Why Is the 1914-18 War Called the First World War?

Why is the 1914-18 war called the First World War?

Introduction In August 1914, war broke out across Europe. By its end in 1918, an estimated 11 million soldiers and 7 million civilians had been killed – that is one reason people then called it the Great War. But today historians usually call this conflict the First World War, or World War 1 (WWI) – this resource will help you investigate why that is. 2017 is the centenary of the Third Battle of Ypres, which lasted from 31st July to 10th November 1917. It is often known as the Battle of Passchendaele, the village in Belgium where the fighting finished. Men fought and died in terrible conditions of rain and mud. Soldiers from Australia, Canada and New Zealand fought on the Allied side, and British units included soldiers from Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as England. There were probably over 300,000 Allied casualties, soldiers who were dead, wounded or missing, and at least a quarter of a million Germans, but historians disagree about the figures. In over three months of fighting the Allies captured about 8 kilometres of land from the Germans. The Battle of Passchendaele is remembered for the death of one of Wales’ most important poets, Hedd Wyn. He died in the attack on Pilckem Ridge on 31st July 2017. After his death, Hedd Wyn won the Chair at the National Eisteddfod on 6th September 2017 for his poem Yr Arwr (The Hero). Passchendaele has become a symbol of the horrors of World War 1, and Hedd Wyn has become a symbol of the many thousands of Welsh deaths in that war.

1. The start of the war The Great War started after the assassination of the Austrian heir to the throne in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian. A complicated set of alliances between the most powerful countries in Europe – the ‘Great Powers’ – meant that, one after the other, like a set of dominos, they all declared war on each other. France, Britain, Russia and Serbia were on one side; Germany and Austria-Hungary, joined by the Ottoman Empire, were on the other. Fighting broke out on the Eastern Front (Russia against Germany and Austria-Hungary); on the Western Front (Britain and France against Germany; and on the Balkans Front (Austria- Hungary against Serbia). So far, all the fighting was in Europe, so why is it called a 'World War’?

GLP © Crown Copyright 2. The Western Front – Britain and France against Germany?

● Where did this soldier come from? ● When did he die? ● What is surprising about that?

Photo A (left): A grave in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery in France Photo B (below)

Take a look at the photos B to F showing more graves and memorials on the Western Front. ● Can you work out which country the soldiers in each of these graves or memorial came from? Use the names or symbols to help you. They were: Indian, New Zealander (silver fern leaf), Irish (harp), Australian Jewish (star), French Muslim. ● What does that tell us about the fighting on the Western Front?

GLP © Crown Copyright Photo D: A gravestoneFunded in a French by the war UK government Photo C: The Menin Gate memorial, Ypres cemetery Photo E Photo F: Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium

All photos (A to F) © Alf Wilkinson/HA

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government There is also a Czech cemetery near Arras, France – Czech soldiers fought with the French Foreign Legion – and a Polish cemetery. We could add many more examples to these.

The Czech cemetery at La Targette, near Arras, France © Alf Wilkinson

● Can you find more examples of soldiers from different countries who died on the Western Front to add to this list? Britain and France might have been fighting Germany on the Western Front in France and Belgium, but soldiers from many other countries were involved there too. ● The casualties on the ‘British’ side during the First World War included soldiers from India, Africa and the Caribbean. You could investigate the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) searchable database of war casualties and war graves at http://www.cwgc.org/. This database lists the names and places of commemoration of the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars. ● You could start by finding out where Private H. Morehu is buried (photo B) or more about Lieutenant Samuel Rosenthal (photo F). ● You could also use the CWGC database to find more about Hedd Wyn and the cemetery where he is buried: he is listed as Ellis Humphrey Evans. The site has photos, maps and original documents. The CWGC War Graves app allows you to search for war graves at more than 23,000 locations in 153 countries. From the mud of Belgian Flanders to the scorched deserts of North Africa and the jungles of the Far East, those who died in the First and Second World Wars are buried and remembered at Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries and memorials in almost every corner of the globe. http://www.cwgc.org/app.aspx

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government 3. A World War You need to remember that in 1914, Britain, France and Germany had huge empires and colonies all across the globe. Within a month, all German colonies in Asia and the Pacific Ocean were taken over by Britain and her allies. The same happened in Africa – although in East Africa, fighting continued between Britain and Germany until November 1918. Many of their troops were African and Indian. Italy joined the war on the side of Britain in 1915 so a new 'Southern Front' opened up between Italy and Austria-Hungary. War against the Ottoman Empire spread from Gallipoli to the Middle East and Mesopotamia, where Palestine and Iraq were fought over. The whole of the Balkans also erupted into war, as countries like Romania sought to expand at the expense of their neighbours. There were naval battles in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans early in the war. Japan took advantage of the war to capture German bases in China. It seems many countries were joining what they hoped would be the winning side in order to fight their own battles too.

