4 Ways to Learn About World War I (2024)

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Co-authored byEmily Listmann, MA

Last Updated: July 17, 2021References

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   Consult a popular history book. If you're just starting out learning about WWI, there are many easy-to-read but informative books written on the topic. These might be written by historians, journalists, or veterans.^[2]

   • Search online or in bookstores for books about World War I. Skim through the first few pages to see if it catches your interest.
   • Find books by prominent scholars of World War I. You can do this by searching online or consulting the bibliographies of other works. Some prominent scholars of World War I are Christopher Clark, Fritz Fischer, Jay Winter, Paul Fussell, John Keegan, and Mark Mazower.
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   Inform yourself with textbooks. Classes that cover World War I often draw on textbooks. These are a great way to help you learn the basics about the war as well as the factors that contributed to its beginning and final outcome. Check at your local bookstore or online to find a textbook about the war that interests you.^[3]

   • Recognize that textbooks are not just door-stoppers. In fact, some of the best textbooks about World War I and related subject are short and relatively easy to read. They provide an overarching narrative that gives you needed context to understand the war in all of its complexity.
   • Search the web for course syllabi on World War I. These will often have lists of required books, including textbooks, that you may want to read.
   • Look for textbooks from academic publishers such as Oxford University Press or Cambridge University Press. For example, Oxford University Press offers a series called “Very Short Introductions” that includes topics that discuss World War I.^[4]
   • Search for textbooks at online booksellers, which often make suggestions based on other textbooks or books you buy on a specific subject. For example, James Joll’s “The Origins of the First World War” is considered a standard textbook for any class on this subject. By purchasing this book or showing interest in it, the site may also lead you to related suggestions. This might include “The Cambridge History of World War I” edited by Jay Winter or Modris Ekstein’s “Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age.”
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   Enjoy a memoir. World War I tore apart the physical and proverbial landscapes of Europe. It left about 16 million soldiers and civilians dead, which had a significant impact on societies across the globe.^[5] Memoirs are primary sources that were written either during or immediately after the war.^[6] Choosing different memoirs to read about World War I can also help you learn more about it. Some of the classic memoirs about World War I include:

   See Also

   World War I: CausesThe 4 M-A-I-N Causes of World War OneThe Great War Ends - Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs - State of DelawareEnigma | Definition, Machine, History, Alan Turing, & Facts

   • Vera Brittain’s “Testament of Youth”
   • Robert Graves’ “Goodbye to All That”
   • Siegfried Sassoon’s “Memoirs of an Infantry Officer”
   • Ernst Jünger’s “Storm of Steel”
   • Erich Maria Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”
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   Draw on other primary sources. Just like memoirs, there is a wide variety of other primary sources available to consult about World War I. These include archives and newspapers. Reading different primary sources can help you better learn about mentalities during the war. In turn, these may help you understand why certain decisions were made that affected different aspects of the war such as the homefront, medicine, or battle tactics.^[7]

   • Visit an a local or national archive and speak to an archivist about what collections may be of interest to you in gaining further information on World War I. In many cases, universities also have archives or primary source collections that can help you learn.
   • Access the archives of publications such as newspapers and magazines. You can often do this online or may be able to find hard or microfilm copies at local libraries. Keep in mind that universities may also have access to these resources.
   • Check for institutions that provide primary sources including photographs or documents. For example, the German Historical Institute provides a website called “German History in Documents and Images” that provides digital images and translated documents with an explanation for context about World War I. It has not only documents produced in Germany, but about Germany from the United Kingdom and United States.^[8]
   • Poems, songs, stories, and art produced by veterans or those who lived during the war may help you understand the experience and struggles of the war in a more personal way.

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   Take a local college course. Classes on World War I are generally offered at most colleges and universities because it is an event that profoundly shaped history. Taking one of these classes—as a student or simple observer– can help you learn a lot about World War I.

   • Consult with the university once you’ve found a class that interests you. Ask if you need to enroll for the class or if you can audit it, which means that you sit in on the class but don’t take exams or do other coursework. Make sure to inquire about how much it will cost to take or audit the class.^[9]
   • Recognize that many universities have programs for seniors who want to audit courses. Some universities may refer to them as “senior associates” and not charge a fee to sit in or audit courses.
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   Sign up for an online courses. Classes that are taught online are becoming increasingly popular. You can take them as either a regular university course with a grade or watch a so-called massive open online course, or MOOC.^[10] Although these won’t be as in-depth as a regular university course, they still can help you learn a lot about World War I.

