<P> World War I (often abbreviated as WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918 . Contemporaneously described as the "war to end all wars", it led to the mobilization of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history . An estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a direct result of the war, while it is also considered a contributory factor in a number of genocides and the 1918 influenza epidemic, which caused between 50 and 100 million deaths worldwide . Military losses were exacerbated by new technological and industrial developments and the tactical stalemate caused by grueling trench warfare . It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history and precipitated major political changes, including the Revolutions of 1917--1923, in many of the nations involved . Unresolved rivalries at the end of the conflict contributed to the start of the Second World War about twenty years later . </P> <P> By 1914, the European powers were divided into two coalitions: the Triple Entente, consisting of France, Russia and Britain and the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria - Hungary and Italy . The Triple Alliance was primarily defensive in nature, allowing Italy to stay out of the war in 1914, while many of the terms of both agreements were informal and contradicted by others; for example, Italy renewed the Triple Alliance in 1902 but secretly agreed with France to remain neutral if it was attacked by Germany . As the war widened, the Entente added Italy, Japan and eventually the United States to form the Allied Powers, while the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined Germany and Austria to create the Central Powers . </P> <P> Between 1908 and 1914, the Balkans had been destabilised by the combination of a weakened Ottoman Empire, the 1912--1913 Balkan Wars and competing Russian and Austro - Hungarian objectives . On 28 June 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb Yugoslav nationalist, assassinated the Austro - Hungarian heir Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, leading to the July Crisis . On 23 July, Austria - Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia; interlocking alliances quickly drew in all the major European powers with their respective colonial empires and the conflict rapidly spread across the globe . </P> <P> On 25 July, the Russian government issued orders for the' period preparatory to war'; after Austria - Hungary shelled the Serbian capital of Belgrade on the 28th, partial mobilisation was approved of the military districts nearest to Austria, including Kiev, Kazan, Odessa and Moscow . General Russian mobilisation was announced on the evening of 30 July; on the 31st, Austria - Hungary and Germany did the same, while Germany demanded Russia demobilise within 12 hours . When Russia failed to comply, Germany declared war on 1 August, with Austria - Hungary following suit on 6th; France ordered full mobilisation in support of Russia on 2 August . French entry into the war stemmed from a combination of the desire to regain the provinces of Alsace - Lorraine ceded after the 1870--1871 Franco - Prussian War, concern at Germany's increasing power and military commitments agreed with Russia . </P>

What was the outbreak of world war 1
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