# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/21 "2013-12-26T05:19:33Z")
Besides the reasons already mentioned above, calling it “World War II Part I” would have been un-necessarily confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/22 "2013-12-26T17:56:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > …Japan seized German possessions in the South Pacific, made hundreds of escort missions from Malta, and fought German raiding ships near China. Japanese warships in the Med? I had no idea! Interesting: [Imperial Japanese Navy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy#World_War_I) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/23 "2013-12-26T20:18:05Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > 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. I think the Napoleonic Wars covered more territory in Europe, on the balance: World War 1 did not include Iberia, Denmark. nor did it include fighting in much of France, plus Napoleon penetrated deeper into Russia than the Germans needed to (not to mention the Russian-Turkish conflict in the meantime). On the other hand, there was Gallipoli plus more importantly area-wise the fighting at sea was more intense. But considering that’s not in “Europe” I’d have to hand the edge to the Napoleonic Wars (which, if I lived in France at the time, I’d consider to be just one long war, despite the fact that any one opponent may or may not have been out of the war in any given year.) ---
**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 26, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/24 "2013-12-26T20:38:53Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Japanese warships in the Med? I had no idea! Interesting: [Imperial Japanese Navy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy#World_War_I) OK, hundreds of ships (788); not hundreds of missions. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/25 "2013-12-26T20:46:49Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Japanese warships in the Med? I had no idea! Interesting: [Imperial Japanese Navy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Navy#World_War_I) Not mentioned in that article, but the Japanese also [patrolled the Canadian Pacific coast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Task_Force). ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/26 "2013-12-26T22:54:50Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > [@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? > > They’re all welcome to participate. Just have to show up and register. …and then convince the human male TV audience of our humble planet that she really _is_ hot\*\*\*\*\*. [sup]\*\*\*\*\* In the ‘sexual’ sense (_not_ the ‘thermal’ sense) of ‘hot’. Sorry, all you plasma-based babes…[/sup] Getting back to the OP, there is also the [SMS Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Wolf_%281913%29). I have the first and fourth books in the bibliography of that Wiki page. Very interesting reading. That ship covered half the fucking world, and sank more than twice the tonnage than any US Navy Fleet Submarine did in WW-jr. And did it in a _single_, con I think that qualifies as ‘world’. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/27 "2013-12-26T22:55:58Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > > [@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? > > They’re all welcome to participate. Just have to show up and register. …and then convince the human male TV audience of our humble planet that she really _is_ hot\*\*\*\*\*. [sup]\*\*\*\*\* In the ‘sexual’ sense (_not_ the ‘thermal’ sense) of ‘hot’. Sorry, all you plasma-based babes…[/sup] Getting back to the OP, there is also the [SMS Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Wolf_%281913%29). I have the first and fourth books in the bibliography of that Wiki page. Very interesting reading. That ship covered half the fucking world, and sank more than twice the tonnage than any US Navy Fleet Submarine did in WW-jr. And did it in a _single_, continuous war patrol. I think that qualifies as ‘world’. ---
**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 27, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/28 "2013-12-27T02:51:02Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > …and then convince the human male TV audience of our humble planet that she really _is_ hot\*\*\*\*\*. > > [sup]\*\*\*\*\* In the ‘sexual’ sense (_not_ the ‘thermal’ sense) of ‘hot’. Sorry, all you plasma-based babes…[/sup] > > Getting back to the OP, there is also the [SMS Wolf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Wolf_%281913%29). I have the first and fourth books in the bibliography of that Wiki page. Very interesting reading. That ship covered half the fucking world, and sank more than twice the tonnage than any US Navy Fleet Submarine did in WW-jr. And did it in a _single_, con > > I think that qualifies as ‘world’. No doubt we would accept intergalactic judges on the panel, if any applied. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/29 "2013-12-27T16:46:04Z")
“World War II Electric Bugaloo!” ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/30 "2013-12-28T08:57:29Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Were there any battles of significance outside of Europe? Lets see. Turkey Caucases The Leavent Sinai and Palestine Arabia Mesopotamia East Africa W Africa SW Africa Pacific ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/31 "2013-12-28T16:07:50Z")
This [map](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/WWI-re.png) showing the participants in WWI clearly indicates its global scope. While most of the German colonies in Africa and the Pacific were rapidly taken over by the Allies, German forces in [German East Africa](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Campaign_(World_War_I)) (now most of Tanzania) held out for the entire duration of the war, mounting a guerrilla campaign under the legendary Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck. In the Far East, Japan seized Germany’s territories in Micronesia (which it had obtained from Spain after the Spanish-American war) and German-leased territories in China. Several Latin America countries joined the Allies. Brazil established anti-submarine naval patrols in the South Atlantic which were credited with sinking one sub, and sent some officers and sergeants to Europe. ---
**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 28, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/32 "2013-12-28T17:36:30Z")
It has been clearly established that I need to expand my understanding of dubya dubya won. Thanks to all. ---
**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 28, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/33 "2013-12-28T20:51:13Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > It has been clearly established that I need to expand my understanding of dubya dubya won. Thanks to all. > [@](#): > > Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck. Start with this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/34 "2013-12-28T21:27:05Z")
According to [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I), it was called The European War in America until we got involved. In Europe it was referred to as the World War or the Great War, for reasons stated above. ---
**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 29, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/35 "2013-12-29T01:15:03Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Several Latin America countries joined the Allies. Brazil established anti-submarine naval patrols in the South Atlantic which were credited with sinking one sub, and sent some officers and sergeants to Europe. Siam had been intent on maintaining neutrality, but after the US entered the war and it started to become clear that the Allies would win, they began worrying the Allied side might hold that neutrality against them. So Siam dispatched a 1300-man expeditionary force comprising an ambulance section, a flying squadron and a group of automobile drivers and mechanics to France in June 1918. (The only other Southeast Asians involved in the war were 200,000 Vietnamese employed as coolies in France.) Then as now, Siam/Thailand waited to see which way the wind was blowing and then went decisively with it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/36 "2013-12-29T03:37:06Z")
Several Central American countries declared war against Germany in order to curry favor with the US, and in the case of Guatemala in order to seize German investments in coffee and other industries. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/37 "2013-12-30T08:06:15Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Several Central American countries declared war against Germany in order to curry favor with the US, and in the case of Guatemala in order to seize German investments in coffee and other industries. My understanding is something similar happened in World War II, as well as a situation where a lot of previously uninvolved countries like Argentina, Peru, Egypt and Turkey declared war on Germany in 1945 when it was obvious to everyone except Hitler that the Germans were going to lose. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/38 "2013-12-30T08:14:12Z")
^ Egypt was uninvolved before 1945? Where the hell are Alexandria and Al-amein? South Africa? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/39 "2013-12-30T08:31:32Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > ^ > Egypt was uninvolved before 1945? Where the hell are Alexandria and Al-amein? South Africa? Egypt was an independent country but still a British protectorate and the British were allowed to maintain military forces in the country outside the Suez Canal Zone in the event of a war - which they did during World War II. The Germans invaded Egypt to get at the British, not the Egyptians. The Egyptian Government was officially neutral until 1945 when they declared war on Germany, mainly so they could have a seat at the negotiating table post-war (because it was patently obvious the Germans were going to lose). ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100/40 "2013-12-30T08:44:05Z")
😉 And the US has never fought a war since 1945 either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-world-war-i/677100.md?page=3)