LibGuides: Primary Sources: America (U.S.A.) History: World War I

In the summer of 1914, the assassination of the heir to Austria-Hungary's throne triggered a chain of events that eventually plunged Europe into all-out war. The conflict, which began in Europe, soon engulfed regions as distant as the Middle East, drawing major powers into opposing alliances. The Central Powers, led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, clashed with the Allies, consisting primarily of France, Great Britain, and Russia.

Initially, the United States opted for neutrality, though individual Americans harbored sympathies for either side. Many Americans provided support through relief efforts, volunteering as ambulance drivers, nurses, and even pilots and soldiers. President Woodrow Wilson advocated strongly for maintaining American neutrality, which most citizens supported.

However, events in early 1917 shifted American sentiments. Germany's decision to resume unrestricted submarine warfare, disregarding civilian and neutral vessels, sparked outrage. This sentiment intensified when intercepted communications revealed Germany's proposal to Mexico, offering lost territory in exchange for support against the United States. These developments prompted a significant shift in American attitudes towards intervention in the conflict.

Starting in 1917, the United States made substantial contributions in terms of supplies, raw materials, and financial support. Under the command of General of the Armies John Pershing, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) deployed troops at a staggering rate of 10,000 men per day to the Western Front during the summer of 1918. Throughout the war, the U.S. mobilized over 4 million military personnel, with a casualty toll of 65,000. This period also witnessed a considerable expansion of the United States government as it sought to coordinate the war effort, along with a significant increase in the size of the U.S. Armed Forces.

The U.S.A. World War I Primary Source Subject Guide presents a curated collection of original documents, photographs, and personal accounts, offering a firsthand glimpse into America's involvement in the Great War. Through these sources, readers gain insight into the social, political, and military aspects of the conflict, enhancing their understanding of this significant chapter in history.

Book Sources: USA WWI

Click the title for location and availability information.

American Industry in the War: A Report of the War Industries Board (March 1921) by United States. War Industries Board
Call Number: View Online HathiTrust and Boca Raton General Collection HC106.2 .A3 1941
Answering the Call by Lisa M. Budreau (Editor); Office of the Surgeon , Office of Medical History (U.S. Army) (Editor); Richard M. Prior (Editor)
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents D 114.2:N 93/4
ISBN: 9780160817243
Publication Date: 2008-11-10
Chemical warfare in World War I : the American experience, 1917-1918 by Heller, Charles E., 1943-; United States Army Command and General Staff College. Combat Studies Institute.
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents D 110.9:10
Publication Date: 1985
Columbia War Papers by Walter B. Pitkin et al.
Call Number: Online - free - HathiTrust
"A series of pamphlets on the problems and duties of American citizens in meeting the national needs in the present world conflict, published by the Division of Intelligence and Publicity of Columbia University,"
From the HathiTrust Digital Library
Combat and construction : U.S. Army engineers in World War I by Randall M. Miller
Call Number: View Online HathiTrust & Government Documents D 103.43:870-1-47
Film and Propaganda in America by Richard Wood (Editor); David Culbert (Contribution by)
Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection PN1993.5.U6 F47 Holdings: v.1-v.2
ISBN: 0313208581
Publication Date: 1990-02-21
Five Days in October by Robert H. Ferrell
Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection D570.3 77th .F47 2005
ISBN: 0826215947
Publication Date: 2005-06-01
Foreign relations of the United States United States. Department of State. by United States
Call Number: Boca Raton-Gov Doc , Government Documents S 1.1:
Publication Date: Multi
Foundations of military pilot selection systems : World War I by Damos, Diane L.; U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. Rotary-Wing Aviation Research Unit.
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents D 101.60/4:1210
The Intimate Papers of Colonel House Arranged as a Narrative by Charles Seymour by Edward Mandell House
Call Number: View Online HathiTrust & Boca Raton General Collection E766 .H85 : v.1-v.2
Memories of World War I by R. Jackson Marshall
Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection D570.85.N8 M37 1998
ISBN: 9780865262829
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Optimism at Armageddon : voices of American participants in the First World War by Mark Meigs (Editor)
Call Number: D570.9 .A57 2001
ISBN: 0814755488
Publication Date: 1997-03-01
Personal perspectives. World War I by Spencer C. Tucker (Editor); Timothy C. Dowling (Editor)
Call Number: View Online
ISBN: 1851095705
Publication Date: 2005-11-28
Picture This by Pearl James (Editor)
Call Number: View Online HathiTrust & Boca Raton General Collection D522.25 .P53 2009
ISBN: 9780803226104
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Porter, steward, citizen : an African American's memoir of World War I by Royal A. Christian; Pellom McDaniels III (Editor)
Call Number: View Online
ISBN: 0190645202
Publication Date: 2017-05-01
St. Mihiel: 12–16 September 1918: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War I by Brian F. Neumann (Editor); United States Army; Donald A. Carter
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents D 114.7/6:SA 2 M
ISBN: 9781088819265
Publication Date: 2019-08-07
To Provide Military Status for Women Who Served Overseas with the Army of the U.S. During World War I (H.R. 471). Mr. Elston. by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services
Call Number: View Online
The U. S. Army Campaigns of World War I: Joining the Great War, April 1917-April 1918 by Eric B. Setzekorn
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents A 1.76:18/2017
ISBN: 9780160937958
Publication Date: 2017-04-03
World War I Battlefield Companion by American Battle Monuments Commission Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: View Online - Gov Docs & Government Documents Y 3.AM 3:2 W 89
ISBN: 9780160947810
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
World War I in Photographs by J. H. J. Andreiessen
Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection D522 .A64 2003
ISBN: 9781840135541
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
World War I primary documents on events from 1914 to 1919 by Ross F. Collins
Call Number: View Online & Jupiter General Collection D521 .C587 2008
ISBN: 9780313320828
Publication Date: 2007-12-30
The World War I reader : [primary and secondary sources] by Michael S. Neiberg (Editor)
Call Number: Boca Raton General Collection D509 .W85 2007
ISBN: 9780814758328
Publication Date: 2006-12-01

