The Encyclopedia of World War I

By Spencer Tucker

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Description: 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. Features: 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. Highlights: Provides everything researchers and readers need to access the latest scholarship on one of the most complex and pivotal events in human history -- not only the military aspect of the war, but also its political, economic, scientific, and social implications; Offers a truly global perspective on the conflict by bringing together contributors from around the world; Brings to light new information on the pacifist movement, wartime atrocities, the role of women on the battlefield and at home, and the efforts to establish international tribunals after the conflict; Discusses to an incomparable degree the role played by technology, including the first sustained strategic deployment of tanks, machine guns, aerial bombardment, and chemical weapons. - Publisher.