Who was the prime minister during WW1 and why do millennials think Winston Churchill was in charge?

WORLD War One was one of the most significant events in all human history.

But worryingly millennials apparently have some gaps in their knowledge regarding who lead Britain during one of our nation’s most testing times according to a survey by the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association. Luckily The Sun's here to help fill in the gaps...

Who was prime minister during WW1?

Britain had two prime ministers during WW1, and neither one of them was Winston Churchill.

When King George V, the Queen’s grandad, declared war on August 4 1914 Herbert Asquith was in Number 10.

Asquith, leader of the Liberal Party, led the nation until 1916 when he was forced out of office following a series of crises including lack of artillery shells and the humiliating defeat to the Turks at Gallipoli.

He was replaced by David Lloyd George, also a Liberal, who had served as a minister in his War Cabinet.

Lloyd George would go on to lead Britain to victory in 1918 and remain PM until 1922. He would be the last Liberal Prime Minister of Britain.

Winston Churchill did have a role to play in WW1. When war broke out he was First Lord of The Admiralty.

He was demoted from that post after playing a key role in the battle at Gallipoli which ended in disaster.

While still a serving MP he resigned from the government and returned to the army serving on the front line in France as a major in the Grenadier Guards.

He would return to government in 1916 becoming Minister of Munitions the following year, a post he would remain in till the end of the war.

Whose assassination started WW1?

Europe had been bound for war for some time as the various empires flexed their military muscles.

But one event is said to have been the spark that lit the fire that would lead to the greatest battle the world had ever seen.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when he was assassinated on 28 June 1914 by a Serbian terrorist group named the Black Hand.

Astonishingly according to the survey six per cent of millennials believe that it was the assassination of John F Kennedy in 1963, half a century later that sparked the war.

Who did we fight in WW1?

While there are obviously differences between the First and Second World Wars the enemy remained the same.

The Germans were the primary antagonists in both conflicts as we Brits took the side of the Russians and the French with, on both occasions, the Americans eventually joining later.

According to the survey millennials have some confusion over our adversary in the war.

Around 25 per cent apparently believed we fought Russia with 19 per cent thinking we came to blows with France.

Why do millennials not know their history?

According to Justine Baynes, director of the SSAFA it could be because this is the first generation growing up without relatives who remember the War.

She said: “Millennials are the first generation who may not have known a family member who fought in World War One so it’s not surprising that there may be a lack of knowledge about the war.

“The further we move away from the conflict, the more important it becomes to keep the World War One stories of bravery and courage alive and commemorate those who gave up their lives for our country.”

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