Online Sources: U.S.A. in World War I

100 Jahre Erster Weltkrieg (This site is in German and will need to use a translator through your browser) August 2014 marked the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. On this occasion, the Federal Archives are presenting more than 700,000 digitized pages from the First World War files, documents and photos on numerous individual topics and other offers for research and further education related to the First World War.
1914-1918: The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century (PBS) Drawing on unpublished diaries, memoirs and letters, The Great War tells the rich and complex story of World War I through the voices of nurses, journalists, aviators and the American troops who came to be known as “doughboys.” The series explores the experiences of African-American and Latino soldiers, suffragists, Native American “code talkers” and others whose participation in the war to “make the world safe for democracy” has been largely forgotten. The Great War explores how a brilliant PR man bolstered support for the war in a country hesitant to put lives on the line for a foreign conflict; how President Woodrow Wilson steered the nation through years of neutrality, only to reluctantly lead America into the bloodiest conflict the world had ever seen, thereby transforming the United States into a dominant player on the international stage; and how the ardent patriotism and determination to support America’s crusade for liberty abroad led to one of the most oppressive crackdowns on civil liberties at home in U.S. history. It is a story of heroism and sacrifice that would ultimately claim 15 million lives and profoundly change the world forever.
Act of Remembrance First World War Publicity Posters at the Nova Scotia Archives he First World War began for Canada on 4 August 1914, the date when Great Britain officially declared war against Germany. No one knew then, nor could they imagine, either the duration of 'The Great War' or the battlefield horrors awaiting the 620,000 Canadian troops who went overseas during the four long years that lay ahead. In a world predating radio, television and the Internet, large, brightly-coloured propaganda posters soon began appearing everywhere in the country — the highly visible manifestation of a government strategy designed to influence public thought and action. The posters were produced initially to encourage military enlistment, but their themes quickly expanded to include building public support for war industries, food production and the sale of war or 'Victory' savings bonds. Although never intended as lasting testimonials to Canada's war effort, examples of these posters can be found today in many Canadian archives. Three such collections are held at the Nova Scotia Archives — a total of 90 different posters, digitized and presented here in approximate chronological order. A companion article by Dianne O'Neill, 'Your King and Country Need You': World War I Propaganda Posters, provides context and points to those of specific interest to Nova Scotians. As O'Neill observes, "The passage of a century has made…. the Great War a foreign country, but the immediacy of the [posters] and the intensity of the feelings they still convey [makes them] passports into a by-gone era in a way that words alone cannot achieve." We thank the Esther Clark Wright Archives, Acadia University, and the Randall House, Wolfville Historical Society, both in Wolfville, NS, for each sharing significant material with us for digitization – a magazine advertisement from the former, and a period photograph from the latter. This is the first in a series of online exhibits to be developed by the Nova Scotia Archives over the next four years, to commemorate the province's contribution to and losses sustained in 'The War to End All Wars'.
The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship - Library of Congress The exhibition The African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship, showcases the incomparable African American collections of the Library of Congress. Displaying more than 240 items, including books, government documents, manuscripts, maps, musical scores, plays, films, and recordings, this is the largest black history exhibit ever held at the Library, and the first exhibition of any kind to feature presentations in all three of the Library's buildings.
Albert Huet's WWI Documents (French Army) (University of Florida) This collection is comprised of Albert Huet's WWI diary and other artifacts related to his time in the French army.
American Leaders Speak: Recordings From World War I (Library of Congress) The Nation's Forum recordings were made between 1918 and 1920 in an effort to preserve the voices of prominent Americans; in most cases, they are the only surviving recordings of a speaker. The project originated with St. Louis attorney Guy Golterman (1879-1967), an active supporter of the opera and other performing arts. With the endorsement of the Department of State's Committee on Public Information -- a governmental propaganda ministry -- the Nation's Forum sought speakers, and the Columbia Graphophone Company pressed and distributed the recordings under the Nation's Forum label. The recordings fall into two distinct series. The 1918 series was devoted mostly to World War I topics and was apparently distributed only to political organizations and other groups. The notable exception is the recording of General John Pershing (with Ambassador James Gerard speaking on the reverse side), which was sold commercially. All of the recordings from the 1918 series were pressed on ten-inch discs. The 1919-1920 series was devoted mostly to postwar issues and the 1920 presidential election. Recordings in this series were released at a rate of two per month, one Republican and one Democrat. The recordings were pressed on twelve inch discs and sold for two dollars each. With two exceptions, the reverse side of the records in both series consisted of patriotic music, usually a march. These selections are not duplicated here.
American war posters from the First World War, circa 1914-circa 1919 American war posters, handbills, and broadsides created during the era of the First World War.
Andre Jeunet Collection: A French Soldier in World War I (photos) This digital collection consists of 210 images of French soldier André Jeunet (1896-1979), fellow soldiers, and civilians during World War I. Most of the photographs were taken by Jeunet while he was serving in northeastern France (1915-1917) and the Balkans (1917-1918). André Jeunet was born in Bourg-la-Reine, a suburb south of Paris, on September 20, 1896. He was drafted into the French army when he was eighteen years old and served as a Simple Soldat from March 1915 to April 1919. Jeunet trained in Autun and, even though he was an avowed pacifist, fought in the trenches with the 139e Régiment d’Infanterie at Somme, Verdun, and Chaulnes in France, and later with the 34e Régiment d’Infanterie Coloniale near Monastir in the Balkans. After World War I, Jeunet worked as an architect and married Aimée Révil-Signorat with whom he had one child, Cécile, born in 1924. When Cécile was a teenager, Jeunet was drafted back into the French army serving once again as a Simple Soldat, this time in World War II. Near the end of that war, Cécile met her future husband, Louisville, Kentucky native Richard Spalding, stationed at Aèrodrôme Farman near Versailles, servicing SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force). The couple reunited in 1948 and married in Paris. In 1949, they moved to Louisville, where Spalding became a professor of music at the University of Louisville. André and Aimée Jeunet visited the Spaldings in Louisville in 1951 and officially immigrated to the United States in 1958. André continued his architectural career with several Louisville firms, including Joseph & Joseph. He died in Louisville on September 3, 1979, and his wife passed away in 1990. The André Jeunet Collection in the University of Louisville Photographic Archives is physically comprised of two accessions. The first (ULPA 2004.003) contains 205 flexible film negatives (1 5/8 x 2 ½ inches each) with images that Jeunet captured using a Kodak vest pocket camera and 127 film. The second accession (ULPA 2010.003) consists of scans of three photographic prints and three postcards which Jeunet saved from his military days. One is a formal portrait taken at "Grand Magasins du Louvre" in 1916. Another print (ULPA 2010.003.002) was made from a negative in the first collection (ULPA 2004.003.044) and inscribed by Jeunet. The exact origin of the other four photographs is not known, but three were taken during his initial military training and printed as postcards, presumably for mailing to loved ones.
Arkansas and the Great War World War I had less impact on the state of Arkansas than the Civil War or World War II. Still, World War I did deplete the young male population of the state for a time, brought new institutions into the state that continue to the present time, and gave many Arkansans a new view of the world and of Arkansas's place in an increasingly connected world community. World War I was the result of many complex factors, including a network of alliances linking the larger powers in Europe and the growing power of nationalism in some regions of the world. The Balkan region of southeastern Europe—which had been part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austrian Empire—was seeking independence with the encouragement of the Russian government; the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914, ignited a summer of conflict in Europe and Africa, combat that would involve the United States and last more than four years. Generally called the “Great War” at the time, it involved fifteen nations sending roughly 65 million soldiers into combat, of which 8.5 million were killed, 21 million were injured, and 7.7 million were captured or missing. The war changed governments in Germany and Austria—as well as Russia, with a revolution that created the Soviet Union. The war also brought about new military technology, including barbed wire, machine guns, poisoned gas, armored vehicles, and the increasingly efficient use of submarines and airplanes for military purposes.
Billy Hughes at War (Australia) Billy Hughes led Australia as prime minister through some of the hardest years of the First World War. His actions and decisions give a personal insight into some of the key issues of the war.
British First World War Recruiting Posters Although the technology to enable the relatively inexpensive mass production of high quality images had been in existence for over a century, the First World War saw the first extensive use of posters for propaganda purposes. Mass-produced posters have been used to advertise commercial products and propagandize political and social causes since the invention of the lithographic process at the end of the eighteenth century. The poster acquired some artistic respectability by the late nineteenth century due to the design work of artists like Alphonse Mucha and Toulouse Lautrec. However, it was during the First World War that the recruiting poster became ubiquitous within the British urban landscape. More than fifty of the British First World War posters in the William Ready Archives collection were authorized by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee (PRC) in the first eighteen months of the war. The PRC was a thirty member body organized by political party organizers, under the supervision of the War Office, with the express aim of aiding the raising of troop numbers in Britain’s volunteer army. The main modes of appeal were through mass recruiting rallies and through posters and pamphlets that encouraged enlistment. For designing the latter, the PRC drew on the expertise of Hedley La Bas and Eric Field of the Caxton Advertising Agency
British war posters from the First World War, circa 1914-1918 Finding Aid to British war posters from the First World War, circa 1914-1918
California University of Pennsylvania WWI Collection This collection provides a view of The Great War from the perspective of one soldier from Western Pennsylvania. Included are almost 100 letters he wrote to family during the war, as well as many postcards, pamphlets, and other material that document his preparations for the war; his service behind the lines in France; and, finally, his long journey back to the United States.
Camp Dix News 1917 (Hathi Trust) Newspaper from Fort Dix
Canada and the First World War (Library and Archives of Canada) From 1914 to 1918, thousands of Canadian men and women were called upon to contribute to the effort required for the First World War, an event that transformed our nation, culture, economy and identity. This exhibition is designed to illustrate, through Library and Archives Canada collections, the many roles that Canadian men and women played during the First World War, and the definite mark the war left on our society.
Christmas Truce (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) Following months of trench warfare, unofficial ceasefires erupt along the Western Front during Christmas of 1914. Climbing from their trenches onto battle-scarred "no man’s land," British and German soldiers shake hands, swap cigarettes and jokes, and even play football. "We all have wives and children…we’re just the same kind of men as you are," one German soldier said to Philadelphia's Evening Public Ledger newspaper. Read more about it! The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America. The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
Dear Homefolks (Letters from Australian soldiers) Ted and Annie Smythe lived in Jerilderie in western NSW with their nine children: four boys Bert, Viv, Percy and Vern; three girls Viola, Ida and Rita; then two more boys Eric and Gordon. They moved to Sydney in 1912 so that their oldest daughter could attend Fort St High School and their younger children could have better opportunities for education and work. The four older boys helped with finance for the deposit to build a very modest four-roomed cottage in Kogarah that they named Koppin Yarratt. They had all left school before the age of 12 and had joined the Post Master General's office where they learnt Morse Code and educated themselves to gain promotions. These 400 pages of letters remained in the care of one of the decendants for nearly 90 years and were only recently rediscovered. Thankfully the letters and other documents and photos were well preserved & survived intact to reveal their secrets. The transcriptions have been done as accurately as possible and spelling mistakes and abbreviations have been left in. All notations in square brackets and/or italics are editor's notes. Where pages were damaged or words unreadable, there appears ##.
Delbert Claire Brandt Collection (letters of a soldier) This collection contains 32 letters and postcards to and from Delbert Claire Brandt (Claire Brandt), a young man from Sharon, Pennsylvania who served with the 1st Cavalry in World War I, was wounded, and died on November 16, 1918. The letters were written between May 1918 and November 1918. Most of the letters are from Claire Brandt to his sister Beatrice. Topics range from the care packages which Beatrice sent to Claire Brandt’s travels in the army. After being assigned to several camps in the U.S. for training, he was sent to France where he died in battle at the Meuse-Argonne conflict on November 16, 1918, five days after the armistice was signed. The collection also includes family photos, newspaper articles, and formal correspondence between the army and Claire Brandt’s family. In addition, the collection contains information about the family’s tradition of military service from Claire Brandt’s grandfather, John Murray, who fought in the Civil War through his nephew, Charles Brandt, who joined the 1st Cavalry in World War II. This collection was assembled and generously donated by Claire Brandt’s niece and daughter of Charles Brandt, Ms. Charline Marie Claire Brandt, of Columbia, S.C.
DeWitt County World War I Collection (ILLINOIS DIGITAL ARCHIVES) Letters and service records of men and women of DeWitt County who served in World War I.
Doughboy Center:The Story of the American Expeditionary Forces Sources related to the American Soldiers in World War I.
Europeana 1914-1918 The First World War thematic collection gathers the untold stories and official histories of World War I, in a unique blend of cultural heritage collections and personal items contributed by European citizens.
Experiencing War: World War I: The Great War (Library of Congress) World War I is among the least documented wars of those covered by the Veterans History Project, and the number of collections relating its experiences are not likely to grow dramatically. Because all but a handful of WWI vets are no longer alive, oral history interviews are out of the question, so we must rely on the generosity of relatives and friends of deceased veterans to donate written accounts in letters, diaries, and memoirs, as well as precious collections of photographs.
The fall manual of the United States school garden army (1918) [HathiTrust] Corporate Author: United States.
Female Spies in World War I (Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) Early 20th century newspapers reported a rise in women engaging in espionage during World War One. This guide provides access to material related to "Female Spies in World War I" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers. Whether for love, country or just a thrill, women from both sides rose up as spies during World War One. Seductive and cunning, they were instrumental in shaping the outcome of the war, provided that they weren’t caught before they could share their information.
First World War (British National Archives) With historical records at its heart, First World War 100 at The National Archives aims to engage new audiences with our collections as well as offering historians and regular archive users fresh insights into this landmark conflict. Our programme offers many ways to get involved – at our Kew site, online and through partnerships. We will be exploring major anniversaries and key aspects of the war through the following themes: diplomacy technology home front air and sea peace bravery and courage medicine and health global perspectives We will invite diverse groups and audiences to use our primary sources to engage in some of the key debates and issues around the war.
FirstWorldWar.com The purpose of this website is to provide a summary overview of the First World War. Necessarily a long-term undertaking - and approaching ten years in the making - a significant amount of material remains to be covered. Whole aspects of the conflict are light on material at present - rest assured, this is not deliberate: in time the intent is that it should all find its place on the site. A word of caution however; this is by no means an academic website. It's authored as spare time permits and is geared towards a general rather than scholarly readership. Given this, it is not recommended that this site be used for academic reference purposes for school or university papers. This does not so much indicate a concerning lack of authorial confidence in the accuracy of site content as an acknowledgement that material on the site has not been submitted for formal peer review. Sources, references and suggested further reading can be found by clicking here.
Foreign relations of the United States - through UW Madison This digital facsimile of Foreign Relations of the United States, is a project of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries in collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago Libraries. The Foreign Relations of the United States series is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions that have been declassified and edited for publication. The series is produced by the State Department's Office of the Historian; printed volumes are available from the Government Printing Office. FRUS begins with the administration of Abraham Lincoln in 1861. Many volumes published since 1945 are available online on the State Department website.
Four Minute Men: Volunteer Speeches During World War I "During World War I, the United States fought a war of ideas with unprecedented ingenuity and organization. President Woodrow Wilson established the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to manage news and solicit widespread support for the war at home and abroad. Under the energetic direction of Mississippi newspaper editor George Creel, the CPI churned out national propaganda through diverse media. Creel organized the “Four Minute Men,” a virtual army of volunteers who gave brief speeches wherever they could get an audience—in movie theaters, churches, synagogues, and labor union, lodge, and grange halls. Creel claimed that his 75,000 amateur orators had delivered over 7.5 million speeches to more than 314 million people. CPI publications from the Four Minute Man crusade offered tips on developing and delivering a brief, effective speech—the predecessor to today’s “sound bite.” They also recognized diverse audiences, with reports of Yiddish speakers in theaters and workplaces, a Sioux Four Minute Man, and a speech called “The Meaning of America” delivered in seven languages." GMU History Matters
French World War I Posters (University of Illinois) This is a guide to a collection of French World War I posters that were digitized by the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library. The digital collection comprises 105 posters published in France during the First World War, representing a time of national volatility and a visual culture of lithography, illustrations, posters, and paintings. The original posters are housed in the University of Illinois Archives. Repairs and encapsulation were accomplished prior to 2001 using funds provided by a gift of Marian H. Thompson, and the posters were scanned between 2001 and 2005. World War I inspired Europe's second "poster craze," or affichomania, in a span of fifty years. The first took place during the last part of the nineteenth century, when new printing technologies allowed artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Theodore Steinlein to move beyond the small, single-color, and mainly textual broadsides of the past. Because of their mass-producibility and affordability, these posters were also especially attractive to collectors, who considered the image as important as the text for the poster's meaning. The posters collected here represent a landmark in poster history, because World War I saw the first large-scale use of posters for political purposes. With the rise of the mass media and the emergence of advertising, it was natural that national governments should embrace the poster as a primary instrument for mobilizing their peoples for war, and appropriate that a democratized art should be employed in a new kind of war that involved entire populations, civil as well as military.
From Columbia to the Rhine: Being a Brief History of the Fourth Engineers (Oklahoma State University) This book is intended to show the life of the men in the Fourth Engineers, what they did and how they felt, and not to give a history of the war. It was written by men who are not writers, illustrated by men who are not artists, edited by men who are not editors, and printed (under difficulties) by German printers.
From the Home Front and the Front Lines - Library of Congress This exhibition consists of original materials and oral histories drawn from the Veterans History Project collections at the Library of Congress. With an emphasis on World War I (1914–1918), World War II (1939–1945), the Korean War (1950–1953), the Vietnam War (1965–1975), and the Persian Gulf War (1991), the Veterans History Project, by act of Congress, collects and preserves the experiences of America's war veterans and those who supported them.
German World War I Photographic Postcards (The New York Public Library Digital Collections) German photographic postcards made during 1914-1918, primarily views of military operations, troop movements, and military life. Published by Paul Hoffmann & Co., each with censorship notice, publisher and caption (in German) in negative. Some views have photographer's name in negative. Photographers include Kilophot., Berger, Benninghoven, Klühlewindt, Lichte. Views are numbered.
World War One Documents 28,174 results of non-fiction text related to the first world war, 1914-1918
Grow war munitions at home for 1918 / by Charles Lathrop Pack National War Garden Commission via Internet Archive
Guide to World War I Materials (Library of Congress) The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material related to World War I, including posters, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, films, sheet music, and sound recordings. This guide compiles links to World War I resources throughout the Library of Congress website. In addition, this guide provides links to external websites focusing on World War I and a bibliography containing selections for both general and younger readers. Furthermore, as part of our commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. involvement in World War I, the Library of Congress has created a World War I portal to its extensive holdings on the subject of the war. This page also includes WWI-related content for teachers, blog postings, and details on lectures, programs, concerts and symposia related to the conflict.
Harry Truman's World War I "This collection focuses on World War I. It includes 76 documents totaling 447 pages, covering the years 1917-1970. Supporting materials include a finding aid to related World War I materials at the Truman Library and recordings of World War I songs, courtesy of Marr Sound Archives." Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Hatchet: Published on the High Seas 1918-1919 (Hathi Trust Digital Library) A newspaper published on the USS George Washington while sailing to Europe.
Helping Hoover in our U.S. school garden (Library of Congress) World War I public service poster showing two bare-foot children with a wheelbarrow full of vegetables.
Hermann Moyse, Sr. World War I Collection The Hermann Moyse, Sr., Letters contain letters written by Hermann Moyse, Sr. (1891-1985), a native of St. Gabriel, LA, during his time as a soldier in World War I. The letters are primarily addressed to Rosalie Gottlieb, Moyse's future wife. The collection also contains letters from Moyse to his parents, Simon and Flora Moyse, and siblings, as well as letters from various friends and fellow soldiers. Moyse earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in 1910 and a Bachelor of Law degree in 1912, after which he worked for the law firm of Cross and Moyse in Baton Rouge. Gottlieb, a Baton Rouge native, and daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Hahn) Gottlieb, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from LSU in 1918. Moyse was one of the first volunteers from Louisiana to join the World War I effort, enlisting in the Army's First Officers Training Camp in 1917. Commissioned as a first lieutenant, Moyse was deployed to the Alsace sector, where he was severely wounded in trench warfare during the Aisne-Marne offensive on July 31, 1918. After months of convalescence, he returned to active duty as the assistant to the adjutant general of the Service of Supply at Tours, France. Moyse was honorably discharged in 1919 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, and the French Croix de Guerre with Palm. Upon returning to Louisiana he was promoted to captain in the Reserve Corps of the United States Army. Moyse was active in local patriotic groups and during World War II served as state commander of the Louisiana Department of the American Legion. Moyse and Gottlieb married on September 30, 1920. The couple had two children, Hermann, Jr., and Betty. From 1921 to 1924, Moyse represented East Baton Rouge Parish in the state legislature. He worked as an attorney for the City National Bank in Baton Rouge from its inception in 1933 and became its vice-president and trust officer in 1946. He also served in various capacities with the Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross, and other civic groups. The letters cover the period Moyse spent at Citizens Training Camp at Fort Logan H. Roots in Arkansas, Camp MacArthur in Waco, TX, as well as his brief stay in New York before he left for France. The majority of the letters are from his time in France, during which he writes to Gottlieb about his experiences with his fellow soldiers as well as his interaction with French people he encountered during his deployment. Moyse writes fondly of the French, for whom he has a great admiration of their stoic nature in a time of grave crisis and hardship.
Histoire et Memoires des Deux Guerres Mondiales The information provided on this page will require a digital translator.
Imperial War Museums: First World War Explore objects, photographs, film, and documents in our collection from the First World War.
Interactive WWI Timeline (The National WWI Museum and Memorial) How long did World War I last? Who fought whom? Journey through the story of the Great War with our Interactive WWI Timeline, covering the world events of 1914 ‑ 1920.
Irvin Chamberlin Henry World War I Collection (Marysville Public Library) The personal collection of Irvin Chamberlin Henry's memorabilia as a soldier of Company E, 166th Infantry, 42nd (Rainbow) Division was generously donated by his family in 2009. It is currently housed at the Union County Historical Society, Marysville, Ohio. This collection contains numerous photos and newspaper clippings relating to the Union County Soldiers with whom he served; especially poignant is his letter to his parents about the deaths of his fellow comrades. Irvin "Jack" Henry later became the editor of the Marysville Evening Tribune. Terms of Use / Copyright Statement It is the responsibility of the user to determine copyright. Digital images of items in Marysville Public Library databases may be used for nonprofit educational, research or personal use. The images in these collections may be copyrighted, contain trademarks, contain watermarks, or be subject to other legal restrictions, such as publicity rights. MPL does not assert to own the copyright to these images or any other such rights associated with the images. Any further use of the images in this collection, such as publication in any print or online media, public broadcast or exhibition, or commercial use, must comply with U.S. and international law, including the fair use of copyrighted material. A user of any image in these collections is solely responsible for determining any rights or restrictions associated with the use, obtaining permission from the rights holder when required, and paying fees necessary for a proposed use.
Labor's Service to Freedom - Library of Congress Library of Congress "A speech by Samuel Gompers, president, American Federation of Labor. "In addition to the fundamental principles at issue, labour has a further interest in the war. This war is a people's war, a labor war. The final outcome will be determined in the factories, the mills, the shops, the mines, the farms, the industries, and the transportation agencies of the various countries."
Lafayette Escadrille: American Aviators in World War I (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library The Lafayette Escadrille consist of American aviators who volunteered to fight for France during World War One. This guide provides access to materials related to “Lafayette Escadrille” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers. "Yankee Fliers Fool Enemy!," reads the July 25, 1916 issue of the New York Tribune. During the Great War, adroit and courageous American aviators who volunteered to join the French army were known as the Lafayette Escadrille flying squadron. Their brave and gallant efforts in battle (along with their "Yankee trick" of sneaking behind enemy lines), were often heralded in American newspapers
Lawrence D. Yeomans Papers, 1895-1946 (bulk 1917-1919) (Digital Commonwealth - Massachusetts Collections Online) A native of Ontario, Lawrence D. Yeomans was working in New York when he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the First World War. For eighteen months, Yeomans served as a chauffeur with the Signal Corps in France, driving senior officers around Paris and to and from the front. This small collection documents Lawrence Yeomans' time as a chauffeur with the Signal Corps during the First World War. In addition to a handful of official documents relating to his service, Yeomans held onto a few pieces of ephemera as souvenirs, some postcards, and a set of photographs, including three depicting him in uniform and ten showing a display of German war materiel confiscated at war's end.
League of Nations: Statistical and Disarmament Documents This collection contains the full text of 260 League of Nations document, with a focus on three areas: the founding of the League, international statistics published by the League, and the League's work toward international disarmament.
