WWI Events Quiz
Instructions: Test your recall of the major events and figures of World War I!
- 1.
What event triggered the start of World War I in 1914?
AAssassination of Archduke Franz FerdinandBRussian mobilizationCGerman invasion of BelgiumDSinking of the Lusitania - 2.
What was the system of fortified ditches on the Western Front called?
ATrench warfareBGuerrilla warfareCSiege warfareDBunker warfare - 3.
Which ship's sinking by a German U-boat helped draw the US into WWI?
ABismarckBTitanicCLusitaniaDArizona - 4.
In what year did the United States enter World War I?
A1917B1915C1916D1914 - 5.
Which battle in 1916 was one of the bloodiest in history with over a million casualties?
ABattle of the MarneBBattle of YpresCBattle of VerdunDBattle of the Somme - 6.
What was the name of the treaty that ended World War I?
ATreaty of ParisBTreaty of ViennaCTreaty of VersaillesDTreaty of Ghent - 7.
On what date did the armistice end fighting in WWI?
AJanuary 11, 1919BNovember 11, 1918COctober 11, 1918DDecember 11, 1918 - 8.
Which new weapon was first used in combat during World War I?
AMachine gunBSubmarineCAirplane bombDTank - 9.
Which empire collapsed as a result of World War I and was divided into many new nations?
ARussian EmpireBBritish EmpireCFrench EmpireDOttoman Empire - 10.
What secret telegram from Germany to Mexico helped bring the US into the war?
AThe Zimmermann TelegramBThe Kaiser's LetterCThe Berlin DispatchDThe Mexican Agreement - 11.
Which battle in 1914 stopped the German advance toward Paris?
AFirst Battle of the MarneBBattle of TannenbergCBattle of LiègeDBattle of Mons - 12.
Which country was the first to use poison gas as a weapon on the Western Front?
ABritainBAustria-HungaryCGermanyDFrance - 13.
Which revolution caused Russia to withdraw from World War I?
AFebruary RevolutionBDecembrist RevoltCRussian Civil WarDOctober Revolution - 14.
What international organization was created after WWI to prevent future wars?
AEuropean UnionBLeague of NationsCNATODUnited Nations - 15.
Which American general commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI?
ADwight EisenhowerBGeorge PattonCDouglas MacArthurDJohn J. Pershing
Answer Key
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914, triggered a chain of alliances that led to World War I.
Trench warfare defined the Western Front, with opposing armies dug into elaborate trench systems stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland.
The RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198 people including 128 Americans, fueling anti-German sentiment in the US.
The United States declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, after years of neutrality.
The Battle of Verdun (February-December 1916) resulted in approximately 700,000 casualties. The Battle of the Somme in the same year had over a million.
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, imposing harsh terms on Germany and redrawing the map of Europe.
The armistice took effect at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month -- November 11, 1918 at 11:00 AM.
Tanks were first used in combat by the British during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916, though machine guns, submarines, and aircraft also saw significant use.
The Ottoman Empire collapsed after WWI and was partitioned, eventually leading to the creation of modern Turkey and several Middle Eastern states.
The Zimmermann Telegram, intercepted in January 1917, proposed a German-Mexican alliance against the US and was a major factor in America entering the war.
The First Battle of the Marne (September 1914) halted the German advance on Paris and marked the failure of the Schlieffen Plan.
Germany was the first to use large-scale chemical weapons, deploying chlorine gas at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915.
The Bolshevik October Revolution of 1917 led to Russia's withdrawal from WWI, formalized by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.
The League of Nations was established in 1920 as part of the Treaty of Versailles, though the US Senate refused to join. It was the predecessor to the United Nations.
General John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during World War I.