Significant people of the First World War

Significant people of the First World War

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Kaiser Wilhelm II(1859–1941)

Wilhelm II was the emperor of Germany who wanted Germany to become a major European power. He formed an alliance with Austria-Hungary. During the war, Wilhelm II was the German supreme commander in name only. He left the running of the war to his generals and encouraged them to keep fighting. He was forced to abdicate as kaiser at the end of the war.

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David Lloyd George (1863–1945)

David Lloyd George was the British prime minister from 1916 until 1922, after the end of the war. He played a major role in reorganising the British war effort after Britain’s unsuccessful start to the war. He created a small war cabinet that could assemble and make decisions quickly.




Winston Churchill (1874–1965)

Winston Churchill was the First Lord of the Admiralty and was in charge of the Royal Navy at the start of the war. He resigned in 1915, after the unsuccessful Gallipoli campaign in Turkey, where British troops suffered devastating losses. In 1917, Churchill was appointed as Minister of Munitions, where he successfully organised supplies for the troops.




Georges Clemenceau(1841–1929)

Georges Clemenceau was the prime minister of France during the last two years of the war. He was known as ‘The Tiger,’ as he was key in ensuring that France fought for total victory over Germany. Georges Clemenceau believed that Germany should be treated harshly in the Treaty of Versailles.




Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)

The President of the United States wanted to keep America out of the war, and tried to find a peaceful outcome for all sides. In 1917, Wilson could see that Germany would not stop fighting, so he finally agreed to join the side of the Allied Powers against Germany. After the war, he helped to create the League of Nations, to ensure that the defeated Austrians and Germans were treated fairly.




Wilfred Owen (1893–1918)

Wilfred Owen was a soldier who wrote poems based on his experiences on the front line. He wrote about the horrors of trench warfare and the harsh conditions the soldiers faced. He was killed in action a few days before the armistice of 11th November, 1918.




Lord Kitchener(1850–1916)

Lord Kitchener played a vital role in encouraging men to join the army in Britain. His face was printed on posters calling for volunteers to join the army. He persuaded parliament to expand weapons production and prepare Britain for a long war.




Tsar Nicholas II (1868–1918)

Nicholas II was the last Russian tsar. As an ally of France, the tsar approved Russia’s entry into the First World War. Over 3.3 million Russians were killed in the first half of the war, and many people blamed the tsar. Nicholas II was forced to abdicate in 1917, which led to Russia’s exit from the war.




Edith Cavell(1865–1915)

Edith Cavell was a British nurse working at a hospital in German occupied Belgium. She joined a resistance group, who helped around 200 injured British, French and Belgian soldiers escape to the Netherlands, which was a neutral country. Edith Cavell was captured by the Germans and executed for her role in helping Allied soldiers escape Belgium.




Vera Brittain (1893–1970)

Vera Brittain was a nurse for the majority of the First World War. After her brother and fiancé were killed in action, Vera Brittain began to feel that fighting wasn’t the way to solve conflict. In the 1920s, she was a frequent speaker at the League of Nations and became part of the pacifism movement. She also wrote Testament of Youth in 1933, which told of the impact of the First World War on women and families, drawing upon her first hand experiences of the war.




Siegfried Sassoon(1886–1967)

Siegfried Sassoon was a British soldier and celebrated war poet. He was seriously wounded twice in France, which led to him becoming critical of the war. Sassoon wrote a letter to The Times newspaper to speak out against the war, as well as a number of antiwar poems. He avoided a court marshall by being treated for shell shock.




Unknown WarriorDuring the First World War, it is estimated that a total of 8.5 million soldiers were killed, and many of the bodies could not be identified. This led to many countries building a tomb to an Unknown Warrior. The British Unknown Warrior tomb is in Westminster Abbey, London. It is the final resting place of an unidentified soldier who died in France while fighting for Britain. The tomb commemorates all unidentified soldiers who fought and died in battle for Britain.




Key questions• What role did this person have during the war?

• What effect did this person’s actions have on the war effort?

• What impact did this person have on others?

• What, in your opinion, is this person’s legacy?



Significant people of the First World War

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