World War I was known at the time as the Great War and "the war to end all wars." Countries stretching across the globe got involved, mobilizing over 70 million military personnel. The First World War saw unprecedented levels of technological innovation. It was the first modern mechanized industrial war in which material resources and manufacturing capability were as consequential as the skill of the troops.
Aircraft
People
Flying Ace
Fallen Pilot
First African-American Military Pilot to Fly in Combat
First Woman in an Army Aviation Uniform
Culture
Before World War I, war art largely depicted heroic military leaders and romanticized battles, done long after the fact, far from the battlefield. The First World War marked a turning point with the appearance of artwork intended to capture the moment in a realistic way, by first-hand participants.
Movies have always shaped our cultural memory of historical events, and World War I has been a rich subject for filmmakers. The films explore a range of topics, including the reality of fighting in the trenches, aerial combat, the relationship between commanders and troops, and the psychological effects of war.
American attitudes changed dramatically during World War I, a shift reflected in popular music of the time, from 1915's anti-war “I Didn’t Raise My Boy To Be a Soldier” to 1918's patriotic “Over There.” Listen to a three-piece ensemble performs popular songs of World War I to trace this change in American attitudes.