Everything you need to know about WWI

A visual summary of WWI

This animated video summarizes the "Great War"—World War I—tracing its progression through Europe, detailing the rise of nationalism in the middle of the 19th century until the signing of the peace treaties after 1918. This 18-minute provides a year-to-year accounting of the war with various helpful insights along the way.

An interactive timeline of the major events of World War I

World War I took place between July 28, 1914 and November 11, 1918, but a lot happened within that relatively short time. And even more occurred afterward. The comprehensive timeline shows when major and influential events took place during the conflict, accompanied by articles, videos, and other media in support.

How WWI began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

World War I started for several reasons—imperialism, militarism, nationalism, and more—but the catalyst was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Hohenberg by the young assassin Gavrilo Princip. Read this article ton see how the assassination sparked the chain reaction that led to the Great War.

A global interactive guide to the first world war

Using rarely seen films, new reports of the day, and interactive maps, 10 historians provide a summarized history of the Great War, World War I. During the course of this half hour film, get a variety of insights and perspectives on the so-called "war to end war" and its long-reaching effects.

Illustrating the beginning and end of WWI through maps

In August of 1914, Germany invaded an ostensibly neutral Belgium, kick-starting World War I. The war became one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, decimating Europe and reshaping global politics for the next century. It also brought forward sweeping and terrifying new military technologies, a product of the Industrial Revolution. Explore 40 maps explaining the Great War in detail.

100 ways the Great War changed the world

What was the point of WWI? What impacts did it have? How has it influenced life today? Click through this Wall Street Journal photo gallery to find out.

Exploring World War I technology on the battlefield

Industrialization brought massive changes to warfare during the Great War. Newly-invented killing machines begat novel defense mechanisms, which, in turn spurred the development of even deadlier technologies. Nearly every aspect of what we would consider modern warfare debuted on World War I battlefields. Starting with soldiers on horseback carrying lances and ending in poison gas, machine guns, and aerial battles, this gallery shows the first tools of modern warfare.

Was WWI really the first world war?

Was World War I the first true international conflict? This article thoroughly explores the meaning of the term world war. It also suggests a few previous conflicts, some of which involved battles in the Americas as well as Europe, that might have been more accurately described as a "world wars."

World War I causes

World War I was, as the name says, truly war on the global scale. Fought between the French, Russian, British, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman, and Russian Empires, it was in part, a battle for territory. And after the war ended, several of these empires collapsed. Explore the different causes of World War II in this article.

Who was impacted by the first world war, and how?

This interactive map from the National Archives in the UK details the global impact of World War I. Countries and territories from Aden to New Zealand were impacted by the Great War, which started in 1914 and lasted until 1918. By selecting various locations on the map, viewers can access articles and evidence on how the war's influence traveled far beyond the front lines.

Explaining the final battle of World War I

The Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the last battle of the First World War. Beginning in September and ending November 11, 1918, the battle was a tumultuous event and the first time the American Army fought on the world's stage. America simultaneously achieved victory and discovered new methods to fight a war. This Apple History podcast provides the details.

Detailing the horrific conditions of life in the trenches

What was it like to live and fight in a trench during World War I? If you were on the German side you might have bunkers, electricity, and other basic comforts. If you were on the British and French side the conditions have been described as muddy and "horrific". Find out how unpleasant trench warfare was and how it affected WWI soldiers.

The treaty that ended the First World War laid the groundwork for the Second

On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles officially ended World War I by demanding severe reparations, territorial losses, military restrictions, and the infamous “war guilt clause” against Germany. However, its harsh terms fostered deep resentment, economic instability, and political turmoil—ultimately becoming a catalyst for World War II.

What happened on WWI's Italian Front?

The battle in the Dolomites, or the White War, might have been the roughest, most arduous, and deadliest conflict during World War I. Italian and Austrian troops fought for control of the Dolomites mountain range over the course of three years, leading to the deaths of 700,000 Italian soldiers and 350,000 Austro-Hungarian troops. A grim account of a dirty little war high in the Dolomites.

What impact did WWI have on the US civil rights movement?

One of the great hypocrisies in American history involve the expectation of African-Americans to defend liberty in several wars while being deprived of it when they returned home to, as this article puts it "disfranchisement, segregation, debt peonage and racial violence." The writer reflects on World War I and how it affected the fight for civil rights in the USA.

