1914

This digital selection from 100 Days to Victory follows the opening months of the First World War from Britain’s declaration of war on 4 August 1914 to the Christmas Truce. It explains how mobilisation plans and alliance commitments turned the Balkan crisis into a European war, then follows the German advance, the retreat and recovery of the Allied armies and the creation of a continuous trench front.

David combines major decisions with individual experiences from the battlefield, the sea and the home front. The selection considers early naval operations, the first air attacks, civilian reactions and the shock produced by modern firepower. Its endpoint, the unofficial fraternisation of December 1914, contrasts brief human contact with the entrenched conflict that would dominate the following years.