Many Americans are fascinated with the Second World War. There are countless war movies that focus on World War II, as well as video games, TV shows, books and more. The interest revolving World War II is immeasurable.
It causes most of us to forget about the war that started it all, the one that put everything into motion. I’m talking about World War I. Here are some interesting facts about the First World War that will blow your mind. They may make you feel that WWII was just WWI’s lame little brother.
1.) World War I was the first war fought on a global scale. It was fought in every ocean and almost every continent.
2.) Tanks were first used in WWI and were originally known as “Landships.”
3.) Mustard Gas was first introduced in WWI. It was not used in WWII due to its unpredictable nature.
4.) World War I was the first war where more soldiers died from combat than disease.
5.) Many men shot themselves in the foot in order to be sent home and escape the war.
6.) On average, 230 combatants were killed per hour during the duration of the war.
7.) Canadian soldiers survived chemical attacks by peeing on handkerchiefs and covering their faces with them.
8.) Russia had the largest army in the war at 12 million, but over 75% of those troops were killed, wounded, or went missing.
9.) The war forced Russia to transform into the USSR, the world’s first communist state.
10.) A Hungarian soldier was shot in the frontal lobe and thus made it impossible for him to sleep. He survived for years after the incident.
11.) 4 Empires collapsed after World War I – The Russian, German, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian.
12.) The King of Belgium fought on the front lines during the war and his wife, the Queen served as a nurse.
13.) Due to steel shortages, some navies employed the usage of concrete ships.
14.) Heroin was used during World War I as a cough remedy.
15.) Hitler fought in WWI and had a full mustache, but was ordered to rim it to better accommodate wearing a gas mask.
16.) Pilots would turn their engines off and then back on mid fight in order to prevent stalling out in the air.
17.) France built a decoy Paris in order to confuse German pilots.
18.) Skin graft surgery was invented during World War I.
19.) Armies promoted the use of brothels during the war because it was seen as a physical necessity.
The horrors of war are unimaginable… but WWI? I can’t even imagine it. I hope we never have to go through another world war ever again, share if you agree.
