What Was World War I?

In 1914, the assassination of an Austrian archduke set off a disastrous four-year-long conflict involving dozens of countries with battles taking place in all parts of the world. World War I was the first war to use planes and tanks as well as deadly gases that left soldiers blinded or "shell shocked" (a condition now called Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome). There were battles that lasted for months with opposing troops fighting from rat-infested trenches, battles that often ended in a hollow victory with only a small area of land retaken. The war left more than 20 million dead, and was the lead-up to World War II barely twenty years later. Paperback, 112 pages. For ages 8-12.