World War I or The Great War, came about after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Arch Duke of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo, 1914.

Most of the numerous battles took place in Europe, but also in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia. It is estimated that more than nine million people were killed during World War I.

World War I was a terrible tragedy which left Europe in utter despair, a Europe that lost the belief in optimistic progress.

Keynote speakers on World War I will typically focus on historical evidence but also try to point out in what ways the effects of World War I shaped the history of the twentieth century, especially in Europe, also in relation to the events that caused World War II.