Key Themes
- The Trenches
People had fought using trenches before, but the vast system erected in the West dwarfed anything from the past. They weren't all flooded, muddy and under constant attack, but they are the iconic image of the Western Front. More on the Trenches.

- Gas and Weapons of Destruction
The First World War's military legacy involves tanks, air forces and, most notoriously, poisoned gas, used by all sides in the Western and Eastern Front.

More on Gas.

- The Russian Revolution
Admittedly, the 1917 Revolutions which transformed Russia are a topic of study in themselves, but no account of either them or the Great War is complete without a study of the other. More on the Russian Revolutions.

- Imperialism
Britain and France had overseas empires, Germany wanted one: a 'place in the sun'. But how much was imperial rivalry to blame for the conflict?

Key Debates

- Who Started It?
This is the big one, perhaps the biggest debate in all of history. The 'series of peace treaties dragged everyone in after the Archduke was shot' explanation is still going strong, but there is growing recognition that many allied nations wanted war too. (The Causes and War Aims of World War One)

- Were the Commanders Incompetent?
The British and French high command have been accused of wasting the lives of millions and of being the 'Donkeys' leading Lions; Douglas Haig has come in for the most criticism. A challenge to this view is gaining strength.

- The Nature of Peace
Did the peace treaties that officially ended the war contribute, whether slightly or entirely, to the Second World War?

No study of the twentieth century is complete without a look at the Treaty of Versailles, the most important Great War treaty of all.

- Was it Worth it?
It might surprise you, but there are some commentators who believe Britain was wrong to fight during the Second World War, the conflict in which one belligerent intended numerous genocides. Bearing this in mind, it is any surprise some historians argue the entire Great War was a waste?

- Who Won it and how?
National self-interest rears its head in these debates about which of the allied nations contributed what in achieving victory, perhaps the most snide being whether the 1914 allies could have won without US help.