'America' on World War I: Essays from the Archives

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Originally known as “The Great War,” World War I was an event unprecedented in world—and American—history up to that time. No country was left untouched by its corrosive effects; peoples everywhere suffered losses of unimaginable magnitude. Those years, from 1914 to 1918, were ones that made an incalculable imprint on countries and governments but none more so than on the individuals who actually fought the battles and their loved ones back home who fought to retain some semblance of the life they all had before the war commenced.

In this collection of essays and editorials, General Editor James T. Keane presents World War I as seen through the pages of America magazine. In his introduction, Mr. Keane provides an insightful analysis of the times, the conflict and the personalities that appear through these pages, such as Pope Benedict XV, President Woodrow Wilson, the poet Joyce Kilmer, as well as stories of some of the men who went “Over There” to fight for freedom and democracy, the American soldier. And in a poignant reminiscence, Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. tells the story of one doughboy—his father—who fought in the war and how his experiences shaped his life afterwards. As told in America, the story of World War I—“the war to end all wars”—is one of bravery, freedom, political intrigue, and religious faith. It is a story never to be forgotten.