Teaching World War I in the 21st Century 1 | Page 18

create an assignment requiring students to develop a
fictional dialogue between figures from all aspects of

the war to integrate a variety of different experiences
and perspectives.

Additionally, time and curriculum constraints can

sometimes force us to look past an intriguing aspect of

World War I. The map of Europe in 1871 was simpler than
at any other time in history, and only a few changes in

the Balkans took place between that time and 1914. As a

result, many frustrated minorities stewed under the rule

of empires. It was these groups that piqued the interest of
leaders on both sides of the conflict, and the relationships
and communications between them have the potential

to hold students’ attention and continue the narrative of
nationalist groups’ battles against ruling powers.

The Germans made several overtures to minorities
or revolutionary groups in Europe. Germany sent

Vladimir Lenin on a sealed train into Russia to spark
a Bolshevik revolution. But Germany also made

overtures to Ukrainians and Poles, in an attempt to
subvert an increasingly fragile Russia. They even

sent famous diplomat Roger Casement—one of the

heroes in exposing the horrors of the Belgian Congo—
into Ireland via submarine in a bid to spark an Irish
Rebellion. The Allies were no less meddlesome,

encouraging Slavs in Austria-Hungary to rise against
the empire and also inciting uprisings in the Middle

East. This worldwide chess match offers a way to align
the studies of minorities and their goals that students

learned about in earlier units with the Great War, giving
teachers an easy method for connections across time.
At the Treaty of Versailles, many of these minorities,

and even some Allied nations, were overlooked. Japan
and China did not receive much of what they desired,

and a Vietnamese delegation was virtually ignored. And
most agreements with the Middle East were sacrificed

in favor of the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916, a secret
pact that partitioned the Ottoman Empire between

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Great Britain and France. The long-term effects of
Essays & Resources

this treatment would play out across the rest of the
twentieth century.

Finally, the home fronts offer topics rich in potential for

independent learning, or for engaging direct instruction.
Great Britain and France blockaded Germany from the

conflict’s very beginning. Germany was not only racing

the Allies, but also racing the clock in terms of food and
supplies. France lost a staggering number of men at

Verdun, and the British suffered equally horrifying losses
at the Somme. What similarities in terms of sacrifice and
loss existed between these folks and those on the home

front in the United States? What did a planned economy,
like the German War Materials Board under Walter
Rathenau, have in common with the United States’

voluntary efforts? How do letters home from the front

on both sides look when placed side by side? Were the

Central Powers soldiers seeing the war the same way as
the Allies?

Ultimately, World War I from the European view offers

a wide range of areas to explore, both in the classroom
and for NHD projects. While teachers can instruct

students about the big ideas of the war and some key

details, there are several off-ramps to great topics that
allow students to pursue interests in not only military,
but also political, economic, social, and intellectual

history. They can explore those topics in a wide range
of differentiated ways, which means each student

has the chance to make his own adventure in one of
history’s most important eras.

Editor’s note: You can find two of Brian Weaver’s
lessons on World War I, focusing on technology
and the life of an American infantryman, at
http://www.nhd.org/WWI.htm.

Scan for additional resources
(including links to the documents
and materials) or visit
http://www.nhd.org/WWI.htm.