Railways in the First World War, Volume 2

This book, the second in a two- volume work resulting from a 2018 conference organized by the International Railway History Association (IRHA), examines the relationship between the railways and the First World War from a global theoretical, methodological and geographical perspective.Although the First World War (1914– 1918) has been studied extensively from virtually every angle, the question of the railways has not been the subject of robust historical interest, despite their crucial role in every respect and at every stage. The war forced the railways to adopt more efficient techniques more quickly than they would have done in peacetime, to the extent where military operations would not have been possible without their massive and multifaceted help. This collection of essays brings together specialists in the field from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds to demonstrate how this topic is integral to understanding the developments of European and world history throughout the 1910s and 1920s.Railways in the First World War will be a useful tool for students, scholars and nonspecialist readers interested in the history of transport, the history of the First World War and world history.

About the Author

Andrea Giuntini teaches Economic History at the Marco Biagi Department of Economics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy). His publications include La Grande Guerra e le ferrovie in Italia (2017). He is the President of the International Railway History Association.

Henry Jacolin has served as a French diplomat throughout the world and was ambassador in Bosnia- Hercegovina between 1993 and 1995 during the war. His publications include L’ambassadeur et le siège: Sarajevo 1993– 95 (2018) and many journal articles about railways in Eastern Europe. He was the President of the International Railway History Association from 2008 to 2019.