Soldiers of the First World

“Everyone is looking for and not finding the reason why the war began. Their search is in vain, they will not find this reason. The war did not start for any one reason, the war started for all reasons at once” (Thomas Woodrow Wilson). First World War covers the period from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918. It was a large-scale armed conflict. The war divided world history into two eras, opening a completely new page of it, filled with social explosions and upheavals.
This name of the war was established in historiography after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Prior to this, the name Great War" (eng. TheGreatWar, fr. La grande guerre), in the Russian Empire it was called the "Second Patriotic War", and also informally (both before the revolution and after) - "Germanic"; then in the USSR - "imperialist war".

For almost the entire 19th century, the main powers were heading towards open conflict, as a result of which the fate of not just Europe, but the whole world, was to be decided. England, France, Russia, a little later Germany and Austria-Hungary were not going to compromise.

The threat of war could not be prevented either by the numerous unions formed, since almost all of them turned out to be fictitious, or even by the close relationship of almost all the reigning families. In fact, future enemies - the rulers of Russia, England and Germany - were cousins. But national interests for them stood above reason and family ties.

38 independent states out of 59 that existed at that time were involved in a military conflict on a global scale. And each side had its own reasons for participating in the war.

The First World War is a war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, the USA, etc.).

World at the turn of the century

At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. capitalism has grown into imperialism. The world was almost completely divided between the major powers. But this section could not be final. There were always parts of disputed territories, remnants of crumbling empires (for example, Portuguese possessions in Africa, which, according to a secret agreement concluded by Great Britain and Germany in 1898, were subject to division between the two powers; the Ottoman Empire slowly fell apart throughout the 19th century and was a tasty pieces for young predators). Having colonies means not only having markets and sources of raw materials, but also being a great and respected power.

The beginning of the 20th century was also marked by the emergence of a number of unifying tendencies: Pan-Germanism, Pan-Slavism, and so on. Each of these movements demanded for itself a vast homogeneous space and sought to break up the existing heterogeneous formations, primarily Austria-Hungary, a mosaic state, united only by the belonging of each of its parts to the Habsburg dynasty.

The global confrontation between the great powers, primarily England and Germany, escalated, and the struggle for the redivision of the world, including the redistribution of colonies, began.

Contradictions manifested themselves in certain regions: the confrontation in the Balkans between Russia and its ally Serbia and Austria-Hungary, along with allied Bulgaria, became especially acute. The situation was aggravated by the fact that England, Germany, France and Italy also pursued their interests here. By 1914, Germany had become the dominant military power in the Balkan region, taking control of the Ottoman army. Russia's desire to master the Black Sea straits was now blocked not only by England, but also by the German-Turkish military alliance.

In the Middle and Far East, the new superpowers of the United States and Japan sought to spread their influence.

In Europe, the political and economic rivalry between Germany and France was obvious, fighting for hegemony in the field of production and marketing in Europe.

Country interests

Great Britain (as part of the Entente)

She was afraid of a potential German threat, so she switched to the policy of forming an anti-German bloc of states.

She did not want to put up with the penetration of Germany into areas that she considered “her own”: East and South-West Africa. She also wanted to take revenge on Germany for supporting the Boers in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. Therefore, in fact, she was already waging an undeclared economic and commercial war against Germany and was actively preparing for a war with her.

France (as part of the Entente)

She wanted to recoup the defeat inflicted on her by Germany in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. She wanted to return Alsace and Lorraine, separated from France in 1871. She fought with Germany for sales markets, but at the same time she was afraid of German aggression. It was also important for France to keep its colonies (North Africa).

Russia (as part of the Entente)

The main interest for Russia was control over the Dardanelles, she wanted to have free passage for her fleet in the Mediterranean.

In the construction of the Berlin-Baghdad railway (1898), Russia saw an unfriendly act on the part of Germany, an encroachment on its rights in Asia, although in 1911 these differences with Germany were settled by the Potsdam Agreement.

In the Balkans, the influence of Austria was growing, which Russia also did not want to put up with, as well as with the fact that Germany was gaining strength and began to dictate its terms in Europe.

Russia considered itself the main Slavic peoples, anti-Austrian and anti-Turkish sentiments of the Serbs and Bulgarians tried to support.

Serbia (as part of the Entente)

She wanted to establish herself in the Balkans as the leader of the Slavic peoples of the peninsula, to form Yugoslavia, including all the Slavs living in the south of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Unofficially supported the nationalist organizations that fought against Austria-Hungary and Turkey.

German Empire (Triple Alliance)

Strived for military, economic and political dominance on the European continent. She sought to gain equal rights in the colonial possessions of England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal.

In the Entente, she saw an alliance against herself.

Austria-Hungary (Triple Alliance)

Due to its multinationality, it played the role of a permanent hotbed of instability in Europe. She fought to keep Bosnia and Herzegovina captured by her in 1908. Opposed to Russia, because Russia took on the role of defender of all Slavs in the Balkans, and Serbia.

USA before World War I they were the world's largest debtor, and after the war they became the sole world creditor.

