tank. Due to defects in the design, the vehicle did not take part in hostilities. The small rear steerable roller instantly elms in the ground. Until 1917, the Tsar Tank was guarded at the test site, then they forgot about the car, and in 1923 it was dismantled for scrap.

The First World War made aviation a full-fledged branch of the military. The first reconnaissance aircraft, fighters and bombers appeared. The real legend of the "German" war was the "Ilya Muromets" - a Russian heavy aircraft. The Germans could not bring him down for a year and a half. Such survivability gave rise to the legend of the super-armor covering the Muromets. The Germans themselves acted as myth busters. At the end of 1916, a group of German fighters attacked the lone Ilyusha. The fight lasted over an hour. The Germans failed to shoot him down, but in the end, the Russian plane made an emergency landing. Ammunition ran out not only in machine-gun belts, but even cartridges in regular Mausers. 3 out of 4 engines failed. After examining the plane, the Germans realized that the reason for the “resistance” of the aircraft was a successful design, and not a miracle armor. They counted more than 300 holes in the Muromets hull.

Then the first steps began to take the submarine fleet. By the beginning of World War I, Russia had 22 submarines. However, Russia did not receive any effect from the use of the submarine fleet. None of the submarines even sank a fishing boat, while dozens of submariners died during the operation of the submarines. One of the imperial boats - "Panther" - set a kind of record. This is the only submarine in the world that participated in three wars: the First World War, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War.

In addition to successful functional developments in the armies, samples that are curious today also appeared. Despite the obvious delirium, they all ended up on the pages of the press, becoming a propaganda tool. Skis for crossing water barriers, combat catamarans and German armor-transformers were practically not used.

Not only mechanisms were sent to serve in the army. The first attempts were made to combat training of animals. The famous trainer Vladimir Durov in 1915 suggested using seals to search for mines. In total, he managed to train 20 animals, but one day they all turned out to be poisoned. According to contemporaries, the operation to destroy the sappers-submariners was carried out by German intelligence.

Surprisingly, our contemporaries know almost nothing about such a large-scale war. At best, they will remember the Brusilovsky breakthrough and Franz Ferdinand. Perhaps the centennial anniversary will help correct the situation. In December last year, the President signed an amendment to the Federal Law "On the Days of Russia's Military Glory ...". The first of August is now the Day of Remembrance of Russian soldiers who died in the First World War of 1914-1918.

Facts about World War I...

1. Inhuman accuracy!
Annie Oakley, a famous female shooter in America who demonstrated her shooting talents at performances, taught American soldiers how to shoot during the First World War. For example, it is known that she hit a cigarette with a bullet, which the future Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany held in his mouth. One of the most famous tricks is that Annie from thirty meters hit the end of a playing card, and before the card fell to the ground. I managed to make an additional 5-6 holes in it with subsequent shots.

2. Pope John XXIII served as a sergeant in the Italian army
Pope John XXIII, who led catholic church From 1958 to 1963, during the First World War, he served as a sergeant in the Italian army.

3. The sky was blue
When the writer Arkady Averchenko during the First World War brought a story on a military theme to one of the editorial offices, the censor deleted the phrase from it: "The sky was blue." It turns out that according to these words, enemy spies could have guessed that the matter took place in the south.

4. Hemingway in WWI
Activities in the First World War brought fame and honor to Ernest Hemingway. In Italy, he was awarded the silver medal "For Valor". Doctors found many pieces of mortar shells in his legs, but Hemingway continued to provide medical care to the soldiers. The writer himself had more than 200 combat wounds.

5. Apothecary knowledge of Agatha Christie
During the First World War, the writer Agatha Christie worked as a nurse in a military hospital. Later she worked in a pharmacy, because she is well versed in poisons and many murders in her books were committed with the help of poisons.

6. Feature of the helmets of German soldiers of the First World War
German helmets from the First World War had small horns. An armor plate was attached to these horns, covering the forehead. A bullet with a direct hit pierced the helmet, but the plate did not. However, the German soldiers removed these plates and threw them away. The reason for this is that with a direct hit by a bullet, the blow is so strong that the cervical vertebrae are knocked out, which also leads to death.

