World War I Movies

The delicate balance of power that existed in Europe was lit like a powder keg in June, 1914 when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Archduke of Austria.  Aggressive posturing and delicate alliances gauranteed the war that broke out two months later between the Allies and the Central Powers.  The war on the western front quickly devolved into a stagnant trench war, which was not broken until the introduction of the US on the side of the allies.  The allies were finally victorious by the end of 1918, but only after the war had claimed over 9 million lives and wounded more than 20 million.

World War I saw massive levels of carnage as old-world tactics met modern weaponry.  Such devastating weapons as the machine gun, chemical weapons, and flame throwers were introduced.  Additionally, the tank and airplane made their first appearances in WWI.  The former eventually helped break the stagnant immobility on the front lines, while the latter mainly took part in reconnaisance.  WWI movies have often been over-shadowed by the huge number of WWII movies, but there are still a fair number of them.  The immobility of the armies and the maddening nature of trench warfare are unique features of World War I movies that filmakers have used to great effect.