Preparing for war

The preparations for a world war as a means of resolving external and internal contradictions of the state were carried out for many years, the creation of a system of military-political blocs began. This was initiated by the Austro-German treaty of 1879, the participants of which pledged to assist each other in case of war with Russia. In 1882, Italy joined them, seeking support in the fight against France for the possession of Tunisia. Thus arose the Triple Alliance of 1882, or the alliance of the Central Powers, directed against Russia and France, and later against Great Britain. In opposition to him, another coalition of European powers began to take shape. The Russian-French alliance of 1891-93 was formed, which provided for the joint actions of these countries in the event of aggression from Germany or aggression from Italy and Austria-Hungary, supported by Germany. The growth of the economic power of Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. forced Britain to gradually abandon the traditional policy of "brilliant isolation" and seek rapprochement with France and Russia. Anglo-French agreement of 1904. disputes between Great Britain and France on colonial issues were settled, and the Anglo-Russian agreement of 1907 consolidated the agreement between Russia and Great Britain regarding their policy in Tibet, Afghanistan, and Iran. These documents formalized the creation of the Triple Entente, or Entente- a bloc of Great Britain, France and Russia, opposed to the Triple Alliance. In 1912 the Anglo-French and Franco-Russian maritime conventions were signed, and in 1913 negotiations began on concluding an Anglo-Russian maritime convention.

In preparation for the World War, the states created a powerful military industry, which was based on large state-owned factories: weapons, gunpowder, shell, ammunition, shipbuilding, etc. Private enterprises were involved in the production of military products: in Germany - Krupp factories, in Austria-Hungary - Skoda , in France - Schneider-Creusot and Saint-Chamond, in the UK - Vickers and Armstrong-Whitworth, in Russia - the Putilov plant, etc. The achievements of science and technology were put at the service of preparing for war. More advanced weapons appeared: store-bought rapid-fire rifles and machine guns, which greatly increased the firepower of the infantry; in artillery, the number of rifled guns of the latest systems has sharply increased.

Of great strategic importance was the development railways, which made it possible to significantly accelerate the concentration and deployment of large troop masses in theaters of operations and to ensure the uninterrupted supply of active armies with human reinforcements and all types of logistics. More and more important role began to play road transport. Military aviation emerged. The use of new means of communication in military affairs (telegraph, telephone, radio) facilitated the organization of command and control. The number of armies and trained reserves increased rapidly. In the field of naval armaments, there was a stubborn rivalry between Germany and Great Britain. Since 1905, ships of a new type have been built - dreadnoughts. By 1914, the German fleet had firmly taken second place in the world after the British fleet. Other states also sought to strengthen their navies.

An ideological preparation for war was also carried out: the peoples were inspired by the means of propaganda that it was inevitable.

It is known that the reason for the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 was the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by a Serbian nationalist, a member of the Young Bosnia organization Gavrilo Princip. But that was just an excuse. As one of the historians put it, this murder can be called setting fire to the fuse, behind which was a barrel of gunpowder.

World War I

1914 - 1918 years

The reason for the First World War was the assassination on June 15 (28), 1914 in Sarajevo (Bosnia) by Serbian nationalists of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Germany decided to use the favorable moment to start a war. Under pressure from Germany, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia on July 10 (23) and, despite the agreement of the Serbian government to fulfill almost all of its demands, broke off diplomatic relations with it on July 12 (25), and declared war on it on July 15 (28). Serbian capital Belgrade came under artillery fire. On July 16 (29) Russia began mobilization in the military districts bordering Austria-Hungary, and on July 17 (30) announced general mobilization. Germany on July 18 (31) demanded that Russia stop mobilization and, having received no answer, on July 19 (August 1) declared war on her. July 21 (August 3) Germany declared war on France and Belgium; On July 22 (August 4), Great Britain declared war on Germany, with which its dominions entered the war - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa and the largest colony of India. On August 10 (23) Japan declared war on Germany. Italy, while formally remaining part of the Triple Alliance, declared its neutrality on July 20 (August 2), 1914.

Was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand the cause or cause of the First World War?

On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip assassinated the Austrian heir apparent Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo and his wife. It is believed that this incident was the reason for the outbreak of the First World War.

Historians' opinions.

Konstantin Zalessky, historian

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is not the cause of the First World War, but only an excuse. And the reason is not very good. To unleash the war, they used the case that appeared at that moment. Moreover, the assassination of Frans Ferdinand was not the work of a Serbian organization, but an organization that secretly operated on the territory of Austria-Hungary. Although certain circles in Serbia could be involved in the murder, however, not the ruling circles. The Serbs quite decently responded to the ultimatum of Austria-Hungary. And after the response of Serbia, in principle, it followed that there was no reason for starting a war. As for whether Gavrilo Princip acted on his own initiative or was a puppet in the hands of others, I think that he acted solely for reasons of patriotism. That is, Princip shot at Franz Ferdinand and then at his wife, solely believing that this terrorist act would help the liberation of the southern Slavs from the power of Austria-Hungary. Another thing is that the entire organization was under the influence of certain terrorist and ultra-radical circles of the Serbian leadership. But I emphasize that not the ruling circles in Serbia, but those who sought to unleash the conflict. For his part, Princip acted honestly, he had an exclusively patriotic idea. Although, a terrorist is a terrorist, even if he acts with good intentions. And he, in principle, was not a puppet in the hands of others. This whole group, which organized the assassination attempt on Frans Ferdinand, acted absolutely consciously.

