World War I was the first global conflict of its scale. Many major and significant battles were fought between 1914 and 1918, and most of the major countries of the world were drawn into it. World War I saw the emergence of trends that would rewrite history.
Use of Poison Gas
Prior to World War, I the use of poison gas was insignificant. Driven by a desperate need to end the frustrating stalemate of trench warfare on the Western Front, France, Germany, and other countries resorted to the use of poison gas was as a weapon. Poison gas was used as a lethal tool in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, the Second Battle of Ypres, and the Loos- Artois Offensive.
Development of Tanks and Anti-tank Weapons
With both the Allied and Central troops digging into trenches, mobility was curtailed on the Western front. An immediate consequence of this was the development of tanks. At first the tanks did seem bulky and serious doubts were raised with regard to their efficacy. The Germans then started to develop anti-tank weapons. Toward the end of World War I, it became clear that tanks would be part of the weaponry of all nations in the years to come. The World War I battles where tanks featured were Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Battle of Cambrai, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, and Battle of the Argonne Forest.
Naval Warfare
Naval Warfare ranked high on the minds of the countries involved in World War I. The Battle of Jutland was the biggest naval battle of the war. The Battle of Heligoland Bight and the German U-Boat Campaign set the stage for full-fledged naval warfare, as witnessed in World War II.
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare became a characteristic feature of the battles of the Western Front from late 1914 on. The Battle of Arras, Battle of Passchendaele, and Battle of the Somme are some of the important battles fought from the trenches of the Western Front.
The major battles of World War I were accompanied with the loss of lives and property.
Major Battles of World War I |
| Battle of Passchendaele – 1917 | Battle of Passchendaele – 1917 |
| Battle of Tannenberg – 1914 | Battles of Gaza – 1917 |
| Battle of Heligoland Bight – 1914 | Second Battle of Aisne – 1917 |
| First Battle of Marne – 1914 | Second Battle of Arras – 1917 |
| First Battle of the Masurian Lakes – 1914 | Battle of Messines – 1917 |
| First Battle of Aisne – 1914 | Battle of Passchendaele – 1917 |
| First Battle of Albert – 1914 | Battle of Caporetto – 1917 |
| First Battle of Arras – 1914 | Battle of Cambrai – 1917 |
| First Battle of Ypres – 1914 | German Spring Offensive – 1918 |
| Gallipoli Campaign – 1915 | Hundred Days Offensive – 1918 |
| Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes – 1915 | Battle of Passchendaele – 1917 |
| Battles of Isonzo – 1915 | Second Battle of Somme – 1918 |
| Loos-Artois Offensive – 1915 | Second Battle of Marne – 1918 |
| Battle of Verdun – 1916 | Battle of St Mihiel – 1918 |
| Battle of Passchendaele – 1917 | Battle of Cambrai – 1917 |
| First Battle of Somme – 1916 | Battle of Vittori Veneto – 1918 |