Practice of History: The First World War

Featuring a wealth of new information and the work of acclaimed scholars from around the world, this monumental resource is the new standard reference on the 20th century's most influential conflict. The Encyclopedia of World War I: A Political, Social, and Military History treats its monumental subject with the scope and insight it deserves. Its lavishly illustrated volumes, produced by an international team of experts, offer a deeper, more richly researched presentation of the battles, campaigns, and weapons technologies of the Great War than any previous work. The encyclopedia also ranges well beyond the day-to-day battlefield struggles to capture the whole impact of the war, offering in-depth portraits of historic figures, everyday soldiers, and civilians on all home fronts. It provides the latest thinking from experts around the world on the war's buildup (the Anglo-German naval arms race), legacy (the Russian Revolution and Civil War, the Red Scare in the United States), and unresolved questions such as the ultimate responsibility for the war. With over 1,200 entries (over one million words), plus a volume of primary documents, The Encyclopedia of World War I is the definitive scholarly reference on a struggle whose aftershocks are still being felt. * 1,219 A-Z entries covering military culture and tactics for all engaged armies in unprecedented depth, describing important events (the sinking of the Lusitania, the Arab revolt), cultural and political figures (Ferdinand Foch, Wilfred Owen), geopolitical agreements (the covenant of the League of Nations), social issues (the role of religions), and much more * 175 contributors, including scholars from the United States, Britain, China, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia, giving this encyclopedia an unprecedented global perspective * A separate primary source volume with 195 official documents, diary entries, and letters from all types of people involved in the war, with introductory information to place the documents in historical context * An opening section of 35 battle and locational maps providing the geographic context necessary to understand how the conflict moved and where and why the battlefield stalled * Insightful introductory essays that discuss the root causes of the war, the catalyzing events that lead to the outbreak of war, an overview of the war itself, and a discussion of the long-term impact of the war, providing context for the A-Z entries that follow * A list of comparative military ranks, glossary, historiography, and general bibliography, plus a comprehensive chronology providing researchers and readers with a sense of time and relationship between the major events of the conflict

This definitive reference work covers the complete transformation of American, Canadian, and British societies during the two world wars, including all aspects of working, recreational, and cultural life during wartime. The Home Front Encyclopedia: United States, Britain, and Canada in World Wars I and II is the first scholarly work devoted exclusively to the utter transformation of American, Canadian, and British societies in those pivotal years. Other works have looked at developments in wartime life--government agencies, economic mobilization--but this encyclopedia is the first to focus on how the wars permeated every aspect of life. Coverage includes such fundamental issues as shifting sexual mores, era-defining musical genres (jazz in World War I, swing in World War II), and the exploding popularity of baseball, boxing, comics, movies, and radio. It also encompasses the decidedly unheroic moments of the times (racial violence, censorship, labor conflicts). The Home Front Encyclopedia is a uniquely insightful, culturally attuned volume where Bernard Baruch, Jane Addams, Henry Stimson, and Gunnar Myrdal share space with Charlie Chaplin, Billy Sunday, Joe Louis, Vera Lynn, and Kate Smith. At last, these seminal aspects of the most momentous events of the 20th century get the definitive reference they deserve. Nearly 700 alphabetically organized entries on all aspects of life on the home front during the world wars, including biographies and accounts of cities and regions, cultural phenomena (movies, music, and literature), ethnic groups, key events (elections, strikes, mobilization efforts), government agencies, and private institutions More than 100 expert contributors from the United States, Canada, and Great Britain, including specialists in politics, economics, sociology, and popular culture Chronologies of important events in both World Wars I and II A selection of primary sources, including speeches, official documents, propaganda, journalism, and personal correspondence, plus a wealth of historical images (photographs, propaganda posters, editorial cartoons)

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.