Andrey Zubov, historian

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand certainly triggered World War I. If this were the cause, then the problem could be solved quite easily. And, in general, the incident could be exhausted. Historians are well aware that Austria consulted with Germany, and Germany believed that the war might start now or never start. That is why military programs, including the program of Russia, went forward. And the plan to quickly defeat the French army on the Western Front, followed by the transfer of troops to the Eastern Front and the defeat of Russia, failed for a number of technical reasons. Consequently, Germany and Austria were extremely interested in starting the war as soon as possible. As for how Gavrilo Princip acted, he acted on behalf of Serbian nationalists. That is, he represented those people who believed that all Slavic lands should be united. Indeed, the movement was quite powerful then, so it is possible that the Principle acted completely sincerely, and was not a double agent.

World War I (1914 - 1918)

The Russian Empire collapsed. One of the goals of the war is solved.

Chamberlain

The First World War lasted from August 1, 1914 to November 11, 1918. 38 states with a population of 62% of the world took part in it. This war was rather ambiguous and extremely contradictory described in modern history. I specifically cited Chamberlain's words in the epigraph to once again emphasize this inconsistency. A prominent politician in England (Russia's ally in the war) says that one of the goals of the war has been achieved by overthrowing the autocracy in Russia!

The Balkan countries played an important role in the beginning of the war. They were not independent. Their policy (both foreign and domestic) was greatly influenced by England. Germany by that time had lost its influence in this region, although it controlled Bulgaria for a long time.

• Entente. the Russian Empire, France, UK. The allies were the USA, Italy, Romania, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
• Triple Alliance. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Later, the Bulgarian kingdom joined them, and the coalition became known as the Quadruple Union.

The following major countries took part in the war: Austria-Hungary (July 27, 1914 - November 3, 1918), Germany (August 1, 1914 - November 11, 1918), Turkey (October 29, 1914 - October 30, 1918), Bulgaria (October 14, 1915 - 29 September 1918). Entente countries and allies: Russia (August 1, 1914 - March 3, 1918), France (August 3, 1914), Belgium (August 3, 1914), Great Britain (August 4, 1914), Italy (May 23, 1915), Romania (August 27, 1916) .

Another important point. Initially, a member of the "Triple Alliance" was Italy. But after the outbreak of the First World War, the Italians declared neutrality.

Causes of World War I

The main reason for the outbreak of the First World War is the desire of the leading powers, primarily England, France and Austria-Hungary, to redistribute the world. The fact is that the colonial system collapsed by the beginning of the 20th century. The leading European countries, which had prospered for years by exploiting the colonies, were no longer allowed to obtain resources simply by taking them away from the Indians, Africans and South Americans. Now resources could only be won back from each other. Therefore, contradictions arose:

• Between England and Germany. England sought to prevent the strengthening of German influence in the Balkans. Germany sought to gain a foothold in the Balkans and the Middle East, and also sought to deprive England of naval dominance.
• Between Germany and France. France dreamed of regaining the lands of Alsace and Lorraine, which she had lost in the war of 1870-71. France also sought to seize the German Saar coal basin.
• Between Germany and Russia. Germany sought to take Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states from Russia.
• Between Russia and Austria-Hungary. Contradictions arose because of the desire of both countries to influence the Balkans, as well as the desire of Russia to subjugate the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.

Cause to start a war

The events in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) served as the reason for the start of the First World War. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand organization of the Young Bosnia movement, assassinated Archduke Frans Ferdinand. Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, so the resonance of the murder was enormous. This was the reason for Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia.

The behavior of England is very important here, since Austria-Hungary could not start a war on its own, because this practically guaranteed a war throughout Europe. The British, at the level of the embassy, ​​convinced Nicholas 2 that Russia, in the event of aggression, should not leave Serbia without help. But then all (I emphasize this) the English press wrote that the Serbs were barbarians and Austria-Hungary should not leave the murder of the Archduke unpunished. That is, England did everything so that Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia did not shy away from war.

Important nuances of the reason for war

In all textbooks we are told that the main and only reason for the outbreak of the First World War was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke. At the same time, they forget to say that the next day, June 29, another significant murder took place. The French politician Jean Jaures, who actively opposed the war and had great influence in France, was killed. A few weeks before the assassination of the Archduke, there was an attempt on Rasputin, who, like Zhores, was an opponent of the war and had a great influence on Nicholas 2. I also want to note some facts from the fate of the main characters of those days:

• Gavrilo Principin. He died in prison in 1918 from tuberculosis.
• Russian Ambassador to Serbia - Hartley. In 1914 he died at the Austrian embassy in Serbia, where he came for a reception.
• Colonel Apis, leader of the Black Hand. Shot in 1917.
• In 1917 Hartley's correspondence with Sozonov (the next Russian ambassador to Serbia) disappeared.

All this indicates that there were a lot of black spots in the events of the days, which have not yet been revealed. And this is very important to understand.

The role of England in starting the war

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 2 great powers in continental Europe: Germany and Russia. They did not want to openly fight against each other, since the forces were approximately equal. Therefore, in the "July crisis" of 1914, both sides took a wait-and-see attitude. English diplomacy came to the fore. By means of the press and secret diplomacy, she conveyed to Germany the position - in the event of war, England would remain neutral or take the side of Germany. By open diplomacy, Nicholas 2 heard the opposite idea that in the event of a war, England would take the side of Russia.