What was the purpose of zebra-patterned ships in World War I?

In the First World War, ships, mainly in the British and American navies, widely used special camouflage - the ship was painted in patchy, intersecting stripes or patterns in contrasting colors. The purpose of such camouflage was not to hide the ship, but to make it as difficult as possible for the enemy to calculate its course and speed. Military historians still find it difficult to determine the economic effectiveness of this protection - due to the very large number of different patterns, it is not possible to say which one was better, and whether they were, in principle, noticeably better than the traditional plain color. Similar camouflage was also seen in World War II, but the advent of radar eliminated all arguments in its support.

Why did Hitler shave off his lush mustache and leave the "toothbrush" behind?

According to the writer Alexander Moritz Frey, who served in the First World War in the same regiment with Hitler, the future Fuhrer initially wore a rather lush mustache like the mustache of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. However, he had to shave them on the orders of the boss and leave the characteristic “toothbrush” due to the fact that such a mustache prevented him from properly putting on a gas mask.

Brown is today strongly associated with Nazism. Although he was chosen by the Nazis not on purpose, but for a completely prosaic reason. When Germany lost its African colonies after the First World War, a large number of brown uniforms (especially for African landscapes) remained in warehouses. This uniform was purchased by the National Socialist Party cheaply for its assault squads.

Where and when did the warring parties conclude a truce in order to exterminate the wolves attacking both armies?

In the winter of 1916-1917, on the eastern front of the First World War in the region of Lithuania and Belarus, starving wolves greatly increased in numbers near cities and army camps and began to attack small groups of soldiers. Seeing this, the command of the Russian and German armies agreed on a temporary truce and sent forces to exterminate the wolves. After several hundred animals were killed, and the threat from them passed, hostilities resumed.

What country and on what occasion minted more than a million of the same type, but nominal awards?

During and after the First World War, Great Britain presented the relatives of all the dead with a commemorative medallion with the inscription "He died for honor and freedom", which was popularly called the "Dead Man's Penny". It depicted the female personification of the country of Britannia next to another symbol of the country - a lion. Two dolphins aside symbolized the sea power of the state, and the second lion at the bottom of the medallion tore apart the German eagle. The uniqueness of this award is that on each of the more than a million issued medallions the name and surname of a particular person is minted. Moreover, the rank or position of the deceased was not indicated and did not affect the form or size of the award - thereby emphasizing the equivalence of the sacrifice of each to achieve a common goal.

Pigeons, cats and dogs

Animals have long been used by man in war. The First World War was no exception. Pigeons were very useful birds, which were used to transmit letters and orders. The most famous "feathered warrior" is pigeon No. 888, which carried hundreds of the most important reports during the war years. This is the only bird awarded the military rank of colonel and buried with full military honors.

Pigeons have also been successfully trained for aerial photography. The first patent for a camera device designed to be carried by a pigeon was received in 1908 by the German Julius Neubronner. Despite the acceptable image quality, the First world war aerial photography with pigeons was never used.

Cats were often found in the trenches. The soldiers took cats into the trenches, which were like detectors because of their sharp sense of smell and warned of the next gas attack. For the same purposes - control over the purity of the air - during World War II, "sailor cats" were taken on board submarines.

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.

The First World War is considered a special era of mankind. Many facts about the World War were told to the younger generations by great-grandfathers. Many people know only from the stories of relatives and books how the first war took place. Interesting facts about this event should be known to every self-respecting citizen of our Motherland.

1. More than 70 million people participated in the First World War.

2. Approximately 10 million soldiers died.

3. About 12 million civilians were killed by the First World War.

4. During the First World War, good trenches were built. There were beds, wardrobes and even doorbells.

5. Approximately 30 types of various gases were used in the war.

6. For the first time during the First World War, tanks were used in battles.

7. About 40,000 kilometers reached trenches dug during the First World War.

8. During the First World War, they began to use machine guns.

9.Millions of soldiers who participated in the war suffered from embarrassment.

