World War I, or the Great War, was a global war, centred in Europe, that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. It involved all of the world’s great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies the Central Powers. Ultimately, more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history. The outcome of the war subsequently paved the way for various political changes, such as revolutions in many of the nations involved.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign states within the region, namely Brunei, the People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. A significant aspect of the territorial dispute in the South China Sea concerns China’s construction of (artificial) islands. The disputes in the South China focus on the question whether the (land reclamations on the) reefs in the South China Sea are islands or rocks or Low Tide Elevations.