2. World War I in World History

This material takes us into the first World War along with its immediate aftermath. While the United States had a very small role in WWI (and so we often don’t spend much time on it in our history classes) other nations around the globe were deeply affected by the war and wartime rhetoric. As you move through the materials be sure to note the various ‘spin-off’ events that are prompted by the war and make sure to connect the war to our earlier readings and video content.

To start I’d explore this timeline from the BBC that has the basic progression of the war with the relevant dates – https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/world-war-one-the-global-conflict-that-defined-a-century/zdk9y9q

Read:

Smith, Chapter 25:

• From Revolutions and Local Wars to World War
• Revolution in Russia and the End of World War I

Watch these documentaries that address World War I.

• Part 1: Martial Races: Watch to 27:09 minutes https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98275&xtid=86568Links to an external site.
• Part II: Foreign Legions – start at 20:45 and watch through the end. https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98275&xtid=86569Links to an external site.
• Apocalypse: World War I starting at 32:34 through the end (this has a more traditional look at the end of the war in Europe): https://eznvcc.vccs.edu:2443/login?url=https://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98275&xtid=120616Links to an external site.

  1. Kicking Off the 20th century

This page has us focused on the continuing growth of empires at the end of the 1800s and start of the 1900s. One thing that unites this period of time and our content which literally comes from all over the globe, is we are coming back around to this question of immigration and rights.

Read:

Smith, Chapter 24:

• Building Empires
  • Start at Europeans Scramble for Africa (continue through end of section

Smith, Chapter 25

• Imperial Contests at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century

Watch:

• The Story of China with Michael Wood: Part 6 from 14:37 – 26:03
  • https://eznvcc.vccs.edu:2443/login?url=https://digital.films.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=98275&xtid=166827Links to an external site.