query: WWI began in Europe.

pos: World War I World War I ( WWI or WW1 ) , also known as the First World War , the Great War , or the War to End All Wars , was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918 . More than 70 million military personnel , including 60 million Europeans , were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history . Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war ( including the victims of a number of genocides ) , a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents ' technological and industrial sophistication , and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare . It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history , and paved the way for major political changes , including revolutions in many of the nations involved and to WWII twenty-one years later .   The war drew in all the world 's economic great powers , assembled in two opposing alliances : the Allies ( based on the Triple Entente of the Russian Empire , the French Third Republic , and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ) versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary . Although Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance alongside Germany and Austria-Hungary , it did not join the Central Powers , as Austria-Hungary had taken the offensive against the terms of the alliance . These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war : Italy , Japan and the United States joined the Allies , while the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers .   The trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria , heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary , by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 . This set off a diplomatic crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia , and entangled international alliances formed over the previous decades were invoked . Within weeks , the major powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world .   On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July , the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia . Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise , and when this was refused , declared war on Russia on 1 August . Being outnumbered on the eastern front , Russia urged its Triple Entente ally France to open up a second front in the west . Back in 1870 , the Franco-Prussian war had ended the Second French Empire and ceded the provinces of Alsace-Lorraine to a unified Germany . Bitterness over their defeat and the determinance to retake Alsace-Lorraine made the acceptance of Russia 's plea for help an easy choice so France began full mobilisation on 1 August and on 3 August , Germany declared war on France . The border between France and Germany was heavily fortified on both sides so according to the Schlieffen Plan , Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France from the north , leading the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany on 4 August due to their violation of Belgian neutrality . After the German march on Paris was halted in the Battle of the Marne , what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition , with a trench line that changed little until 1917 . On the Eastern Front , the Russian army led a successful campaign against the Austro-Hungarians , but the Germans stopped its invasion of East Prussia in the battles of Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes . In November 1914 , the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers , opening fronts in the Caucasus , Mesopotamia and the Sinai . In 1915 , Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers ; Romania joined the Allies in 1916 , as did the United States in 1917 .   The Russian government collapsed in March 1917 , and a revolution in November followed by a further military defeat brought the Russians to terms with the Central Powers via the Treaty of Brest Litovsk , which granted the Germans a significant victory . After a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918 , the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives . On 4 November 1918 , the Austro-Hungarian empire agreed to an armistice , and Germany , which had its own trouble with revolutionaries , agreed to an armistice on 11 November 1918 , ending the war in victory for the Allies .   By the end of the war or soon after , the German Empire , Russian Empire , Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire ceased to exist . National borders were redrawn , with several independent nations restored or created , and Germany 's colonies were parceled out among the victors . During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 , the Big Four ( Britain , France , the United States and Italy ) imposed their terms in a series of treaties . The League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict . This effort failed , and economic depression , renewed nationalism , weakened successor states , and feelings of humiliation ( particularly in Germany ) eventually contributed to the start of World War II .

neg: Balkans Campaign (World War I) The Balkans Campaign , or Balkan Theatre of World War I was fought between the Central Powers , represented by Austria-Hungary , Bulgaria , Germany and the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Allies , represented by France , Montenegro , Russia , Serbia , and the United Kingdom ( and later Romania and Greece , who sided with the Allied Powers ) on the other side .

neg: Schrecklichkeit Schrecklichkeit ( German `` terror '' or `` frightfulness '' ) is a word used by English speakers to describe an assumed military policy of the German Army towards civilians in World War I.  It was the basis of German actions during their march through Belgium in 1914 . Similar policies were followed later in France , the Russian-held area of Poland , and in Russia .   Under the traditional `` laws of war '' in Europe , military activity was to be confined to the regular , uniformed armies of each side . Civilians were to take no part in fighting , neither attacking or being attacked . Thus , when the uniformed army troops in a nation or region were all defeated , resistance was supposed to end . In practice , informal resistance by `` partisans '' , `` guerrillas '' , or `` francs-tireurs '' often continued after the `` regular '' troops had given up or withdrawn . These fighters , never officially enrolled in an army , and not wearing uniforms to identify them as combatants , attacked occupying troops by ambushes , surprises , and sniping . Conducting such operations out of uniform was considered perfidy , and those involved could be executed .   Occupying armies sometimes responded to such attacks by reprisals against the local population : execution of local inhabitants , whether known to be guerrillas or not , or destruction ( usually by burning ) of homes and other structures .   German army doctrine in force at the time called for such reprisals to be performed immediately and severely in any case of civilian resistance . It was argued that such schrecklichkeit would end resistance quickly with relatively little bloodshed , whereas restraint would encourage resistance , leading to greater destruction and death .   When Germany invaded Belgium in 1914 , the German high command expected to sweep through the country with negligible opposition . The German army was many times larger and stronger than the Belgian army , and the Germans therefore thought that any resistance by Belgium would be futile . German leaders had even suggested to the Belgian government that in the event of war , the Belgians should just line up along the roads and watch the Germans march through . Belgium 's refusal to accept these German presumptions and its resistance to the German advance came as a surprise , and disrupted the German timetable for advancing into France .   This frustration was communicated to the German troops in Belgium . Anything which delayed the German advance was to be crushed mercilessly . The Belgians were viewed as irrational and even treacherous for their opposition .   This led to exaggerated suspicions among German commanders of Belgian civilian resistance . It is possible that some Belgian civilians engaged in resistance , though none is documented . It is certain that on several occasions , German commanders declared ( probably in unconscious error ) that such acts had occurred when they had not .   The Germans responded to these perceived acts of resistance with harsh measures . In several villages and towns , hundreds of civilians were executed . Many buildings were put to the torch . Priests thought guilty of encouraging the resistance were killed . Violence by German soldiers against Belgians , such as rape , was ignored or not seriously punished . The Belgian city of Leuven was largely destroyed . One German officer later wrote about the town , `` We shall wipe it out ... Not one stone will stand upon another . We will teach them to respect Germany . For generations people will come here and see what we have done '' .   These actions , taken in a period of near-panic as the German forces desperately tried to carry out their flanking march before Allied forces could respond , proved to be a propaganda disaster for Germany . The reports of them caused a wave of indignation which aided the Allied cause .

neg: Art and World War II War is a common theme in art and has inspired great works of art . Throughout history , most representations of war depict military achievements and often show significant battle scenes . However , in the 19th century a `` turn '' in the visual representation of war became noticeable . Artists started to show the disastrous aspects of war instead of its glorified events and protagonists . Such a perspective is best exemplified by Goya 's series , The Disasters of War ( 1810-1820 , first published in 1863 ) , and Otto Dix 's portfolio , Der Krieg ( published in 1924 ) . During World War II , both traditions are present . For instance , Paul Nash 's Battle of Britain ( 1941 ) represents a scene of aerial combat between British and German fighters over the English Channel . On the other hand , André Fougeron 's Street of Paris ( 1943 ) focuses on the impact of war and occupation on civilians .   In connection to World War II , the relations between art and war can be articulated around two main issues . First , art ( and , more generally , culture ) found itself at the centre of an ideological war . Second , during World War II , many artists found themselves in the most difficult conditions ( in an occupied country , in internment camps , in death camps ) and their works are a testimony to a powerful `` urge to create '' . Such creative impulse can be interpreted as the expression of self-preservation , a survival instinct in critical times .