It must be clearly understood that one open statement by England that she will not allow war in Europe would be enough for neither Germany nor Russia to even think about anything of the kind. Naturally, under such conditions, Austria-Hungary would not have dared to attack Serbia. But England, with all her diplomacy, pushed the European countries to war.

Russia before the war

Before the First World War, Russia reformed the army. In 1907, the fleet was reformed, and in 1910 the land forces were reformed. The country has increased military spending many times over, and the total size of the army in Peaceful time was now 2 million. In 1912, Russia adopts a new Field Service Charter. Today it is rightfully called the most perfect Charter of its time, since it motivated soldiers and commanders to take personal initiative. Important point! The doctrine of the army of the Russian Empire was offensive.

Despite the fact that there were many positive changes, there were also very serious miscalculations. The main one is the underestimation of the role of artillery in the war. As the course of events of the First World War showed, this was a terrible mistake, which clearly showed that at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian generals were seriously behind the times. They lived in the past when the role of the cavalry was important. As a result, 75% of all the losses of the First World War were caused by artillery! This is a sentence to the imperial generals.

It is important to note that Russia never finished preparing for the war (at the proper level), while Germany completed it in 1914.

The balance of forces and means before and after the war

Artillery

	Number of guns	Of these, heavy weapons
Austria-Hungary
Germany

According to the data from the table, it can be seen that Germany and Austria-Hungary were many times superior to Russia and France in terms of heavy guns. Therefore, the balance of power was in favor of the first two countries. Moreover, the Germans, as usual, before the war created an excellent military industry, which produced 250,000 shells daily. For comparison, Britain produced 10,000 shells a month! As they say, feel the difference...

Another example showing the importance of artillery is the battles on the Dunajec Gorlice line (May 1915). In 4 hours, the German army fired 700,000 shells. For comparison, during the entire Franco-Prussian War (1870-71), Germany fired just over 800,000 shells. That is, in 4 hours a little less than in the entire war. The Germans clearly understood that heavy artillery would play a decisive role in the war.

Armament and military equipment

Production of weapons and equipment during the First World War (thousand units).

	Shooting	Artillery
Great Britain
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austria-Hungary

This table clearly shows the weakness of the Russian Empire in terms of equipping the army. In all major indicators, Russia is far behind Germany, but also behind France and Great Britain. Largely because of this, the war turned out to be so difficult for our country.

Number of people (infantry)

The number of fighting infantry (millions of people).

	At the beginning of the war	By the end of the war	Losses killed
Great Britain
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austria-Hungary

The table shows that the smallest contribution, both in terms of combatants and in terms of deaths, was made by Great Britain to the war. This is logical, since the British did not really participate in major battles. Another example from this table is illustrative. We are told in all textbooks that Austria-Hungary, due to heavy losses, could not fight on its own, and it always needed Germany's help. But pay attention to Austria-Hungary and France in the table. The numbers are identical! Just as Germany had to fight for Austria-Hungary, so Russia had to fight for France (it is no coincidence that the Russian army saved Paris from capitulation three times during the First World War).

The table also shows that in fact the war was between Russia and Germany. Both countries lost 4.3 million killed, while Britain, France and Austria-Hungary together lost 3.5 million. The numbers are telling. But it turned out that the countries that fought the most and made the most efforts in the war ended up with nothing. First, Russia signed the shameful Brest peace for itself, losing a lot of land. Then Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, in fact, having lost its independence.

The course of the war

Military events of 1914

July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. This entailed the involvement in the war of the countries of the Triple Alliance, on the one hand, and the Entente, on the other.

Russia entered World War I on August 1, 1914. Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (uncle of Nicholas 2) was appointed supreme commander.

In the first days of the beginning of the war, Petersburg was renamed Petrograd. Since the war with Germany began, and the capital could not have a name of German origin - "burg".

History reference

German "Schlieffen Plan"

Germany was under the threat of a war on two fronts: East - with Russia, West - with France. Then the German command developed the "Schlieffen plan", according to which Germany should defeat France in 40 days and then fight with Russia. Why 40 days? The Germans believed that this is how much Russia would need to mobilize. Therefore, when Russia mobilizes, France will already be out of the game.

On August 2, 1914, Germany captured Luxembourg, on August 4 they invaded Belgium (a neutral country at that time), and by August 20 Germany had reached the borders of France. The implementation of the Schlieffen plan began. Germany advanced deep into France, but on September 5 was stopped at the Marne River, where a battle took place, in which about 2 million people participated on both sides.

Northwestern front of Russia in 1914

Russia at the beginning of the war made a stupid thing that Germany could not calculate in any way. Nicholas 2 decided to enter the war without fully mobilizing the army. On August 4, Russian troops, under the command of Rennenkampf, launched an offensive in East Prussia (modern Kaliningrad). Samsonov's army was equipped to help her. Initially, the troops were successful, and Germany was forced to retreat. As a result, part of the forces of the Western Front was transferred to the Eastern. The result - Germany repelled the Russian offensive in East Prussia (the troops acted disorganized and lacked resources), but as a result, the Schlieffen plan failed, and France could not be captured. So, Russia saved Paris, though by defeating its 1st and 2nd armies. After that, a positional war began.

