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Lesson 7.3 Vocab

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armistice
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Definition

an agreement between opposing sides in a conflict to stop fighting, usually to negotiate a treaty

Use In A Sentence

The two countries agreed to an armistice so the fighting would pause while leaders discussed peace.

arms race
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Definition

a competition between countries to build up the most weapons, especially nuclear weapons

Use In A Sentence

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were in an arms race.

casualty
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Definition

a member of the armed forces removed from active duty as a result of being killed, wounded, captured, or missing in action

Use In A Sentence

There were thousands of casualties after the battle.

demilitarization
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Definition

the process of reducing or eliminating a country's military forces and weapons

Use In A Sentence

After World War II, Germany went through demilitarization to prevent another conflict.

reparations
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Definition

payment required of a defeated nation by the victors, for damages, alleged atrocities, or other injury

Use In A Sentence

Germany was forced to make reparations after World War I.

total war
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Definition

global war in which all warring nations’ mobilize for the war effort including soldier and civilian populations, who are both participants and targets; usually defined as meeting four criteria: mobilization, blurring of lines between citizen and civilian, total control of society, and rejection of a compromise peace

Use In A Sentence

World War I was an example of total war.

trench warfare
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Definition

a type of combat where opposing troops fight from trenches facing each other

Use In A Sentence

The horrors of trench warfare scarred an entire generation.

The First Total War

Teacher Resources

Course Guide icon

Lesson Guide

For teaching tips, vocabulary, timing, and sample answers, check out the guide.

Driving Question: How was World War I different from previous conflicts?

World War I was more than a battlefield—it was a global experience. It blurred the line between home and front, and changed what war looked and felt like.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Create arguments using historical evidence to support claims and communicate conclusions through informal writing.
  2. Use evidence to understand key events and developments of World War I and evaluate how the conflict affected both soldiers and civilians.
  3. Compare two graphic biographies to support, extend, or challenge the overarching narratives of this period.

Vocab Terms:

STEP 1

Opener: The First Total War

Teaching Tools

Sentence starters are a great scaffold for helping your students support claims with evidence. Use the BHP Sentence Starters External link  with your WH 1200 students to give them either a reminder or a leg up in their writing.

What is a total war? You’ll use your sourcing skills to decide on a definition.

Opener

Defining Total War External link

Was World War I the first total war? Search for evidence by reading what people living through the war had to say, then decide how you would answer this question.
STEP 2

Events of World War I

Understanding what happened during World War I is key to understanding its effects. Follow the key events of the First World War—where it was fought, how it escalated, and why it became one of history’s deadliest conflicts.

Article

The Course of the First World War External link

The First World War began with plans for rapid victories. It degenerated into a stalemate of mud and blood that lasted four long years.
STEP 3

What Is Total War?

Teaching Tools

To help students visualize the scale of this total war, show them our world map of alliances and casualties in the First World War External link . Be sure they look at countries outside of Europe and note that civilian casualties are provided under military casualties. Ask them to consider which regions and people paid the highest price in this total war.

Beyond the battlefields, World War I reached deep into people’s homes, jobs, and daily lives. These materials will help you understand what made this war “total” and why its impact was truly global.

Article

World War I: A Total War? External link

In many ways, World War I was a total war. Entire societies were mobilized to support the war effort. There had never been a war that was so devastating.

Writing Tools

Why Did So Many Underage Soldiers Fight in Great Britain’s Army? External link

Expand on what you learned in the article “World War I: A Total War” and head to Quill.org to read and write about how and why young boys were encouraged to join the British Army during World War I.

Britain and World War I External link

The First World War transformed British society. Nick Dennis explores why Britain entered the conflict and how people in Britain experienced the war.

Activity

Making Claims: World War I External link

You’ve identified claims and found evidence to support them. Now it’s time to create claims and counterclaims about World War I.
STEP 4

Living in Total War

Teaching Tools

These two graphic biographies were written and designed to stand together and provoke comparison. The subjects are two women who experienced the same war from different sides. Both took proactive—but very different—approaches to the war. Both suffered and died as a result of events during and after the conflict. Be sure students consider the art and the way the two women and their worlds are portrayed as part of the evidence for their comparison.

Comparing the lives of two very different women who lived during World War I will offer insight into the emotional and social toll of total war on individuals from different backgrounds.

Graphic Biographies

Helen Fairchild External link

Helen Fairchild was one of 21,000 American women who served as volunteer nurses during the First World War. Her bravery and sacrifice illustrate how their stories are remembered today.

Graphic Biographies

Dr. Rosa Luxemburg External link

Rosa Luxemburg was a socialist philosopher, economist, and teacher. Learn how she paid the ultimate price for her bold perspective on the First World War.

Activity

World War I Letters External link

Practice historical empathy and use what you’ve learned so far to write a fictional letter from the perspective of a soldier or civilian during the First World War.
STEP 5

Closer: The First Total War

Teaching Tools

Practicing historical empathy is core to understanding anything in history. But it can be tricky…. Read about it in this Forum thread: “The Slippery Slope of Teaching Historical Empathy.” External link

Time to reconsider your definition of total war from the beginning of this lesson.

Closer

Redefining Total War External link

Gather evidence from the lesson to figure out what you would add and what you would change about your original definition of total war.
Extension Materials
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These extension materials offer a deeper look at World War I’s global scale and lasting impact. Explore often-overlooked regions and technologies that reveal new dimensions of the first total war.
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Southeast Asia and the Middle East in World War I

Teaching Tools

These two videos are important extensions to illustrate the long-lasting impacts of the First World War outside of Europe. The Middle East video in particular is relevant to our world today, as it explains the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which laid the foundations for many regional conflicts happening now.

Learn how World War I shaped regions far beyond Europe. Through two videos, you’ll examine how colonial powers mobilized people and resources in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and how those regions responded to the pressures and promises of total war.

Southeast Asia and World War I External link

The outcome of World War I wasn’t decided in Southeast Asia. But it was a world war, and it had significant impacts on the region.

The Middle East and World War I External link

The First World War helped lay the foundations for the modern Middle East. Imperialism, religion, and nationalism all played a role in shaping the region during this conflict.

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Technologies of World War I

These short videos reveal how new technologies transformed warfare during World War I. From gas masks to trench tools, you’ll learn how industrial innovations changed how wars were fought—and how soldiers survived.

British Gas Hood External link

This short video highlights one of the most haunting technologies. Learn how soldiers tried to protect themselves and what that reveals about the brutal new reality of total war.

Trench Fighting Tools External link

World War I wasn’t just fought with big machines and long-range guns. This short video shows the brutal hand-to-hand weapons used in trench combat on the front lines.