neg: North West Europe Campaign The North West Europe Campaign was the name given by the British Commonwealth armed forces to the two land campaigns they fought on the Western Front during World War II .   In Commonwealth military history , `` North-West Europe '' refers to land , air and sea campaigns and operations in , over or near Belgium , Denmark , France , Germany , Luxembourg , Netherlands , Norway and the United Kingdom during World War II . It includes many more specific campaigns and/or battle honours .   The North-West Europe Campaign of 1940 , was part of the Battle of France , and was restricted to the Belgium and the French Channel ports . During this campaign , the French Army was responsible for the rest of the Western Front from Luxembourg to Switzerland , much of which was defended by the Maginot Line . The first campaign ended for the British forces with the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) and its evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk .   Between 1940 and 1944 , the Allied armies conducted coastal raids in German-Occupied Europe , the largest of which was the Dieppe raid of 1942 .   British Commonwealth air force units who served over Occupied Europe , between the fall of France and D-Day were awarded the battle honour `` Fortress Europe 1940 -- 1944 . ''   The North-West Europe Campaign of 1944 -- 1945 , was fought by the British Second Army and First Canadian Army  as elements of the British 21st Army Group . The campaign started with the landings in Normandy and ended on 4 May 1945 with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery taking the German military surrender of all German forces in the Netherlands , north west Germany and Denmark on Lüneburg Heath , ( situated between the cities of Hamburg , Hanover and Bremen ) . As with the first campaign the British Commonwealth forces were on the northern flank of the Western Front . The Twelfth United States Army Group , was to their immediate south , further south still was the Sixth United States Army Group , ( that was also known as the Southern Group of Armies as the French First Army was a constituent part )

neg: Continental Europe Continental Europe , also referred to as mainland Europe , or , by Europeans , simply the Continent , is the continuous continent of Europe , excluding surrounding islands .   The most common definition of continental Europe excludes continental islands , encompassing the Greek Islands , Cyprus , Malta , Sicily , Sardinia , Corsica , the Balearic Islands , Ireland , Great Britain , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands , Novaya Zemlya and the Danish archipelago , as well as nearby oceanic islands , including the Canary Islands , Madeira , the Azores , Iceland , the Faroe Islands , and Svalbard .   The Scandinavian peninsula is sometimes also excluded , as even though it is technically part of `` mainland Europe '' , the de facto connections to the rest of the continent are across the Baltic Sea or North Sea ( rather than via the lengthy land route that involves travelling to the north of the peninsula where it meets Finland , and then south through north-east Europe ) .   The notion of Europe as a geopolitical or cultural term is centred on core Europe ( Kerneuropa ) , the continental territory of the historical Carolingian Empire and the core of Latin Christendom , corresponding to modern France , Italy , Germany ( or German-speaking Europe ) and the Benelux states ( historical Austrasia ) . This historical core of `` Carolingian Europe '' was consciously invoked in the 1950s as the historical ethno-cultural basis for the prospective European integration ( see also Multi-speed Europe ) .

neg: Great Retreat The Great Retreat , also known as the Retreat from Mons , is the name given to the long withdrawal to the River Marne , in August and September 1914 , by the British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) and the French Fifth Army , Allied forces on the Western Front in World War I , after their defeat by the Imperial German armies at the Battle of Charleroi ( 21 August ) and the Battle of Mons ( 23 August ) . A counter-offensive by the Fifth Army , with some assistance from the BEF at the First Battle of Guise ( Battle of St. Quentin failed to end the German advance and the Franco-British retreat continued to and beyond the Marne . From the First Battle of the Marne ended the Allied retreat and forced the German armies to retire towards the Aisne river and fight the First Battle of the Aisne Reciprocal attempts to outflank the opposing armies to the north followed , known as the Race to the Sea

neg: Front (military) A military front or battlefront is a contested armed frontier between opposing forces . It can be a local or tactical front , or it can range to a theater . A typical front was the Western Front in France and Belgium in World War I.   The term `` home front '' has been used to denote conditions in the civilian sector of a country at war , including those involved in the production of matériel .  Both the Soviet and Polish Armies used the term `` front '' to mean an army group during the Polish-Soviet War and World War II . The equivalent of the term established in the header was the `` Theater of military operations '' .  The term `` front line city '' was used by the Germans during their long retreat from Moscow/Stalingrad to refer to metropolitan centres that had become disputed by the two combatants . Designation of a city as such resulted in administrative changes ( largely the imposition of martial law ) . In the film Downfall , the term was briefly referenced .  The term `` transferred to the front '' is often used by soldiers or personnel when their position has been changed from other activities .

neg: Race to the Sea The Race to the Sea took place from about 1914 , after the Battle of the Frontiers ( 7 August -- 13 September ) and the German advance into France , which had been stopped at the First Battle of the Marne and was followed by the First Battle of the Aisne a Franco-British counter-offensive . The term described reciprocal attempts by the Franco-British and German armies to envelop the northern flank of the opposing army through Picardy , Artois and Flanders , rather than an attempt to advance northwards to the sea . The `` race '' ended on the North Sea coast of Belgium around 19 October , when the last open area from Dixmude to the North Sea was occupied by Belgian troops , who had been withdrawn from the Siege of Antwerp ( 28 September -- 10 October ) . The outflanking attempts had resulted in a number of encounter battles but neither side was able to gain a decisive victory .   After the opposing forces had reached the North Sea , both tried to conduct offensives , leading to the mutually costly and indecisive Battle of the Yser ( 16 October -- 2 November ) and the First Battle of Ypres ( 19 October -- 22 November ) . After mid-November , local operations were carried out by both sides and preparations were made to take the offensive in the spring of 1915 . Erich von Falkenhayn , Chief of the German General Staff ( Oberste Heeresleitung ) since 14 September , concluded that a decisive victory could not be achieved on the Western Front and that it was equally unlikely in the east . Falkenhayn abandoned Vernichtunsstrategie ( strategy of annihilation ) and attempted to create the conditions for peace with one of Germany 's enemies , by Ermattungsstrategie ( strategy of exhaustion ) , to enable Germany to concentrate its resources decisively to defeat the remaining opponents .   Over the winter lull , the French army established the theoretical basis of offensive trench warfare , originating many of the methods which became standard for the rest of the war . Infiltration tactics were developed , in which dispersed formations of infantry were followed by nettoyeurs de tranchée ( trench cleaners ) , to capture strong-points that had been by-passed . Artillery observation from aircraft and creeping barrages , were first used systematically in the Second Battle of Artois Falkenhayn issued memoranda on 1915 , to govern defensive battle on the Western Front , in which the existing front line was to be fortified and to be held indefinitely with small numbers of troops , to enable more divisions to be sent to the Eastern Front . New defences were to be built behind the front line to contain a breakthrough until the position was restored by counter-attacks . The Westheer began the huge task of building field fortifications , which were not complete until the autumn of 1915 .

neg: The Blitz The Blitz , from the German word Blitzkrieg meaning ` lightning war ' , was the name used by the British press to describe the heavy air raids carried out over Britain in 1940 and 1941 , during the Second World War .   The German air offensive was concentrated , aimed at the direct bombing of industrial targets and civilian centres which began with heavy raids on London during the latter phase of the battle for air superiority over the United Kingdom which became known as the Battle of Britain . By September 1940 the Luftwaffe had failed to gain air superiority . The German air fleets ( Luftflotten ) were ordered to attack London , thereby drawing RAF Fighter Command into a battle of annihilation . Adolf Hitler and commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe ( German Air Force ) Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring , sanctioned the change in emphasis on 6 September 1940 .   From 7 September 1940 , just over a year into the war , London was systematically bombed by the Luftwaffe for 56 out of the following 57 days and nights . On 15 September 1940 , a large daylight attack against London was repulsed with significant German losses . Thereafter , the Luftwaffe gradually decreased daylight operations in favour of nocturnal attacks , to avoid RAF defences . The Blitz became a fundamental night bombing campaign after October 1940 .   Ports and industrial centres outside London were also attacked . The main Atlantic sea port of Liverpool was bombed . The North Sea port of Hull , a convenient and easily found target or secondary target for bombers unable to locate their primary targets , was subjected to raids in the Hull Blitz during the war . Other ports including Bristol , Cardiff , Portsmouth , Plymouth , Southampton and Swansea were also bombed , as were the industrial cities of Birmingham , Belfast , Coventry , Glasgow , Manchester and Sheffield . More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged and more than 40,000 civilians were killed , almost half of them in the capital .   By May 1941 , the threat of an invasion of Britain had ended , and Hitler 's attention turned to Operation Barbarossa , the invasion of the Soviet Union . The bombing failed to demoralise the British into surrender or significantly damage the war economy . The eight months of bombing never seriously hampered British production and the war industries continued to operate and expand . The German offensive 's greatest effect was forcing the dispersal of aircraft production and parts . British wartime studies concluded that cities generally took 10 to 15 days to recover when hit severely but exceptions like Birmingham took three months .   The German air offensive failed for several reasons . In particular , the Luftwaffe High Command ( Oberkommando der Luftwaffe , OKL ) did not develop a methodical strategy for destroying British war industry : German effort was diverted and dispersed against several sets of industries instead of maintaining pressure on any of them . Discussions in OKL revolved around tactics rather than strategy . Poor intelligence on British industry and economic efficiency was also a factor .

neg: Belgium and the Franco-Prussian War Though not actually a belligerent in the Franco -- Prussian War ( 1870 -- 71 ) , Belgian society and politics were heavily affected by the conflict , and in particular the fear of invasion by either side . The mobilization of the army in 1870 highlighted the inadequacies of the Belgian military and led to reform of the system of conscription ( and the abandonment of the system of Remplacement ) and a programme of re-fortification towards the end of the 19th century which would greatly influence the early phases of the First World War .

