Even a century after the outbreak of World War I, its consequences can still be felt. SPIEGEL explored this phenomenon in a recent series, using World War I as the starting point for observing conditions today in a number of the world's regions. These included the role of the United States as a superpower and global police force, the ongoing failure of peace efforts in the Middle East and the as yet unresolved ethnic divisions in the Balkans last manifested in the Bosnian War. In 12 features, SPIEGEL reporters describe the effects of the primal catastrophe of the 20th century that remain present today.
