In 1914, the world’s biggest countries (and some of its smallest, too) were gearing up for a massive fight. Land, history, geography—each country went to war for different reasons and with different resources. But most ended up the same: sending their young men to fight for their lives in the mud, on the sea, and in the air, in a conflict that would eventually claim more than nine million lives.

 

World War I, “The Great War,” or “The War to End All Wars,” was fought along thousands of miles of frontline trenches, with mechanized weapons, and dangerous new weapons like machine guns and mustard gas. It left behind a world that was scarred, angry, and traumatized. Its horrifying lessons are still being examined today.