   • Search online by using the term “World War I course.” You should find a broad range of courses about the war from prominent universities and institutions.^[11] You can also use different websites that provide information on all of the online courses about World War I.^[12]
   • Decide if you prefer to take a traditional online course for credit or simply want to watch a series of online lectures about World War I.
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   Attend local lectures. Institutions, including universities and museums, or other organizations often host lectures on specific subjects such as World War I. These are generally open to the public and can help you learn more about the war. Ask for information at your local historical society or college history department. If you live in a larger city, museums and research institutions also invited guest speakers on subjects such as World War I that you can attend.

   • Sign up for newsletters, emails, and invitations to local lectures. These are often on the organization’s website or you can sign up by calling. This can help you more quickly find lectures on World War I and its related subjects.

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   Use websites to expand your knowledge. The world is increasingly digital. To keep up with this, many educational resources about World War I are now available online. Draw upon online sites to help you build your knowledge of World War I.^[13]

   • Recognize that there are a lot of great resources on World War I from established institutions such as the Imperial War Museum in London. Look for these types of sites that present neutral information. Just as there are a lot of great resources, there are a lot of terrible ones, too. Watch out for any site that seemingly contradicts basic facts you have learned or pushes one opinion a little too much. Be wary of any source that does not cite their information.
   • Look for resources from media such as the British Broadcasting Center (BBC), which has information and different types of interactive media you can use to learn about World War I.^[14]
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   Watch films. Movies are another way to learn more about World War I. Some are original scripts, while others are based on memoirs and other testimonies. Some films about World War I you may want to watch are:^[15]

   • The Big Parade, 1925^[16]
   • All Quiet on the Western Front, 1930
   • A Farewell to Arms, 1932
   • The Lost Patrol, 1934
   • A Very Long Engagement, 2004
   • Testament of Youth, 2015^[17]
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   Visit a museum. Museums of all kinds are great places to learn more about World War I. They can be educational and help you see the war within its broader context. Go to local museums and plan to visit other museums when you are on vacation or traveling for other reasons.

   • Go to educational museums with exhibitions on World War One. For example, in London you can go to the Imperial War Museum, while Washington, D.C. offers the National Museum of American History.^[18] If you go to France or Belgium, you can visit museums on the battlefields of World War I including the Somme or Verdun.^[19]
   • Avoid discounting places such as art museums. One of the many notable aspects of World War I is the art that was created before and after it. Viewing exhibitions on movements such as Dada or visiting the Käthe Kollwitz Museum can provide even more learning material about the visual impact that World War I had on society, culture, and politics.^[20]

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   Study the causes of the war. Officially, it was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, by a Serbian nationalist that sparked the war, but tensions had been rising for many years. Research how imperialism, nationalism, political instability in the Balkans, increased military spending, and alliances contributed to the start of the war.^[21]

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   Learn about the major battles of WWI. Read up on the tactics, strategies, and technology used in each battle. You might even read accounts of each battle from the soldiers who fought in them. Some famous battles you might study include:^[22]

   • The Gallipoli Campaigns (1915-1916)
   • Battle of Jutland (1918)
   • Battle of the Somme (1916)
   • Battle of Amiens (1918)
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   Read biographies of major generals and politicians during the war. To help you understand all of the different players of WWI, try picking one historical figure who intrigues you. Read their biography. If possible, find something they wrote during the war. This can help you understand their motivations and beliefs. You might look at:^[23]

   • Winston Churchill
   • Woodrow Wilson
   • Vladimir Lenin
   • John J. Pershing
   • Ataturk
   • T.E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia)
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   Investigate the treaties that ended the war. When WWI ended in 1918, the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) were forced to sign a series of treaties that limited their powers. These treaties can help you understand how WWI affected Europe in the wake of the war. The most famous treaties are:^[24]

   • The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919): This treaty broke up the Austro-Hungarian empire into Austria and Hungary while giving up many of its lands to other nations.
   • Treat of Versailles (1919): This treaty forced Germany to give up many of its lands and colonies. It also contained Article 231, which forced Germany to pay reparations.
   • Treaty of Sèvres (1920): This treaty ended the hostilities between Turkey and the allies.

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