World War 1 Facts

  • World War 1 was officially started in 1914
  • More than 8.5 million people died as a direct result of World War 1
  • Today there is still an unexploded mine shaft from World War 1 at the New Zealand Memorial Park in Messines.
  • The German cruiser Emden23 sunk 23 Allied vessels
  • More than 2,600 Allied ships were sunk by the German U-Boats during World War 1
  • During World War 1, 24 total nations declared war on one or more of the Central Powers
  • There were 5,200 US Casualties per square mile during the Battle of Belleau Wood in June of 1918
  • Germany produced 123 Zeppelin and similar airships during World War 1
  • There were 56,000 mines laid by US Navy during the North Sea barrage
  • Britain produced 5,400 Sopwith Camel fighter planes during World War 1
  • There were an estimated 58,000 British casualties on the first day on the Battle of the Somme
  • An estimated 32 million artillery shells were fired during the Battle of Verdun
  • There were approximately 275,000 Italian prisoners taken at Caporetto
  • The Japanese sent 75,000 troops to Siberia in 1918
  • Under The Versailles Treaty, the size of the German Army was limited to 100,000 soldiers.
  • Over 19 million soldiers from all nations were wounded during World War 1