We're pretty used to hearing about WW2, mainly because it was such a black and white situation. WW1 is a lot less black and white, in that nobody was innocent and there wasn't an obvious bad guy since every European power (except Switzerland of course) was looking to expand their territory and prestige through military force. The elites were hungry for a war and ended up getting more than they bargained for. I'd say WW1 was just as, if not more influential than WW2 on how it changed the course of history. Empires fell, ideologies were born, technology boomed and culture changed. It's amazing how different Europe was back then, in regard to its culture surrounding monarchies and aggressive imperialism, which today would be so foreign. As a Canadian, WW1 is extremely important in our history.
The weapons really interested me, as well as the tactics and trench warfare. Nowadays we're used to seeing over the top, tacticool rifles and soldiers with expensive night vision, but back then, a bolt action with a bayonet was all you had, and the French unfortunately weren't even given proper uniforms because politicians were still stuck in the old mindset that their soldiers had to look flashy in battle. The melee weapons used in the trenches were brutal, and looked like they were out of medieval times.
I'm really hoping to see the third battle of ypres and a vimy ridge map. The image of a waste land with shell holes and a miles of scorched trees are what come to mind when I think of WW1.
