Questions tagged [world-war-one]
Questions on World War I, events that caused it, strategy and tactics employed by the battling sides and the consequences of this war.
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What was this 1917 shell casing used for?
Bought this shell from an antique store. Would like to know the history behind it, as in what it was used for? (The casing is about 16 and 1/2 inches in length)
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Are these Polish WWI or WW2 uniforms? And any idea on the shorter gentleman's military decoration (cross?) on left shoulder?
Can anyone identify these uniforms and the military decoration that looks like an x or a cross on the shorter gentleman?
The shorter gentleman is my great-grandfather. The only information I have is ...
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Which British WW1 regiment is shown in this photograph?
This is a photograph of my Grandfather John Wilson who was born in Randlestown, Northern Ireland in February 1885. He moved to Scotland and served in WW1. He survived the war and died on 31st December ...
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What events or situations of WW1 led to a Nazi fascination with Anglo-Saxon powers?
In the book Hitler, a world biography of Brendan Simms, it is said that Hitler and Nazi leaders were fascinated by the "power of the anglo-saxon countries". It is also mentionned that this ...
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Why is Berehove in Ukraine and not in Hungary?
Checking the distribution of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, is seems there is a stripe of land next to the Hungarian/Ukrainian border which has a majority of Hungarian inhabitants. Such a stripe, ...
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New Zealand uniform or elsewhere?
I am trying to identify the man in this photo and thought I'd start with the uniform. The photo was among New Zealand photos, but I don't see the NZ on his badge.
I'd be grateful for any information.
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How did Admiral King survive his early mistakes in World War II?
In all fairness, Admiral Ernest J. King made important contributions to World War II as the U.S. naval Commander in Chief, most notably in the Pacific theater.
He had a number of major weaknesses, ...
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What kind of uniform is this, with a closed collar on a WWI British General?
The British Army's Service Dress uniform "has been referred to as No. 2 Dress, with the tunic being swapped out for a jacket with an open collar for wear with collared shirt and tie." King ...
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What are the markings on this shell casing? (Dubrovnik)
This is a shell casing from the First World War. Found at an old home in Dubrovnik, Croatia, (Home of my friend's grand-dad's)
I am curious about the meaning of the different markings.
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Why was the BEF so ill-prepared for WW1?
I'm reading Peter Hart's The Great War: A Combat History of The First World War. I'm very new to studying history, but making my way. One thing that's stood out to me is how ill-prepared the British ...
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Why was there relatively little use of land mines in WW1?
International Campaign to Ban Landmines - A History of Landmines | Problem | ICBL
Precursors of the weapon are said to have first been used in the American Civil War in the 1800s. But antipersonnel ...
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Is this photo of the Red Baron authentic?
I belong to a German singing club in Austin, Texas which was founded in 1879. Hanging on the wall of our club room is the photo below. In the upper left corner is an inscription, which I can't quite ...
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Can you identify the markings on this WW1 trench art?
enter image description hereCan anyone help me decode these markings?
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What are they wearing over their shoulders?
What is the Tsar wearing over his shoulder? I believe this has been worn by armies since the 18th century up to around WW2. I scanned through this article but to no end: https://www.rbth.com/arts/2015/...
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What was the difference between the Sykes Picot and League of Nations Mandate? [duplicate]
I can't really understand. I read history that says the Sykes-Picot Agreement was this secret agreement and it is why the Middle East is the way it is today.
But then there's this other League of ...
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How were Mercy Dogs of WWI and WWII trained to know which soldier is from their side and which one isn't?
So, I have been reading about the Mercy Dogs of WWI and WWII. I was wondering, how did they actually train dogs to know which soldier belonged to their 'side', and which soldier belonged to the 'enemy ...
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What is the origin of the expression "I'm the culture they're dying for"?
There is an anecdote about a young man (a poet) being berated by an older woman during WWI where she asks him if he is not ashamed of letting all those other young men die to protect their culture, to ...
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Is Dual alliance, Entente Cordiale in this context?
We imagined the Franco-German War of 1870-71 and the Russo-Turkish War
of 1877-78 were the final conflicts between Great Powers, that now
there was a Balance of Power sufficiently stable to make ...
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What can I learn from this man's uniform?
This is my Polish Great Grandfather - I'm trying to create his story by looking at his uniform. Imperial Russian Uniform? Lithuanian cross? Help!
Photo taken in Saint Petersburg, Russia
He was born ...
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Why did the French SFIO abandon its anti-militaristic views after Jaures' death?
Before his murder on July 31st 1914, Jaures and the SFIO attempted to unite the workers of the different European countries to not take part in what became WWI. However, only two days after his death, ...
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Was there anything similar to the World War 1 Christmas truce in World War 2?
I know that there was an unofficial Christmas truce during World War I, so now my question is this: was there anything similar during World War 2? It is close to the holidays as I am writing this ...
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What do the collar symbols / insignia on this WW I Austrian soldiers uniform mean?
I am trying to determine what the rank or group of a soldier in a vintage photo is. I've been searching the internet for collar insignia but coming up short. I'd appreciate any help given. ...
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How have estimates of the deaths in WWI and WWII changed over time?
I am curious about what the generally accepted death figures in the two world wars were at times between the wars and the present time.
There are many sources on the internet today which give numbers ...
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Can anyone identify the uniform my great uncle (child in the front of the photo) is wearing or any others in the pic?
Family photo taken on a family trip to Europe, possibly Belgium in 1918.
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What was the strategy to protect the British Museum during the World Wars?
Today I was surprised with the claim by the CNN, that the Rosetta Stone was:
on display in The British Museum since 1802 with only one two-year
break during World War I
I assumed at first that it ...