10. The Austro-Hungarian, Russian, German and Ottoman empires ceased to exist precisely as a result of the First World War.

11. At the end of the war in 1919, an organization was created - the League of Nations, which preceded the UN.

12. 38 states participated in the war.

13. Even such famous personalities as Agatha Christie participated in the First World War. She was well versed in poisons and was a nurse.

14. A truce was declared several times during the war. This is evidenced by the facts about World War 1.

15. During the First World War, cats were in the trenches. They were a warning of a gas attack.

16. Dogs in the war were messengers. Capsules were tied to their bodies, and they delivered important documentation.

17. During the First World War, about 12 million troops were mobilized.

18. Pigeons during the First World War were postmen. Thanks to them, letters were transmitted.

19. George Ellison is considered the last soldier from Britain who died in the First World War.

20. Pigeons in World War I were trained for aerial photography.

21. During the First World War, France, trying to confuse German pilots, built a “fake Paris”.

22. Until the suppression of the war, German was the second most spoken language in the United States.

23. Canadians survived the first chemical attack during the First World War.

24. The military from Australia after the First World War went to war with the emu.

25. During the First World War, the pigeon managed to save the lives of 198 soldiers from America.

26. Pharmacists discovered heroin only during the First World War.

27. In this war, about 8 million horses were killed on the Western Front.

28. Ritmeister von Richthofen was the best fighter pilot during the First World War. This is evidenced by the facts about World War 1.

29. In Great Britain during the First World War, a memorial sign "Dead Man's Penny" appeared.

30. The First World War was one of the bloodiest wars in human history.

31. The war lasted 4 years.

32. The First World War pushed humanity to the development of military technology.

33. The submarine fleet began to take its first steps during the First World War.

34. The most huge weapon of the war was considered the "Paris Cannon", firing 210-pound shells.

35. During the First World War, about 75 thousand British grenades were created.

36. Every fourth soldier was on duty during the war during the night.

37. All trenches during the First World War were built in the form of zigzags.

38. During the First World War, in winter, the air temperature was so low that even bread froze.

39. World War I began after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

40. The First World War is often referred to as the “attack of the dead”.

41. On the eve of the war, France had the largest army.

42. A third of all war victims died from the Spanish flu.

43. British tanks during the First World War were divided into "females" and "males".

44. Dogs in World War I laid telegraph wires.

45. Initially, during the First World War, tanks were called "land ships."

46. ​​For America, World War I cost $30 billion.

47. During the First World War, battles took place on all oceans and continents.

48. The First World War is the sixth conflict in world history in terms of the number of deaths.

49. In the First World War, brown was a sign of Nazism.

50. Small horns were on the German helmets of soldiers in the First World War.

51. The Pope during the war was a sergeant in the Italian army.

52. One of the monkeys during the First World War received a medal and was awarded the rank of corporal.

53. German helmets during the war years were equated with crossbows.

54. Air bombs used during the First World War weighed about 5-10 kg.

55. The main types of aviation were created during the First World War.

56. The war is considered the ancestor of plastic surgery, because it was then that Harold Gillis decided to do the first operation.

57. The Russian army during the First World War consisted of 12 million soldiers.

58. During the First World War, Hitler had to shave off his own mustache.

59. In the war, the dove was called the "feathered warrior."

60. Many dogs found mines on the battlefield during the First World War.

61. At the disposal of Russia in the war there were many Germans.

62. Not only men fought for their homeland, but also fragile women.

63. Trench coats worn during the war have remained in trend even today.

64. In the First World War, the first armored vehicles were tested.

65.After the end of the First World War, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania became independent countries.

66.Thousands of people after the war were left disabled and deformed.

67. Most of the fighting took place precisely in European countries.

68. Repeatedly the First World War was called the "global conflagration."

69. Many figures went to the front to fight.

70. During the First World War, teenagers ran away from home to fight at the front.

71. N.N. did not lose a single battle of the First World War. Yudenich.

72. During the first chemical attacks during the war, Canadians used a handkerchief soaked in human urine as a filter.

73. Due to the fact that the word hamburger comes from the German word "Hamburg", the Americans stopped using it during the war years.

