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Question:Can anyone think of a reason why World War One should or should not be named world war one? I have got these so far:
Should:
It affected people all over the world, not just those that were fighting.
Many countries fought in the War, for example England and the United States were not part of Europe.
It was the biggest war ever and the scale of people that died and the amount of countries that fought (32) would mean that it could be titled World War I.
Should not:
It was mainly only countries that were situated in Europe that fought in World War One.
It was not the first large war in the world, thus it should not have been given the First title.
When it was being fought and for some time afterwards, this war was known as The Great War.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Can anyone think of a reason why World War One should or should not be named world war one? I have got these so far:
Should:
It affected people all over the world, not just those that were fighting.
Many countries fought in the War, for example England and the United States were not part of Europe.
It was the biggest war ever and the scale of people that died and the amount of countries that fought (32) would mean that it could be titled World War I.
Should not:
It was mainly only countries that were situated in Europe that fought in World War One.
It was not the first large war in the world, thus it should not have been given the First title.
When it was being fought and for some time afterwards, this war was known as The Great War.

A world war is a war affecting the majority of the world's most powerful and populous nations. World wars span multiple continents and can last for years before showing any signs of slowing. In fact, as a world war progresses, nations devote more and more of their resources to the conflict, resulting in ever-escalating destruction. World wars result in unparalleled devastation to almost every country involved, with loss of life which can only be estimated. Total economic collapse, widespread famine, and rampant disease continue to add to the death toll many years after the fighting has ended, even for the winning side.
The term "World War" was coined speculatively in the early 20th century, some years before the first World War broke out, probably as a literal translation of the German word 'Weltkrieg'The Oxford English Dictionary cites the first known usage as being in April 1909, in the pages of the Westminster Gazette.
It was recognized that the complex system of opposing alliances — the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and Italy vs. the French Third Republic, the Russian Empire, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was likely to lead to a global conflict in the event of war breaking out. The fact that the powers involved had large overseas empires virtually guaranteed that a conflict would be global, as the colonies' resources would be a crucial strategic factor. The same strategic considerations also ensured that the combatants would strike at each others' colonies, thus spreading the fighting far more widely than in the pre-colonial era.
Prior to 1939, the European war of 1914–1918 was usually called either the World War or the Great War. Only after the start of hostilities in 1939 did the World War become commonly known as the First World War (or, initially, 'The First Great War'). This is easily observed today when visiting the numerous First World War monuments and memorials to be found throughout the world. Such memorials, most of which were constructed in the 1920s plainly refer to the World War or Great War. Occasionally, a contemporary marker will indicate 1919 as the year the war ended (e.g., The World War, 1914–1919) which refers to the date of the Treaty of Versailles as the official end of the war rather than the Armistice in 1918 which in effect ended the actual hostilities.
The specific term First World War was actually coined during the war. German biologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel wrote this shortly after the start of the war:
“ There is no doubt that the course and character of the feared "European War"...will become the first world war the full sense of the word.'
Indianapolis Star September 20, 1914
This is the first known instance of the term First World War, which previously had been dated to 1931 for the earliest usage. The term was used again near the end of the war. English journalist Charles A. Repington (1858-1925) wrote:
“ [Diary entry, September 10, 1918]: We discussed the right name of the war. I said the we called it now The War, but that this could not last. The Napoleonic War was The Great War. To call it The German War was too much flattery for the Boche. I suggested The World War as a shade better title, and finally we mutually agreed to call it The First World War in order to prevent the millennium folk from forgetting that the history of the world was the history of war.
"The First World War, 1914-1918" (1920)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_war

It should be called World War I, although yes, it wasn't the first big war.The First World War is because of the extensive damage and impact it left on the world after its cessation. Amongst all the wars which have occured since the 19th century, only the WW1 has been as far-reaching in damage, not only physically but mentally to citizens of countries involved in the war. In comparison to WW2, WW1 nearly effected everybody. WW1 Before World War II, the war was also known as - The World War, The War to End All Wars, The Kaiser's War, The Great War,The War of the Nations and The War in Europe. <--It's had many names,
It seems that World War 1 fits perfectly because it was fought on a global scale, not only countries were fighting, but nations as well.

It should called WW l, not only because of the number of countries involved, but because of the political and economic consequences of the war. There was virtually no area on the planet not touched either socially or through economics even if they were not directly involved in the fighting.
Many areas of the world were still Colonies and supplied materials and men for the war effort. A lot of those Colonies used the distraction of the war to start their independence movements, eventually gaining self government.
Materials needed for the war effort were in short supply in some countries and had to either be bought or paid to be shipped through neutral countries and ports where taxes and tariffs were levied that affected the economy.
An example is the US. While officially neutral for the first few years, it had a Lend Lease Policy with the Allies. Supplies in exchange for bases. That allowed the US to greatly expand it's presence and influence around the world. Private companies sold goods to both sides of the conflict, increasing profits and in theory at least, the economy. Some Americans fought for Foreign Governments before the US entered the war, taking their beliefs and culture with them.
This is just one example of one country.
Also the consequences of of the war were felt world wide. The social, political and economic repercussions lasted for decades as countries lost or gained influence on the world stage, the failure of the World League, the Treaty of Versailles and the crushing blow of the Depression wee factors that helped drag the world into WW ll.