Historical debates
100 years on from the outbreak of World War One, with all soldiers of the war now dead, the task of telling the story of the conflict falls to historians and our collective understanding. How have these views changed over time? What aspects are debated and what are the important debates of the coming years?
The debate on the origins of World War One
- Article by:
- Annika Mombauer
Beginning with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Dr Annika Mombauer explores the opposing debates about the origins of World War One. Is it possible for historians to arrive at a consensus?
Read moreHaig and British generalship during the war
- Article by:
- Laura Walker
Archivist and Curator Laura Walker compares and contrasts the historical responses to Sir Douglas Haig, a controversial figure who led the Somme and Passchendaele offensives and under whose leadership the war was won.
Read moreChanging lives: gender expectations and roles during and after World War One
- Article by:
- Susan Grayzel
Considering the roles of both men and women during World War One, Susan R Grayzel asks to what extent the war challenged gender roles and to what degree society accepted them.
Read morePhotography
- Article by:
- Stephen Badsey
From portraits of soldiers to official government images, Professor Stephen Badsey examines the private and public use of photography in World War One and its value as a historical source.
Read moreHow did soldiers cope with war?
- Article by:
- Matthew Shaw
Curator Dr Matthew Shaw, explores notions of patriotism, social cohesion, routine and propaganda, to ask how soldiers of World War One were able to psychologically cope with the realities of combat.
Read moreThe Long Shadow of the ‘German Atrocities’ of 1914
- Article by:
- Sophie de Schaepdrijver
Associate Professor Sophie de Schaepdrijver considers how the ‘German atrocities’ have been represented during and after World War One by both the Allied countries and Germany.
Read moreHistoriography of World War One
- Article by:
- Yohann le Tallec
Ways of writing and thinking about World War One have developed and changed over the past 100 years. Yohann le Tallec examines these differences in historical research and writing, focusing on the broad move away from military history towards an approach that places human beings at its centre.
Read moreFurther themes
Origins, outbreak and conclusions
How did World War One begin? Why did it escalate and what was the impact of both war and peace on the countries involved?
The war machine
How were the 65 million men who fought in WWI recruited, armed and organised?
Life as a soldier
What was life like for the millions of professional, conscripted or recruited soldiers?
Race, empire and colonial troops
Over four million non-white men served in WWI. Explore more about their lives and responsibilities.
Civilians
What was life like for civilians, women, children and those displaced by the fighting?
Propaganda
How was propaganda used to inspire patriotism, dehumanise the enemy and change opinions?
Representation and memory
In addition to poetry, what were the other creative responses to the War? How have these affected our memory and understanding?
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