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What do the markings in 75mm WW1 trench art mean?
Great Uncle brought home Trench art from Verdun with a Lorraine cross. Markings are 75 DE and A RS /333. 15. There are 5 punch marks and what looks like a small K near the primer. Can anyone explain ...
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In 1914 why didn't Germany simply mobilize its army without declaring war?
I can't understand why members of the the Triple Entente and also members of the Triple Alliance were so offended by the mere mobilization of their enemies' armies, so that they demanded a cessation ...
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How did public opinion of the wars change from 19th to the 21th century?
This question is inspired by a discussion I had with my friend recently, about ordinary people's perception and support of the many wars in the 19 and 20th century. Nowadays, the overwhelming majority ...
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Where can I find information on a WWI soldier?
Does anyone know where to find details on WWI soldiers? I am researching a captain called Thomas Zachary Woods. Thus far I have found this website: http://doingourbit.ca/profile/thomas-woods. Where ...
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What is the proof that during WW I, belligerent countries censored reports on the Spanish influenza?
Wikipedia has the following on the Spanish flu:
The pandemic broke out near the end of World War I, when wartime
censors suppressed bad news in the belligerent countries to maintain
morale, but ...
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Has anyone come across WW1 large brass casing engraved with French cities?
I recently found two large brass casing, German made from 1901 and 1914.
They both have US military Divs ie. 2nd, 26th and 28th Div, along with cities in France and Germany that the Divisions were ...
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Why did the Schlieffen Plan prioritize invading France?
AFAIK, the consensus is that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia, which led to Russia coming to Serbia's defense. The fact that this would lead ...
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Who are the "Millennial Folk" being referred to here?
This came up on an episode of QI where the question was, "When was the First World War, first called as such". The answer was:
The First World War was given its title as early as the ...
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How, exactly, was 30% of Russia's industrial capacity distributed "in and around Moscow" in 1941?
Numerous source allege that the Germans would have crippled the Russian war effort if they had captured "Moscow" because 30% of Russia's industrial capacity was in that area.
Given this, ...
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Did Nicholas II of Russia send telegrams demanding evacuation of Serbs?
During World War I, in 1915, the Serbian army had no other option but to retreat from their territory, over Albanian mountains, to Greece, who was an ally. Just to note that it was in winter, and ...
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Is the term Kaiser seen as offensive? [closed]
Is the term Kaiser seen as offensive? Because I know the term means German Emperor, but according to Wikipedia it says that "During the First World War, anti-German sentiment was at its zenith; ...
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Please help identity this Italian military uniform
All I know about the man in the photo is he was an Italian. Any help on the date/what the rank, etc. was would be appreciated.
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Did Shackleton's crew all "miss out" on WW1?
They've just found Shackleton's Endurance.
This has always been a fascinating story to me. 28 men lost for 2 years, Shackleton sails a rowboat to South Georgia in winter, crosses the mountains of ...
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What was middle class in Sweden in WW1?
This is written in the English Wikipedia article for "Madicken": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madicken
Du är inte klok Madicken is about a 7-year-old middle class girl, during World War I.
...
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Was it uncommon to see an Englishman with a cane or walking stick during WW1? Specifically, in Europe
Was it uncommon, during the WW1 era to see a man, with a cane or walking stick in Europe?
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Can anyone help me identify this uniform?
Can anyone help me identify this uniform?
I have been looking into an ancestor named Frederick Collins who served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, in Ireland in 1898, South Africa 1900-1902 then St ...
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Is Oskar Potiorek considered a suspect in the Archduke Ferdinand assassination? [closed]
I was looking just a tiny bit at the history leading up to the assassination generally blamed for the first World War. The data seem so surprising I just have to ask what I'm missing...
Oskar ...
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Which kingdoms were using WWI weapons at the time of the second world war?
Which kingdoms, little dictatorships and all sorts of fiefdom had World War 1 armor (and nothing more modern) at the time of the second war? I bet there was a lot because after the First World War all ...
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Why did the Zimmerman telegram upset America if it was not asking for aggression against America? [closed]
The Zimmerman Telegram upset America against Germany. But I can't understand why it would upset Americans if there was no suggestion of any kind of aggression against America in it — unless America ...
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How did economic composition change during the world wars?
I'm trying to understand how economic composition changed during the world wars in various countries.
One route would be following the expenditure approach to gdp accounting, but in more detail. For ...
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How would an Allied promise to "supply" Romania sway that country?
In wooing Romania to the "Allied" side in World War I, the "Entente" powers promised Romania not only post war territorial gains, but to "supply" the country's war needs ...
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What did the Germans believe were the causes of WWI during the war and after?
Did the Germans en masse believe they were waging a defensive war or a war for colonies, or a war for living space, or preventive war or a war in support of allies?
I have read about some opinions of ...
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Please help identify this shell casing
We found the end of a shell casing in our garden. We believe it is made of brass it’s 3.2 inches across and has the following stamps on it:
DCP oo
75 M
No 32
1917 BA with N on its side above.
...
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Does footage of WWI bombing of London by zeppelins exist?
I remember seeing footage of a zeppelin dropping bombs on London in a documentary on WWI, however I cannot seem to find it on the Internet. Did I dream or does it actually exist?
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Why did Arthur Zimmermann admit to his infamous, intercepted telegram to Mexico? Why not deny it? [duplicate]
This answer on Quora by Jim Wayne, B.A. Duke University (1967) doesn't answer my question, because it just raises these follow up questions.
So Zimmermann thought that lying would be useless, since ...
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