A group of World War I soldiers in uniform and helmets march through a muddy street, smiling. Two young girls in dresses run alongside them, holding hands and appearing cheerful. Buildings and fences are in the background.
Via Reddit

People generally see World War I through the grainy lens of black-and-white photographs. However, largely thanks to restored and colorized imagery technology, we’re now able to see a new side of the war. Now, the faces of unimaginably young soldiers frozen in fear, mud-soaked trenches, and those small, fleeting windows of joy that kept the frontlines going are viewable in vivid clarity.

1. Soldiers in the Royal Garrison Artillery

Five World War I soldiers position a large artillery gun on wooden boards in a grassy, hilly landscape; one soldier raises a tool, preparing to work, while others assist with positioning the cannon.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

2. German Soldiers During World War I, 1918

Five soldiers in World War I-era uniforms and helmets stand with rifles among the ruins of a damaged stone building, surrounded by rubble and debris.
garfd_/Reddit.com

3. German Soldiers With a Mauser T-Gewehr Anti-Tank Rifle, 1918

Two soldiers in military uniforms and helmets lie in a trench. One looks through binoculars while the other aims a large rifle across a grassy battlefield. The setting suggests a wartime scene.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

4. Soldiers and Donkey Wearing Gas Masks, Circa 1917

Two soldiers in old military uniforms and gas masks sit beside a donkey, which is also wearing a gas mask. The background shows a fence, greenery, and blurred buildings, suggesting a wartime setting.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

5. Troops From the 13th Battalion Prepare To Advance on the Village of Veldhoek in Belgium, 1917

Several World War I soldiers in muddy trenches, wearing helmets and uniforms; one holds a spade upright. The background shows barren, war-torn land with more soldiers and debris under a cloudy sky.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

6. Soldiers From the British Army Carry Duckboards Over a Support Line, 1917

Three World War I soldiers in uniforms and helmets, carrying bayonet rifles, climb a muddy trench at night. One soldier peers over the top behind a wooden barricade, illuminated by a flare in the dark sky.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

7. German Soldiers Use a Sound Locator Device on the Frontlines of Neuve-Chapelle, Northern France, 1916

Three soldiers in gray uniforms and helmets are in a trench by barbed wire; one uses a large funnel-shaped acoustic device to listen across water, while the others watch alertly with rifles ready.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

8. German Soldiers in Winter Gear, 1917

Five soldiers in heavy fur coats and gas masks stand in a snowy, muddy trench during wartime, with barren terrain and snow-covered ground visible in the background.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

9. An American Soldier Bids Farewell To His Family Before Leaving for France, 1917

A soldier in uniform embraces his wife, young daughter, and baby son in a living room adorned with American flags, suggesting an emotional homecoming or farewell during wartime.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

10. Soldiers of the 8th Battalion, 1918

A group of World War II soldiers in uniform march down a cobblestone street, some smiling; two young girls in dresses walk alongside, holding hands with one of the soldiers.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

11. Russian Soldiers of the 83rd Infantry Samur Regiment, 1916

A group of soldiers in World War I-era uniforms take cover in a trench, aiming rifles and peering over the edge, with a vast, barren landscape and cloudy sky in the background.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

12. A German Soldier With a Sawtooth Bayonet and Armor, 1917

A World War I soldier wearing a steel helmet and face mask emerges from a trench bunker, holding a rifle with a bayonet. Another soldier stands behind him; sandbags and wooden beams surround the entrance.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

13. A Russian Imperial Army Soldier

A soldier in uniform stands beside a brown horse equipped with a mounted machine gun on its back, in a forested area with trees and sparse undergrowth.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

14. Soldiers of the 1st Bulgarian Army, 1917

Two soldiers in heavy fur-lined coats and red caps hold rifles while positioned behind a stone wall in a snowy landscape, appearing alert and ready for action.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

15. Members of the New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron, June 1918

Two soldiers in helmets are crouched in tall grass at the edge of a field, aiming a machine gun toward the left. The wide, green field extends into the distance under a hazy sky.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

16. An American Field Hospital in France, 1918

Colorized photo of soldiers inside a damaged church with rubble, broken columns, and wounded soldiers lying on makeshift beds. Sunlight streams through a large hole in the wall, and a religious painting hangs above the altar.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

17. German Father and Son, 1915

Two World War I soldiers in grey uniforms stand by a tree; one reads a letter while the other, holding a rifle, leans in to look, both appearing focused. The background is blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

18. German Soldiers Wear Gas Masks While Firing From a Trench, July 1916

Two World War I soldiers in uniform and helmets stand in a muddy trench, aiming their rifles over the edge. The scene is outdoors with dirt, branches, and scattered vegetation.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

19. A French Army Medic Stands in a Devastated Trench, 1917

A World War I soldier in blue uniform and helmet stands in a muddy, barren trench with tattered barbed wire and posts in the background, holding a bag and a helmet. The landscape looks desolate and war-torn.
KaiserMeyers/Reddit.com

20. Muslim Soldiers From the Russian Imperial Army Pray Under Supervision in a German Camp in Austria, September 1914

A group of soldiers in uniform kneel in rows on grass, facing a person in a white hat and long coat who is reading from a book. Trees and a fence are visible in the background.
NapoleonLover978/Reddit.com

Meet the Writer

Matt has spent over the last 8 years as both a writer and editor, working in Seattle and Brooklyn, where he is now based. He loves escaping the tirelessly fast pace of the “Mad Apple” that is NYC by taking walks and runs through parks where he’s able to catch up on the latest tea about society from the city’s ever chatty, always hungry, occasionally maniacal, pigeons. They always have a lot to say. When he’s not taking his urban nature strolls, or dutifully combing the deepest rabbit holes of the internet to find the content that’s worth sinking your mind’s teeth into, he’s likely holed up at a dark-lit dive bar with a new book and/or some friends, or just easily he could be on the hunt for the next addition to his steadily growing plant family.