World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, took place from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918. The war began when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. The conflict eventually involved most of the nations in Europe as well as other regions, with the Central Powers (mainly Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey) fighting against the Allies (mainly France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and from 1917, the United States). The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers.