World War I Around the World
Driving Question: How did people in different regions experience the First World War?
Most of the fighting during World War I happened in Europe, and it was the powerful empires of Europe who started it. But this was a world war—it did not stay in Europe. The war soon drew in other nations around the world, as well as the millions of people colonized by European empires. Soon, these people living in European colonies found themselves traveling thousands of miles to fight and die in European trenches.
- Assess the claim that World War I was the first global war using evidence from multiple sources.
- Use close-reading skills to evaluate how different regions of the world experienced World War I.
Britain and World War I
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- Why did Britain have the world’s largest navy?
- Why did Britain and Germany get into an arms race and why did Britain win?
- What type of person served on the Guards Regiments?
- How did Belgium pull Britain into the war?
- Why is the poppy a symbol of the war?
After you watch
- During World War I, how did Britain’s systems of production and distribution provide the nation with advantages, but also create vulnerabilities?
- What do the two poems in this video tell you about the war, and its impact on Britain and on British soldiers?
Southeast Asia and World War I
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What was Southeast Asia like in 1914?
- Why were people living in Southeast Asia interested in what was happening in the Middle East?
- Why was the Russo-Japanese War important?
- Why was Singapore a strategic city?
- Why was the German submarine crew able to convince the Indian soldiers to revolt against the British?
After you watch
- Dr. Streets-Salter points out that, when we think about the First World War, we mostly think about trench warfare in Europe. But for most of the world, that’s not what the war was like. Clearly, the war was important for Southeast Asia. But do you think what happened in Southeast Asia was important to the war in Europe? How might you use one of the three frames to make your argument?
The Middle East and World War I
Key Ideas
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What was the Middle East like in 1914?
- According to Dr. Genell, what was the purpose of the Ottoman Declaration of Jihad?
- Who was Sharif Hussein, and how did the British convince him to join the war?
- Why did Sharif Hussein not get what he wanted after the war?
- What were mandates?
- What identities became important after the war? Why?
After you watch
- Looking at the three maps of the Middle East in this video—1914, 1923, and the twenty-first century—what do you think was the most important way that World War I changed the region in the past 100 years?
