World War I
World War I was a major conflict fought over four years from 1914 to 1918, mainly in continental Europe.
Origin
It was caused in part by the influence of the Nemesis statue passing by Earth in 1913. (TV: Silver Nemesis)
Foreshadowing
In 1903, after receiving a wealth of information from the future, Grigori Rasputin foresaw the Great War. (AUDIO: The Wanderer) The time travelling Family of Blood, while in 1913, warned some people there would be a war the next year. (TV: The Family of Blood)
The War
Some of the battlegrounds were Passchendaele, the Somme and Gallipoli. (TV: The Sea Devils, TV: To the Last Man) A million British soldiers died during the war. (TV: To the Last Man)
On 7 May 1915, the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed by the German U-boat and sank, precipitating the entry of the United States of America into the war. (AUDIO: The Sirens of Time)
The immortal Jack Harkness fought in the war in the British Army (TV: Utopia, COMIC: The Forgotten), as did Tim Latimer, Hutchinson (TV: The Family of Blood), Major Burton (TV: Delta and the Bannermen). Tommy Brockless also served, and was eventually executed in 1918 when, suffering from shell shock, he refused to return to the front lines. (TV: To the Last Man) Solomon and the older members of his Hooverville fought in the American army during the war (TV: Evolution of the Daleks), as did Diagoras. (TV: Daleks in Manhattan)
The Forge ran at least two experiments for the war effort: trying to create vampire soldiers in 1915 (BFA: Project Twilight (audio story)) and trying to brainwash soldiers into being more aggressive in 1917. (BFA: No Man's Land)
An unknown number of British and German soldiers were kidnapped by the War Lords for their War Games, fighting in a replica of the Western Front. The Second Doctor, believing the "First World War Zone" was the real conflict, called it "one of the worst wars in human history". The soldiers were eventually returned home by the Time Lords. (TV: The War Games)
After the war, an influenza pandemic raged across the world. The Ice Warriors had released the virus to weaken humanity and allow them to invade. The virus killed the Ice Warriors instead. (PROSE: Cold)
The alien Proamonians wore spiked helmets like those the German soldiers wore during the war (TV: Dragonfire) as did the Vykoids. (PROSE: The Forgotten Army)
The Doctor visited the war several times:
- The First Doctor along with his granddaughter Susan Foreman, survived a Zeppelin air raid. (TV: Planet of Giants)
- In 1914, the Third Doctor, Tobias Philby and Thomas ended up in a No Man's Land in France, where they learned of a German artillery build-up and warned the British Army of it. (COMIC: The Amateur) The Third Doctor also claimed to have been wounded at Gallipoli. (TV: The Sea Devils)
- The Seventh Doctor, travelling with Ace and Hex, was drawn to the Forge's experiments at Charnage House field hospital and thwarted them. (BFA: No Man's Land) Another time, he offered one private the opportunity to travel with him but the man declined. (PROSE: Front Line)
- The Ninth Doctor visited at Christmas, 1914 with Rose Tyler. He started the football game between the opposing troops taking part in the Christmas truce. (COMIC: The Forgotten)
- The Tenth Doctor and Rose visited the war again and put a stop to the Warfreekz' observation of the battles. (COMIC: Warfreekz!)
Second World War
- Main article: World War II
The war was followed by a Second World War which began in 1939. (TV: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances, Victory of the Daleks et al)
