The First World War : from west to east
The First World War: a "modern" war
The 20th century began with an event that was to change the face of the world: it was the beginning of a war that would last four long years. The front line of battle extended further than ever before and the conflict saw the emergence of new ways of fighting (trench warfare, gas attacks, the use of aircraft and tanks). The instability of international borders and the fragility of political regimes helped turn the war into a global conflict. From the far tip of Brittany to the Dardanelles, like its battered and bruised population, the architectural landscape of towns and villages suffered its own traumas which still live on in the collective memory.