74. Aviation became a full-fledged branch of the military precisely during the First World War.

75. Germany is considered the main victim of the First World War.

76. Tanks first began to be used during the battle of Fleur-Courcelet.

77. According to historians, the USSR is considered the most striking consequence of the First World War.

78. They learned to do blood transfusion only in the last years of the First World War.

79. The ranks of workers during the First World War were replenished with female individuals.

80. Disposable feminine pads are considered an invention of the war period.

Against the background of disputes and historical discussions about the Second World War and its significance for history, its predecessor is somehow often forgotten - no less bloody. We decided to recall those most important events of the 20th century, and tell about both general and little-known facts of that terrible war.

1. As a result of the First World War, four of the five empires that participated in the war collapsed: Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. The Russian Empire ceased to exist as a result of 1917. German - following the results of the November Revolution of 1918. The Austro-Hungarian Empire broke up into several republics. And the huge Ottoman Empire was occupied by the troops of the Entente and subsequently also collapsed.

2. In total, 65 million people fought in the First World War. 10 million of them died. In addition, the war claimed the lives of 12 million civilians. Two-thirds of military deaths have occurred in combat, although in all previous major European wars, deaths have been taken mainly by disease and unsanitary conditions.

3. During the first time, many types of weapons were used in battle: tanks and anti-tank weapons, flamethrowers, anti-aircraft guns. Soldiers put on gas masks for the first time. About 30 different types of chemical weapons were also used, but after the war they were banned by agreement of all civilized countries.

4. By the way, the first tanks during the war were divided into two categories: "men" (equipped with guns) and "women" (equipped with machine guns). Only towards the end of the war did the British think of combining both tank “floors”, and as a result, combat vehicles appeared with a main gun and an auxiliary machine gun.

5. A network of trenches throughout Europe and Asia stretched for almost 40 thousand kilometers. dragged on, so that artillery and mines were most often used, which were sometimes “brought” directly to enemy positions through dug tunnels. Explosions of some huge mines during the Battle of the Somme were heard in London, that is, 140 miles from the scene.

6. Animals also played their part. It’s not worth talking about the horses used by the cavalry, this is already clear. But not only horses helped the warring parties. Dog teams were widely distributed, which took away the wounded from under heavy fire, delivered medicines and shells.

There were also heroes among the birds. So, for example, the French carrier pigeon Cher Ami delivered 12 important messages to Verdun. In October 1918, he rescued 200 American infantrymen in the Aragonese Forest by delivering a message on time. At the same time, Sher Ami was wounded in the chest and in the wing, blinded in one eye and lost a leg. He was even made a wooden prosthesis, but, alas, the heroic bird died a month later.

7. In addition to the front-line war, there was also a hidden one - the battle of spies and ciphers. At first, the Germans were in the lead in the field of encryption, but after some time the Americans thought of involving Indians from the Choctaw tribe in this business. There were no dictionaries of the Choctaw language, so it was enough to translate the message into it, so that the Germans could only shrug.

8. Almost all parties to the conflict tried to regularly supply their soldiers with condoms. But in the United States, at that time, this was not allowed to be done by laws prohibiting the export of contraceptives from the country. As a result, about 400 thousand American soldiers became infected with a wide variety of venereal diseases.

9. In the first few years of the war, there were cases of Christmas truces between soldiers and officers of different armies. The spirit of the general holiday was so strong that the French, British, Germans, Austrians and Poles from the Russian army shared food, drink, played football and sang songs together. The command tried to deal with this with the help of disciplinary measures. And by 1916, such truces had become rare and parochial.

10. Alas, despite the relatively honest nature of the war, there was a massacre. It was during the First World Power that the Ottoman Empire staged the genocide of Armenians, Pontic Greeks, Jews and Assyrians in their territories. It is known that a German corporal drew attention to this event, who then uses someone else's experience during the Holocaust.