World War I Fact Sheet

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Facts and Stats about the Great War

The Lusitania

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Imperial, territorial, and economic rivalries led to the "Great War" between the Central Powers and the Allies. About 10 million combatants were killed and 20 million wounded. Below are facts and stats about World War I.

Dates:

July 28, 1914 to Nov. 11, 1918. Fighting ended with the armistice that was signed on the "11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month" of 1918. Treaty of Versailles signed on June 28, 1919. Read a timeline of key events in World War I.

Background and the Road to War

Major Players

These are the countries that had a significant role in World War I. The date country entered the war is in parenthesis. See Casualties in World War I for the number of troops mobilized, wounded, killed, and missing.

Allies:

Central Powers:

Major Theaters of War

World War I was fought on several fronts. The major theaters included: the Eastern Front, Western Front, Italian Front, Gallipoli Peninsula, and the Naval War. Find details about each front at Major Theaters of War.

Casualties

Allies:

  • Total Number of Troops in Action: 42,188,810
  • Total Wounded: 12,800,706
  • Total Fatalities: 5,142,631
  • Total Missing or Taken Prisoner: 4,121,090

Central Powers:

  • Total Number of Troops in Action: 22,850,000
  • Total Wounded: 8,388,448
  • Total Fatalities: 3,386,200
  • Total Missing or Taken Prisoner: 3,629,829

Deadliest Battle

  • Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser’s battle), fought in Northern France and West Flanders, Belgium, March 21 - July 18, 1918. 1,539,715 fatalities
  • Longest Battle

  • The Battle of Verdun : lasted from Feb. 21, 1916 to Dec. 20, 1916 (9 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days). Germany suffered about 143,000 fatalities and France lost some 162,000 troops.
  • by Beth Rowen
    .com/us/military/world-war-i/fact-sheet.html
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