World War I began in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and lasted until 1918. During the conflict, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire (The Central Powers) fought against Great Britain, Russia, Romania, Japan, France, Italy, and the United states (The allied Powers). Thanks to new military technologies, the carnage and destruction brought by World War I was unprecedented. More than 16 million people were killed - soldiers and civilians alike.