The Great War as it was called at the time, was a war involving over twenty nations. After an assassination, the networks of alliances and treaties between nations ensured that if one nation went to war, many more nations would also fight. Fought mostly in Europe and through trench warfare, World War I was a modern war that spurred advancements in weaponry such as the use of gas as a weapon and machine guns. Starting in 1914 until it ended in 1918, the Allies (France, Britain, Russia, and eventually Japan, Portugal, Spain, the United States, and many more nations) fought the Central Powers (Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary) in a massive war that claimed around 9 million combatants lives. Although starting in 1914, the United States would not enter the war until 1917, when they helped the Allies to victory. The harsh treatment of the Central Powers in the Treaty of Versailles, would eventually spur World War II.

Included in the virtual exhibit is artifacts, clothing, photographs, diaries from World War I soldiers, as well as documents, artifacts, and photographs from Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans.

Non-GAR organizations in the exhibit:

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), 1899-present
Disabled American Veterans (DAV), 1920-present