neg: British Expeditionary Force (World War II) The British Expeditionary Force ( BEF ) was the name of the British Army in Western Europe from 1939 to 1940 , in the early stages of the Second World War . During the 1930s , the British government planned to deter war by rearming from the very low level of readiness of the early 30s and abolished the Ten Year Rule . The bulk of the extra money went to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force but plans were made to re-equip a small number of Army and Territorial divisions , potentially for service overseas .   The BEF had been established in 1938 , in readiness for war , after Nazi Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss of March 1938 and made claims on Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia , that led to the Munich Agreement ( 30 September 1938 ) , ceding Sudetenland to Germany and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia ( 15 March 1939 ) . After the French and British governments had promised to defend Poland , the German invasion of Poland began on 1 September and on 3 September , after the expiry of an ultimatum , the British and French declared war on Germany .   The BEF ( General Lord Gort ) began moving to France in September 1939 . The British assembled along the Belgian -- French border on the left of the French First Army as part of the French 1er groupe d'armées ( 1st Army Group ) of the Front du Nord-est ( North-Eastern Front ) . Most of the BEF spent the Phoney War digging field defences on the French -- Belgian border before the Battle of France ( Fall Gelb ) began on 10 May 1940 . The BEF constituted 10 percent of the Allied forces on the Western Front . The BEF participated in the Dyle Plan , a rapid advance into Belgium to the line of the river Dyle but had to retreat through Belgium and north-western France , with the rest of the 1 er groupe d'armées , after the German breakthrough further south at the Battle of Sedan . The BEF , French and Belgian forces were evacuated from Dunkirk on the French North Sea coast in Operation Dynamo .   Saar Force , the 51st ( Highland ) Infantry Division ( with reinforcements ) , had been detached for service along the Maginot Line as part of a plan for the BEF units to gain experience . The force fought with local French units after 10 May , then joined the Tenth Army along with the improvised Beauman Division and the 1st Armoured Division , to fight in the Battle of Abbeville ( 27 May -- 4 June ) on the south side of the Somme . The British government attempted to re-build the BEF with divisions training in Britain , troops from France and lines-or-communications troops south of the Somme river ( informally known as the 2nd BEF ) but after the success of the second German offensive in France ( Fall Rot ) over the Somme and Aisne rivers , the troops were evacuated from Le Havre in Operation Cycle ( 10 -- 13 June ) and the French Atlantic and Mediterranean ports in Operation Ariel ( 15 -- 25 June , unofficially to 14 August ) .

neg: Blue Army (Poland) The Blue Army ( Polish : Błękitna Armia ) , or Haller 's Army was a Polish military contingent created in France during the latter stages of World War I . The name came from the blue military uniforms worn by the soldiers . The symbolic term used to describe the troops was subsequently adopted by General Józef Haller von Hallenburg himself to represent all newly organized Polish Legions fighting in western Europe .   The army was formed on 4 June 1917 and composed of Polish volunteers serving alongside the allied forces in France . After fighting on the Western Front during World War I , the army was transferred to Poland where it joined other Polish military formations fighting for the return of Poland 's independence .   The Blue Army played a pivotal role in ensuring Polish victory in the Polish-Ukrainian War .   Haller 's troops subsequently took part in Poland 's defeat of the advancing Bolshevik forces during the Polish -- Soviet War .   During the fighting on the Ukrainian front , individual soldiers within the ranks of the Blue Army acting on their own initiative but with the knowledge of their officers attacked numerous segments of the local Jewish population . According to the joint Anglo-American Investigating Commission and resulting 1919 Morgenthau Report , attacks resulted from `` widespread anti-Semitic prejudice aggravated by the belief that the Jewish inhabitants were politically hostile to the Polish State . '' In parts of Western Ukraine , local Jewish authorities had openly mobilized personnel to serve in the Ukrainian Galician Army .

neg: France France ( -LSB- fʁɑ̃s -RSB- ) , officially the French Republic ( -LSB- ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz -RSB- ) , is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . The European , or metropolitan , area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . France spans 643801 km2 and had a total population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017 . It is a unitary semi-presidential republic with the capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban centres include Marseille , Lyon , Lille , Nice , Toulouse and Bordeaux .   During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome , which held Gaul until 486 , when the Germanic Franks conquered the region and formed the Kingdom of France . France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , with its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337 to 1453 ) strengthening state-building and political centralisation . During the Renaissance , French culture flourished and a global colonial empire was established , which by the 20th century would be the second largest in the world . The 16th century was dominated by religious civil wars between Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots ) . France became Europe 's dominant cultural , political , and military power under Louis XIV . In the late 18th century , the French Revolution overthrew the absolute monarchy , established one of modern history 's earliest republics , and saw the drafting of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen , which expresses the nation 's ideals to this day .   In the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire , whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe . Following the collapse of the Empire , France endured a tumultuous succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870 . France was a major participant in the First World War , from which it emerged victorious , and was one of the Allied Powers in the Second World War , but came under occupation by the Axis Powers in 1940 . Following liberation in 1944 , a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War . The Fifth Republic , led by Charles de Gaulle , was formed in 1958 and remains to this day . Algeria and nearly all the other colonies became independent in the 1960s and typically retained close economic and military connections with France .   France has long been a global centre of art , science , and philosophy . It hosts Europe 's fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually , the most of any country in the world . France is a developed country with the world 's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity . In terms of aggregate household wealth , it ranks fourth in the world . France performs well in international rankings of education , health care , life expectancy , and human development . France remains a great power in the world , being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state . It is a leading member state of the European Union and the Eurozone . It is also a member of the Group of 7 , North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) , Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) , and La Francophonie .

neg: German–Soviet Axis talks In October and November 1940 , German -- Soviet Axis talks occurred concerning the Soviet Union 's potential entry as a fourth Axis Power in World War II . The negotiations , which occurred during the era of the Molotov -- Ribbentrop Pact and the German-Soviet Commercial Agreement , included a two-day Berlin conference between Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov , Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop , followed by both countries trading written proposed agreements . After two days of negotiations from 12 to 14 November 1940 , Germany presented the Soviets with a draft written Axis pact agreement defining the world spheres of influence of the four proposed Axis powers ( Japan , Germany , Soviet Union , Italy ) . Hitler , Ribbentrop and Molotov tried to set German and Soviet spheres of influence ; Hitler encouraged Molotov to look south to Iran and eventually India while preserving German access to Finland 's resources , and to remove Soviet influence in the Balkans . Molotov remained firm , seeking to remove German troops from Finland and gain a warm water port in the Balkans . Soviet foreign policy calculations were predicated by the idea that the war would be a long - term struggle and therefore German claims that Britain would be defeated swiftly were treated with scepticism . In addition Stalin sought to remain influential in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia . These factors resulted in Molotov taking a firm line . According to a Columbia University academical source , on 25 November 1940 , the Soviets presented a Stalin-drafted written counterproposal where they would accept the four power pact , but it included Soviet rights to Bulgaria and a world sphere of influence centered on the area around modern Iraq and Iran . Germany did not respond , leaving the negotiations unresolved . Regarding the counterproposal , Hitler remarked to his top military chiefs that Stalin `` demands more and more '' , `` he 's a cold-blooded blackmailer '' and that `` a German victory has become unbearable for Russia '' so that `` she must be brought to her knees as soon as possible . '' Germany ended the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in June 1941 by invading the Soviet Union .

neg: Origins of the Cold War The Origins of the Cold War are widely regarded to lie most directly in the relations between the Soviet Union and the allies ( the United States , Great Britain and France ) in the years 1945 -- 1947 . Those events led to the Cold War that endured for just under half a century .   Events preceding the Second World War , and even the Russian Revolution of 1917 , underlay pre -- World War II tensions between the Soviet Union , western European countries and the United States . A series of events during and after World War II exacerbated tensions , including the Soviet-German pact during the first two years of the war leading to subsequent invasions , the perceived delay of an amphibious invasion of German-occupied Europe , the western allies ' support of the Atlantic Charter , disagreement in wartime conferences over the fate of Eastern Europe , the Soviets ' creation of an Eastern Bloc of Soviet satellite states , western allies scrapping the Morgenthau Plan to support the rebuilding of German industry , and the Marshall Plan .

