World War I was a global conflict that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. The war is sometimes referred to as the “Great War” or the “War to End All Wars.” It was an untold tragedy that left behind an unprecedented amount of death and destruction. Millions of people lost their lives.

During the war, major decisions were made, such as the formation of the United Nations, the creation of a Security Council (with five permanent members), and the creation of the International Court of Justice. Other significant decisions of the war included the invasion of France and the USSR, the establishment of a democratic regime in Austria, the punishment of war criminals, and preparations for the Yalta Conference. After the war ended, Allied forces were reassigned to various countries around the world.

In the 1930s, Europe was at war again and the Japanese were expanding their empire in the Far East. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war, and began to manufacture war-related goods. This heightened the need for plant security. As a result, the federal government incorporated plant security workers into the military as auxiliary military police, and by the end of the war, more than 200,000 plant security workers had been sworn in.

The war caused a shortage of many common goods. In the Pacific, this was especially true. Many factories were converted to the production of military equipment, and even common items like sugar, flour, and shoes were scarce. The invading armies committed atrocities against civilians, and propaganda campaigns demonised entire nations and attacked the national character of the enemy peoples.