World War I

World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918. Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary, the war involved the major powers of the world and their allies in two opposing alliances: the Allies (including France, Russia, and the UK) and the Central Powers (including Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). The war saw new military technologies like tanks, machine guns, and chemical weapons being used on a massive scale, leading to unprecedented levels of destruction and loss of life. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which imposed harsh penalties on Germany and laid the groundwork for World War II.