Letters Home: Correspondence from the First World War (Nova Scotia) For the 30,000 Nova Scotians who served overseas in the First World War, letters home and letters from home were lifelines in a strange and fragile world. All too often, such letters were later saved and treasured as the last tangible links to those who did not return. We are pleased now to share some of these letters with our Internet audience. In Nova Scotia, war-time recruitment began in October 1914, but the first provincially-trained service personnel did not set out until 20 May 1915, when the RMS Saxonia left Pier 2 in Halifax, with 1000 men and 32 officers of the 25th Battalion on board. They arrived in Devonport on 29 May, and like all troops coming from overseas, undertook further training in England before being deployed to the battlefields in France. In total, 30,000 Nova Scotians signed up between 1914 and 1918. Given that the province's population at the time was approx. 550,000, this is an enlistment rate of 5.4%. Of the 30,000 who went, some 3400 did not return — a casualty rate of 11%. What began as a not-to-be-missed 'great adventure' for so many of Nova Scotia's young men quickly became a nightmare of catastrophic proportions and outcomes. The letters home began upon arrival at the training depots in England, and were often lengthy and descriptive. Letters from the front, however, were heavily censored — sometimes only a printed postcard form with the appropriate information box ticked. All of them, lengthy or brief, are stark reminders of a world gone mad, where the boundaries between boredom and death were essentially meaningless.
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - American Leaders Speak Recordings from World War I - "The Nation's Forum recordings were made between 1918 and 1920 in an effort to preserve the voices of prominent Americans; in most cases, they are the only surviving recordings of a speaker. The project originated with St. Louis attorney Guy Golterman (1879-1967), an active supporter of the opera and other performing arts. With the endorsement of the Department of State's Committee on Public Information -- a governmental propaganda ministry -- the Nation's Forum sought speakers, and the Columbia Graphophone Company pressed and distributed the recordings under the Nation's Forum label."
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - Stars & Stripes Newspaper of World War I, 1918 to 1919 - "This online collection includes the complete seventy-one-week run of The Stars and Stripes World War I edition. The Stars and Stripes were published in France by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) of the United States Army from February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919."
Library of Congress - Digital Collections - World War I Rotogravures, 1914 to 1919 Newspaper Pictorials -"On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to seek a Declaration of War against Germany in order that the world “be made safe for democracy.” "
Library of Congress - Web Guides - World War I Materials at The Library of Congress "On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to seek a Declaration of War against Germany in order that the world “be made safe for democracy.” "
Making the World “Safe for Democracy” "On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to seek a Declaration of War against Germany in order that the world “be made safe for democracy.” "
Memoire des Hommes: Premiere Guerre Mondiale The first base has more than 1.3 million individual Digital deceased during the Great War and having obtained the words "Dead for France". The second includes more than 70 000 individual digitized soldiers who belonged to the military aerospace. The last Database contains scanned images of marches and newspaper operations, notebooks accounting campaign, logs, etc. all military units involved in the First World War.
Music of the First World War
National War Garden Commission Publications (HathiTrust) "National War Garden Commission"
Naval-History.net World War I - Naval History Archive
Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 (Library of Congress) This online collection is drawn from three primary sources: The War of the Nations: Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings, a volume published by the New York Times shortly after the armistice that compiled selected images from their "Mid-Week Pictorial" supplements of 1914-19; Sunday rotogravure sections from the New York Times for 1914-19; and Sunday rotogravure sections from the New York Tribune for 1916-19. The War of Nations is particularly rich. This volume contains 1,398 rotogravure images with brief descriptive captions, broad organizational headings, and a table of contents; 32 maps that describe military engagements throughout the war; and a 3-page appendix that provides a chronology, statistics, treaty excerpts, and highlights of wartime events. Rotogravure collections were chosen for digitization since few quality originals exist in newspaper format due to paper deterioration. Although microfilm of the New York Times and Tribune is readily available both in the Library's Newspaper & Current Periodical Room and in many libraries across the country, pictorial reproduction on microfilm is so poor as to make them unusable. Rotogravure images in particular are of such poor quality on microfilm that they fail to meet most user needs. Whole sections were digitized to faithfully represent integration of rotogravure pages with the rest of the New York Times and New York Tribune pictorial sections to demonstrate their use as attention getters next to less attractive pages. Scanned images of the New York Times pictorial sections of 1914-19 were taken from a collection of that paper's volumes generously donated by Mrs. Sandra Baden to the Library of Congress's Serial and Government Publications Division. Rotogravure sections of the New York Tribune were taken from the Division's collection of bound volumes for scanning.
OAMC World War I Veterans (Oklahoma State University Library) This collection was created as an exercise in collecting the memories and experiences of the men and women of Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (OAMC) who served in World War I. The project was organized by Maude Cass, the editor of the 1919 Redskin (the college yearbook), Professor Maroney of the Department of History, Margaret Walters, Librarian, and OAMC President J.W. Cantwell. A letter and a survey was sent out to each person who served in the War to gather information about their war experience. This digital collection contains over 500 surveys that were returned to OAMC in 1919. Included in this collection are photographs, letters, and newsclippings that were sent in with the surveys.
Our Military Heritage: World War I (Allen County Public Library) An Index list of biographies and persons who served in WWI, and other links on the topic.
Over There: Missouri and the Great War
Photographs from the World War I Memoir of Margaret Hall (Red Cross volunteer) As a member of the American Red Cross in France during World War I, Massachusetts-born Margaret Hall worked at a canteen at a railroad junction in the town of Châlons. On her return home she compiled a typescript narrative from the letters and diary passages that she wrote while overseas. Her words offer a first-hand account of life on the Western Front in the last months of the war. She also copiously illustrated the text with her own photographs, which depict soldiers, canteens, and the extensive destruction and ruin following the war. This website allows users to browse and search all 246 photographs taken by Margaret Hall and 29 additional illustrative items from her volume, part of the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS). Her typescript narrative (Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country, 1918-1919) was the source document for a new MHS publication, Letters and Photographs from the Battle Country: The World War I Memoir of Margaret Hall.
Photographs of World War I Battlefields, Captured German Installations, and Allied Installations (New York Public Library Digital Collection) Photographs from various sources mounted on matboard, most embellished with pencil drawings of related subjects, borders or remarques. Some drawings signed by Dudley J. Nelson. One view credited to Air service, Treves Airdome, 9th Aero Squadron. Mounts numbered variously, recto and verso. Arranged by numbers on recto. Box 1: Portraits of soldiers; scenes in trenches near Verdun: German dead, including skeletal remains; medical H.Q. and Red Cross at Thierville; Bismarck tunnel at "Deadman's Hill," showing entrances and devasted slopes; captured artillery and mortar; officers quarters, German monument at Forges-wood; Gercourt: church used as P.O.W. camp; Drillencourt: American observation post, ambulance dressing station, observation post in tree; devastated village of Septsarges; Sivry-sur-Meuse: pill box, destroyed church with crucifix on beam outlined against the sky, ruined crucifix on road to village; captured German locomotive and mobile dressing station on flatcar; Bois de Chaume: German artillery observation and control post, camouflaged huts and machine gun nests, entrance to dugout that could accommodate 1500 men; man in trench with hours posted as "watchmaker" and watches on display; wrecked railcars; fortified shell hole on hill 377; grenades; chalk pit at Braybant; Saulx: village and pillbox; ambulance dressing stations in Braybant, Chattencourt, Cumieres, Donnevaux; German ammunition camouflaged among trees; battlefields at Forges and Bethencourt; gas mortars and containers; Donnevaux: general view, church and cemetery views, including German monument, prison camp, ambulance dressing company; captured Austrian 77 gun. Box 2: Consenvoye: corner of church used as blacksmith shop, bridges and roads; Vilosnes: flooded valley of the Meuse, chapel, bridge, shell hole in pill box, damaged railroad and German ammo dug-outs, streets, interior of church; concrete and stone dugout, flash photo of interior of dugout; Dommartin: ambulance dressing stations, unexploded German mine; view of destroyed village of Marcheville; church at Saulx showing machine gun nest, pillbox; panoramic view of destroyed Fresnes; Mountfaucon: devastation, trenches, view through porthole of machine gun nest; captured pictures showing the Kaiser reviewing and decorating troops, Americans going over the top, transporting the dead by rail car; Hannonville: general view showing American graves, women doing laundry, German cemetery; panoramic view of St. Maurice; camouflaged road; rustic bungalows; balloon shed between Vilosnes and Donnevaux; aerial views of trenches, railhead at Conflas, review of 33 Division by General Pershing, troop movement and village; hand grenade exploding in shallow water; Americans advancing through artillery; plane from above, burning observation balloon, wrecked German and Allied planes; captured gun, Donnevaux; German brick kiln, bridge across shell hole; taxi in shell hole, Paris; ruined churches: Natillois, Bapaume, Albert; view at dusk of searchlight; first American graves at Romagne-sous-Montaucon. Subjects of drawings include: eagles with ribbons, doughboy bayonetting German; engineers building; helmet and bayonet; destroyed trees; ambulance; rosary; men cutting barbed wire; men at observation post; loading artillery; trenches; communication post; battle scene; caduceus; assisting wounded from field; German machine gunner; gas container; Corps of Engineers symbol; column of marching soldiers; bombs exploding; caissons, tank; airplanes; observation balloon; church at Ypres; men receiving blessing from priest in the field; church; telephones; men firing salute over American grave, French and American flags.
