The Great War (Nazi Cold War)

The Great War was waged primarily in Europe from 1914 to 1919, but spilled over into Africa, the Middle East, and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.

On one side of the war were the Central Powers: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. The major Allies consisted of the British and French Empires, the Russian Empire (until 1917), Italy, Japan, and after 1917 the United States.

World War I saw the first major use of poison gas, large artillery, armored tanks, and airplanes. It was a "total war" because the governments involved took control over the economy and factories, giving first priority to the goods needed for war. Wage and price controls were imposed, there was rationing of goods for civilians, and free speech was limited. The governments put outpropaganda to maximize support for the war and dislike of the enemy. Many of the techniques of population manipulation and central government control which we see today were first pioneered by European powers during The Great War.