The Cambridge History of the First World War, Volume 1

This first volume of The Cambridge History of the First World War provides a comprehensive account of the war's military history. An international team of leading historians charts how a war made possible by globalization and imperial expansion unfolded into catastrophe, growing year by year in scale and destructive power far beyond that which anyone had anticipated in 1914. Adopting a global perspective, the volume analyses the spatial impact of the war and the subsequent ripple effects that occurred both regionally and across the world. It explores how imperial powers devoted vast reserves of manpower and material to their war efforts and how, by doing so, they changed the political landscape of the world order. It also charts the moral, political and legal implications of the changing character of war and, in particular, the collapse of the distinction between civilian and military targets.

This first volume of The Cambridge History of the First World War provides a comprehensive account of the war's military history. It charts how the conflict unfolded into catastrophe, growing year by year in scale and destructive power far beyond that which anyone had anticipated in 1914.

Introduction to Volume 1 Jay Winter; Part I. A Narrative History: Introduction to Part I Jay Winter; 1. Origins Volker Berghahn; 2. 1914: outbreak Jean-Jacques Becker and Gerd Krumeich; 3. 1915: stalemate Stephane Audoin-Rouzeau; 4. Total war Robin Prior; 5. 1917: global war Michael Neiberg; 6. 1918: endgame Christoph Mick; 7. 1919: aftermath Bruno Cabanes; Part II. Theatres of War: Introduction to Part II Robin Prior; 8. The Western Front Robin Prior; 9. The Eastern Front Holger Afflerbach; 10. The Italian Front Nicola Labanca; 11. The Ottoman Front Robin Prior; 12. The war at sea Paul Kennedy; 13. The air war John Morrow; 14. Command and strategy Gary Sheffield and Steve Badsey; Part III. World War: Introduction to Part III Jay Winter and John Horne; 15. The imperial framework John Morrow; 16. Africa Bill Nasson; 17. The Ottoman Empire Mustafa Aksakal; 18. Asia Guoqi Xu; 19. North America Jennifer Keene; 20. Latin America Olivier Compagnon; Part IV. Rules of Engagement, Laws of War and War Crimes: Introduction to Part IV Annette Becker and Annie Deperchin; 21. Atrocities and war crimes John Horne; 22. Genocide Hans-Lukas Kieser and Donald Bloxham; 23. The laws of war Annie Deperchin; 24. Visual essay: global war Jay Winter.