Polar Bear Expedition's Digital Collection The Bentley Historical Library holds the largest collection of manuscript and printed materials related to the Polar Bear Expedition. The materials, many of which have been digitized, are freely available for public use using the various sources described below. To learn more about the Polar Bear Expedition, read a brief history. For all inquiries about the archival collections, Polar Bear history and background, Polar Bear donations, and copyright and reproductions, contact the Bentley Historical Library reference department at bentley.ref@umich.edu.
Propaganda Postcards of the Great War The site features a collection of war-themed postal cards produced during World War 1 (1914-1919).
S.A.T.C.: Student Army Training Corps J.M.U. During the First World War Home Campus Life Staley Library About the Library University Archives Online Exhibits Student Army Training Corps Student Army Training Corps J.M.U. during the First World War The Student Army Training Corps at James Millikin University in 1918. When World War I began the United States was not involved. By April 6, 1917, however, the United States had declared war on Germany. Immediately, the mobilization of troops began and the selective draft was instated for men above the age of eighteen. In order to keep these young men in college while also preparing them for the front lines, the Student Army Training Corps (S.A.T.C.) was established. Schools across the nation participated to support the war effort and their own school. Millikin University sprung into action with the financial backing of Decatur citizens. Six barracks were quickly erected (one north and five west of the Old Gym) on campus to house the 405 young men who were part of the S.A.T.C. Each of them received $30 per month, government paid tuition, room and board, medical attention, and life insurance.
Selected World War I Draft Registration Cards A "snapshot" of what can be found in the "24 million World War I Draft Registration Cards in the custody of the National Archives Southeast Region..."
Sinking of the Lusitania (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank. This guide provides information for researching the topic of the "sinking of the Lusitania" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers. Despite published newspaper articles warning against travel on Allied ships, the RMS Lusitania departed from New York on May 1, 1915, bound for Liverpool. As the ship sailed near Ireland on May 7, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat and sank, killing over 1,100 people on board. A later British investigation into the incident ruled that the Lusitania was attacked with the intent to kill civilians, as the ship did not carry explosives.
Soldiers of the Great War - Ohio Section Only PhotOhio is a keyword searchable repository of thousands of photos, texts and documents relating to Ohio’s history. From this site you can search or browse the collections of Ohio newspaper photo archives, yearbooks, local historical publications and more. PhotOhio contains irreplaceable collections of newspaper photo archives; yearbooks; local historical publications and genealogical records; historical and biographical sketches available nowhere else on the Internet.
The spring manual of the United States School Garden Army (1919) [HathiTrust] Corporate Author: United States School Garden Army.
The Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I The newspaper's mission was to provide scattered troops with a sense of unity and an understanding of their part in the overall war effort. Date coverage is February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919.
Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers' Newspaper of World War I, 1918-1919 (Library of Congress) This online collection includes the complete seventy-one-week run of The Stars and Stripes World War I edition. The Stars and Stripes was published in France by the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) of the United States Army from February 8, 1918, to June 13, 1919. General John J. Pershing wanted a newspaper written by servicemen for the soldiers on the battlefront. On the front page of the first issue, Pershing endorsed the newspaper and characterized its purpose and content: "In this initial number of The Stars and Stripes, published by the men of the Overseas Command, the Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces extends his greetings through the editing staff to the readers from the first line trenches to the base ports. These readers are mainly the men who have been honored by being the first contingent of Americans to fight on European soil for the honor of their country. . . . The paper, written by the men in the service, should speak the thoughts of the new American Army and the American people from whom the Army has been drawn. It is your paper. Good luck to it."
Tanks in World War I (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) At the start of World War One, Tanks were created and used as weapons of war. This guide provides access to material related to "WII Tanks" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers. Tanks: New Weapons of War. “Hurdling trenches, crawling over shell craters, and walking through forests unhalted by intense gunfire, the tanks cannot be stopped by anything less than a direct hit from shells of considerable caliber,” reports The Ogden Standard of October 21, 1916, 4 p.m. City Edition.
Treaty of Versailles (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) Newspaper headlines around the world proclaim, “World War Ends as Pact is Signed” on June 28, 1919, ending one of the deadliest conflicts in history that resulted in over 35 million casualties. Exactly five years after the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the Treaty of Versailles was signed as crowds cheered and wept, while Germany bitterly protested. Many historians claim the peace treaty's harsh terms set the stage for the Second World War. Read more about it!
Trenches on the Web: Posters from the Great War Digital Images of World War I - Posters from various countries.
The United States School Garden Army (1919) [Harvard] Francis, J. H. (John Haywood), 1867-, creator United States, Bureau of Education.
University Goes to War: World War I Women A University Goes to War, World War I Women
War Diaries of the First World War (Canadian) (Libraries and Archives of Canada) This database contains the digitised War Diaries of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) units. From the start of the First World War, CEF units were required to maintain a daily account of their “Actions in the Field.” This log was called a War Diary. The War Diaries are not personal diaries, rather they are a historical record of a unit’s administration, operations and activities during the First World War.
War Is “a Blessing, Not a Curse” "Shortly before President Woodrow Wilson’s call for war on April 2, 1917, the editors of a conservative magazine, the North American Review, laid out the basic arguments for U.S. participation. "
War Poster Collection (University of Washington)) A selection of World War I and II posters from the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections Division collections. Included are propaganda on purchasing war bonds, the importance of national security and posters from allied and axis powers. The University of Washington Libraries Special Collections Division houses many collections of regional and historical significance, notably specialized and scarce materials, such as these examples of World War I and World War II posters. World War I, known as the Great War, stimulated the transformation of this well-established advertising tool into an effective propaganda medium for war. Often designed by the leading artists and illustrators of the time, they were cheap to produce and easy to distribute. Their direct slogans and visual imagery appealed to a variety of cultural and nationalistic themes that served to muster public support for the war campaign. Many were illustrated with compelling images of heroes, sacrifice and family values. While some encouraged the purchase of war bonds and solicited donations for non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross, others promoted patriotism and warned against aiding the enemy with careless talk. The study of this medium leads us to a greater understanding of their effectiveness as tools for propaganda, aids in the analysis of national cultural and symbolic values, and helps define ideological differences between nations at war.
War Posters and Postcards Posters from government, commercial and charitable organizations. Subject matter is diverse, covering such topics as military recruitment, rationing, films/theatre, anti-war movements and many others.
Western European Theater Political Pamphlet Collection Pamphlets collected by the Princeton University Library starting from the outbreak of World War I. The collection contains pamphlets published in Europe during and immediately after World War I. They cover a broad range of topics including the economy, the press, the military, arms, territorial disputes, and others. The collection also includes speeches, sermons, bulletins, calendars, and songbooks. Covers 1894-1918.
Witness to War Dec 1919-Aug 1922: Ireland at War The Hogan Wilson collection of photographs at the National Library of Ireland illustrates a violent and turbulent period in Irish history. The images were mainly taken by WD Hogan, a commercial photographer based in Henry Street, Dublin, between 1920 and 1935. They were collected by the Rev. Denis Wilson, a Chaplain to the National Army. Ireland was under British rule for centuries, but at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, it seemed that Home Rule (Irish self-government) might become a reality. Then, in 1914, World War I broke out. Many Irish nationalists believed that Home Rule was lost, and an insurrection was planned. The Easter Rising of 1916 was a military failure, but when its leaders were executed popular support for the nationalist movement began to grow. In the general election of 1918, most of Ireland outside of Ulster returned separatist candidates. They set up a Dáil (Parliament) in Dublin, declaring Irish independence. Hogan captured many key events in the years that followed. “The Nation of Ireland having proclaimed her national independence, calls, through her elected representatives in Parliament assembled in the Irish Capital on January 21, 1919, upon every free nation to support the Irish Republic...”
