World War I: Major Theaters of Battle

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Read about the areas that saw the most fighting

Battle of Marne

German soldiers fighting at the First Battle of the Marne

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Eastern Front: Battles between Russia and Germany and Austria-Hungary took place in Eastern and Central Europe from August 1914 to March 1918. The Eastern Front stretched from Riga in northern Russia to Czernowitz in the south, and from the Baltic Sea in the West to Minsk in the East. More than 3 million soldiers died fighting on the Eastern Front. Major conflicts fought in the Eastern Front include Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes, Bolimov, Lake Naroch, Riga.

Western Front: The Western Front extended from the North Sea in the north to Switzerland in the south. Western Front battles occurred in Belgium, France, and Alsace-Lorraine between August 1914 and November 1918. Major conflicts fought on the Western Front include Marne, first battle of Ypres, Verdun, Somme, Passchendale, Cambrai, and Marne. Most battles on the Western Front were fought in the trenches.

Italian Front: Fighting on the Italian Front took place on the border between Italy and Austria between May 1915 and November 1918. About 1 million soldiers died fighting on the Italian Front. Major conflicts on the Italian Front were the Battle of Caporetto and the Battles of the Isonzo.

Gallipoli Peninsula: The Gallipoli Peninsula is located in south Turkey. The Allies sought to win control of the Dardanelles strait, take over Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and create a Black Sea supply route to Russia. The campaign ran from April 1915 to January 1916 and was a major failure for the Allies.

Naval War: Germany and Britain were competing for naval supremacy. During World War I, both sides tried to block the delivery of supplies from Allies. Germany used U-boats, submarines, to do this, and Britain blockaded German ports. The Battle of Jutland was the major battle in the naval war between Germany and Britain.

by Beth Rowen
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