World War I
1914-1918
They called World War I “the war to end all wars.” It was not—but it was a war that changed all future wars.
The technological innovations of the first world war would change warfare forever. It was the first major conflict fought from the air and well as the ground. It was also the first modern industrial war in which machinery, technology, and production were as consequential as the skill of the troops.
Jump to a Section: Aircraft People Culture
The Basics
Within weeks of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s assassination, the world was at war. A complex set of long-standing pre-war alliances between the major powers of Europe brought country after country into the war. 70 million military personnel were involved.
The war stretched from 1914 to 1918 and is best known for the grueling trench warfare and technological innovations that contributed to the brutal nature of the battlefield. World War I was also the first major conflict that used planes. It laid the groundwork for military aviation.
Roundels of the Major Air Combatants
Read an Overview of World War I
Years
1914 - 1918
What's in a Name?
World War I is also known as the Great War, the First World War, or simply WWI.
The Allies
Major Air Combatants:
- France
- Italy
- Russia
- Great Britain
- United States
Central Powers
Major Air Combatants:
- Germany
- Ottoman Empire
- Austria-Hungary
Aircraft
When the war broke out in 1914, aviation was still in its infancy. Very few existing aircraft were designed for military missions. A desperate need emerged for purpose-built military planes.
The conflict accelerated the design of specialized fighters, bombers, and reconnaissance planes. As airplanes proved their worth, leaders demanded more. Aircraft did not decide the war, but by the Allies’ victory in 1918, nations realized aircraft were essential.
"Fly and burn. Fly and destroy. Fly and kill."
-Nino Salvaneschi, Italian Journalist, 1917
Aviators on both sides quickly became essential early in World War I. They technology they used in the air could make or break them.
Examples of the Allies' Aircraft in the Museum's Collection
Examples of the Central Powers' Aircraft in the Museum's Collection
People
Over 70 million military personnel were mobilized during World War I. Multiple Americans volunteered to join the war effort before the United States formally entered the conflict. Those who weren't in the military contributed to the war effort in other ways, like manufacturing aircraft.
Pilots
For the first time, aviators turned the sky into battlefields, and aviators on both sides quickly became essential early in World War I. At first, pilots and observers tracked the enemy from above. Later, pilots flew fighter planes to control the air over battlefields.
Fighter pilots specifically gained an elite status that captured the attention of a proud public. Some even became national heroes, especially flying aces. But the glamour of aerial combat was shadowed by aviators’ brutal deaths.
Meet World War I-Era Individuals
Meet World War I-Era Individuals
Flying Ace
Fallen Pilot
First African-American Military Pilot to Fly in Combat
First Woman in an Army Aviation Uniform
Balloon Buster
Reconnaissance Pilot
"If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the War."
-Joseph Joffre, French field marshal and commander-in-chief during World War I
Although most women were denied the opportunity to fly for the military during World War I, they contributed in other ways from working in factories to raising money.
Culture and World War I
Culture and World War I
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.
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.
Videos About World War I for K-12 Students
Videos About World War I for K-12 Students
Have you ever wondered what it was like to fly in a WWI aircraft, or what it was like to live back then? Find out the answers to those questions, and the war's impact on today.
Duration 29 Minutes
A middle school student's guide to World War I.
Duration 3 Minutes
Dive into how the war affected the lives of children in an occupied country and how lace makers helped feed a nation.
Duration 29 Minutes
Carrier pigeons were essential technology during World War I. In this video, learn how they were able to help the British.
Duration 1 Minute
The phrase "OMG" finds its origins in World War I—learn why.
Duration 1 Minute
World War I
World War I