Â鶹APP

10 Brutal Facts about World War I

World War I (WWI), as the name suggests, was an international conflict between Russia, Turkey, Europe, the United States and Asia. This War began on 28 July 1914 and ended on 11 November 1918.

It was also known as the Great War or the First World War. World War I was one of the most destructive Wars in the world.

In case you are wondering how they came to name this war, well, a German biologist and philosopher, Ernst Haeckel, coined the word. 

The word was first used in 1914 in a statement suggesting that the European War was going to be the first world war.

Millions of people lost their lives, both in the military as well as civilians. The number is estimated to be 14 million.

This was the period when the Spanish Flu pandemic hit the world and contributed tremendously to the number of fatalities.

Historians say that more people died from the Ottoman genocide, hunger and diseases than those that were on the frontline. The former was of course courtesy of the War. 

Interestingly, World War I is less remembered compared to World War II and the Cold War.

Several inventions and innovations happened during WWI in the quest to have better weapons or curb the Spanish Flu pandemic. 

Innovations in manufacturing, chemistry, communications, and military tactics happened during this War. It was the first time aircraft were used in war, advanced in medicine and the use of heavy machine guns.

Brutal events happened too. Here are the top 10 brutal facts about World War I.

1. More than 9 million civilians and soldiers died during World War I

World War I was fought both on land and in the air. This led to the death of millions of people. It was not only the military but also innocent civilians who became casualties.

An estimated 9 million soldiers, sailors and airmen were killed in World War I. About 5 million civilians died while in occupation, from bombardment, hunger and disease.

There was also a genocide that happened to an Armenian minority in the Ottoman Empire in 1915.

In Serbia, the Serbs fled after war broke out in their country leading the several civilian deaths. More than 750,000 Germans also died during the Allied naval blockade.

2. Flame throwers were first used during World War I

Flamethrowers are more popular in video games. These are weapons that are used when taking out masses of enemies.

Germany was the first country to use a flamethrower in World War I. They initially used it to test its powerfulness which was a success.

The weapon was used against the British who suffered so much loss. However, the British were able to fight back.

Together with the French, Britain targeted anyone that carried a flamethrower. They easily spotted them carrying massive backpacks and walked slowly because of the weight.

 The slow movement was also to avoid triggering the flamethrower that could easily explode under pressure.  

3.  About 150,000 Chinese were recruited for manual labour during World War I

China and Japan had great influences During World War I. For this, they wanted to have an even much greater influence on the rest of the world.

Although neither of these two countries was on the frontline, their presence was felt during the war.  

In China, the Germans had set camp in the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province. This was their home and fort, giving them a permanent presence in the country.

The Chinese were impartial during World War I and gave the British 50,000 men. This troop was to help the British take over Qingdao city.

These men were tasked with repairing tanks, and digging and repairing trenches and other key fixtures.

However, the Japanese troops took over the city and established their presence in China as well as joining the Allied Forces.  

It was too late for the Chinese to realise the importance of their city and therefore opted to join the Allies. They were rejected and were at the mercy of the Japanese who saw them as their rivals.

4. Women were employed to build explosives for World War I

During World War I, several men were enlisted to fight in the war. This left behind more women. The women were therefore employed in factories to fill positions left vacant by men.

In the UK for example, about 3 million women worked in the factories. Half of these women worked in factories where they were required to mix explosives and fill shells and bullets.

Unfortunately, these women were exposed to toxins that changed the colour of their skin. Their skin turned yellowish-orange due to repeated exposure.

The women were known as Canary Girls due to their pigmentation. It resembled the feathers of a canary bird. Babies born by these women had yellow skin too.

5. Germany owed 132 billion gold marks after World War I ended

After the war, there was some fee that was to be paid by the countries accused to have started the war.

These countries were Germany and its Allies who were responsible for the loss and damage incurred by other countries.

The total cost of damage was calculated to be 132 billion gold marks, an amount neither Germany nor its Allies had at that time.

Germany and its Allies had to fund the war in order not to lose. On the other hand, the United States spent $30 billion in the war.

They used the money to feed the armies and provide firearms.

6. There were more women than men after World War I

During World War I more men than women went to fight in war. This, therefore, left more women behind.

After the war, there was a great imbalance in numbers between men and women. Most of the men never returned home, they died on the battlefield.

It is estimated that more than 1 million British men died during the war. It caused the number of single and unmarried women to rise.

The other effect of the war was that the economies were demobilized leading to high rates of unemployment. 

Several single mothers were forced to seek gainful employment. On the brighter side, it helped women get the right to vote.

7. Several men were left with lifetime injuries after World War I

Another brutal fact about World War I is that several men were left injured. The injuries were both physical and emotional.

Several of them became disabled and disfigured. There was no reconstructive surgery that could help fix the damage.

Some of the injured soldiers wore masks to cover the horrific disfiguration. Others stayed in care homes for the rest of their lives.

Others suffered severe trauma, suffering from shell shock. Many of them did not share their horrific experiences or had any positive memories of their service.

In Germany, the young men that were lucky to return home saw the older generation as the enemy. They believed that the war was unnecessary and irreparable damage had been done.

8. World War I could have been avoided

The main reason behind the start of world war I was a miscommunication between two parties.

The Emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, and the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, were both the great-great-grandsons of Paul I of Russia. These two leaders shared good relations with the British.

They exchanged telegrams frequently and even had a nickname for each other. The Russian was Willy while the British were Nicky.

In 1914, there was the July Crisis that unfortunately escalated to war. The telegrams started on a friendly note with either side requesting the other to de-escalate the matter.

It all started after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.

After several telegrams between Wilhelm and Nicholas, they cancelled the Russian general mobilization.

Unfortunately, there was pressure from Sazonov and in August 1914, both Germany and Russia found themselves at war.

9. There was a massive food shortage during World War I

World War I led to a food shortage, hence several people died of hunger. This was especially adverse in Europe where they recruited several men to join the military.

In Canada and United States, they promoted the victory gardens to their citizens, encouraging them to grow ad produce food.  

The more food that could be grown in private front yards, vacant lots and former flower gardens; the more food, combatants and armaments that could be shipped to their forces and Allies overseas.

This program was designed to encourage Americans to produce more and consume less. They also emphasised volunteerism.   

Americans heeded the call and there were several gardens in the States. It led to them meeting their target of producing more and they avoided food rationing.

10. Thousands of civilians died from chemical attacks during World War I

Photo by British Government – Wikimedia

Lastly, The German army was the first to successfully use chemical weapons in World War I.

This was during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915 where German scientists at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute developed a method to convert chlorine into a lethal weapon.

They used chemical weapons to force Allied soldiers out of their entrenched positions. The use of chemical weapons led to the death of more than 2 million people. 

Although Germany was using this to fight its enemies, it was a violation of the 1899 Hague Declaration Concerning Asphyxiating Gases.

Civilians were greatly affected since they did not have access to gas masks. They died from scarring of the lungs, skin damage, and cerebral damage.