European Seminar: First World War: An International History

Course Number:

HST 542

Instructor:

Spaulding, Mark

The focus of this guide is almost entirely on primary sources.

Articles & eResources

Because this course has a particular focus on analyzing primary sources, the finding aids for primary sources are listed first here, followed by those that are more likely to result in secondary sources. You will need those as well.

Also consider using databases in related disciplines. For instance, if you are researching shell-shock, the PsycInfo database may be useful.

Readers' Guide Retrospective

An index to about 250 popular magazines, mostly American, from 1890-1984. Use the search box to limit the date of publication to the period you wish to study.

Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective

A companion indes to Readers' Guide, this indexes more scholarly periodicals, 1907-1984.

New York Times Archive

Full-image of the NYT from 1851.

Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS)

Index to periodicals, books, government documents, etc., from 1915-1976.

Historical Abstracts

America: History & Life

JSTOR

Project MUSE

WorldCat

Books & Library Materials

World War I: Encyclopedia

This link is for the electronic version of the 5 volume encyclopedia. The library also has a print copy in the Reference Collection D510 .E53 2005. One volume has texts of key documents.

Home front encyclopedia : United States, Britain, and Canada in World Wars I and II

Chronicle of the First World War

A 2-volume chronology.

Subject bibliography of the first world war

An excellent bibliography focusing on material published during and shortly after the war.

World War I Memories: An Annotated Bibliography of Personal Accounts Published in English Since 1919

Memoirs are arranged by nationality of writer. There is also a subject index.

Websites

Amdocs: Documents for the Study of American History

Browse chronologically for documents from the war period.

American Memory Project

The Library of Congress digital collections contain text, photographs, audio and video on U.S. history. Be sure to look at American Leaders' Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election and Stars and Stripes, 1918-1919.

BBC: World Wars in Depth: World War One

This BBC site has assembled articles of scholarly interpretations about the war and audio versions of oral histories and dramatized diaries. An animated map of the Western front is also included.

Documents of World War I

A bare bones list of links to mostly primary sources, compiled by Dr. Vincent Ferrar, Mount Holyoke College. Chronological order.

Erste Weltkrieg

From the German Historical Museum, this site provides information on the war, politics, art, industry, propaganda and daily life. Includes recordings of Kaiser Wilhelm II speeches.

First World War.com

Although created as a hobby, this site provides a rich collection of primary source documents, audio, photographs, music, art and literature.

Great War -- 80 Years On

This BBC special report includes audio interviews, newsreel footage, and soldiers' letters.

Great War Web Site

Organized by country and topics such as films, pacifism, and poetry, this site is maintained by a staff member at the University of Pittsburgh.

Internet Modern History Sourcebook: World War I

One of a series of sourcebooks providing electronic access to documents in the public domain, the site links to documents on the origins of war, the war, resistance to war, literary responses and the aftermath.

War Times Journal: The Great War Series

War times Journal is a free online magazine of military history and science, emphasizing eyewitness accounts and personal narratives.

World War I Document Archive

Assembled by volunteers of the World War I Military History List, the list is searchable by keyword and can be browsed by year or document type.

World War I: Trenches on the Web

Not as scholarly as other sites listed here, but still a valuable list of links to resources.

Government Resources

American armies and battlefields in Europe

Order of battle of the United States land forces in the World War

United States Army in the World War, 1917-1919.

Statistics

Cost of the war to Russia

War with Germany : a statistical summary

Historical Statistics of the United States

Primary Sources

Here are some key compilations of official documents. No memoirs are listed here, but be sure to use World War I Memories and A Subject Bibliography of the First World War (listed above in books) to help identify memoirs. And be sure to search personal names as authors to find memoirs, and correspondence. Memoirs can also be found by searching World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives.