Experience the history of World War I, “The Great War,” through an interactive timeline and map available on the American Battle Monuments Commission’s (ABMC) website.

This new visual interactive timeline and map is the latest in digital initiatives released by ABMC. It is designed to allow the user to view the key events of World War I across time or geography. Free to all users via the ABMC Education Resource’s page, it’s a strong tool for helping students or history buffs understand the key events of World War I.

“As the World War I centennial fast approaches, this interactive timeline and map will help anyone with an interest in history to visit a critical time period of the early 20^th Century,” said Tim Nosal, ABMC Director of Public Affairs.  “These maps enable the user to place an individual buried at one of our World War I sites, such as Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, within the context of World War I. 

While the Great War began in Europe in August 1914,  the United States didn’t enter the conflict on the side of the allies until April 1917. It was in the summer and fall of 1918 that the weight of America’s military contribution to the allied effort began to impact the Central Powers, ultimately contributing to the armistice that ended the war on Nov. 11, 1918.

More than two million Americans served in Europe during World War I. Approximately 116,500 American servicemen and women died overseas during the war.  Of that number 30,922 are interred and another 4,452 individuals are memorialized in America’s eight World War I commemorative cemeteries overseas administered  by ABMC.  America’s largest World War I cemetery is Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery with 14,246 burials.

General John J. Pershing, the first chairman of ABMC made a promise to those families who lost loved ones overseas during World War I that “Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.”  The new World War I timeline and map represents the continued efforts of ABMC to meet that promise.