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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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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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 ...
user8309
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Wouldn't shortening the front also shorten it for the enemy?
I'm reading now and then that armies would withdraw in order to flatten out salients and shorten the front to make it more easily defensible, such as in the case of Operation Alberich. The logic being ...
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Have the officials/leaders of the winning country ever been punished for war crimes?
Is there any case in history where the leaders/officials of the winning country have been punished for war crimes? In most cases I can find of war crimes, the officials/leaders of the losing country ...
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Help identifying this WWI Italian uniform
My great grandfather served in the Italian army in WWI and this is the only photo we have of him in uniform. He said he was a runner in the war but otherwise we don’t know much about his time during ...
user50606
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Need help identifying rank and military service [duplicate]
Thinking WW1 - Photo found in family stuff. Also can't read the name very well. Looks like Perz something.
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What was the device that general Birdwood was using in the "Gallipoli" TV series?
Since this is a question about historical detail, I think it suits more this site than Movies SE.
The miniseries Gallipoli tells the story of the invasion on that peninsula during the Great War. I ...
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Can anyone tell me what military uniform this is?
This is my great grandfather and on the back of the picture it states "France 1913", I am restoring the picture, adding color, and need help identifying the uniform so I can make add the ...
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When was this picture taken?
This is a picture from my family's book & stationery store that was in Aspen, Colorado, and I'd love to get a better idea when it was taken.
We owned the store between maybe 1905 and maybe 1945. ...
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How were army formations deployed in the First World War in trenches?
When WW1 started, a stalemate settled in, which resulted in extreme stress and PTSD for both sides of the war. The Allies countered this by rotating troops in and out of frontlines, support lines and ...
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Can anyone help ID the probably World War One, Austrian, Italian, or Czech uniform in the picture?
This is a picture of my grandfather. Paul Boratko. We think he was born in Austria, but married a woman from Slovakia and immigrated to the USA after WWI.
I'm trying to identify the uniform in this ...
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What was the "Favorable result" that the German admiralty was expecting from the naval attack on the Royal Navy in 1918?
The infamous order from 24th October 1918 was planning to slam the German High Seas Fleet against the British Royal Navy. If I recall correctly, this was the second time Germany tried to even the odds ...
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Can anyone tell me anything about the markings on these shell casings?
These shell casings have been passed down. Can anyone tell me anything about the markings?
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Can anyone identify these (possibly WW1 Polish) uniforms?
The only hint I have is that the gentlemen in the picture were Polish and it was reputed to have been taken in 1917. So far I suspect that they may be cavalry?
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During WW1, did any Irish join Kitchener’s Army?
Were there Irish recruits for Kitchener’s 3 year enlistment program during WW1? I understand that most Irish volunteers were Protestants from Ulster, but am wondering if they would have qualified for ...
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Were there any attempts at a federation or commonwealth to save Austria-Hungary from breaking up after ww1?
As known, the population of Austria-Hungary was made up of 11 major ethnic identities.. When the war ended, A-H broke up as it was instead of forming a new federation of Austria, Hungary with an ...
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How were improvised masks used to defend gas attacks in World War One?
During the battle for Ypres in April 1915 the attacking Germans used chlorine gas to great effect, nearly annihilating the 1,100 defending French. The French had moved closer to the gas cloud, ...
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What was the best way to travel across Anatolia in 1914?
What was the best way to travel across Anatolia in 1914?
Specifically, I'm writing a story in which a character needs to travel from Constantinople to Van (a city which would later see protracted ...
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Where was the Turkish Navy based in July 1914?
I'm trying to figure out whether, if not for the July crisis, Russia could have tried an amphibious invasion of Turkey in 1914, and what the outcome would have been if so.
It seems to me the answer ...
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Was Russia ready for amphibious invasion of Istanbul in 1914?
I've been reading The Russian Origins of the First World War by Sean McMeekin, in which he makes some very interesting claims about what the strategic situation prior to the July crisis looked like ...
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What was the fastest coal-powered ship in a country's navy?
The transition from coal to oil fuel as the primary energy source for navy ships took place leading up to and during WWI. The last British battleship to primarily use coal power was the Iron Duke ...
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Was there an increased interest in 'the spirit world' in the aftermath of the First World War?
In this excellent answer on Literature Stack Exchange, a quote from Alexander Leggatt's 'William Shakespeare's Macbeth' states:
The sense that evil forces are at work in Macbeth may be a product of
...
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Can anyone identify the country, rank, and unit of this WWI Uniform?
A photograph of my grandfather, Stephen Peter Barbustiak (sp of last name changed during immigration process). DOB 20 August 1895 in Odorin, present day Slovakia. Married September 3, 1917. I know he ...
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What does an English Liberty-shaded lamp look like?
The London Venture by Michael Arlen several times mentions a woman with dark hair given a blue sheen as she sits under a Liberty-shaded lamp. Any idea what this lamp looked like?
Illustrator: Michel ...
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Can you identify this (possibly Bulgarian) uniform?
can someone identify the country the uniform is from?
Context:
Must have been born before 1880. First served in the Austro-Hungarian army, perhaps as an officer servant, possibly to a man who later ...
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Are there records of soldiers opinions of canned food in WWI?
While reading the Wikipedia article on canning, I came across the following statement (with no citation).
Throughout the war, British soldiers generally subsisted on low-quality canned foodstuffs, ...
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What is this artillery shell?
I found this in my Grandfather’s basement. He served in World War 2, in the Pacific Theater. He sadly passed away and we have no idea if this is safe. Can anyone help with identifying this? It is 13 ...
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What were the relations between Romania and Bulgaria before WWI?
I am researching the Balkan's involvement in World War 1. Specifically, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania.
My question is:
What were Romanian - and Bulgarian relations in, and around the lead-up to the ...
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Were there other reasons or interests apart from Pan-Slavism for the Russian Empire to support Serbia? [duplicate]
In my History class, I was taught that that the Russian Empire supported Serbia's independence and nationality and fought against the Austria-Hungary Empire due to Pan-Slavism. My point is, were there ...
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Can anyone point me to an online version of the 1900 amendment to the Franco-Russian Military Convention 1892?
Incitement
The Wikipedia article, France-Russia relations, linked in an answer to this question, has
After France was humiliated by Britain in the Fashoda Incident of 1898, the French wanted the ...
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What is this (possibly WW1) officer's uniform and regiment?
This photograph comes from an old family photo album - our family is of British descent who lived in South Africa. Unfortunately those who knew this person have since died and we are hoping to track ...
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Was Wilhelm II aware of the Franco-Russian Military Convention 1892?
The second sentence of Article 1 of the Convention reads,
If Russia is attacked by Germany, or by Austria supported by Germany, France shall employ all her available forces to attack Germany.
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Why did it take so long for the Germans to develop the first tank model in World War I?
World War I still featured a lot of trench warfare due do a lack of mobility that placed an advantage upon the defender. When the British managed to invent the first tank, that seemed like an ...
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