World War I, originally called the Great War, resulted in more than nine million deaths. The official starting point was the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. However, this was simply the spark that lit a tinder keg of overbuilt armies, imperial tensions, and complex alliances creating two opposing political forces in Europe: the Allies and the Central Powers.
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First World War
Contexts
The First World War raged from 1914-1918. A long time for those who were involved, a short time for a literary period. Nevertheless we have chosen to create a themed collection for the writing of the First World War. The 'Contexts' collection that forms part of it has been put together to help you put the literature from the time of the First World War into context, to connect the literature with the history and point you to resources that can illustrate and explain.
Image licence:
[CC-BY-SA] Brigitte Morowka via http://europeana1914-1918.eu
| # | Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is a War Poem? |
In this Open Day taster lecture, Kate McLoughlin explores how we might define a war poem,... |
Kate McLoughlin |
| 2 | The Sandwich that Sabotaged Civilisation |
Myths and Mistakes. How a well known photograph and an infamous lunch break have shaped our... |
Dr Paul Miller |
| 3 | Popular fiction in World War One |
An argument for a more nuanced assessment of the popular literature consumed by the wider public... |
Jane Potter |
| 4 | Wartime Art and Grief |
German women and the aesthetics of loss portrayed through art during the First World War. |
Claudia Siebrecht |
| 5 | Conflict Culture |
How much do we really know about the experience of the average individual soldier? |
Matthew Leonard |
| 6 | Rethinking British Volunteerism in 1914: A Rush to the Colours? |
The British response to the outbreak of War in 1914. |
Catriona Pennell |
| 7 | The Origins of World War I (lecture) |
Lecture (available as video, audio and transcript) delivered by Professor John Merriman as part... |
John Merriman |
| # | Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | From Owen's Doomed Youth, to his doomed youth |
Lecture at the event 'Wilfred Owen: From Doomed Youth to the Battle of the Sambre'.... |
Jean Moorcroft Wilson |
| 2 | The Last Phase |
A discussion on the last phase of the First World War. A talk given at 'Wilfred Owen: From... |
Max Egremont |
| 3 | The Sandwich that Sabotaged Civilisation |
Myths and Mistakes. How a well known photograph and an infamous lunch break have shaped our... |
Dr Paul Miller |
| 4 | Wartime Art and Grief |
German women and the aesthetics of loss portrayed through art during the First World War. |
Claudia Siebrecht |
| 5 | Max Arthur Interview |
An interview with Max Arthur, author of 'Forgotten Voices', 'Last Post', and... |
Max Arthur |
| # | Essay Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lost Generation |
World War I, originally called the Great War, resulted in more than nine million deaths. The... |
Kate O'Connor |
| # | Title | Description | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parade's End: A Man Could Stand Up | Ford Maddox Ford | |
| 2 | Parade's End: No More Parades | Ford Maddox Ford | |
| 3 | Parade's End: Some Do Not... | Ford Maddox Ford | |
| 4 | The great war, 1914-1918; a brief sketch |
London : J. Murray |
Charles Robert Leslie Fletcher |
| 5 | The British campaigns in Europe, 1914-1918 |
From the preface: "The main part of this book has appeared as British campaigns in France and... |
Arthur Conan Doyle |
| 6 | Poetry in Context: The First World War Poetry Digital Archive (article) |
Kate Lindsay and Stuart Lee describe how primary source material is enriching teaching and... |
Stuart Lee, Katharine Lindsay |
| # | Resource Title | Description | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slimescapes (article) |
"If the First World War is described as the end of illusion for a whole generation of young men... |
Santanu Das |
| 2 | Mary Borden |
Blog post + discussion about the writer, poet, nurse Mary Borden "one of the most extraordinary... |
Tim Kendall |
| 3 | The Dying Kiss: Gender and Intimacy in the Trenches of World War I |
Article by Santanu Das for the World War I Centenary: Continuations and Beginnings... |
Santanu Das |
| 4 | First World War timeline (interactive) |
This interactive timeline, created as part of the First World War Poetry Digital Archive... |
|
| 5 | Commonwealth Cemeteries of World War I (visualisation) |
A set of resources to visualise the Commonwealth cemeteries, burial plots and memorials across... |
Patrick Lockley |
| 6 | Under a green sea – experiences of gas warfare (3D simulation) |
This 3D simulation introduces you to the experiences of gas warfare in the trenches through... |
|
| 7 | Beyond the slaughter and loss of the First World War (conversation) |
Was there more to the First World War than just death and slaughter? This is a transcript of an... |
|
| 8 | Europeana 1914-1918 (memorabilia collection) |
A big and growing online archive of memorabilia from the time of the First World War. Stories... |
|
| 9 | Reading and World War I |
Essay from the Open University course unit 'History of reading: An introduction to reading in... |