neg: 1910s The 1910s ( pronounced `` nineteen-tens '' , also abbreviated as the `` teens '' ) was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1 , 1910 , and ended on December 31 , 1919 . The 1910s represented the culmination of European militarism which had its beginnings during the second half of the 19th century . The conservative lifestyles during the first half of the decade , as well as the legacy of military alliances , was forever changed by the assassination , on June 28 , 1914 , of Archduke Franz Ferdinand , the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne . The murder triggered a chain of events in which , within 33 days , World War I broke out in Europe on August 1 , 1914 . The conflict dragged on until a truce was declared on November 11 , 1918 , leading to the controversial , one-sided Treaty of Versailles , which was signed on June 28 , 1919 .   The war 's end triggered the abdication of various monarchies and the collapse of five of the last modern empires of Russia , Germany , China , Ottoman Turkey and Austria-Hungary , with the latter splintered into Austria , Hungary , southern Poland ( who acquired most of their land in a war with Soviet Russia ) , Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia , as well as the unification of Romania with Transylvania and Moldavia . However , each of these states ( with the possible exception of Yugoslavia ) had large German and Hungarian minorities , there creating some unexpected problems that would be brought to light in the next two decades . ( See Dissolution of Austro-Hungarian Empire : Successor States for better description of composition of names of successor countries/states following the splinter . )   The decade was also a period of revolution in a number of countries . The Mexican Revolution spearheaded the trend in November 1910 , which led to the ousting of dictator Porfirio Diaz , developing into a violent civil war that dragged on until mid-1920 , not long after a new Mexican Constitution was signed and ratified . Russia also had a similar fate , since World War I led to a collapse in morale as well as to economic chaos . This atmosphere encouraged the establishment of Bolshevism , which was later renamed as communism . Like the Mexican Revolution , the Russian Revolution of 1917 , known as the October Revolution , immediately turned to Russian Civil War that dragged until approximately late 1922 .   Much of the music in these years was ballroom-themed . Many of the fashionable restaurants were equipped with dance floors . Prohibition in the United States began January 16 , 1919 , with the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution .

neg: 18th century The 18th century lasted from January 1 , 1701 to December 31 , 1800 in the Gregorian calendar . During the 18th century , the Enlightenment culminated in the French and American revolutions . Philosophy and science increased in prominence . Philosophers dreamed of a brighter age . This dream turned into a reality with the French Revolution of 1789 - , though later compromised by the excesses of the Reign of Terror ( 1793-1794 ) under Maximilien Robespierre . At first , many monarchies of Europe embraced Enlightenment ideals , but with the French Revolution they feared losing their power and formed broad coalitions for the counter-revolution . The Ottoman Empire experienced an unprecedented period of peace and economic expansion , taking part in no European wars from 1740 to 1768 . As a consequence the empire did not share in Europe 's military improvements during the Seven Years ' War ( 1756-1763 ) , causing its military to fall behind and suffer defeats against Russia in the second half of the century .   The 18th century also marked the end of the Polish -- Lithuanian Commonwealth as an independent state . The once-powerful and vast kingdom , which had once conquered Moscow and defeated great Ottoman armies , collapsed under numerous invasions . Its semi-democratic government system was not robust enough to rival the neighboring monarchies of the Kingdom of Prussia , the Russian Empire and the Archduchy of Austria which divided the Commonwealth territories between themselves , changing the landscape of Central European politics for the next hundred years .   European colonization of the Americas and other parts of the world intensified and associated mass migrations of people grew in size as the Age of Sail continued . Great Britain became a major power worldwide with the defeat of France in North America in the 1760s and the conquest of large parts of India . However , Britain lost many of its North American colonies after the American Revolution , which resulted in the formation of the newly independent United States of America . The Industrial Revolution started in Britain in the 1770s with the production of the improved steam engine . Despite its modest beginnings in the 18th century , steam-powered machinery would radically change human society and the environment .   Western historians have occasionally defined the 18th century otherwise for the purposes of their work . For example , the `` short '' 18th century may be defined as 1715 -- 1789 , denoting the period of time between the death of Louis XIV of France and the start of the French Revolution , with an emphasis on directly interconnected events . To historians who expand the century to include larger historical movements , the `` long '' 18th century may run from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 or even later .

neg: Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II This article is about the military history of the United Kingdom during World War II . The United Kingdom , along with most of its Dominions , Crown colonies , and British India , declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939 , after the German invasion of Poland . War with Japan began in December 1941 , after it attacked British colonies in Asia . The Axis powers were defeated by the Allies in 1945 .

neg: Histoire de Belgique (book series) The Histoire de Belgique ( `` History of Belgium '' ) is a seven-volume survey of the history of Belgium by the historian Henri Pirenne , written in French language and published between 1900 and 1932 . The series , which traces the emergence of the Belgian nation-state from the Roman era until the start of World War I , is a classic of nationalist historiography and one of Pirenne 's major works . Although Pirenne is today best known as a historian of Medieval Europe , the Histoire de Belgique series was his most respected work during his lifetime and the foundation of his reputation as Belgium 's leading national historian .   Unlike much nationalist historiography , Pirenne 's history did not trace the emergence of a Belgian `` Volksgeist '' ( national spirit ) but argued that Belgium had naturally developed as a cosmopolitan society to serve as a mediator between Latin and Germanic Europe . Pirenne did , however , believe in the existence of a distinctly Belgian civilisation ( civilisation belge ) reflecting a unique combination of external influences and which had changed over time without losing its distinctiveness .   Publication began in 1900 and ended in 1932 after being disrupted for several years during the German occupation of Belgium ( 1914 -- 18 ) in which Pirenne had been held as a political prisoner . The seventh volume was awarded the Francqui Prize in 1933 . According to modern historians , Pirenne 's 1928 publication La Belgique et la Guerre Mondiale ( Belgium and the World War ) could be considered a chronological sequel , covering the period after the end of volume seven .

neg: Pax Britannica Pax Britannica ( Latin for `` British Peace '' , modelled after Pax Romana ) was the period of relative peace in Europe ( 1815 -- 1914 ) during which the British Empire became the global hegemonic power and adopted the role of a global police force .   Between 1815 and 1914 , a period referred to as Britain 's `` imperial century , '' around 10,000,000 sqmi of territory and roughly 400 million people were added to the British Empire . Victory over Napoleonic France left the British without any serious international rival , other than perhaps Russia in central Asia . When Russia tried expanding its influence in the Balkans , the British and French defeated it in the Crimean War ( 1854 -- 56 ) , thereby protecting the by-then feeble Ottoman Empire .   Britain 's Royal Navy controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power . Alongside the formal control it exerted over its own colonies , Britain 's dominant position in world trade meant that it effectively controlled access to many regions , such as Asia and Latin America . British merchants , shippers and bankers had such an overwhelming advantage over everyone else that in addition to its colonies it had an `` informal empire '' .


query: David Beckham is a former professional.

pos: David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham , ( -LSB- ˈbɛkəm -RSB- born 2 May 1975 ) is an English former professional footballer . He played for Manchester United , Preston North End , Real Madrid , Milan , LA Galaxy , Paris Saint-Germain , and the England national team for which he held the appearance record for an outfield player until 2016 when Wayne Rooney surpassed his total . He is the first English player to win league titles in four countries : England , Spain , the United States and France . He announced his retirement in May 2013 after a 20-year career , during which he won 19 major trophies .   Known for his range of passing , crossing ability and bending free-kicks as a right winger , Beckham was runner up in the Ballon d'Or , twice runner-up for FIFA World Player of the Year and in 2004 he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world 's greatest living players . He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2008 . A global ambassador for the sport , Beckham is regarded as a British cultural icon .   Beckham 's professional club career began with Manchester United , where he made his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17 . With United , he won the Premier League title six times , the FA Cup twice , and the UEFA Champions League in 1999 . He then played four seasons with Real Madrid , winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club . In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy . While a Galaxy player , he spent two loan spells in Italy with Milan in 2009 and 2010 . He was the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games .   In international football , Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996 at the age of 21 . He was captain for six years , earning 58 caps during his tenure . He made 115 career appearances in total , appearing at three FIFA World Cup tournaments , in 1998 , 2002 and 2006 , and two UEFA European Championship tournaments , in 2000 and 2004 .   Beckham has consistently ranked among the highest earners in football , and in 2013 he was listed as the highest-paid player in the world , earning over $ 50 million in the previous 12 months . He has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999 and they have four children . He has been a UNICEF UK ambassador since 2005 , and in 2015 he launched 7 : The David Beckham UNICEF Fund . In 2014 , MLS announced Beckham and a group of investors would own an expansion team in Miami , which would begin in 2016 or 2017 .

