1918: Year of Victory and Defeat
When the Great War broke out in 1914, the German imperial army was regarded as the finest fighting force on earth. Just four years later, it was crushed by Britain and its allies.
First World War
When the Men Came Marching Home
Having survived the rigours of the Great War, soldiers faced the return to civilian life. For some, it presented an even greater challenge.
Lest We Forget
The British public are obsessed with the First World War, but know little about how it was brought to an end.
Revisiting the Dardanelles Disaster
Competing narratives on Churchill’s role in the tragedy of Gallipoli have confused the man with the myth.
The Catastrophe at Caporetto
On 24 October 1917, the Central Powers launched a massive offensive at Italy’s north-eastern border. The resulting battle – popularly known as Caporetto – has been described as the greatest defeat in Italian military history.
Passchendaele: What’s in a Name?
How did an evocatively named Flanders village become shorthand for a whole series of battles around the Belgian city of Ypres?
Saving Lives on the Front Line
The work of military nurses at Passchendaele transformed the perception of women’s war service, showing they could perform life-saving work and risk their lives at the front.
Welcome to Dottyville
The Hydra, a magazine produced by shell shock patients, was pioneering as a mental health care treatment.
The Nation on its Honour
Volunteer rationing in the First World War depended on patriotism, but that could only go so far.
The Permanent Stain of the Somme
Since the early 1960s, historians have shone a more positive light on the Battle of the Somme, writes Allan Mallinson. But we must not forget the excesses and failures of that terrible campaign.