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Collection Veterans History Project Collection

World War I (1917-1918)

American participation in World War I—known as the Great War—lasted less than two years, but resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 US servicemen and women. The following curated presentations offer Veterans History Project collections that relate to World War I.

Our Research Guides, StoryMaps, and blog posts provide additional ways to explore the collections.

World War I: The Great War So massive was the destruction wrought by this conflict that many thought it would be the war to end all wars--hence the eventual designation of it as “The Great War.” The United States had over 4.7 million men--and several thousand women--in uniform during WWI. These collections are a treasure trove of original primary sources, all of which offer insights into the experience of serving…
World War I Remembered: 100 Years Later World War I is among the least documented wars of those covered by the Veterans History Project, and the number of collections relating its experiences are not likely to grow dramatically. With limited amounts of oral histories, we must rely on the generosity of relatives and friends of deceased veterans to donate written accounts in letters, diaries, and memoirs, as well as precious collections…