Introduction - WW1 Battles
The battles of World War One have gone down in history as some of the bloodiest battles the world has ever seen. Marked by the stalemate of trench warfare and death on a scale never experienced before these battles made famous previously little known places such as Verdun, Tannenberg, and Ypres. On this page we list some of the most famous and significant battles of WW1. You will find a brief description of each battle along with links to more detailed (kid-friendly) interesting information about many of these military engagements.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about WW1 battles.
Interesting WW1 Battle Facts
- The first battle of World War One was the Battle of Liege in August of 1914. The Germans attacked several forts protecting the Belgium city of Liege.
- The 1st US battle of WW1 was the Battle of Cantigny on May 28th 1918. The Americans captured the town of Cantigny, located in northern France, from the Germans and stood up against numerous counter attacks.
- WW1 had many deadly battles but it is not so easy to answer the question of what was the deadliest battle of WW1. This is because most battles were really a series of battles stretching over many months. However the Battle of the Somme with 1.5 Million casualties over 141 days is considered by many the most deadly.
List of major World War One Battles
- Battle of Tannenberg - Fought between the Russian and the German Empires this was one of the earliest battles of WW1. It began on August 26th 1914 and ended on August 30th 1914. It was a complete victory for the German army.
- Battle of the Marne - This great allied victory was fought from September 5th through September 12th 1914. It halted the German advance into France eliminating their hope for a quick victory over France. The Germans would instead be forced into a long war on two fronts.
- Battle of Gallipoli - This battle was fought between April 25th 1915 and January 9th 1916 on the Gallipoli peninsula. France and Britain conducted a naval assault and later an amphibious landing on the peninsula. Their objective was to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul). The attack failed.
- Battle of Verdun - In 1916 the Germans launched a massive offensive near the French town of Verdun. This was the longest battle of WW1. The death toll was staggering. It is estimated that over 360,000 French soldiers and 340,000 German soldiers lost their lives during this battle.
- Battle of the Somme - In one of the most horrific wars in history this was perhaps the most horrific battle. This British offensive launched in July of 1916 resulted in approximately 420,000 British, 200,000 French, and 500,000 German casualties.
- Battle of Jutland (also called Battle of the Skagerrak) - This was the largest naval battle of WW1 One and one of the largest in world history. This battle between the German fleet and England's Royal Navy raged in the North Sea from May 31st through June 1st 1916. There was no decisive winner.
- Third Battle of Ypres (also called Battle of Passchendaele) - This battle was fought from July through November 1917 near the Belgian city of Ypres; which had been the site of two previous WW1 battles. The Allied assault resulted in well over 500,000 total casualties.
- Battle of Caporetto - Between October 24th and November 19th 1917 near the town of Kobarid, which was then part of the Austrian Empire, this battle raged. Austro- Hungarian and German forces were able to break through the Italian front line and rout the Italian Army.