Introduction
A war whose origins lay in the increasingly aggressive foreign policies pursued by Austria-Hungary, Russia and, most significantly, Germany. The assassination of the heir to the Habsburg throne, Francis Ferdinand, at Sarajevo in Bosnia (28 June 1914), triggered the war, which soon involved most European states following Austria's declaration of war on Serbia (28 July). Military campaigning centered on France, Belgium and, later, Italy in Western Europe, and on Poland, western Russia and the Balkans in Eastern Europe. In late 1917 Lenin's Bolshevik government sued for peace and in March 1918 Germany and her allies imposed the punitive Treaty of Brest-Litovsk on the USSR (annulled after Germany's defeat). Following this, in the spring of 1918, the Germans launched a major attack in the west, but after several months of success were driven back, with the USA providing an increasing number of much-needed troops. By September, the German army was in full retreat, and signified its intention to sue for peace on the basis of President Wilson's Fourteen Points. By November, when the armistice was signed, the Allies had recaptured western Belgium and nearly all French territory.
Source: Chambers Dictionary of World History. London: Chambers Harrap, 2005. s.v. "World War I," http://www.credoreference.com/entry/5908934/. (accessed March 12, 2009).
Collections
The Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository contains the collections listed below pertaining to World War I, 1914-1918. To browse all World War I materials in the DMR click here.
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Middletown Digital Oral HistoriesThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the the Middletown Digital Oral Histories, whose holdings include audio oral histories and transcripts ranging from 1972 to 2006. These oral histories describe local historic events as well as veteran accounts. |
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Other Side of Middletown PhotographsThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the Other Side of Middle Photographs collection whose holdings include 150 digital images, illustrating the history of the life and achievements of African Americans in Muncie and Delaware County through photographs donated by members of the community. |
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Otto Sellers PhotographsThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the Otto Sellers Photographs collection, whose holdings include over 900 images dating from the 1900s to the 1920s. |
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Spurgeon-Greene PhotographsThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the Spurgeon-Green Photographs collection, whose holdings almost 3,000 images dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. |
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WIPB Documentary VideosThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the WIPB Documentary Videos collection, which included 3 films produced by Indiana Public Broadcasting. Ed Ball's Century describes Mr. Ball's experience in World War II as well as the impact of World War and World War II on Muncie, Indiana. |
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World War I Posters from the Elisabeth Ball CollectionThe Ball State University Libraries Digital Media Repository features the World War I Posters from the Elisabeth Ball Collection. The images in this collection are a representative sampling of more than 2,000 WWI lithographs from Italy, France, Belgium, England, Australia, Germany, the United States collected and donated by Elisabeth Ball. |
