Mapping the First World War: The Empowering Development of Mapmaking during the First World War in the British Army

The First World War (1914–1918) revolutionized warfare in many ways: in addition to new technologies the old and well-known one of maps acquired a crucial role in sharing information, and understanding and controlling the battlefield. This paper advances three main arguments: first, that maps became an integral part of every aspect of warfare; second, that maps became a mindset, a language to understand, rationalize, and share any kind of information; and third, that it is necessary to rethink the concept of the mapmaker and include within it the multitude of soldiers that at any level collected information.