# Why "World" War I? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 24, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100 "2013-12-24T19:46:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/1 "2013-12-24T19:46:16Z")
I think this question has been asked before but a quick search didn’t quite turn up the answers I’m looking for. Basically, if the war was confined to Europe - almost wholly Germany, France and the southern arc of nations - then why is it considered a “world” war? I know that most of the nations involved had colonies and allies around the world who contributed troops and materiel, but really, it was four or five nations on each side doing the warring in a relatively small area of “the world.” Were there any battles of significance outside of Europe? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/2 "2013-12-24T19:59:36Z")
Australians and British fought the Turks (allied with Germany) at Gallipoli. Japan seized German possessions in the South Pacific, made hundreds of escort missions from Malta, and fought German raiding ships near China. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/3 "2013-12-24T20:05:05Z")
The first naval battle of the war took place off the coast of Chile. As for “confined to Europe,” tell that to [Paul von Letter-Vorbeck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Lettow-Vorbeck). ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/4 "2013-12-24T20:10:23Z")
Becasue several empires were involved, and theyall involved their colonies. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/5 "2013-12-24T20:19:08Z")
Not to mention America being in it, toward the end. But in any case, even if it had been confined to Europe, it involved a much bigger swath of Europe than any previous war,\* and to Europeans, Europe was the ‘world’ that counted. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ \*The Thirty Years War _may_ have covered more territory, but I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/6 "2013-12-24T20:33:56Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I think this question has been asked before but a quick search didn’t quite turn up the answers I’m looking for. > > Basically, if the war was confined to Europe - almost wholly Germany, France and the southern arc of nations - then why is it considered a “world” war? I know that most of the nations involved had colonies and allies around the world who contributed troops and materiel, but really, it was four or five nations on each side doing the warring in a relatively small area of “the world.” > > Were there any battles of significance outside of Europe? Sir, there was an astonishing amount of conflict in Africa. Try reading this– [The Great War in Africa: 1914-1918by Byron Farwell](http://www.amazon.com/Great-War-Africa-1914-1918/dp/0393305643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387917099&sr=1-1&keywords=great+war+in+africa) Terribly readable, and informative. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/7 "2013-12-24T20:43:41Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > Becasue several empires were involved, and theyall involved their colonies. More importantly for the future of colonialism they raised troops from thier colonies to fight in the trenches of Europe. There were also the [campaigns against Germany’s colonies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_theatre_of_World_War_I). It was also more popularly called the Great War until World War II happened. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/8 "2013-12-24T21:13:56Z")
No human being alive at the time was not profoundly affected by the war or its immediate consequences. That includes the Pacific Islanders and Inuit who were nearly wiped out by the war-accelerated Influenza Pandemic, the Mongolians who were drawn into the Russian and Chinese Civil Wars, or the Latin Americans whose economies were impacted by the demand for materiel. That can’t be said for “The _Real_ First World War” aka the Seven Years War, even though it was fought in Europe, NE North America and India. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/9 "2013-12-24T23:16:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Australians and British fought the Turks (allied with Germany) at Gallipoli. Also in Syria, Arabia, Iraq and Palestine. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/10 "2013-12-24T23:29:23Z")
The Seven Years’ War was probably the first “world war.” Just Britain and France, but they fought all over the world wherever they found each other – Europe, North America, India, Africa, the Philippines, to name just a few. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/11 "2013-12-25T00:14:25Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The Seven Years’ War was probably the first “world war.” Just Britain and France, The ghosts of Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great are going to rise from their graves to haunt you tonight ;). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/12 "2013-12-25T00:56:22Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > The ghosts of Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great are going to rise from their graves to haunt you tonight ;). Okay, so that was a _bit_ of an exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/13 "2013-12-25T01:03:21Z")
A similar question: why Miss “Universe,” when there’s a cloud of sentinent gas covering a planet in the constellation Libra who thinks herself pretty hot? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/14 "2013-12-25T01:04:16Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > A similar question: why Miss “Univerese,” when there’s a cloud of sentinent gas covering a planet in the constellation Libra who thinks herself pretty hot They’re all welcome to participate. Just have to show up and register. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/15 "2013-12-25T01:08:33Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Sir, there was an astonishing amount of conflict in Africa. > > Try reading this– > > [The Great War in Africa: 1914-1918by Byron Farwell](http://www.amazon.com/Great-War-Africa-1914-1918/dp/0393305643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1387917099&sr=1-1&keywords=great+war+in+africa) > > Terribly readable, and informative. Either that or watch the movie, African Queen. Essentially the Brits kicked Germany out of Africa. The Italians (allied with the French and British) were also involved in North Africa against Turk supported rebels. In sum, there was fighting on three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) and sea conflicts pretty much in all the oceans as well as some fighting in the Pacific Islands. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/16 "2013-12-25T01:08:44Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > A similar question: why Miss “Universe,” when there’s a cloud of sentinent gas covering a planet in the constellation Libra who thinks herself pretty hot? \ Nobody wishes to hear about your flatulent date, **Slithy**! ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/17 "2013-12-25T04:13:00Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > It was also more popularly called the Great War until World War II happened. I preferred to refer to it as “The War to End All Wars”. Mostly because I was a draftee with a pissy attitude with a very dry sense of humor who could utter sarcasm with a straight (and on a good day, innocent) face. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/18 "2013-12-25T14:14:58Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I preferred to refer to it as “The War to End All Wars”. Mostly because I was a draftee with a pissy attitude with a very dry sense of humor who could utter sarcasm with a straight (and on a good day, innocent) face. Which was followed by “a peace to end all peaces” as Archibald Wavell dubbed the Versailles Conference. But some people have doubts as to how harsh that treaty really was, although that is a great debates topic. ---
**Author:** ![Batfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Batfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batfish)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/19 "2013-12-25T14:26:23Z")
I wonder how the OP feels about the “World” Series. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/20 "2013-12-25T14:34:11Z")
There was [fighting](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_New_Guinea#World_War_I) between German colonial troops in New Guinea and Australians. The Germans lost, both the fight and the colony. A tiny battle, of course, but very far from Europe. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100.md?page=2)