Southwestern Front of Russia

On southwestern front in August-September, Russia launched an offensive operation against Galicia, which was occupied by the troops of Austria-Hungary. The Galician operation was more successful than the offensive in East Prussia. In this battle, Austria-Hungary suffered a catastrophic defeat. 400 thousand people were killed, 100 thousand captured. For comparison, the Russian army lost 150 thousand people killed. After that, Austria-Hungary actually withdrew from the war, as it lost the ability to conduct independent operations. Austria was saved from complete defeat only by the help of Germany, which was forced to transfer additional divisions to Galicia.

The main results of the military campaign of 1914

• Germany failed to implement the Schlieffen plan for blitzkrieg.
• No one managed to win a decisive advantage. The war turned into a positional one.

Map of military events in 1914-15

Military events of 1915

In 1915, Germany decided to shift the main blow to the eastern front, directing all its forces to the war with Russia, which was the weakest country of the Entente, according to the Germans. It was a strategic plan developed by the commander of the Eastern Front, General von Hindenburg. Russia managed to thwart this plan only at the cost of colossal losses, but at the same time, 1915 turned out to be simply terrible for the empire of Nicholas 2.

The situation on the northwestern front

From January to October, Germany waged an active offensive, as a result of which Russia lost Poland, western Ukraine, part of the Baltic states, and western Belarus. Russia went into deep defense. Russian losses were gigantic:

• Killed and wounded - 850 thousand people
• Captured - 900 thousand people

Russia did not capitulate, but the countries of the "Triple Alliance" were convinced that Russia would not be able to recover from the losses it had received.

Germany's successes in this sector of the front led to the fact that on October 14, 1915, Bulgaria entered the First World War (on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary).

The situation on the southwestern front

The Germans, together with Austria-Hungary, organized the Gorlitsky breakthrough in the spring of 1915, forcing the entire southwestern front of Russia to retreat. Galicia, which was captured in 1914, was completely lost. Germany was able to achieve this advantage thanks to the terrible mistakes of the Russian command, as well as a significant technical advantage. German superiority in technology reached:

• 2.5 times in machine guns.
• 4.5 times in light artillery.
• 40 times in heavy artillery.

It was not possible to withdraw Russia from the war, but the losses on this sector of the front were gigantic: 150,000 killed, 700,000 wounded, 900,000 prisoners and 4 million refugees.

The situation on the western front

All is calm on the Western Front. This phrase can describe how the war between Germany and France in 1915 proceeded. There were sluggish hostilities in which no one sought the initiative. Germany was implementing plans in Eastern Europe, while England and France were calmly mobilizing the economy and the army, preparing for further war. No one provided any assistance to Russia, although Nicholas 2 repeatedly appealed to France, first of all, so that she would switch to active operations on the Western Front. As usual, no one heard him ... By the way, this sluggish war on the western front for Germany is perfectly described by Hemingway in the novel “Farewell to Arms”.

The main result of 1915 was that Germany was unable to withdraw Russia from the war, although all forces were thrown at it. It became obvious that the First World War would drag on for a long time, since in 1.5 years of the war no one was able to gain an advantage or a strategic initiative.

Military events of 1916

"Verdun meat grinder"

In February 1916, Germany launched a general offensive against France, with the aim of capturing Paris. For this, a campaign was carried out on Verdun, which covered the approaches to the French capital. The battle lasted until the end of 1916. During this time, 2 million people died, for which the battle was called the Verdun Meat Grinder. France survived, but again thanks to the fact that Russia came to its rescue, which became more active on the southwestern front.

Events on the southwestern front in 1916

In May 1916, Russian troops went on the offensive, which lasted 2 months. This offensive went down in history under the name "Brusilovsky breakthrough". This name is due to the fact that the Russian army was commanded by General Brusilov. The breakthrough of defense in Bukovina (from Lutsk to Chernivtsi) happened on June 5th. The Russian army managed not only to break through the defense, but also to advance into its depths in places up to 120 kilometers. German and Austro-Hungarian losses were catastrophic. 1.5 million dead, wounded and captured. The offensive was stopped only by additional German divisions, which were hastily transferred here from Verdun (France) and from Italy.

This offensive of the Russian army was not without a fly in the ointment. They threw it, as usual, the allies. On August 27, 1916, Romania enters the First World War on the side of the Entente. Germany very quickly inflicted a defeat on her. As a result, Romania lost its army, and Russia received an additional 2,000 kilometers of front.

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

Positional battles continued on the North-Western Front in the spring-autumn period. As for the Caucasian front, here the main events continued from the beginning of 1916 to April. During this time, 2 operations were carried out: Erzumur and Trebizond. According to their results, Erzurum and Trebizond were conquered, respectively.

Outcome of 1916 in World War I

• The strategic initiative went over to the side of the Entente.
• The French fortress of Verdun survived thanks to the advance of the Russian army.
• Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente.
• Russia launched a powerful offensive - the Brusilovsky breakthrough.

Military and political events of 1917

The year 1917 in the First World War was marked by the fact that the war continued against the background of the revolutionary situation in Russia and Germany, as well as the deterioration of the economic situation of the countries. I will give an example of Russia. During the 3 years of the war, prices for basic products increased by an average of 4-4.5 times. Naturally, this caused discontent among the people. Add to this heavy losses and a grueling war - it turns out excellent ground for revolutionaries. The situation is similar in Germany.

In 1917, the United States enters World War I. The positions of the "Triple Alliance" are deteriorating. Germany with allies cannot effectively fight on 2 fronts, as a result of which it goes on the defensive.