A look at the World War I memorial and its artist

Sabin Howard is the sculptor for the National World War I Memorial, soon to be installed in Washington, DC. This Smithsonian Magazine article talks to the artist and details his approach and style in designing the piece. The finished sculpture will tell the story of a young WWI American soldier across five scenes featuring 38 larger-than-life figures, stretching out over 60 feet and standing at 10 feet.

How the 1918 pandemic spurred developments in virology and vaccines

This article provides an in-depth historical account of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, including its impact on the global population and how its occurrence spurred significant advancements in the study of viruses—laying the groundwork for the...

Everything you wanted to know about the war in Vietnam

Still have questions about the war? Imagine the answers you'd get if could direct all those questions to a historian who specializes in this. Enter: Historian Mark Atwood Lawrence. Lawrence spends over an hour in this podcast answering audience questions about the Vietnam War.

What do you know about WWI's only Black fighter pilot?

This in-depth article follows the life of Eugene Bullard, a Black American nicknamed the "Black Swallow of Death" for his work in WWI. Though much of Bullard's life is known, some pieces, like what happened to Bullard's brother who vanished in the Jim Crow South, continue to escape historical record.

See the army generals who helped define the Civil War

Hear profiles of the Union and Confederate commanders whose choices defined the war's outcome—from Grant and Lee to Sherman, Jackson, and others. See how their actions, tactics, and skills shaped the Civil War.

Explore an interactive map of battles from the American Revolution, along with detailed summaries of each engagement

Read the only surviving eyewitness account of the first Thanksgiving

Edward Winslow’s short 1621 letter offers the only firsthand account of the first Thanksgiving, describing celebratory gunfire that drew Wampanoag leader Massasoit and 90 men—initially fearing conflict—before the gathering turned into shared feasting.

A brief guide to espionage

Spies have one of the most challenging and dangerous jobs in the world, risking their lives and legacy to extract secrets in the interest of their country. This in-depth explainer breaks down one of the profession's oft-ignored aspects: The...

Famed historian David McCullough on five things to know about the Wrights

The bestselling author of popular, beloved histories on US presidents, engineering feats and disasters published a study of the Wrights in 2015. Here. he highlights five key facts to know about the brothers, including that their efforts were bootstrapped—meaning they paid for their work themselves with no outside investors.

The story of Hitler's first—failed—attempt to takeover Germany

Infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 after his party won the majority of seats in the country's parliament, the Reichstag. His seemingly legitimate rise to power was actually his second attempt to lead Germany after his failed coup attempt in 1923 which saw him jailed for nine months. Here's the story of that failed putsch, which took place a century ago.

Why the Gunpowder Plot failed, and other questions answered by historians

The 1605 Gunpowder Plot aimed to blow up the English Parliament and King James VI and I. Guy Fawkes, often associated with the plot, was not the mastermind; Robert Catesby and Thomas Wintour led it. They selected Parliament as their target due to...

Learn more about the history of fireworks, which dates back to an accidental invention during an alchemist's quest for information about immortality.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

In 1915, workers recovered a submarine-like vessel from the Chicago River, prompting fears of German espionage

Explore a list of the 100 best novels of all time, compiled by some of the world's best living writers, including Salman Rushdie, Stephen King, and Jennifer Egan.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

This poison ivy knowledge quiz—accompanied by photos of the plant's varied forms—may help you identify this common rash-inducing growth.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of young men ate standard American food—replete with food additives like borax and formaldehyde—as part of government research to better understand food safety.

Hear about the 250-year history of the United States Postal Service, complete with some of its strangest deliveries, important innovations, and the figures that made it an American institution.

Stanford built a Google Maps for the Roman Empire, revealing how much it cost to travel in the ancient world

Learn how to read a prospectus, the juicy document that any company must file with the SEC before going public.

View the ten deadliest tornadoes in US history.

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

The US first hosted the World Cup in 1994, a tournament that lives in soccer infamy for its poor planning and the murder of Colombian player Andres Escobar, who'd accidentally scored on his own net.

Many legends about George Washington, including his supposed wooden teeth and the story of cutting down the cherry tree, lack evidence.

American dance legend Martha Graham, sometimes called 'the Picasso of dance,' refused to perform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and conceived the piece 'Chronicle' in response to the experience.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

English mathematician Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer algorithm a century before computers existed and hypothesized that computing devices would one day be able to compose music—foreseeing the generative AI systems of today.