Main battles of World War I

A First World War (1914-1918) was a conflict that involved several battles and numerous deaths.

Because it was the first war on a global level, that is, because it involved countries from five continents, it was characterized as a confrontation of great proportions, for this reason, it is also called the Great War.

Therefore, the Escola Educação team selected some of the most significant battles that occurred during the First World War, either due to the high number of deaths or due to strategic.

1- Battle of Tannenberg

A battle of tannenberg involved the Russian and German fronts in East Prussia in 1914.

During the first six days of the conflict, the Russians performed well. However, the Germans had more advanced armament, so they managed to regain ground.

Realizing the inevitable defeat, the then Russian general tried to retreat, but it was too late. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the conflict, he ends up committing suicide.

Out of a total of 150,000 Russian fighters, only 10,000 came out alive. Germany emerged victorious from the conflict, with numerous prisoners and 500 Russian cannons. The German army lost 20 thousand soldiers.

The Battle of Tannenberg totaled around 160,000 deaths.

2- First Battle of the Marne

A First Battle of the Marne took place in September 1914, involving the Germany against France and the British Empire. The site of combat was the Marne River in France.

The end of 1914 was marked by the withdrawal of British and French troops due to the German invasion that was heading towards Paris.

At the beginning of September, around 500,000 French people left the country's capital. In order to assist the French army, the British Empire sends troops to France.

At the beginning of the same month, French troops attacked the German army, which received the command to retreat.

The battle came to an end on September 10 with heavy losses for both sides. In this conflict, the French noted the importance of trenches as a war tactic.

It is estimated that around 80,000 French and 12,733 English soldiers died in this conflict. German casualties were similar to those of the French.

3- Battle of Gallipoli

A battle of Gallipoli occurred in ottoman empire, current Türkiye, between February 1915 and January 1916. This confrontation involved France and the British Empire against the Ottoman Empire.

After attacking the Turks, France and the British Empire send 18 warships to the Gallipoli Peninsula and Dardanelles Strait, present-day Turkey.

Three ships sent by the French and British suffer bombings and add up to 700 deaths, another three were damaged. Aiming to conquer the region once and for all, the British sent 70,000 men from New Zealand and Australia.

The attack began in April 1915 and in January 1916, the Allies (France and British Empire) withdrew from the region, acknowledging their defeat.

It is deduced that this battle caused the death of about 35,000 British, 10,000 French, 10,000 Australians and New Zealanders and 86,000 Turks.

4- Battle of Jutland

A battle of jutland It was the biggest naval battle of the First War and in history, as it involved the largest naval fleets of the time, Germany and the British Empire.

The dispute on the high seas involved around 100,000 men and 250 warships. The Germans' aim was to end British dominance at sea.

Even facing many difficulties, the Germans did not give up. It is believed that 6,784 British and 3,058 French died.

The result of this conflict is inconclusive, because if the tactics are analyzed, Germany won. But if we take into account the strategies, it was the British Empire.

Either way, both nations claimed victory.

5- Battle of Verdun

A battle of verdun took place between February and December 1916, in Verdun, France. This conflict began after the German Empire was directed towards the West and not towards Eastern Europe.

The objective was to attack France and negotiate peace. However, such an action went wrong and had a violent reaction from the French who ended the conflict victorious.

The Battle of Verdun was known, among other reasons, for the number of deaths it caused. An estimated 350,000 people died, in addition to 1 million injured or missing.

6- Battle of the Somme

A battle of the Somme involved France and the British Empire against Germany. It took place between July and November 1916, in Somme, France.

Considered the bloodiest battle of the First World War, the objective was to stop the German advance in the territory.

Even on the first day of combat, about 19,000 British lost their lives. The death toll did not scare the British Empire, which sent more soldiers from its colonies. By August, 250,000 Germans had been killed.

Germany faced a great difficulty, as British ships prevented the arrival of food to them.

This was the first conflict that had the participation of battle tanks. Adolf Hitler fought in this conflict.

This confrontation resulted in the death of 600,000 French and English, in addition to 465,000 Germans.

Battle of the Somme.

Let's look at the names of a few more World War I battles:

• Battles of the Frontiers (1914)
• Third Battle of Ypres (1914)
• Battle of Neuve Chapelle (1915)
• Second Battle of Champagne (1915)
• Battle of Fromelles (1916)
• Battle of Caporetto (1917)
• Battle of Cambrai (1917)
• Battle of Amiens (1918)

Learn more at:

• List of World War I exercises
• Brazil in World War I
• Summary of World War I
• Consequences of the First World War