neg: History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) The history of Arsenal Football Club from 1966 to the present day covers the third , fourth , and fifth periods of success in Arsenal 's history , including three Doubles , a Cup Double , and success in European football .   Following Bertie Mee 's appointment in 1966 , Arsenal won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup , their first European trophy , in 1969 -- 70 , and their first League and FA Cup double in 1970 -- 71 . The Double-winning side , however , was soon broken up and the following decade was characterised by a series of near misses : Arsenal lost three FA Cup finals ( 1971 -- 72 , 1977 -- 78 , and 1979 -- 80 ) and the 1979 -- 80 Cup Winners ' Cup final on penalties . The club 's only success during this time was an FA Cup win in 1978 -- 79 against Manchester United .   After stagnation in the 1980s , the return of former player George Graham as manager in 1986 brought a third period of glory . Arsenal won the League Cup in 1986 -- 87 , the Football League Centenary Trophy in 1988 , two League title wins in 1988 -- 89 and 1990 -- 91 , the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1992 -- 93 and a second European trophy , the Cup Winners ' Cup , in 1993 -- 94 . However , Graham 's reputation was tarnished when it was revealed that he had taken kickbacks for signing certain players and he was sacked in 1995 .   Arsenal fifth period of success came with the appointment of Arsène Wenger in 1996 . Under him , Arsenal won a second league and cup double in 1997 -- 98 and then a third in 2001 -- 02 . In addition , the club were victorious in the 2002 -- 03 and 2004 -- 05 FA Cups , and won the Premier League in 2003 -- 04 without losing a single match . In 2005 -- 06 became the first London club to reach the UEFA Champions League Final , and lost 2 -- 1 against FC Barcelona . During the following close season , they left their longstanding home of Highbury to the new Emirates Stadium nearby .

neg: Heroes and Villains (football fanzine) Heroes and Villains is the title of a football fanzine written by and primarily aimed at fans of Aston Villa F.C. . It was launched in 1989 , and has been in regular print ever since , long surpassing 100 issues .   It has been edited from the start by Dave Woodhall . Although of course primarily concerned directly with the fortunes of Aston Villa , occasionally other general football articles and humorous , nostalgic pieces are to be found amongst its pages .   It was often critical of Doug Ellis who was the chairman of Aston Villa during the period 1982 to 2006 ( his second spell at the club ) . He was seen by many fans as being complacent and unambitious regarding the fortunes of the team .   As with most fanzines , many articles contain much baiting of local rival football clubs and their fans , in this case chiefly Birmingham City F.C. and West Bromwich Albion F.C.   However , a goodly part of the fanzine 's contents consist of contributors ' personal views on and memories of experiences derived from being a supporter of Aston Villa . Aston Villa 's richly varied history , particularly that of the last 25 years and within living memory of most contributors , consisting as it does of Villa 's League Championship and European Cup winning achievements of '81 and ' 82 , their mid '80s decline culminating in relegation in ' 87 , followed by a revival under Graham Taylor 's management which led to an unexpected league runners-up spot just 3 seasons later , provides much material . As does a further , also unexpected , runners up placing in ' 93 , league cup triumphs in '94 and ' 96 , and the generally solid but unspectacular performance of the team , up to the 2005-2006 season 's underachievements and the broad feeling of dissatisfaction with the way the club was being run .   Something of a running joke in the fanzine concerns Villa 's underachievement in the FA Cup , the club having not won the competition since 1957 , with their only final appearance since then consisting of a dismal performance in losing 1-0 to the pre-Roman Abramovich Chelsea in 2000 . As the 3rd round of the competition - Villa 's usual entry point - approaches each season , many fans come to the agreement that this year is definitely `` our year for the cup ... ''   For the start of the 2014-15 season , the fanzine phased out the paper publishing format of distribution , and is now available only to download to computers , mobile devices , and so on .   The fanzine also spawned a website forum which remains very popular among Villa supporters .

neg: John Beck (footballer) John Alexander Beck ( born 25 May 1954 ) is an English former footballer and manager . As a player , he made nearly 500 Football League appearances for five clubs between 1972 and 1989 .   As a manager , he had a highly successful spell in charge of Cambridge United in the early 1990s , when he guided the club to two successive promotions and two successive quarter-final appearances in the FA Cup . Beck took the club from the Fourth Division to the Second and very nearly to the new Premier League at the end of the 1991 -- 92 season , where they ended their campaign fifth in the Second Division , their highest ever league finish . .   In 2010 , he was appointed manager of Conference National club Histon , but resigned two games into the 2010 -- 11 season .

neg: Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is an English football club based in Darlington , County Durham . They are members of the and play at Blackwell Meadows .   The club was founded in 1883 , and played its matches at Feethams . The club originally played in regionally organised leagues , and were one of the founding members of the Northern League in 1889 . They were first admitted to the Football League when the Third Division North was formed in 1921 . They won the Third Division North title in 1925 , and their 15th place in the Second Division in 1926 remains their highest ever league finish . After their admission to the League , they spent most of their history in the bottom tier . They won the Third Division North Cup in 1934 , their first victory in nationally organised cup competition . They reached the last 16 of the FA Cup twice , and the quarter-final of the Football League Cup once , in 1968 . In the early 1990s they won successive titles , in the Conference National in 1990 and the Fourth Division in 1991 . In 2011 they won the FA Trophy , defeating Mansfield Town 1 -- 0 at Wembley Stadium .   Darlington moved to the all-seater , 25,000-capacity Darlington Arena in 2003 . The cost of the stadium was a major factor in driving the club into administration . In May 2012 , the club was bought out of a period of administration without entering into a Creditors Voluntary Agreement ( CVA ) . The Football Association ruled that it should be treated as a new club , which required a change of playing name . The name chosen was Darlington 1883 , and that team was placed in the Northern League Division One , the ninth tier of English football , for the 2012 -- 13 season . They won three promotions in four seasons before the FA approved their request to revert to their traditional name .   The club 's main rivals are Hartlepool United . The club 's traditional colours are black and white shirts , black shorts and black and white socks . The club 's crest depicts Locomotion No 1 , referring to the town 's railway history ; as well as a stylised Quaker hat , referring to the religious movement that had a historic influence on the town , and which was the source of the team 's nickname , the Quakers .

neg: Association football culture Association football culture refers to the cultural aspects surrounding the game of association football . In many countries , football has ingrained itself into the national culture , and parts of life may revolve around it . Many countries have daily football newspapers , as well as football magazines . Football players , especially in the top levels of the game , have become role models for people . The FIFA World Cup held every four years is the quintessential football event , combining the greatest players in the world and the passion of the fans . Football has a long and glorious history , with which a vast and diverse culture has emerged . The culture of football can be easily divided into how the players , fans and clubs see the sport .

neg: 2008–09 Manchester United F.C. season The 2008 -- 09 season was Manchester United 's 17th season in the Premier League , and their 34th consecutive season in the top division of English football . After winning a third consecutive Premier League title for the second time to equal Liverpool 's record of 18 league titles , the team aimed to become the first team to retain the European Cup since Milan in 1990 . However , they were beaten 2 -- 0 by Barcelona in the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009 .   United started their season in August 2008 by winning the Community Shield . In December 2008 , the club became the first English side to win the FIFA Club World Cup when they beat LDU Quito 1 -- 0 in the final . Two months later , on 1 March 2009 , the club added the 2008 -- 09 League Cup to their trophy cabinet with a 4 -- 1 penalty shootout win over Tottenham Hotspur after a goalless 120 minutes in the final .   United secured a third consecutive Premier League with a goalless draw at home to Arsenal on 16 May 2009 . This made them the first team ever to win three consecutive English top flight titles on two separate occasions , having previously done so between 1999 and 2001 .

neg: Christian Hanson (footballer) Christian Hanson ( born 3 August 1981 ) is an English former footballer . A left-footed central defender , he represented England at schools and youth level . He played for a host of non-league clubs , and picked up his greatest honour by winning the FA Trophy with Grays Athletic in 2006 . Once contracted to Middlesbrough , he played a handful of games in the Football League for Cambridge United , Torquay United , Port Vale , and Leyton Orient .