End of the war for Russia

In the spring of 1917, Germany launched another offensive on the Western Front. Despite the events in Russia, the Western countries demanded that the Provisional Government implement the agreements signed by the Empire and send troops on the offensive. As a result, on June 16, the Russian army went on the offensive in the Lvov region. Again, we saved the allies from major battles, but we set ourselves up completely.

The Russian army, exhausted by the war and losses, did not want to fight. Issues of provisions, uniforms and supplies during the war years have not been resolved. The army fought reluctantly, but moved forward. The Germans were forced to re-deploy troops here, and Russia's Entente allies again isolated themselves, watching what would happen next. On July 6, Germany launched a counteroffensive. As a result, 150,000 Russian soldiers died. The army actually ceased to exist. The front has collapsed. Russia could no longer fight, and this catastrophe was inevitable.

People demanded that Russia withdraw from the war. And this was one of their main demands on the Bolsheviks, who seized power in October 1917. Initially, at the 2nd Party Congress, the Bolsheviks signed the Decree "On Peace", in fact declaring Russia's withdrawal from the war, and on March 3, 1918, they signed the Brest Peace. The conditions of this world were as follows:

• Russia makes peace with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey.
• Russia is losing Poland, Ukraine, Finland, part of Belarus and the Baltic states.
• Russia cedes Batum, Kars and Ardagan to Turkey.

As a result of its participation in the First World War, Russia lost: about 1 million square meters territory, lost about 1/4 of the population, 1/4 of arable land and 3/4 of the coal and metallurgical industries.

History reference

Events in the war in 1918

Germany got rid of the Eastern Front and the need to wage war in 2 directions. As a result, in the spring and summer of 1918, she attempted an offensive on the Western Front, but this offensive had no success. Moreover, in its course it became obvious that Germany was squeezing the maximum out of herself, and that she needed a break in the war.

Autumn 1918

The decisive events in the First World War took place in the autumn. The Entente countries, together with the United States, went on the offensive. The German army was completely ousted from France and Belgium. In October, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria signed a truce with the Entente, and Germany was left to fight alone. Her position was hopeless, after the German allies in the "Triple Alliance" essentially capitulated. This resulted in the same thing that happened in Russia - a revolution. On November 9, 1918, Emperor Wilhelm II was deposed.

End of World War I

On November 11, 1918, the First World War of 1914-1918 ended. Germany signed a complete surrender. It happened near Paris, in the forest of Compiègne, at the Retonde station. The surrender was accepted by the French Marshal Foch. The terms of the signed peace were as follows:

• Germany recognizes complete defeat in the war.
• The return of France to the province of Alsace and Lorraine to the borders of 1870, as well as the transfer of the Saar coal basin.
• Germany lost all its colonial possessions, and also pledged to transfer 1/8 of its territory to its geographical neighbors.
• For 15 years, the Entente troops are located on the left bank of the Rhine.
• By May 1, 1921, Germany had to pay the members of the Entente (Russia was not supposed to do anything) 20 billion marks in gold, goods, securities, etc.
• For 30 years, Germany must pay reparations, and the amount of these reparations is set by the victors themselves and can increase them at any time during these 30 years.
• Germany was forbidden to have an army of more than 100 thousand people, and the army was obliged to be exclusively voluntary.

The terms of "peace" were so humiliating for Germany that the country actually became a puppet. Therefore, many people of that time said that the First World War, although it ended, did not end with peace, but with a truce for 30 years. And so it eventually happened ...

Results of the First World War

The First World War was fought on the territory of 14 states. Countries with a total population of over 1 billion people took part in it (this is approximately 62% of the total world population at that time). In total, 74 million people were mobilized by the participating countries, of which 10 million died and another 20 million were injured.

As a result of the war political map Europe has changed significantly. There were such independent states as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Albania. Austria-Hungary split into Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Increased their borders Romania, Greece, France, Italy. There were 5 countries that lost and lost in the territory: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and Russia.

Map of the First World War 1914-1918

Introduction

I chose the topic "Russia in the First World War" because I am interested in this period, because it greatly influenced the future fate of Russia and therefore in my work I want to consider Russia's role in the First World War. This war was a turning point in history, and not only in our country, but in world history. She was unfairly "forgotten" for 70 years. Very little research has been done on the history of the First World War, and those that have been written from the point of view of condemning the war. And I would like to objectively study this event.

In order to more fully reveal the topic, I considered it necessary to understand the causes of the war; find out what was the reason for it; follow the development of hostilities; study the events of the war, which became a turning point in its course; and understand how and why the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded.

Reason for war

June 15 (28), 1914 In the Bosnian city of Sarajevo, the Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip shot and killed the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. On July 10, Austria-Hungary, suspecting the Serbian government of involvement in the assassination, presented Serbia with an ultimatum demanding that the activities of anti-Austrian organizations be banned, that Serbian border guards who had assisted terrorists be punished, and that Austrian representatives be allowed into the country to participate in the investigation of the assassination.

The Serbs accepted all the demands put forward, except for one that was contrary to the Serbian constitution. Austria-Hungary broke off diplomatic relations with Belgrade and on July 15 (28) declared war on Serbia. Her actions were supported by Germany. Emperor Wilhelm II Hohenzollern called: "The Serbs must be finished off, and right now." In Vienna and Berlin, they were sure that the matter would be limited to a short and victorious war with Serbia. However, the war in a matter of days became a world war.

