World War I in Photos: Global Conflict

At the start of the war, the largest of the European belligerents were all colonial powers—they had people and valuable assets stationed all over the Earth. These multinational interests, along with overseas alliances and the modernization of sea transport, are what put the "world" in World War I. Enemy nations attacked each other's colonies and fleets, and laborers and soldiers were recruited from colonized countries, and brought to the front lines. Allied countries—many former colonies—shipped soldiers and supplies into battle, coordinating with their European counterparts. And, despite the fact that the Western Front is the best-known theatre of World War I, the Eastern Front—the battle between the Central Powers and the Russian Empire—was equally devastating and consequential, resulting in millions of deaths and divisions that continue to affect the region to this day. In this entry, a look at some of the diverse nations and cultures involved in the war. I've gathered photographs of the Great War from dozens of collections, some digitized for the first time, to try to tell the story of the conflict, those caught up in it, and how much it affected the world. This is part 8 of a 10-part series on World War I.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Agung Parameswara / Getty

    Ogoh-ogoh Parades Welcome the Balinese New Year

    Giant demonic effigies are carried through the streets of Bali, then burned in purification ceremonies.

  • NASA

    The Beauty of Earth From Orbit

    Recent images of our home planet, seen by crew members of the International Space Station

  • JIJI Press / AFP / Getty

    Photos of the Week: Marsh Maze, Volcanic Ash, Dying Star

    Early cherry blossoms in Tokyo, heavy snowfall in California, a festival of lights in Croatia, emotional displays at the Academy Awards, a heavy frost in England, and much more

  • © Steven Zhou, 2023 Sony World Photography Awards

    Winners of the 2023 Sony World Photography Awards Open Competition

    A collection of some of the winning and shortlisted photos from this year’s competition