neg: List of Fulham F.C. seasons Fulham Football Club is an English professional football team based in Fulham in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . The club was formed in West Kensington in 1879 as Fulham St Andrew 's Church Sunday School F.C. , shortened to Fulham F.C. in 1888 . They initially played at Fulham Fields before a move to Craven Cottage in 1896 ; the club played their first professional match in December 1898 and made their FA Cup debut in the 1902 -- 03 season .   The club competed in the Southern Football League between 1898 and 1907 , when they were accepted into the Football League Second Division . Having spent much of their history outside the top division , the team gained promotion to the Premier League in 2001 .   Fulham reached the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2010 . To date they are the club with the highest number of seasons in the top flight ( 25 ) without having achieved a single honour . Their highest position in the English football league system was 7th in the Premier League in 2008 -- 09 , while their lowest position was 17th in the Third Division ( by then the fourth tier ) in 1995 -- 96 .   The following table gives a record of every season of the club from their first professional season in the Southern Football League Division 2 , to the present day , in the EFL Championship . It details the club 's achievements in major competitions , their managers , and the top scorers in the league for each season . The table is correct up to the end of the 2012 -- 13 season .

neg: David Lindsay (English footballer) David Lindsay ( born 17 May 1966 ) is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Crystal Palace as a left back .   He began his youth career at Crystal Palace and signed professional terms in May 1984 . His league debut , however , was in December 1983 , in a home 1 -- 2 defeat to Carlisle United , but it was his only appearance that season . In season 1984 -- 85 he made 11 appearances and in 1985 -- 86 began the season as first choice left back but played only nine times . In the 1986 close season , Lindsay moved on to play for Finnish club Kuopion Elo , before signing for Welling United in March 1987 , where he made 63 appearances over the next two seasons .

neg: History of Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club was formed in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers Football Club by former pupils of the Charterhouse School whilst they were apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway . The club dropped the Ramblers from their name in 1878 , and in 1888 they were founding members of the Football League . In 1925 , the club 's name was changed for the final time to Stoke City Football Club when Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status .   The club moved in 1997 to the Britannia Stadium , a 28,383 all-seater stadium ; having spent 119 years at the Victoria Ground . In the 2007 -- 08 season , Stoke won promotion from the Football League Championship , the second tier of English football , and as of 2008 -- 09 are playing in the top flight ( currently Premier League ) for the first time since the 1984 -- 85 season , when they were relegated with a total of 17 points , a record low unsurpassed for 21 years . Stoke 's only major trophy was the 1972 Football League Cup , won when they beat Chelsea 2 -- 1 in the final at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 97,852 . The club have also won the Football League Trophy twice , in 1992 and 2000 . In terms of league achievement the closest Stoke have come to winning the title was in the 1946 -- 47 season where a final day defeat cost Stoke top spot .

neg: 1960–61 Chelsea F.C. season The 1960 -- 61 season was Chelsea Football Club 's 47th of competitive football , and their 35th in the English top flight .   Chelsea 's performances and results were erratic throughout the season , typified by large victories over Arsenal , Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion and heavy defeats against Manchester United , Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley , culminating in a sixth consecutive mid-table finish since their Championship success in 1955 . The club were also victims of an upset in the FA Cup , losing 2 -- 1 at home to Fourth Division side Crewe Alexandra .   The season was nonetheless a watershed in the club 's history ; frustrated at the club 's lack of direction , Chelsea 's star player Jimmy Greaves joined AC Milan at the end of the season . Manager Ted Drake , his position weakened by the Crewe result in particular , would also leave the club early into the next season .   Despite the lack of tangible success , the season produced a series of records . Chelsea scored 98 league goals , a record that stood until Chelsea 's record breaking 2009 -- 10 season and conceded 100 goals -- another club record . Greaves scored 41 league goals , plus another two in the League Cup for a seasonal total of 43 , which has never been bettered by another Chelsea player . Greaves also notched six hat-tricks ( another club record for a single season ) , and during the campaign scored his 100th career league goal ; at the age of 21 , still the youngest ever player to do so .

neg: Michael Thomas (footballer, born 1967) Michael Lauriston Thomas ( born 24 August 1967 ) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder from 1986 to 2001 .   He is best remembered for scoring a last-minute goal in injury time during the final match of the 1988 -- 89 season , which allowed Arsenal to claim the First Division title over Liverpool . Later in his career , Thomas went on to play for Liverpool and scored a goal for the Reds in the 1992 FA Cup Final . He also had spells at Benfica and Wimbledon before retiring in 2001 , after a career that saw him win medals in all of English football 's top three domestic football trophies . He was capped twice by England .

neg: Dave Brammer David Brammer ( born 28 February 1975 ) is an English former football midfielder . In a sixteen-year career he scored 22 goals in 455 games in the Football League .   Starting his career at Wrexham in 1993 , he lifted the Welsh Cup and FAW Premier Cup with the club . He moved on to Port Vale for an initial # 350,000 fee in March 1999 . In 2001 he lifted the Football League Trophy , and was also made the club 's Player of the Year . Following this success he was sold on to Crewe Alexandra for # 500,000 . He helped the `` Alex '' win promotion out of the Second Division in 2002 -- 03 . After three years with Crewe he switched to Stoke City in 2007 , thereby becoming one of a small number of players to have played for the three local rivals of Crewe , Stoke and Vale . He spent 2007 to 2009 at Millwall , before finishing his career at Vale Park later in 2009 .

neg: Beach soccer Beach soccer , also known as beach football or beasal , is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand .   The game emphasises skill , agility and shooting at goal .   Whilst football has been played informally on beaches for many years , the introduction of beach soccer was an attempt to codify rules for the game . This was done in 1992 by the founders of Beach Soccer Worldwide , a company set up to develop the sport and is responsible for the majority of its tournaments to this day . This was a major foundation for what is now known as beach soccer and what has led to the sport rapidly growing in popularity .   The irregularity of the soft-sand playing surface leads to a totally different style of play than is used in football , with a greater degree of improvisation . The compact field , much smaller than a normal football field , allows players to score from anywhere on the sand , leading to an average of sixty attempts at goal in a single game . With an average of scoring rate of one goal every three or four minutes , around eleven goals are scored in total during an average game .

neg: Paul Miller (footballer, born 1959) Paul Richard Miller ( born 11 October 1959 ) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Tottenham Hotspur , Charlton Athletic , Watford , Bournemouth , Brentford and Swansea City . Miller 's favoured position was centre back .   Miller was born in Stepney , London . In his early years , he played his youth football in the London Borough of Hackney for the ELY ( East London Youth ) team , winning a league runners-up medal in 1970 at under-11 level . Miller began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur , signing as apprentice in 1976 , professional a year later , and spending a season with Skeid in the Norwegian League to gain experience . He was part of Spurs ' FA Cup - winning team in 1981 , conceding a penalty after bringing down Dave Bennett in the replay which Tottenham won 3 -- 2 . He won a second FA Cup-winner 's medal with Spurs the following year , and played a key role in their 1983 -- 84 UEFA Cup victory , scoring an away goal in the first leg of the final against Anderlecht . He later played for Charlton Athletic , Watford , A.F.C. Bournemouth , Brentford and Swansea City .

neg: 1994–95 Blackburn Rovers F.C. season The 1994 -- 95 season was Blackburn Rovers F.C. 's third season in the Premier League , and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football .   The season was marked by the club winning the Premier League title , ending their 81-year run without an English league title . They ended up winning the title by a one-point margin over Manchester United . Rovers led the way for most of the season , but a 2 -- 1 defeat at Kenny Dalglish 's old club Liverpool on the final day of the season briefly appeared to threaten their title hopes . Manchester United however could only draw ( 1 -- 1 ) at West Ham so the league title was back at Blackburn for the first time since 1914 . Jack Walker 's dream had come true : within five years of buying the club , he had taken them from strugglers in the old Second Division to champions of England .   Early exits from the League Cup , FA Cup and UEFA Cup to Liverpool , Newcastle and Trelleborg respectively were frustrating for Rovers in 1994 -- 95 , but turned out for the best as they could concentrate on the league challenge .   Kenny Dalglish won the Premier League Manager of the Year award for leading Blackburn to success , Alan Shearer won both the Golden Boot for contributing 34 of Blackburn 's 80 league goals and also the PFA Players ' Player of the Year award as nominated by his fellow professionals . Graeme Le Saux , Colin Hendry , Tim Sherwood and Shearer all made it into the PFA Team of the Year .

neg: 1999–2000 FA Cup The 1999 -- 2000 FA Cup was the 119th staging of the world 's oldest cup competition , the Football Association Cup or FA Cup . Both the semi-finals and final of the competition were played at Wembley Stadium for the last time before reconstruction work began . The competition culminated with the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Aston Villa . The game was won by a goal from Chelsea 's Roberto Di Matteo , giving them a 1-0 victory .   The previous season 's winners , Manchester United , withdrew from the 1999 -- 2000 competition due to their participation in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship in South America , to take place in early 2000 , thus becoming the first FA Cup winners not to defend their title . Despite this being at the request of the Football Association ( FA ) , they received criticism from journalists and television pundits . To keep the competition running smoothly , the FA chose to draw one team from among those lower-division teams defeated in the second round to progress as `` lucky losers '' to the third . Darlington were the team drawn .   The main competition started in November 1999 for clubs from the Football League and Premiership . For details on the preliminary and qualifying rounds of the FA Cup see FA Cup Archives .

neg: History of FC Bayern Munich FC Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich , Bavaria . It is best known for its professional football team , which plays in the Bundesliga , the top tier of the German football league system , and is the most successful club in German football history , having won a record 26 national titles and 18 national cups .   Founded in 1900 by eleven football players led by Franz John , the club had its period of greatest success in the middle of the 1970s when , under the captaincy of Franz Beckenbauer , it won the European Cup three times in a row ( 1974 -- 76 ) . Overall , Bayern has reached ten European Cup/UEFA Champions League finals , most recently winning their fifth title in 2013 as part of a continental treble . Bayern has also won one UEFA Cup , one European Cup Winners ' Cup , one UEFA Super Cup , one FIFA Club World Cup and two Intercontinental Cups , making it one of the most successful European clubs internationally . Since the formation of the Bundesliga , Bayern has been the dominant club in German football with 26 titles and has won 8 of the last 12 titles .

neg: Barry Horne (footballer) Barry Horne ( born 18 May 1962 , St Asaph , Wales ) is a Welsh former professional footballer , former chairman of the Professional Footballers ' Association and sports television pundit .   As a player , he was a midfielder from 1984 until 2002 , notably playing in the Premier League for Everton . He also played in the Football League for Wrexham , Portsmouth , Southampton , Birmingham City , Huddersfield Town , Sheffield Wednesday and Walsall , before playing Non-league football with Kidderminster Harriers and Belper Town . He was capped 59 times by Wales , scoring twice .

neg: Bank of England club The Bank of England club is a nickname in English association football for a football club which has a strong financial backing . It was used to refer to Arsenal F.C. in the 1930s as well as in recent times for being the last of the Premier League 's Big Four clubs to be owned primarily by English investors .


query: Billie Jean King represented the US team in the Fed Cup and the Wightman Cup exactly one time.

pos: Billie Jean King Billie Jean King ( née Moffitt ; born November 22 , 1943 ) is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player . King won 39 Grand Slam titles : 12 in singles , 16 in women 's doubles , and 11 in mixed doubles . King won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships . King often represented the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup . She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups . For three years , King was the United States ' captain in the Federation Cup .   King is an advocate for gender equality and has long been a pioneer for equality and social justice . In 1973 , at age 29 , she won the Battle of the Sexes tennis match against the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs , and was the founder of the Women 's Tennis Association , World TeamTennis ( with former husband Larry King ) , and the Women 's Sports Foundation .   Regarded by many in the sport as one of the greatest tennis players of all time , King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 . The Fed Cup Award of Excellence was bestowed on King in 2010 . In 1972 , King was the joint winner , with John Wooden , of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award and was one of the Time Persons of the Year in 1975 . King has also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year lifetime achievement award . King was inducted into the National Women 's Hall of Fame in 1990 , and in 2006 , the USTA National Tennis Center in New York City was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center .

neg: 2010 ATP World Tour The Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) World Tour is the elite professional tennis circuit organized by the ATP . The 2010 ATP World Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments ( supervised by the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) ) , the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 , the ATP World Tour 500 series , the ATP World Tour 250 series , the ATP World Team Championship , the Davis Cup ( organized by the ITF ) , and the ATP World Tour Finals . Also included in the 2010 calendar is the Hopman Cup , which does not distribute ranking points , and is organized by the ITF .

neg: 2014 US Open (tennis) The 2014 US Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts . It was the 134th edition of the US Open , the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the year . It took place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center .   Rafael Nadal was the defending champion in the men 's event ; however , on 18 August , the Spaniard announced his withdrawal from the event after failing to recover from a wrist injury , while Serena Williams was the two-time defending champion in the women 's event .   In the men 's singles competition , Marin Čilić won his maiden grand slam title ; while , Serena Williams won her Open era record tying sixth title in the women 's singles competition tying Chris Evert , and it was her eighteenth grand slam title tying Evert and Martina Navratilova . Winning the men 's doubles , Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan became the most victorious doubles team in Open era history at the tournament , and this was the team 's 100th title together and sixteenth grand slam title tying Todd Woodbridge for the Open era record . Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won women 's doubles competition title , becoming two-time grand slam champions with their victory at the 2013 French Open . The winning mixed doubles team was Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares , and for Mirza it was her third mixed doubles grand slam title in her career and Soares ' second grand slam title for his career . It was Soares ' second US Open title in mixed doubles , and it was the first for Mirza .

neg: 1984 Wightman Cup The 1984 Nabisco Wightman Cup was the 56th edition of the annual women 's team tennis competition between the United States and Great Britain . It was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in England in the United Kingdom .

neg: 1950 U.S. National Championships (tennis) The 1950 U.S. National Championships ( now known as the US Open ) was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club , Forest Hills in New York , United States . The tournament ran from 25 August until 5 September . It was the 70th staging of the U.S. National Championships , and the fourth Grand Slam tennis event of the year .

neg: Althea Gibson Althea Gibson ( August 25 , 1927 -- September 28 , 2003 ) was an American tennis player and professional golfer , and the first black athlete to cross the color line of international tennis . In 1956 , she became the first person of color to win a Grand Slam title ( the French Open ) . The following year she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals ( precursor of the U.S. Open ) , then won both again in 1958 , and was voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press in both years . In all , she won 11 Grand Slam tournaments , including six doubles titles , and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Women 's Sports Hall of Fame . `` She is one of the greatest players who ever lived , '' said Robert Ryland , a tennis contemporary and former coach of Venus and Serena Williams . `` Martina could n't touch her . I think she 'd beat the Williams sisters . '' In the early 1960s she also became the first black player to compete on the women 's professional golf tour .   At a time when racism and prejudice were widespread in sports and in society , Gibson was often compared to Jackie Robinson . `` Her road to success was a challenging one , '' said Billie Jean King , `` but I never saw her back down . '' `` To anyone , she was an inspiration , because of what she was able to do at a time when it was enormously difficult to play tennis at all if you were black , '' said former New York City Mayor David Dinkins . `` I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps , '' wrote Venus Williams . `` Her accomplishments set the stage for my success , and through players like myself and Serena and many others to come , her legacy will live on . ''

neg: List of Davis Cup champions The Davis Cup is an annual international team event in men 's tennis . Established in 1900 as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge , it is run by the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) , who describe it as the `` World Cup of tennis . '' The first event in 1900 was a match between Great Britain and the United States , while 135 nations have entered the 2016 Davis Cup .   The tournament sees players competing for their country in four singles and one doubles matches , known as rubbers , over the course of three days , with the team that wins three rubbers progressing . The countries are divided into groups based upon their location or performance in previous years . The Davis Cup World Group is the top level of the competition and features matches between players from the top 16 countries at the start of the year . Countries that lose their first round match face a relegation play-off against winning countries from the continental zones . World Group winning countries progress to the quarter-finals . Nations have to win a further three ties in order to claim the position of Davis Cup Champions .   The United States are the most successful nation in the history of the competition , with 32 victories . Australia are second with 28 and Great Britain are third with 10 . Teams from Europe have won the competition the most with 42 victories , followed by North America with 32 and Oceania with 28 . Argentina are the current champions , they beat Croatia 3 -- 2 in the final in 2016 .

neg: 1950 Davis Cup The 1950 Davis Cup was the 39th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in men 's tennis . 26 teams would enter the competition , 22 in the Europe Zone , and 4 in the Americas Zone . Play took place on Asian soil for the first time , when the Pakistani team travelled to Manila for their first-round Europe Zone tie with the Philippines .   Australia defeated Mexico in the Americas Zone final , and Sweden defeated Denmark in the Europe Zone final . Australia defeated Sweden in the Inter-Zonal play-off , and then defeated defending champions the United States in the Challenge Round . The final was played at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills , NY , United States on 25 -- 27 August .

neg: 2018 Fed Cup The 2018 Fed Cup is the 56th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in women 's tennis . Although it is subject to final confirmation , the 2018 Fed Cup will see some structural changes . In 2018 , the tournament will introduce a 16-team World Group as well as introduction of a Final Four event .

