In the early summer of 1914, a young patriot from Serbia assassinated the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to what is now known as Austria. Within one month, the Austrian army invaded Serbia in retaliation. These events were just part of the complicated beginning of one of the most devastating global crises in all of history.
The reality-altering war not only led to the collapse of several empires but also the advancement of military warfare and the creation of several nation-states. Here are 30 haunting photographs we collected from World War I. See more below.
Brigade Passing Through The Grounds Of Château de Hooge, Third Battle Of Ypres, 1917
HMS ‘Irresistible’ Abandoned And Sinking, Battle Of Gallipoli, 1915
British Soldiers Wearing Gas Masks, Battle Of The Somme, 1916
Canadian Troops Taking Shelter In Reserve Trench, Battle Of Flers-Courcelette, 1916
Artillerymen With Gas Masks, Third Battle Of Ypres, 1917
Many British Soldiers, Battle Of The Somme, 1916
Austro-Hungarian Forces Cross The Isonzo River, Battles Of The Isonzo, 1915-1917
Austro-Hungarian Soldier, Battles Of The Isonzo, 1916
French Forces In The Ruins Of A Church, Second Battle Of The Marne, 1918
Austro-Hungarian Soldiers, Battle Of The Isonzo, Circa 1915-1917
Austro-Hungarian Soldiers Against Italian Forces, Battles Of The Isonzo, Circa 1915-1917
Looking Towards ‘Old German’ Lines, Battle Of Pozières, 1916
Belgian Forces At Battle Of Liège, 1914
French Infantrymen At First Battle Of The Marne, 1914
Belgian Infantry Slow The Coming Of German Troops, Battle For Belgium, 1914
Austro-Hungarian Forces At The Battles Of The Isonzo, Circa 1915-1917
Polish Soldiers In The Trenches, Battle Of The Carpathian Passes, 1914
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American Soldiers In The Trench, Battle Of The Piave River, 1918
British Infantrymen Near Thiepval, Battle Of The Somme, 1916
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Two British Soldiers Take Cover Behind The Hedges, German Invasion Of Belgium, 1914
German Soldiers On The Front At The First Battle Of The Marne, 1914
French Forces At The First Battle Of The Marne, 1914
Artillery Shell Being Ejected, Battle Of Saint-Mihiel, 1918
Australia’s 45th Battalion At The Battle Of Saint Quentin Canal, 1918
Polish Legionists At The Battle of Kostiuchnówka, 1916
British First Battalion Near Meteren, Battle Of Bailleul, 1918
French Soldiers At The First Battle Of The Marne, 1914
British Forces At The Battle Of The Menin Road Ridge, 1917
German Soldiers On The Italian Front, Battles Of The Isonzo, Circa 1915-1917
69th Infantry Of The United States, Battle Of Saint-Mihiel, 1918
German Soldiers Wait For Belgian Offensive At The German Invasion Of Belgium, 1914
British Forces At The Battle Of Hazebrouck, 1918
