When Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, it set off a chain of events that became one of the deadliest combats in human history, known as the First World War. To mark the centennial of the start of this war, York University’s Department of History has produced a documentary series, entitled The War to End All Wars: A Look Back at World War I.
Comprised of six English-language episodes and one French-language episode, the series includes 14 of York’s History professors discussing various events of the war, including: The World at War, Canada at War, Women at War, Empires at War, Technologies at War, The Spoils of War and Les Canadiens français et la Première Guerre mondiale. “The series of videos in English and French, offers an opportunity to better understand the impact that the First World War had on Canadians and the world,” said Marcel Martel, Chair of the Department of History. Continue reading to watch them all!
Episode 1: The World at War
Professors Deborah Neill, Stephen Brooke, William Wicken, Molly Ladd-Taylor & Jennifer Stephen discuss the origins of the war.
Episode 2: Canada at War
Professors William Wicken, Marcel Martel, Jennifer Stephen, William Jenkins & Craig Heron discuss how Canada got involved in WW1.
Episode 3: Woman at War
Professors Kathryn McPherson, Molly Ladd-Taylor & Jennifer Stephen examine the role women played in WW1.
Episode 4: Empires at War
Professors Deborah Neill, Stephen Brooke, Joan Judge & Thabit Abdullah discuss how various Empires approached the war.
Episode 5: Technologies at War
Professors Deborah Neill and Craig Heron discuss the new advances in technologies that were developed during WW1.
Episode 6: The Spoils of War
Professors Stephen Brooke, Joan Judge, Kalman Weiser, Thabit Abdullah, Jennifer Stephen & William Wicken and the aftermath of WW1.
Episode 7: Les Canadiens français et la Première Guerre mondiale.
Professors Marcel Martel, Colin Coates & Roberto Perin discuss the war from the perspective of French Canadians.
Well done! and congrats to York University Department of History. It is SO important, in my view, for historians to speak publicly about the diverse experiences that make up our history.