World War I

World War I (often abbreviated as WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War, the Great War, and initially in North America as the European War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918.

Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars," it led to the mobilization of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history.

The Treaty of Versailles, signed to end the war in 1919, was one of the contributing factors to the rise of fascism in Europe, and by extension World War II, and the development of the United States of America into a nuclear super power.