Why do we wear poppies?

Poppies are worn to remember those who died in war. Red poppies grew in the battlefields of Flanders. The tradition began after World War One.

What is Remembrance Day?

Remembrance Day (also called Armistice Day) is 11 November. A two-minute silence is observed at 11am to remember those who died in wars.

What is the Cenotaph?

The Cenotaph is the main war memorial in the UK, located in Whitehall, London. The annual National Service of Remembrance is held there.

World War One: What the Life in the UK Test Covers

Key facts

Dates: 1914-1918
Armistice: 11 November 1918
Remembrance: 11 November - poppies worn
British deaths: Nearly 1 million
Memorial: Cenotaph, Whitehall, London

World War One was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. Britain and its Empire played a major role, suffering enormous losses that affected almost every family in the country.

Causes

The war had several underlying causes:

Alliance systems - Europe was divided into two armed camps
Imperial rivalries - Competition for colonies and trade
Arms race - Military build-up, especially between Britain and Germany
Nationalism - Especially in the Balkans
Assassination - Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria killed in Sarajevo (28 June 1914)

The Sides

Allied Powers

Britain and the British Empire
France
Russia (until 1917)
Italy (from 1915)
USA (from 1917)

Central Powers

Germany
Austria-Hungary
Ottoman Empire

Key Events

1914 - War begins; Battle of Mons; trench warfare develops
1915 - Gallipoli campaign; use of poison gas
1916 - Battle of the Somme (1 million casualties); Battle of Jutland
1917 - USA enters war; Battle of Passchendaele
1918 - German spring offensive fails; Armistice (11 November)

Remembrance

The war killed around 17 million people, including nearly 1 million from Britain and its Empire. Remembrance Day on 11 November honours those who died.

Two-minute silence at 11am on 11 November
Poppies - Worn to remember the fallen (inspired by poppies in Flanders fields)
Cenotaph - The national war memorial in London

Legacy

Empires collapsed (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian)
Women gained greater rights (including the vote in 1918)
League of Nations created (forerunner of the UN)
Seeds of World War Two planted by the Treaty of Versailles

Why it comes up in the test

Know the dates, the key facts about Remembrance Day, and the impact on Britain.

Common traps

Confusing WWI and WWII dates
Forgetting why we wear poppies
Not knowing when Remembrance Day is

World War One (1914-1918): common questions

World War One lasted from 1914 to 1918. The Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918.

Written from Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition), the only official source for the test. BritPass is not affiliated with the Home Office; if anything here differs from the handbook, the handbook is right.