when did the first and second world war start
World War I Prior to World War II, the events of 1914â€“1918 were generally known as the Great War or simply the World War.[28][29] Contemporary Europeans also referred to it as "the war to end war" or "the war to end all wars" due to their perception of its then-unparalleled scale and devastation.[30] After World War II began in 1939, the terms became more standard, with British Empire historians, including Canadians, favouring "The First World War" and Americans "World War I".[31]