war to end all wars

alternative war to end all war

1. datedEpithet for World War I.First known use 20th c.

   They say this wil be the war to end all wars. It shall not be the war to end us! Stand firm!

   2016, DICE, Battlefield 1 (Historical Fiction), Stockholm: Electronic Arts, PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4, scene: British St. Quentin's Scar Pre-Battle Speech (Operations)

   2 more examples

   The fact is there are still a lot of wars going on in the world, and there is no general acceptance as yet that the ‘war to end all wars’ is really over.

   1920 February 9, “World Leadership Lost, says Baker”, in New York Times, page 3

   In contrast to its predecessor (the so-called war to end all wars), the 1939–1945 conflict was truly global in conduct, encompassing continents and hemispheres, and its political impact on the conduct of world affairs was and remains momentous.

   1990 March, Alexander S. Cochran Jr., “‘Remarkably Clear Picture’ of WWII’s Complexities”, in Army, volume 40, number 3, Association of the U.S. Army, page 59

   Synonyms: 14-18, European War, First World War, Great War, (The) War in Europe, World War