Origins of ‘the war to end all wars’
100 years after World War 1 began, Lincoln Presidential Library historian explores what sparked unprecedented violence
 

[December 01, 2014]  SPRINGFIELD – A century ago, Europe was suddenly plunged into violence. Nation after nation joined the combat until it grew into something totally unprecedented – a “world war.”

Historian Mark DePue will explore the origins of World War I on Dec. 9 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The free event begins at 6:30 in the museum’s Union Theater.

Reservations can be made by visiting www.presidentlincoln.gov and clicking on “Special event tickets and reservations” or by calling 217-558-8934.

World War I began with a political assassination, but its roots ran much deeper than that single event. The war eventually pulled the United States into combat and resulted in an estimated nine million military deaths and millions more civilian deaths.

DePue, director of the presidential library’s Oral History Program, will use photos, maps and soldiers’ quotes to bring the past to life. His presentations on Civil War battles consistently attract an overflow crowd, leaving them with a new understanding of military history.

[Chris Wills, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum]