HIST 139The World at War: 1914-1918

3 credits · History · Penn State

This course offers a global history of World War One (WW I), allowing students to study not only military and political elements of the war, but also what this conflict meant for entire societies. Attention will be paid to a variety of topics, including army and battle dynamics, decisions of various states and empires, and consequences on the "home fronts"--including, for instance, labor conflicts, welfare programs, food insecurity, breakdowns of imperial rule, refugees, and mourning. Chronologically, the course also includes background on the decades leading to the war (from c. 1890), as well as the "war after the war" (ending in 1925). Students will analyze a variety of primary sources, including official and private written sources, visual materials, music, and material culture and surviving artifacts.