Survey: Less than half realise First World War extended beyond Europe

Fewer than half of people in the UK realise the First World War extended beyond Europe – and just 11% were aware of its connection to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, a new report has shown.

world war one 2 — British artillery battery on Mount Scopus in the Battle of Jerusalem, 1917.

According to the report, produced from research by the British Council, most people’s knowledge of the Great War – which began 100 years ago – is limited to fighting on the Western Front.

The document – Remember The World As Well As The War – reveals a lack of understanding of the global scale and impact of the war, and calls on the UK and the rest of the world to use forthcoming centenary commemorations to help people gain a better understanding of the global nature of the conflict.

The research also found a widespread lack of understanding about the impact of the war – while 62% of people in the UK were aware of its connection to the rise of the Nazis in Germany, far fewer (37%) were aware of the link with the rise of Communism in Russia.

The report was produced from research carried out for the British Council by YouGov, which surveyed between 1,000 and 1,200 people online.

Fewer than half of the 1,081 people questioned, some 34 percent, were aware that the Middle East played a part in the First World War.