Archive photographs of significant events of the first world war in Belgium, France and England – from Kaiser Wilhelm II inspecting German troops, to Australian soldiers at Ypres and PoWs in Bruges – are matched with the locations today. This is the first of a two-part series, which focuses on the years 1914-16.

• Click here for part two, which shows the key moments from the end of the war and its aftermath

• Photography then and now lets you move through time by tapping or clicking on a historic image to reveal the modern view. You can drag or swipe to control the speed of the transformation