Women, War, and the Home Front Until the United States entered the three-year old European conflict in 1917, the country had followed an isolationist policy for more than a century. In addition, there was strong anti-war sentiment among many Americans, including many progressive, reform-minded women. To fight the war, therefore, the U.S. needed not only soldiers in uniform, but the support of the general public. A government education campaign about the war set out to encourage volunteers for support roles at home and abroad and to convince the American public to sacrifice and to make donations to the war effort. Women and the homefront were important in a number of ways. The few examples presented here demonstrate both the government's strategy in garnering the help of women and the responses of several Maine women.
World War History: Newspaper Clippings, 1914 to 1926 (Library of Congress) This vast online collection of World War I era newspaper clippings is from a single unique source: the 400-volume, 80,000-page set, World War History: Daily Records and Comments as Appeared in American and Foreign Newspapers, 1914-1926. Beginning with the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 and extending to the November 11, 1918 armistice and years after, the clippings yield significant information about the political, social, cultural, and economic impact of the war as it is taking place and its aftermath. The clippings cover far beyond the valuable contemporary news reports and contain war-related editorials, features, cartoons, photos, maps, and more. Front pages and full-page features of New York City newspapers are frequently presented, while many newspapers from around the country and some foreign ones are represented through clipped individual articles and cartoons. The 400 volumes of World War History were created after the war through the dedicated direction of Otto Spengler, owner of the Argus Press Clipping Bureau. Spengler was particularly qualified to embark on this task, having spent his entire career working in news clipping services. As a teen, he worked at the Argus and Information Bureau of Berlin and, following his immigration to America in 1892, at a clippings bureau in New York for more than 10 years.1 By the early 20th century, he had established his own company and understood the importance of his clipping service and how to market it. Ads in 1907 for the company in the magazine, Advocate of Peace, touted press clippings as "an important factor in peace negotiations" ending the Russo-Japanese War. The ads stated that both Russian and Japanese negotiators "were kept posted through newspaper clippings furnished by Argus." The ads then asked "What Interests You" with a cost of $5.00 per hundred clippings and $35.00 per 1,000.2
World War I & World War II Propaganda Posters (Brandeis University) The Brandeis University World War I & World War II Propaganda Posters collection includes nearly one hundred different images (a majority from the WWI era) addressing a variety of American war aims. The posters were inspired by Western European examples and their development and production in the United States harnessed the prodigious skills of artists and industrial designers. Posters often promoted support for programs including The United War Work Campaign, the Red Cross, and most notably the Liberty and Victory loan programs. The first and second Liberty loan campaigns of 1917, the third and fourth of 1918, and the Victory loan push of early 1919 created a vast amount of poster art on both the local and national levels.
World War I -- Documents (Illinois Digital Archives) Hundreds of men, as well as many women, of Illinois were playing a part in the World War long before the United States entered the war. Some were fighting on the western front, some were Red Cross nurses or welfare workers. Others joined the Lafayette Escadrille (the American aviation unit in the French army), or entered the Foreign Legion. Records compiled by the Office of the Adjutant General show that Illinois gave 351,153 men to the army and navy of the United States during the war. Out of every twelve men in the army one was from Illinois. Illinois furnished more men to the army and navy than any other state in the Union, with the exception of New York and Pennsylvania, both of which had larger populations. The state's own division, the Thirty-third, was the only distinctly Illinois division that saw active service in France. Money, next to men, was the greatest need of the government and Illinois gave its share and more. About seven percent of the subscriptions received for the nation's war loans, a total of approximately $1,300,000,000 came from Illinois - which, at the time, had about five percent of the population of the United States. Statistics compiled by the State Council of Defense show that the total contributions of the state to various funds raised by war aid and relief organizations was more than $45,000,000. One of the largest Illinois contributions to the war effort by Illinois farmers was the farm crop of 1918. Estimated by the Department of Agriculture to be worth $879,697,000 it was the greatest crop in money value that was ever produced by any state in the Union. As factories were quickly converted into munitions plants the output of Illinois factories in direct war contracts in 1918 was approximately $2,000,000,000.
World War I: A Resource Guide - Library of Congress The digital collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of material related to World War I, including posters, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, films, sheet music, and sound recordings. This guide compiles links to World War I resources throughout the Library of Congress website. In addition, this guide provides links to external websites focusing on World War I and a bibliography containing selections for both general and younger readers. Furthermore, as part of our commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the U.S. involvement in World War I, the Library of Congress has created a World War I portal to its extensive holdings on the subject of the war. This page also includes WWI-related content for teachers, blog postings, and details on lectures, programs, concerts and symposia related to the conflict.
World War I British Press Photograph Collection (University of British Columbia) The collection consists of photography of every aspect of World War I - from cadet training to soldiers' graves. Every theatre of war is represented, but the majority of prints were taken in Europe, particularly on the battlefields of France and Belgium. In Britain, there are prints of Gibson Girls welding ships or carting coal. There are prints of royalty and military commanders, including Greek, Belgian and Japanese aristocracy. The technology of war is illustrated in the numerous prints of planes, ships, tanks and guns of all kinds. The collection is strong in portraying the average "Tommy" and his role in the war. The British Press were given permission to photograph British activities in World War I. Most of the prints are stamped "Passed for transmission abroad" by either the Ministry of Information, Photographic Section or the Associated Illustration Agencies. Although specific photographers are not mentioned, there is a note on the back of most photographs stating, "Please acknowledge "British Official" - Crown Copyright Reserved."
World War I Centennial: Commemorating the Great War (NARA) As the largest repository of American World War I records, the National Archives invites you to browse the wealth of records and information documenting the U.S. experience in this conflict, including photographs, documents, audiovisual recordings, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and events. April 6, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into the Great War. After remaining neutral for three years, the United States reluctantly entered what was supposed to be "The War to End All Wars." By declaring war, President Woodrow Wilson committed the nation to join the other Allied countries in their efforts to defeat the German-led Central Powers.
World War I Collection UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN–MADISON LIBRARIES UWexpand_more SIGN INexpand_more HELP GIVE search Search the UW-Madison Libraries ARTICLES CATALOG DATABASES JOURNALS UWDC Ask a Librarian World War I Collection closeClose This digital collection provides a sampling of UW-Madison's World War I Special Collection. The complete collection is available in the Special Collections Department of Memorial Library. Most of these materials were acquired by the University during or in the immediate aftermath of the war and they represent a direct and often very passionate or partisan viewpoint of that conflict. These are primary sources, the raw materials of history, and they bring the first great worldwide conflict of the twentieth century to us in an immediate way, without the viewpoint provided by intervening years and events. UW-Madison's World War I collection focuses primarily, though not exclusively, on European aspects of the war. It is particularly strong in documenting rescue and relief efforts, and in propaganda materials, but all aspects of the war are included. We have made a special effort to include visual images in the digital collection, including illustrated periodicals as well as memorabilia. Included as well are two multivolume illustrated histories from combatants on opposite sides: Gabriel Hanotaux's Histoire illustrée de la guerre de 1914 and Grosser Bilderatlas des Weltkrieges.
Arkansas and the Great War World War I Research The Butler Center offers a large collection of materials related to World War I, including letters, photographs, microfilm of enlistment and discharge records, and other primary materials related to Arkansans who served in the Great War. The research room also houses a large number of secondary sources and subscribes to a wide variety of online databases that provide easy access to millions of military records and other resources. Highlights of the collections include letters from a WWI Marine as well as correspondence from a soldier who served in a balloon company; many materials related to Camp Pike (now Camp Joseph T. Robinson); and materials related to Eberts Training Field, which was located in Lonoke County.
World War I Collection (North Carolina Digital Collections) This collection includes World War I materials from the collections of the State Library and State Archives of North Carolina. This project is constantly expanding, but currently holds: Materials from the State Library, including regimental histories and published narratives; Materials from the State Archives including: World War I posters (a finding aid is also available); A selection of letters from the World War I Papers, part of the Military Collection. Finding aids for that collection are available on the the Military Finding Aids page of the State Archives website; Official Army Signal Corps Photographs, 1918-1919; Photographs from the Warren C. McNeill Papers; The World War I map collection from the World War I Papers. The map collection contains more than five hundred maps and blueprints of various types. The bulk of the World War I maps are topographical studies of France and Belgium, either field or ordnance surveys. Other types represented include barrage maps; drawings to accompany engineers’ operational reports; sketches of railroads, roads, and bridges; depictions of trench lines, troop dispositions, and positions of balloons; aerial photographs; Corps situation maps, updated daily; and blueprints of bombproof shelters. Of particular interest are the various maps with contemporaneous annotations by the officers who used them, such as the engineering drawings from the papers of Joseph Hyde Pratt and the topographical maps carried high above the trenches in the balloon of James A. Higgs.
