In the summer of 1914, war was seen as romantic, but the reality of the “Great War” proved far more grim. The online exhibition
Home Before the Leaves Fall explores the early events of the war.
Even in the early years of the war when the U.S. remained steadfastly neutral, Americans volunteered for the war and relief efforts. Experience their stories, and their enduring impact, with the online exhibition,
The Volunteers: America Joins WWI.
Americans wrestled with their role in this global conflict until April 1917. Learn about the events that led the U.S. to declare war, including Germany's use of Unrestricted U-boat Warfare and the international fallout from the Zimmermann Telegram.
On Nov. 11, 1918, after more than four years of horrific fighting and the loss of millions of lives, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. Explore what led to the momentous agreement and its lasting legacy.
As the war concluded, leaders of the victorious powers in World War I aspired to convert battlefield success into enduring peace. Learn about the Paris Peace Conference, Wilson’s Fourteen Points and the resulting treaties that brought WWI to a close.
Learn More:
Explore the events of WWI chronologically with our interactive timeline.
A brief list of the important dates in the war.
Pandemic Then and Now - Explore the history and impacts of the so-called Spanish Flu with this article
Gain a better understanding of the African American experience in WWI with our online exhibition,
Make Way for Democracy!
Learn about the participation of women in the war, many of whom saw the war as an opportunity to not only serve their countries but to gain more rights and independence.
Listen to participants in WWI, in their own words. These newly-digitized audio interviews were recorded between 1978-1980, preserving their first-hand experiences.
World War I was a war of artillery - The Big Guns. Learn more about the different types of modern weaponry utilized by combatants during the war.
Many types of grenades were used in WWI: offensive, defensive, gas, smoke and more. Learn about the use and styles of grenades in World War I.
Artillery and machine gun fire early in the war forced the armies on the Western Front to dig trenches to protect themselves. This article discusses trench warfare during the war and its horrific casualties.
Explore more WWI History with these highlights from the Museum and Memorial's collection.
