The First World War took place from the 28 July 1914 to the 11 November 1918. An estimated twenty million people died.
It was a global war fought between the Allies (the French Empire, the British Empire, the Russian Empire, the United States of America and others) and the Central Powers (the German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire).
As the war drew to a close in 1918, German supplies and troops were exhausted from four years of warfare. In contrast, by 1918, the British had improved their tactics and equipment and the United States of America had arrived to support the Allied powers on the battlefields.
It was combination of these factors that led to the Allied Powers achieving victory.
Losing the war caused far reaching upheaval in Germany. This section will cover how the aftermath of the First World War led to the creation of Germany’s new democratic government, the Weimar Republic.