More countries get involved

Countries at war, December 19141

1 Source: McMurry, F. M., The Geography of the Great War, 1918. Available from https://archive.org/details/geog raphyofgreat00inmcmu

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government Countries at War, December 19172

Activities ● Look carefully at the two maps: 1914 and 1917. Are there more countries involved in the war in 1917, or fewer? What has changed? ● On a blank world map, plot where there was fighting during the First World War. Research these events, find out how many soldiers were involved. Which, in your opinion, were the most important fronts? Why? ● By 1918 there were over 40 countries on the side of Britain and France, and perhaps a dozen on the side of Germany. Does the Great War deserve to be known as a 'World War’?

2 Source: McMurry, F. M., The Geography of the Great War, 1918. Available from https://archive.org/details/geogr aphyofgreat00inmcmu

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government 4. Who fought for Britain during the First World War?

Britain 5,000 000 India 1,440 437 Canada 628,964 Ireland 206,000 Australia 412,953 West Indies 15,600 New Zealand 128,825 Chinese Labour Corps 140,000 South Africa 136,070 Other colonies 134,837

As you can see the British Army was supported by troops from across the world, mostly countries that were part of the British Empire. What do you think the Labour Corps did?

5. Casualties in the First World War

Nation Military casualties Russia 9,150,000 Germany 7,143,000 Austria-Hungary 7,000,000 France 6,161,000

Britain and Empire 3,190,000

Italy 2,197,000

Turkey (Ottoman Empire) 975,000

Romania 536,000 Serbia 331,000 USA 323,000 Bulgaria 267,000

The table shows one historian’s estimate of military casualties in the First World War. It includes those killed, wounded and missing in action. Civilian casualties were in the region of seven million – but no-one is certain of the exact number. ● Which country had the most casualties? ● Which country had the highest proportion of casualties? How might you work this out?

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government 6. Linking the First World War to global learning It may be fairly easy to see why so many British men rushed to join the army in Britain in 1914. Lord Kitchener had asked for volunteers and so many joined up that at first the army could not cope. However, why might an 18 year old in New Zealand, Canada, South Africa or India join the British war effort? Or why might men who were not German join the efforts of the German side? What were the links between these countries? How were they interdependent? In the first week of the war, 14,000 New Zealanders volunteered. What were their motives? Were they the same as in Britain, or different? In late August, the New Zealand army captured the German colony of Samoa in the Pacific. By October nearly 9,000 New Zealand troops were on their way to Egypt. What do these figures tell us about the world in 1914, and about the links between New Zealand and Britain? There were also Muslim and Sikh soldiers in the British Army. The contributions of these troops are explored in the links below and raise important questions such as: ● Why did Sikh soldiers fight against the British Empire in 1845, yet for it in 1915? ● What were the attitudes of Muslim soldiers fighting for Britain, yet against the Ottoman Empire – which was allied with Germany? ● Find out about the other countries that fought with Britain. When did they join the war? Why? How important was their contribution? In which parts of the world did they fight? ● Finally, look back at your answer to the question in Section 3: Does the Great War deserve to be known as a 'World War’? Have you changed your opinion on this now that you know more about it?

More research Much fighting took place on the Western Front – but what about fighting elsewhere? Many major battles of the war took place in France and Belgium on the Western Front – and many history books and lessons focus on this part of the Great War. However, it was not the only place where fighting took place: for example, in 1917 there were a number of important battles in Palestine. You could investigate one or more of these other campaigns, perhaps using the resources below:  BBC resource about German colonies and First World War campaigns in Africa,  the National Army Museum Empire and Commonwealth resources

How did these campaigns compare with the Western Front? You could investigate the role of soldiers from the Empire in the First World War, for example using:  the Imperial War Museum site The Empire Called to Arms

GLP © Crown Copyright Funded by the UK government  the Memorial Gates Trust site to find out about soldiers from India, Africa and the Caribbean  the Empire, Faith & War website for resources on the Sikh contribution to the First World War  Lions of the Great War – about the Sikhs is an in-depth study about the contribution of Sikh soldiers from the Indian subcontinent fighting on behalf of the UK between 1914 and 1918.  Muslim Tommies looks at the little-known history of Muslims who fought for the UK between 1914 and 1918. Why do you think these soldiers’ contributions were mainly forgotten until recently?

Investigating Hedd Wyn and Passchendaele  Listen to this podcast from the Imperial War Museum – it includes photos, background information and the stories of soldiers describing the battle of Passchend aele, including the voice of Ivor Watkins from the 15th Welsh Fusiliers.

 Hedd Wyn’s home was the farmhouse at Yr Ysgwrn in Trawsfynydd. Watch this short BBC video, and this Snowdonia National Park video, filmed in and around Yr Ysgwrn, to help you think about the landscape that inspired him, and his importance in Welsh culture.

 Investigate these Hwb resources about Hedd Wyn, including original sources and activities to help learn more about his life, poetry and death.

 You can find more about Hedd Wyn and his poem ‘The Black Spot’ on this First World War website, as well as the Anglo-Welsh poet Edward Thomas, also killed in 1917.

This resource was created by the Historical Association and the Geographical Association for the Global Learning Programme.