Explore the major battles and campaigns of the First World War, from the opening battles of 1914 through the campaigns of 1915, the major offensives of 1916 and 1917, and the final campaigns of 1918.
Battles and Campaigns of the First World War
The First World War was fought across several theatres and involved a succession of major battles, offensives and campaigns. The Western Front dominated the fighting in western Europe, but important operations also took place in the Dardanelles, the Middle East, eastern Europe and at sea.
1914: The War Begins
The opening months of the war saw rapid movement before the Western Front settled into trench warfare. The German advance through Belgium and France was checked at the Marne, while the conflict quickly developed into a wider European war.
1915: Gallipoli and the Western Front
In 1915 the Allies opened new fronts while major fighting continued in France and Belgium. The Gallipoli Campaign attempted to force the Dardanelles and open a route towards the Ottoman Empire’s capital.
Gallipoli Campaign · Battle of Neuve Chapelle
1916: Verdun, the Somme and Jutland
1916 saw some of the largest and most significant battles of the war. Verdun became a prolonged battle of attrition between France and Germany, while the Somme offensive brought the British Army into a major offensive on the Western Front. At sea, the Battle of Jutland was the largest fleet action of the war.
Battle of Verdun · Battle of the Somme · Battle of Jutland · Brusilov Offensive
1917: Passchendaele and the War Beyond the Western Front
The fighting of 1917 included major offensives on the Western Front and continued operations elsewhere. Third Ypres became one of the defining battles of the year, while fighting continued in the Middle East and other theatres.
Third Battle of Ypres / Passchendaele · Battle of Kut
1918: The Final Campaigns
The final year of the war began with the German Spring Offensive before the Allies regained the initiative. A series of Allied offensives, including Amiens, contributed to the collapse of German resistance on the Western Front.
Ludendorff Spring Offensive · Battle of Amiens · Victory on the Western Front
Global Conflict
The First World War was fought across multiple theatres. The Global Conflict section brings together campaigns and fighting beyond the main Western Front, including the Ottoman Empire, the Middle East, Africa and other theatres of war.
The Western Front
The Western Front was the principal theatre of war in western Europe and saw many of the conflict’s largest battles. Explore its battles, campaigns, trench warfare and changing methods of warfare through the dedicated Western Front hub.
Naval Warfare
Naval operations were an important part of the First World War. The site currently includes the Battle of Jutland, while further naval material can be added as the collection develops.
Individual Battles and Episodes
The site also contains individual accounts of battles and episodes of fighting, including the Battle of Neuve Chapelle and the first trench raids on the Western Front.
Explore the First World War
For the wider context of the conflict, including its causes, the Home Front, technology, medicine and the end of the war, return to the First World War hub.
Further Reading
- First World War collections, Imperial War Museums — photographs, documents, maps and other contemporary material relating to the First World War and its campaigns.
- First World War, British Library — digitised collections and primary sources relating to the conflict.
- First World War: Research Guide, The National Archives — guidance to archival records relating to the First World War.
- First World War, Europeana — digitised photographs, letters, diaries and other contemporary material from the conflict.