Here are some sobering facts:
More
than 65 million men from 72 countries fought in WWI.
Nearly 10 million died.
The Allies (The Entente Powers mainly France, United Kingdom, Belgium and their colonies and Russia) lost about 6 million soldiers. The Central
Powers (Germany, Austro Hungarian Empire, Ottoman Empire ) lost about 4 million. More than twenty million soldiers and civilian were wounded.
Casualties of the war included also a staggering number of animals used during the combats: more than 11 million of horses, asses and mules.
Combats took place mainly in Europe ( France, Belgium, Italy, the Balkans, Greece ) but fighting took also place in Africa, North America, Oceania and Asia.
WWI brought new methods of warfare including the use of air power (airplanes, dirigibles), submarines, trench warfares and the use of chemical- poisonous gasses that killed more than 1.2 million soldiers on both sides.
The United States stayed neutral until 1917 when it declared war to Germany after their U Boats consistently sunk a number of US ships. US's role at first was to supply the Allied forces with material and food. In the spring of 1918, United States started to send troops, (the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) under the command of General Pershing), at a rate of 10,000 a day. These fresh faced soldiers were welcomed by the battle weary Allied veterans and they played a major role in the Hundred Days offensive that lasted from August to Armistice Day on November 11, 1918. More than 116,000 US soldiers lost their lives in WWI and many are laid to rest in the US military cemeteries of Europe.
Enchanted France offers custom tours of WWI battle fields and cemeteries in France. Tours can include visit such the memorials in Verdun, Bois Belleau and Chemin des Dames. Visit www.enchanted-franc.com
#WWI #Francetours #
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