2018 marks the centennial of the Great War, as World War I was originally known. The War ended the Concert of Europe, reworked global geography and transformed the domestic structures of the combatants. This course will examine the War’s origins, explore how it ended the major world empires, and trace the ways it still casts its shadow across the international community today. We will also consider the factors that motivated individuals to continue fighting even as the casualty lists reached catastrophic levels and few families avoided the loss of loved ones from battle, disease, or persecution. Finally, we will examine how World War I increased the United States’ participation in world affairs and set it on its path to global hegemony.