Causes and nature of the war

I will begin my essay with the main causes of the First World War. The First World War arose as a result of the intensification of the political and economic struggle between the major imperialist countries for markets and sources of raw materials, for the redistribution of the already divided world. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the division of the world was already completed, the globe there are no territories left that have not yet been captured by the capitalist powers, there are no more so-called "free spaces". “It has come,” V.I. Lenin, - inevitably the era of monopoly possession of colonies, and, consequently, a particularly intensified struggle for the division of the world. Lenin V.I. Full Sobr. Works, vol. 27, p. 422.

As a result of the uneven, spasmodic development of capitalism in the era of imperialism, some countries that took the capitalist path of development later than others in a short time overtook and surpassed in technical and economic terms such old colonial countries as England and France. Especially indicative was the development of Germany, which by 1900. bypassed these countries in terms of industrial production, but significantly inferior in size to colonial possessions. Because of this, the interests of Germany and England clashed most often. Germany openly sought to capture British markets in the Middle East and Africa.

The colonial expansion of Germany met with resistance from France, which also had huge colonies. Very sharp contradictions between the countries existed because of Alsace and Lorraine, captured by Germany back in 1871.

With its penetration into the Middle East, Germany created a threat to Russia's interests in the Black Sea basin. Austria-Hungary, acting in alliance with Germany, became a serious competitor to tsarist Russia in the struggle for influence in the Balkans.

Exacerbation of foreign policy contradictions between major countries led to the division of the world into two hostile camps and to the formation of two imperialist groupings: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Tripartite Agreement, or Entente (England, France, Russia).

The war between the major European powers was beneficial to the US imperialists, since this struggle created favorable conditions for the further development of American expansion, especially in Latin America and the Far East. American monopolies relied on the maximum benefit from Europe.

In preparing for war, the imperialists saw in it not only a means of resolving external contradictions, but also a means that could help them cope with the growing discontent of the population of their own countries and suppress the growing revolutionary movement. The bourgeoisie hoped in the course of the war to destroy the international solidarity of the workers, to physically exterminate the best part of the working class, for the socialist revolution.

Due to the fact that the war for the redivision of the world affected the interests of all imperialist countries, most of the world's states gradually became involved in it. The war became a world war, both in its political aims and in its scope.

By its nature, the war of 1914-1918. was imperialistic, predatory, unjust on both sides. It was a war for who had more to rob and oppress. Most of the parties of the Second International, having betrayed the interests of the working people, came out in favor of the war in support of the bourgeoisie and the governments of their countries.

The Bolshevik Party, headed by V.I. Lenin, having determined the nature of the war, called for a struggle against it, for the transformation of the imperialist war into a civil war.

Contemporaries said that this would be a war that would put an end to all wars, and they were greatly mistaken. World War I began on August 1, 1914 with a provocation and regicide and ended with the first Compiègne truce on November 11, 1918. The influence on the territories and countries that participated in the war was so great that it became possible to sum up its results and conclude the Treaty of Versailles only in the middle of the next, 1919 of the year. Six out of ten people across the planet have experienced this war in one way or another. This is one of the dark pages in the history of mankind.

They say she was inevitable. The disagreements between the future participants were too strong, leading to constantly creating and collapsing alliances. The most inconsistent was precisely Germany, which, almost at the same time, tried to turn Great Britain against France and organize continental blockade Britain itself.

Prerequisites for World War I

If you look at the positions from which the countries were involved in the First World War of 1914-1918, the reasons, in fact, will lie on the surface. England, France and Austria-Hungary at the beginning of the twentieth century sought to redistribute the world map. The main reason for this was the collapse of colonialism and prosperity only at the expense of its own satellites. The main European powers were faced with a difficult choice, since the resources important for the economy and prosperity of the country (primarily its elite) could no longer be taken away from India or Africa.

The only thing Possible Solution hid precisely in military conflicts for raw materials, labor and territories for life. Major conflicts that flared up on the basis of territorial claims were as follows:

What started the war

It is very clear to say when World War I (WWI) started. At the end of June 1914, on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the city of Sarajevo, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Ferdinand was killed. It was a provocation on the part of the Austrians and, with the active participation of British diplomats and the press, a reason for the escalation of the conflict in the Balkans.

The killer was a Serbian terrorist, a member of the extremist organization " Black Hand(otherwise called "Unity or Death") Gavrilo Princip. This organization, along with other similar underground movements, attempted to spread nationalist sentiment throughout the Balkan Peninsula in response to the 1908 annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria-Hungary, setting off the Bosnian crisis.

There have already been several assassination attempts on the account of such formations. both successful and unsuccessful, to prominent political figures of the empire and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The day of the assassination attempt on the Archduke was not chosen by chance, because on June 28 he was supposed to participate in events dedicated to the anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Such events on this date were considered by many Bosnians a direct insult to their national pride.

In addition to the assassination of the Archduke, these days there were several attempts to liquidate public figures who opposed the outbreak of hostilities. So, a few days before June 28, an unsuccessful attempt was made on the life of Grigory Rasputin, known, among other things, for his anti-war sentiments and great influence at the court of Emperor Nicholas II. And the next day, June 29, Jean Jaures was killed. He was an influential French politician and public figure who fought against imperialist sentiments, colonialism and, like Rasputin, was an ardent opponent of the war.