World War I Declarations (Topics in Chronicling America) (Library of Congress) From 1914 to 1918, newspapers publish declarations of war as over 21 countries involve themselves in World War I. This guide provides access to material related to "WWI Declarations" in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers. A month after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on July 28, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian government declares war on Serbia. Immediately, and within a period of six days, European countries declare war upon one another. In a span of four years, over twenty-one countries declare war and involvement in World War I. Known as the Great War, the conflict becomes the most destructive and widespread the world had ever seen.
World War I Document Archive This archive of primary documents from the Great War period is international in focus. The intention is to present in one location both primary and relevant secondary documents between 1890-1930.
World War I Document Archive Contains full text, images, biographies, personal reminiscences and links to other web resources.
World War I Glass Plate Stereographs, 1914-1929 (Penn State University) This collection contains 368 stereographs that document trench warfare during World War I. Some of the images contain graphic representations of injuries and death from combat. The majority of the stereoscopic views were photographed in France and Belgium, and there are a smaller number of images documenting Germany, Italy, the Macedonian front and Thessaloniki, Greece. Coverage of both the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and the 1927 American Legion convention (Paris, France) is extensive. A small number of the stereographs were widely published as parts of the Keystone View Company sets illustrating World War I, however available documentation indicates that the vast majority of the included images were not previously published.
World War I in Pictures: An Overview of Prints & Photographs Division Collections (Library of Congress) The Library of Congress Prints & Photograph Division (P&P) has more than 76,000 pictures relating to World War I, in a wide array of formats, including photographic prints and negatives, cartoons, ephemera, posters and drawings. Most of the material was created during the war (1914-1918), but a portion deals with post-war topics such as injured veterans, pension distribution, and the aftermath in European cities. The Library of Congress acquired the materials through copyright deposit, gift, and purchase. In some cases, other Library of Congress units, particularly the Manuscript Division, transferred visual material to P&P for care and service.
World War I Maps (North Carolina Digital Collections) This collection includes World War I materials from the collections of the State Library and State Archives of North Carolina. This project is constantly expanding, but currently holds: Materials from the State Library, including regimental histories and published narratives; Materials from the State Archives including: World War I posters (a finding aid is also available); A selection of letters from the World War I Papers, part of the Military Collection. Finding aids for that collection are available on the the Military Finding Aids page of the State Archives website; Official Army Signal Corps Photographs, 1918-1919; Photographs from the Warren C. McNeill Papers; The World War I map collection from the World War I Papers. The map collection contains more than five hundred maps and blueprints of various types. The bulk of the World War I maps are topographical studies of France and Belgium, either field or ordnance surveys. Other types represented include barrage maps; drawings to accompany engineers’ operational reports; sketches of railroads, roads, and bridges; depictions of trench lines, troop dispositions, and positions of balloons; aerial photographs; Corps situation maps, updated daily; and blueprints of bombproof shelters. Of particular interest are the various maps with contemporaneous annotations by the officers who used them, such as the engineering drawings from the papers of Joseph Hyde Pratt and the topographical maps carried high above the trenches in the balloon of James A. Higgs. When World War I broke out in Europe in 1914 North Carolinians shared the same feelings of regret and fear as other Americans. Tar Heels, like many others, did not want to get involved in the war. They saw the horror of the war that in 1916 alone cost the European armies 2.5 million casualties, equal to the entire population of North Carolina at the time. But once the United States declared war against Germany in April 1917, most North Carolinians supported the war effort. They believed President Woodrow Wilson when he said that America was fighting for democracy in “a war to end all wars.” Tar Heels purchased Liberty Loans and War Savings Stamps to raise money for the war. Women joined the American Red Cross, the YWCA, the Salvation Army, and served as nurses in military hospitals at home and in France. Farmers grew victory acres and children grew thrift gardens to earn money to buy war bonds. Citizens raised and canned their own food, and went without meat to conserve food supplies for the army. North Carolina industry also geared up to support the war. Ships were built in Wilmington, airplane propellers were made in High Point, wagon wheels were made in Hickory, and in Raleigh artillery shells were made for the army and navy. North Carolina’s tobacco factories produced cigarettes while its textile mills made blankets, socks, and tents for the army. Training camps for new soldiers were set up throughout the country, including three in North Carolina: Camp Greene near Charlotte, Camp Bragg near Fayetteville, and Camp Polk near Raleigh.
World War I Photograph Albums and Postcards (New York Public Library) World War I Photograph Albums and Postcards
World War I Postcards from the Bowman Gray Collection Features a collection of war-themed cards produced in Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia, and the U.S. during World War One (1914-1918).
World War I Posters (Ball State University) The World War I Posters from the Elisabeth Ball Collection is a representative sampling of more than 2,000 WWI lithographs from Italy, France, Belgium, England, Australia, Germany, the United States, and other countries collected by Elisabeth Ball (1897-1982), daughter of Frances and George Ball. Ball State University Libraries Archives and Special Collections houses the original lithographs plus slide copies of each image available for public use.
World War I Posters (Library of Congress) During World War I, the impact of the poster as a means of communication was greater than at any other time during history. The ability of posters to inspire, inform, and persuade combined with vibrant design trends in many of the participating countries to produce thousands of interesting visual works. The Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division makes available online approximately 1,900 posters created between 1914 and 1920. Most relate directly to the war, but some German posters date from the post-war period and illustrate events such as the rise of Bolshevism and Communism, the 1919 General Assembly election and various plebiscites. The majority of the posters were printed in the United States. Posters from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia are included as well. The posters range in style from anonymous broadsides (predominantly text) to graphically vibrant works by well-known designers. The Library acquired these posters through gift, purchase, and exchange or transfer from other government institutions, and continues to add to the collection.
World War I Records at the National Archives As the largest repository of American World War I records, the National Archives invites you to browse the wealth of records and information documenting the U.S. experience in this conflict, including photographs, documents, audiovisual recordings, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and events.
World War I Scrapbook of German Soldiers July 1915-May 1919 Photographs and handwritten information describe the lives of German soldiers during World War I, specifically from July 1915 to May 1919. Scrapbook covers the soldiers' movement in France (including the Battle of the Somme in 1916), Galicia, Crimea and Greece.
World War One (BBC) The BBC presents a season of programming commemorating the centenary of World War One.
WWI & WWII Posters (University of British Columbia) Fifty nine posters, broadsides, and ephemera from World War I and II, published in Canada, Belgium, England, France, Germany, and the United States. The posters cover a variety of subjects including recruitment and enlisting, savings stamps, savings and victory bonds, women, agriculture, and munitions. They form part of the Rare Books and Special Collections Pamphlet Collection.
WWI Detainees in Hot Springs, NC
Illinois WWI Centennial Home - World War I Centennial Records compiled by the Office of the Adjutant General show that Illinois gave 351,153 men to the armed forces of the United States during the war, the third highest total number. To commemorate the centenary of our involvement in the Great War, the Illinois World War I Centennial Committee has a mission to:
WWI Pamphlets 1913-1920 A collection of WWI Pamphlets 1913-1920 contributed by Columbia University Libraries.

Videos on World War I (USA)

World War I - Academic Video Online: Premium

World War I: The American Legacy World War I -- American Legacy vividly tells the many forgotten stories of the men and women who served in the Great War, reminding Americans of their impact on our country that can still be felt today. From the summer of 1914 to November 1918, the Great War cost over 14 million lives, devastated entire countries and destroyed countless architectural landmarks. The war also led to important developments in literature, technology, music and social equality that have shaped the culture of 21st century America. Monuments and dedications to World War I veterans surround Americans today as a tribute to their service and sacrifice. Charles Whittlesey of the Lost Battalion and Father Duffy of the Fighting 69th became famous for surviving against impossible odds. Pilots Victor Chapman and Quentin Roosevelt and ambulance drivers like Richard Hall made the supreme sacrifice.

How The Americans Entered World War One | Great War In Numbers | Timeline How The Americans Entered World War One | Great War In Numbers | Timeline

Primary Source: World War I Subject Guide
This is a more thorough subject guide on the historical event known as World War I. (From which the information listed above on the United States)