neg: 2009 Billie Jean King Cup March 2 , 2009 , marked the inaugural year of the Billie Jean King Cup and the first time women 's tennis had been played at Madison Square Garden since 2000 , when the year-ending Chase Championships were held there . Broadcast internationally on HBO , the event featured 2008 US Open Champion Serena Williams , 2008 Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams , 2008 French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic and 2008 year end world No. 1 ranked player Jelena Janković , who filled in as a wild card for the injured 2008 Australian Open Champion Maria Sharapova .   Serena Williams won her semifinal match against Ana Ivanovic 6 -- 3 , and Venus Williams won hers 6 -- 4 against Jelena Janković . The final was won by Serena 6 -- 4 , 6 -- 3 .   Between the semifinals and final a tribute was paid to tennis legend and pioneer Billie Jean King . The tribute featured a speech by former president Bill Clinton , and appearances by figure skaters Sarah Hughes and Nancy Kerrigan , race car driver Janet Guthrie , Billie Jean King 's long time double 's partner Rosie Casals and other prominent women in sports .   A portion of the proceeds from the 2009 event benefited the Dream Vaccines Foundation and the Women 's Sports Foundation .

neg: 1978 Nations Cup (tennis) The 1978 Nations Cup , also known by its sponsored name Ambre Solaire Nations Cup , was a men 's team tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts . It was the second edition of the Nations Cup and the event was part of the 1978 Grand Prix circuit . It took place at the Rochusclub in Düsseldorf in West Germany from 8 May through 15 May 1978 . Total prize money was # 100,000 and in total 36,000 people attended the event . The United States were the defending champions . Spain defeated Australia in the final , watched by a crowd of nearly 7,000 , to win the title for the first time and earn the $ 60,000 first-prize money .   The draw consisted of eight teams divided over two round-robin groups . The two best ranked teams from each group proceeded to the semifinals . Each match consisted of two singles and a doubles .

neg: Fed Cup Fed Cup is the premier international team competition in women 's tennis , launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) . The competition was known as the Federation Cup until 1995 . The Fed Cup is the world 's largest annual women 's international team sports competition , in terms of the number of nations that compete .   The men 's equivalent of the Fed Cup is the Davis Cup . Australia , Czech Republic and the United States are the only countries that have held both the Fed Cup and Davis Cup at the same time .

neg: Stephanie DeFina Stephanie DeFina Johnson ( born March 8 , 1946 ) is an American former amateur tennis player who was active in the 1960s and early 1970s .   DeFina was included in the year-end top ten rankings issued by the United States Lawn Tennis Association from 1966 through 1968 , reaching a career high ranking of seventh in 1967 .   Her best singles result at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the fourth round of the 1967 Wimbledon Championships in which she lost to Ann Jones .   In 1966 , she reached the final of the U.S. Women 's Clay Court Championships before falling to Nancy Richey . In 1969 , she was a doubles runner-up at the New England Women 's Invitational Indoor Tennis Championships ( teaming with Kathy Pigeon ) and was the singles runner-up at the U.S. Indoor Championships .   At the tournament in Cincinnati , DeFina won two singles titles : in 1963 ( defeating Jane `` Peaches '' Bartkowicz in the final ) and 1965 ( defeating Roberta Alison in the final ) . She also paired with Alison to win the Cincinnati doubles title in 1965 .   In 1968 DeFina was a member of the U.S. team that competed for the Wightman Cup , the annual women 's team tennis competition between the United States and Great Britain . She played the doubles match partnering Kathy Harter but lost to the sister team of Christine Truman Janes and Nell Truman .   DeFina was a member of the 1974 World Team Tennis champion Denver Racquets .

neg: 2009 Fed Cup The 2009 Fed Cup was the 46th edition of the most important competition between national teams in women 's tennis .   The final took place at the Circolo del Tennis in Reggio Calabria , Italy , on 7 -- 8 November . The home team , Italy , defeated the United States , 4 -- 0 , giving Italy their second title .

neg: Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) was formed in September 1972 by Donald Dell , Bob Briner , Jack Kramer , and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players . Drysdale became the first President . Since 1990 , the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the organization 's name . In 1990 the organization was called the ATP Tour , which was renamed in 2001 as just ATP and the tour being called ATP Tour . In 2009 the name was changed again and is now known as the ATP World Tour . It is an evolution of the tour competitions previously known as Grand Prix tennis tournaments and World Championship Tennis ( WCT ) .   The ATP 's global headquarters are in London , United Kingdom . ATP Americas is based in Ponte Vedra Beach , United States ; ATP Europe is headquartered in Monaco ; and ATP International , which covers Africa , Asia and Australasia , is based in Sydney , Australia .   The counterpart organization in the women 's professional game is the Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) .

neg: Great Britain Davis Cup team The Great Britain Davis Cup team is the men 's national tennis team and has represented the United Kingdom internationally since 1900 . Organised by the Lawn Tennis Association ( LTA ) , it is one of the 50 members of International Tennis Federation 's European association ( Tennis Europe ) . The United Kingdom team 's performance has been inconsistent ; it enjoyed its most successful periods in the 1910s and the 1930s , and has seen a resurgence in recent years .   The team has won the world cup 10 times and been runner-ups on 8 occasions . It has longstanding rivalries with Australia and the United States . The national team took part in the inaugural Davis Cup in 1900 , and has spent 16 years in the World Group . They are the third most successful team in terms of championships won .   Under the current management of Leon Smith , the national team qualified to the World Group in 2013 , won the title in 2015 , reached the semifinals of the in 2016 .

neg: Newport Beach Tennis Club The Newport Beach Tennis Club is a tennis club located in Newport Beach , California with an entrance at 2601 Eastbluff Drive .   The club opened in 1966 . It has 19 tennis courts with lighting , a junior Olympic swimming pool and a fitness center . There is also a pro shop , a restaurant , a bar , a hair salon and available catering service . The club is situated on 7.5 acres of land .   The United States played South Africa at the club in the 1977 Davis Cup Americas Zone Semifinals .   On January 27 , 2016 , the Orange County Breakers of World TeamTennis announced that they would play their home matches at Breakers Stadium at the Newport Beach Tennis Club . `` Bringing the Breakers and Mylan World TeamTennis to the Newport Beach Tennis Club is something that we have been looking into the past few years , '' said club owner Steve Joyce . `` Breakers matches will bring Newport Beach and Orange County residents access to some of the best tennis players on the tours . Our club is excited to be a part of that and play a role in bringing the Breakers and professional tennis back to Newport Beach . '' Breakers coach Rick Leach gives lessons at the club .

neg: 2017 WTA Tour The 2017 WTA Tour is the elite professional tennis circuit organised by the Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) for the 2017 tennis season . The 2017 WTA Tour calendar comprises the Grand Slam tournaments ( supervised by the International Tennis Federation ( ITF ) , the WTA Premier tournaments ( Premier Mandatory , Premier 5 , and regular Premier ) , the WTA International tournaments , the Fed Cup ( organized by the ITF ) , the year-end championships ( the WTA Tour Championships and the WTA Elite Trophy ) . Also included in the 2017 calendar is the Hopman Cup , which is organized by the ITF and does not distribute ranking points .

neg: 1973 Grand Prix (tennis) The 1973 Commercial Union Assurance Grand Prix was a professional tennis circuit administered by the International Lawn Tennis Federation ( ILTF ) which served as a forerunner to the current Association of Tennis Professionals ( ATP ) World Tour and the Women 's Tennis Association ( WTA ) Tour . The circuit consisted of the four Grand Slam tournaments and open tournaments recognised by the ILTF . The Commercial Union Assurance Masters , Davis Cup Final and Federation Cup are included in this calendar but did not count towards the Grand Prix .

neg: 1981 Davis Cup The 1981 Davis Cup ( also known as the 1981 Davis Cup by NEC for sponsorship purposes ) was the 70th edition of the tournament between national teams in men 's tennis . This was the first year that the tournament moved to a tiered system , with the creation of the 16-team World Group . Teams that reached the Zonal semifinals in the previous year 's tournament were chosen for the inaugural World Group . Teams who lost in the first round played each other in the Relegation Play-off , with the four losers relegated to their Zonal competition . Winners of the Zonal competitions earned promotion into the next year 's World Group . 53 teams would enter the competition , 16 in the World Group , 23 in the Europe Zone , 8 in the Americas Zone , and 6 in the Eastern Zone . The United States defeated Argentina in the final , which was held at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati , OH , United States , on 11-13 December .

neg: 2017 Fed Cup The 2017 Fed Cup is the 55th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in women 's tennis .