British influence

After the tragic events in Sarajevo, the two largest powers in Europe - Germany and the Russian Empire - tried to avoid an open military confrontation. But this situation did not suit the British at all and diplomatic levers were put into play. So, after the murder of Franz Ferdinand by Princip, the English press openly began to call the Serbs barbarians and call on the top of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to give them a decisive and tough answer. At the same time, through the ambassador, they created pressure on Russian emperor, calling for Serbia to be given all possible help if Austria-Hungary decides on any provocations.

And she made up her mind. Almost a month after the successful assassination attempt on the heir, Serbia was presented with demands that were impossible to fulfill. For example, one of its points was the admission of police officers to the territory of a foreign state. The Serbs did not accept only this point, which, as expected, served as a declaration of war. Moreover, the first bombs fell on its capital the very next morning, which clearly indicated the readiness of the Austro-Hungarians to fight immediately.

The Russian Empire, which has always been considered a shield of Orthodoxy and Slavism, had, after unsuccessful attempts at a diplomatic ceasefire, to declare the mobilization of the entire country. Thus, Russia's participation in the First World War was inevitable.

The course of the war

After a series of provocations, hotbed of military conflict began to flare up even faster. In about six months, two main military alliances were formed that took part in the confrontation:

Events of 1914

There were several major theaters of war- the war blazed in France, in Russia, in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus and in the former colonies of Europe. The German Schlieffen plan, which included a blitzkrieg, lunch in Paris and dinner in St. Petersburg, failed due to Germany's systematic underestimation of its rivals and repeated revision of strategic tables. In general, the vast majority of the participants in the war were absolutely sure of its imminent end, confidently speaking about the possibility of winning in a few months. No one expected the conflict to take on such proportions, especially on the Western Front.

First, Germany occupied Luxembourg and Belgium. At the same time, the French invaded Alsace and Lorraine, which were important to them, where, after the successful actions of the German army, which held back and then reversed the offensive, the situation changed dramatically. The French, instead of capturing their historical territories, ceded part of their land without putting up a strong enough resistance. After the events called by historians the "Run to the Sea" and the holding by France of its most important ports, a period of trench warfare followed. The confrontation severely exhausted both sides.

Eastern front was opened by an offensive on the territory of Prussia by Russian troops on August 17, and the very next day a major victory was won over the Austro-Hungarians in the Battle of Galicia. This made it possible to withdraw the empire from the confrontation with Russia for a long time.

Serbia this year drove the Austrians out of Belgrade and firmly occupied it. Japan declared war on the Triple Alliance and launched a campaign to take control of the German island colonies. At the same time, in the Caucasus, Turkey entered the war with Russia, entering into a coalition with the Austrians and Germans. Thus, she cut off the country from the allies and involved in hostilities on the Caucasian front.

The failure of Russia in 1915

On the Russian front, the situation worsened. The army was poorly prepared for an offensive in the winter, failed it and received a counter-offensive operation from the Germans in the middle of the year. Poorly organized supply of troops led to a large-scale retreat, the Germans carried out the Gorlitsky breakthrough and, as a result, first received Galicia, and then a significant part of Polish territory. After that, the stage of trench warfare began, largely due to the same reasons as in the west.

In the same year, on May 23, Italy entered the war with Austria-Hungary, which led to the collapse of the coalition. However, Bulgaria, which took part in the confrontation on its side in the same year, not only marked the rapid formation of a new union, but also accelerated the fall of Serbia.

Key moments in 1916

During this year of the war, one of its largest battles continued - battle of verdun. Because of its scale, the nature of the collisions and the consequences, it was called the Verdun meat grinder. This is where the flamethrower was used for the first time. The losses of all troops amounted to over a million people. At the same time, the Russian army launched an offensive known as the Brusilovsky breakthrough, pulling significant German forces away from Verdun and easing the Entente's situation in the region.

The year was also marked by the largest naval battle- Jutland, after which the Entente fulfilled its main goal - to dominate the region. Some members of the enemy tried even then to agree on peace negotiations.

1917: Russia's exit from the war

1917 was rich in major events in the war. It was already obvious who would win. Its useful to note The 3 most important moments for understanding the situation:

• The United States, after waiting for time, joined the obvious winner - the Entente.
• The revolution in Russia actually brought her out of the war.
• Germany uses submarines, hoping thereby to turn the tide of battles.

1918: German capitulation

Russia's withdrawal from active hostilities made things easier for Germany, because without the Eastern Front, she could concentrate her forces on more important things. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was concluded, parts of the Baltic region and the territory of Poland were occupied. After that, active operations began on the Western Front, which were not crowned with success for her. Other participants began to withdraw from the Quarter Union and conclude peace treaties with the enemy. In Germany, a revolution began to flare up, forcing the emperor to leave the country. The end of the active phase of hostilities can be considered the signing of the act of surrender of Germany on November 11, 1918.

If we talk about the results of the First World, then for almost all participating countries they were with a minus sign. Briefly on points:

It is worth noting that even then the prerequisites for the Second World War began to take shape. It was only a matter of time before a leader emerged who would rally the revenge-hungry inhabitants of defeated Germany.