The Middle East
The Middle East was the largest theatre of the First World War, and saw the British Empire and France fight against the Ottoman Empire in Mesopotamia (now Iraq), Gallipoli, Sinai and Palestine, and Persia.
On the whole, the campaigns here were more mobile, as each side attempted to seize and defend key objectives for control over Middle Eastern territories.
Some troops had to endure the unforgiving desert environment, where disease was rife and temperatures could soar or plummet. It’s hard to imagine a more difficult place to fight as it also created logistical and tactical problems for the armies involved.
Other theatres
Fighting also raged in the Balkans, where the British and French helped their Serbian ally engage the Bulgarians. In 1917, the same two powers despatched troops to assist the Italians in their fight against the Austrians.
In Africa, the British seized enemy colonies before fighting a long war against German guerrillas. Meanwhile, in Eastern Europe, the Russians battled the Germans and Austrians, while simultaneously fighting the Ottomans in the Caucasus.
The war in the air
For the first time, battles took place in the air as well as on land. Aircraft, a new technology at the time, opened up a whole new theatre of war.
The British Army established a corps of men to fly these new machines – the Royal Flying Corps. But it was only through experience that they learnt how important a role they could play.
Control of the skies had an impact on the war on the ground. Troops could gather intelligence on enemy positions and direct artillery. But as the war unfolded, so too did the tactics of aerial warfare, including dog fighting, ground strafing and strategic bombing.
The war at sea
Fierce fighting also took place at sea. Naval offensives blurred the lines of combat. Attacks by surface vessels and submarines, alongside blockades of ports, affected both military personnel and civilians.
Outcome
The conflict brought an end to a world order that had existed since the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15). It caused the disintegration of four empires – the Austro-Hungarian, German, Ottoman and Russian – and was a key factor in the outbreak of the Second World War (1939-45).
