A world war is an international conflict that involves most or all of the world 's major powers. Learn about the etymology, history and examples of world wars, such as World War I and World War II, and their consequences and controversies. Understanding world war history—especially World War I, World War II, and the speculation about World War III—is essential to protect global peace. World War I and II deeply affected political systems, economies, and societies. Home World News in depth How close are we to World War Three? The Taiwan Strait, the Israel-Iran theatre, Nato’s eastern front and the Korean peninsula all have different risk factors but ... World War I, also known as the Great War, started in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. His murder catapulted into a war across Europe that lasted until 1918.
