World War I (1914–1918) – map of alliances, fronts and peace treaties

What it shows

World War I began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914. Alliances turned a Balkan crisis into a war between the Entente (France, Britain, Russia, later Italy, the United States and others) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria). On the Western Front the armies were stuck in trenches for almost four years, while the fighting in the east, in Italy, at Gallipoli and in the Middle East moved further. The peace treaties of 1919–1923 broke up four empires and created many new states.

How to use

Press Run or drag Time, then pause in 1914, 1916, 1917 and 1918. Use the buttons Western, Eastern, Italy, Gallipoli, Middle East and Balkans to follow one front at a time. Click a country to see its side and when it entered the war, and click event dots to read each milestone. Then press After the war 1918–1923 and compare the new borders with the dashed 1914 borders of the four empires.

Parameters you can change

• Starting year on the timeline 1914–1923 year
• Period War 1914–1918, After the war 1918–1923
• Filter by front All, Western Front, Eastern Front, Italian Front, Gallipoli, Middle East, Balkans
• Timeline playback speed 1–12 months/s
• Show event and front labels on the map

Questions to explore

1. Why did an assassination in Sarajevo lead to a war between most of the great powers of Europe?
2. Why did the Western Front hardly move between late 1914 and early 1918?
3. Which empires broke up after the war, and which new states appeared in their place?