Names and terminology of World War I

Summary

Before World War II, the conflict of 1914–1918 was commonly called the “Great War” or simply “the World War.” The term “World War I” (and related phrasing such as “First World War”) emerged during the war itself; an early recorded use appeared in September 1914 when German biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel wrote that the ongoing “European War” would become “the first world war in the full sense of the word.” In the decade after the war, many people also hoped it would be “the war to end all wars,” reflecting the unprecedented scale of destruction and deaths. The names used for the war also connected to how people understood its scope and coalitions. World War I is described as a global conflict between two major coalitions: the Allies (often also called the Entente) and the Central Powers. Its terminology extends to common shorthand used in references and disambiguation (for example, “WWI,” “World War One,” and “The First World War”), and to the way the war’s theaters were grouped (Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific).

Key Points

• 1

  Prior to World War II, 1914–1918 was widely referred to as the “Great War” or “the World War.”

• 2

  “World War I”/“First World War” terminology began appearing during the conflict; an early known use was in September 1914 by Ernst Haeckel.

• 3

  The war is commonly framed in terminology of coalitions—Allies (Entente) versus Central Powers—and is discussed as a global conflict across multiple theaters (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific).