Questions about World War 1?

Question

Why is it Canada has days (or holidays) set aside to commemorate World War 1? I also see other countries also commemorate theirs from the first world war. The USA has almost FORGOTTEN this conflict.except for memorial day. 1) How many fronts were there? 2) Who were the allies of the USA. Which countries were fighting who? 3)Which country and who was the main antagonist (there was no Hitler or Japan)? I saw a movie last week from the 1960s called "The Blue Max" about the elite German pilots of WW1 but could not figure who was on who's side. Who's side was Germany on? Thanks

Canada celebrates but the USA does not?

Answer 1

the usa took very little part in any action in w/w1,they were there only as window dressing for the british and french.

Answer 2

You really need to get a history book of the 20th Century, and don't rely on movies.

German, under Kaiser Wilhelm, were the bad guys in 1914 also. Lots of things lead up to the war, culminating in the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. America stayed "neutral" until entering the war in 1917, but supplied arms to the Allies in Europe (England). France was over-run without much of a fight, and eventually saved by the Allies.

You are complaining that we in the USA no longer has Armistice Day, November 11 (in honor of the signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles), but it was included as one national holiday for remembrance, and called Memorial Day, the last Monday of May.
All this information is available to you. It's sad you are not taught American History in school, but apparently you weren't, and I would be ashamed if I were you. Some book reading is in order.
It is interesting. The Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany, thus contributing to the rise of Hitler, and yet another world war. Europe was dissected into many new countries, separating cultures, causing endless problems which continue to this day.
To understand the present, one should know the past. "History repeats itself" is not an empty saying, it has real meaning and would explain to the ignorant some of the reasons our government is doing what it is doing; or WHY they should be doing something else.

In a country as large and diversified as the USA, national holidays cannot be declared for every major event that has happened, or no business would get done, even less would be taught in the schools, and we'd be more like the Third World nations that have two and three as many national holidays, and just don't care about the financial and cultural effects. We used to have holidays for Washington and Lincoln's birthdays, replaced by Presidents Day; the only exception for not having a holiday for an individual is for Martin Luther King. ALL soldiers of all wars and actions are honored on Memorial Day, Holy Days will probably be ending soon and replaced by something generic.

Answer 3

Before we start I'd like to commend you on your well put together question. I hope my answer helps you understand what happened, but you really need to do some more research. All the info is out there.

World War One - 1914 to 1918
for America 1917 to 1918

Theatres of World War I
European (Balkans – Western Front – Eastern Front – Italian Front) – Middle Eastern (Caucasus – Mesopotamia – Sinai and Palestine – Gallipoli – Aden – Persia) – African (South-West Africa – West Africa – East Africa) – Asian and Pacific (German Samoa and New Guinea – Tsingtao) – Other (Atlantic Ocean – Mediterranean – Naval – Aerial)

The Entente Powers or Allied Countries World War I
Great Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Italy, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Serbia, South Africa, India, Rhodesia, Portugal, Romania, Montenegro, Greece, Poland.

The Central Powers ( the other side)
Austria-Hungary
Bulgaria
German Empire
Ottoman Empire

German Empire led by Kaiser (King) Wilhelm II
The Kaiser was forced to abdicate as part of the Armistice. He went to Holland where he died in 1941. He is buried at Doorn.

Germany was fighting against the Allies just the same as in WWII.

The Blue Max - The Pour le Mérite, known informally during World War I as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max), was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order until the end of World War I.

Prussia: a former state in N Europe: became a military power in the 18th century and in 1871 led the formation of the German empire; formally abolished as an administrative unit in 1947.

Answer 4

Here in New Zealand we commemorate ANZAC day (wiht Austrlaian and also Turks as well) to commemorate the landing at Gallipoli 25th April 1915.
Its now used ot celebrate all wars (as we don;t really celebrate armistace day...nov 11th) and is becoming even more popular. I know it is now thought of as the first time Nz thought of itself as separate from Britain (as accents and ideals we now making us more distinct).

anyway the US didn't even enter WWI until 1917!! Perhaps thats why its not as important to them as WWII.
The allies were Great Britain (and colonies), France, Russian and Italy
Central powers were Germany, Austrian-Hungary (Empire), and Ottoman Empire.
It was a really long lead up to the war...ie it dated back to the end of the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800's.
Basically WWI was started when the hier to the Asutro-hugarian empire (Archduke Franz Ferdinand) was assisnated in Serbia by a serb wanting unification of Slavic people.Austro-hungarians wanted retribution for the killing, and declared was on Serbia after "nothing" happened.
After that other coutried pretty much jumped on the bandwagon. There were little battles going on eg between GB and Germany with the navy and the arms race there, which kind of helped lead to their involvements.

It was fought in trenches on the "Western Front" going from the North Sea to Swizerland. There was the Eastern Front , the Italian Front, but kind of expanded to other places where these countries had interests or colonies.
THe US entered after some passenger ships were bombed (eg Lustitania) by German submarines (they had tried ot avoid getting involved prior and were involved in mediation etc). The Germans tried to get Mexico to join them in the war and continued bombing of ships pretty much led the US to join the war.

Answer 5

UB Happy (above) says 'we should remember the past' but he has his facts very wrong (like, the French put up 'not much of a fight' but somehow managed to have 1/4 of their men of military age killed in action).
America arrived late to WW1 even by its own standards of letting everyone else do the heavy lifting in serious wars (but if there's a third-world, tin-pot dictatorship that needs to be toppled... ), so it's not an important war to them, but Canada was heavily involved fighting alongside the British. WW1 caused massive casualties at a time when populations were small... literally, EVERYONE lost family members in the fighting. So that generation made sure we damn well didn;t forget, and that we only started wars when they were very necessary.

Today, we soft, ignorant generations are again easily seduced into unnecessary wars, but at least we get the public holidays.

Answer 6

There were altogrther 2 and at times 3or 4 fronts .Divided basically up intothe following:
Germany vs France and England to West
Germany and Bulgaria vs Russiato East
Austria-Hungary vs Italy in the Northern Alps
Austria-Hungary vs Serbia and company in SE Europe
Ottoman Empire vs England in the area of Turkey and the Mediterranean world)

2. Allies of US were England, France,Russia(Italy)by 1915,Canadaetc
Central Powers-Germany Austria-Hungary

3.Kiaser Wilhelm II of Germany of the Central Powers

Answer 7

worldwide conflict a million: a million)Franc Ferdinand Asassinated by Serbian Sparking worldwide conflict a million 2)Germany march into Belgium, Britain declare conflict on Germany 3)German's U-2 submarines sink united statesS Lusitania 4)Zimmerman notes delivered the united statesinto conflict 5)Treaty of Versaille ended worldwide conflict a million worldwide conflict 2: a million)Germany invade Poland sparking worldwide conflict 2 2)Japan attack Pearl Harbor bringing the united statesinto WW2 3)eastern Internment camp, All eastern in u . s . a . of america have been sent to camp throughout the conflict 4)D-Day Allies ruin into Europe 5)Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki thoroughly destroying the citys.

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war_one

Facts and stats by the pageload, hope this helps!

I know what you mean though...I grew up knowing it was Armistice Day, not Veteran's Day!