The British vision of the First World War is dominated by the Western Front, but the war was fought on a wider scale.

On the Eastern Front, Russia fought Germany and Austria-Hungary, generally failing against the former, but fatally weakening the latter before collapsing into revolution in 1917.

Serbia resisted Austria-Hungary until late 1915, when she was overcome by a joint Central Powers invasion. An Anglo-French force despatched to Salonika arrived too late to help.

Art

British Scouts leaving their Aerodrome on Patrol

An aerial view of the Asiago Plateau with the Italian Alps in the upper background. Three aircraft, seen from above, circle in the upper left of the composition; there are small clouds on the right and lower centre. The view looks down onto an Italian village with a tall tower and a road running towards the centre of the image.
© IWM Art.IWM ART 2679
© IWM (Art.IWM ART 2679)

Painting of British Scouts leaving their Aerodrome on Patrol, over the Asiago Plateau, Italy, 1918, by Sydney Carline.

See object record

Italy and Romania joined the Allies in return for promises of Austro-Hungarian territory. The Italians mounted a series of offensives, but eventually required British and French aid themselves. Russia was similarly forced to prop up Romania.

Germany formed an alliance with the Ottoman Empire hoping to attack the British Empire by threatening the Suez Canal and India. The Turks beat off an Allied attempt to force the Dardanelles at Gallipoli but proved unable to sustain any effective offensives. By 1918 the Ottoman Empire was in a state of collapse, having lost Persia and its Arab lands to British invasion.

Related Content

A woman brewer securing the lid of a barrel of beer.
IWM Q 31065
First World War

10 Surprising Laws Passed During The First World War

The outbreak of war in 1914 brought many new rules and regulations to Britain. The most important of these was the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA), passed on 8 August 1914 ‘for securing public safety’. 

Bomb damage to 61 - 67 Warrington Crescent in St John's Wood, London, following the German air raid on the night of 7 - 8 March 1918.
First World War

Firsts of the First World War

The First World War was a war of innovation. Advances in weaponry and military technology provoked tactical changes as each side tried to gain an advantage over the other. Here are 10 important 'firsts' that happened during the First World War, the effects of which can still be felt today.

Quick read 12 Paintings Of Life Along The Western Front 1. A Street in Arras A Street in Arras, 1918, by John Singer Sargent. A Street in Arras, 1918, by John Singer Sargent. Art.IWM ART 1607 A Street in Arras, 1918, by John Singer Sargent. Scottish infantrymen rest against the exterior wall of a shell-damaged building in Arras. 2. Oppy Wood Oppy Wood, 1917. Evening, 1918, by John Nash. Oppy Wood, 1917. Evening, 1918, by John Nash.
© IWM Art.IWM ART (2243)
Western Front

12 Paintings Of Life Along The Western Front

Discover 12 paintings depicting life along the Western Front by a selection of artists. Including insightful works by John Singer Sargent, John Nash, Paul Nash, Henry Tonks and William Orpen.