Title: World War I | Holocaust Encyclopedia
Headings: World War I
World War I
Key Facts
Outbreak of World War I
The Allies and Central Powers
The Scope of Fighting
Impact of US Entry into the War and the Russian Revolution
Central Powers Surrender
Armistice
Military Losses
Civilian Losses
Critical Thinking Questions

Content: At 11:00 a.m. on November 11 (11/11), 1918, fighting on the western front ceased. The "Great War," as its contemporaries called it, was over. But the conflict's far-reaching impact upon international, political, economic, and social spheres would resonate for decades to come. Military Losses
World War I represented one of the most destructive wars in history. More than 8.5 million soldiers died as a result of the hostilities, a figure exceeding the military deaths in all the wars between European powers in the 19th century. Although accurate casualty statistics are difficult to ascertain, an estimated 21 million men were wounded in combat. The enormous losses on all sides of the conflict resulted in part from the introduction of new weapons and military tactics, such as long-range artillery, tanks, poison gas, and aerial warfare. Military leaders also failed to adjust their tactics to the increasingly mechanized nature of warfare. A policy of attrition, particularly on the western front, cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. July 1, 1916, saw the heaviest loss of life in a single day.