Perceptions of World War I

World War I, or the Great War as it is remembered by many nations, witnessed a series of innovations both in the way it was conducted (breadth and amplitude, weaponry, strategy and tactics etc.), as well as in the way it was perceived and internalized by the participant nations and their societies. The fact that perception is often more important than reality motivates the interest in showing how the perceptions of World War I, at the dawn of the current iconic society, modeled attitudes, behaviors and mentalities. The present work aims to present and analyze the way in which the outbreak of the conflict and its further development were viewed by the main actors, respectively the Western nations in the Entente, but also the echo of these tragic events in the Romanian Old Kingdom. Beyond the information that supports this analysis and its inherent comparative nature, the author proposes a heuristic model of analysis derived from "Social change" analysis. Beginning with the various propaganda means used by the belligerent nations, the numerous testimonies (either individual or collective) which represent valuable sources, this work will highlight fundamental aspects of the way in which both the public and the individual perception of the war developed during the Great War. The conclusions of this work emphasize the fact that manipulation has become an efficient way of influencing public opinion in modern societies, especially in those experiencing a state of deep conflict.