Dated August 1, 1914. The main reasons for the start of this bloody action can be called political and economic conflicts between states that were part of two military-political blocs: the Triple Alliance, consisting of Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary, and the Entente, which included Russia, France and Great Britain.

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Tip 2: Why Germany failed to implement the Schlieffen Plan

Schlieffen's strategic plan, which envisioned a quick German victory in World War I, was not implemented. But it still continues to excite the minds of military historians, because this plan was unusually risky and interesting.

Most military historians are inclined to think that if the plan of the Chief of the German General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen had been implemented, the First World War could have gone completely as planned. But back in 1906, the German strategist was removed from his post and his followers were afraid to implement Schlieffen’s plan.

Blitz War Plan

At the beginning of the last century, Germany began planning for a major war. This was due to the fact that France, defeated several decades earlier, clearly harbored plans for military revenge. The German leadership was not particularly afraid of the French threat. But in the east, Russia, an ally of the Third Republic, was gaining economic and military power. For Germany there was a real danger of a war on two fronts. Well aware of this, Kaiser Wilhelm ordered von Schlieffen to develop a plan for a victorious war in these conditions

And Schlieffen, in a fairly short time, created such a plan. According to his idea, Germany was supposed to start the first war against France, concentrating 90% of all its armed forces in this direction. Moreover, this war was supposed to be lightning fast. Only 39 days were allotted for the capture of Paris. For final victory – 42.

It was assumed that Russia was so short term will not be able to mobilize. After the victory over France, German troops will be transferred to the border with Russia. Kaiser Wilhelm approved the plan, saying the famous phrase: “We will have lunch in Paris, and we will have dinner in St. Petersburg.”

Failure of the Schlieffen Plan

Helmuth von Moltke, who replaced Schlieffen as chief of the German General Staff, accepted the Schlieffen plan without much enthusiasm, considering it excessively risky. And for this reason, I subjected it to thorough revision. In particular, he refused to concentrate the main forces of the German army on the western front and, for reasons of precaution, sent a significant part of the troops to the east.

But Schlieffen planned to envelop the French army from the flanks and completely encircle it. But due to the transfer of significant forces to the east, the German group of troops on the western front simply did not have enough available funds for this. As a result, the French troops not only were not surrounded, but were also able to deliver a powerful counterattack.

The reliance on the slowness of the Russian army in terms of protracted mobilization also did not justify itself. The invasion of East Prussia by Russian troops literally stunned the German command. Germany found itself in the grip of two fronts.

Sources:

• Plans of the parties

Content:

Any war, no matter what its nature and scale, always brings with it tragedy. This is the pain of loss that does not subside over time. This is the destruction of houses, buildings and structures that are monuments of centuries-old culture. During war, families break up, customs and foundations are broken. All the more tragic is a war involving many states, and which is therefore defined as a world war. The First World War was one of the sad pages in the history of mankind.

Main reasons

Europe on the eve of the 20th century was formed as a conglomerate of Great Britain, Russia and France. Germany remained on the sidelines. But only as long as its industry stood on strong legs did its military power strengthen. While it did not strive to become the main force in Europe, it began to lack markets for selling its products. There was a shortage of territories. Access to international trade routes was limited.

Over time, the highest echelons of German power realized that the country did not have enough colonies for its development. Russia was a huge state with vast expanses. France and England developed with the help of their colonies. Thus, Germany was the first to ripen to the need to redivide the world. But how to fight against a bloc that included the most strong countries: England, France and Russia?

It is clear that you cannot cope alone. And the country enters into a bloc with Austria-Hungary and Italy. Soon this block received the name Central. In 1904, England and France entered into a military-political alliance and called it the Entente, which means “cordial agreement.” Before this, France and Russia had concluded an agreement in which the countries pledged to help each other in the event of military conflicts.

Therefore, an alliance between Great Britain and Russia was a matter of urgency. Soon this happened. In 1907, these countries entered into an agreement in which they defined spheres of influence in Asian territories. With this, the tension that separated the British and Russians was removed. Russia joined the Entente. After some time, already during hostilities, Germany’s former ally Italy also gained membership in the Entente.

Thus, two powerful military blocs were formed, the confrontation of which could not but result in a military conflict. The most interesting thing is that the desire to find colonies and markets that the Germans dreamed of is far from the most important reasons for the subsequent world war. There were mutual claims of other countries against each other. But all of them were not so important as to unleash a global conflagration of war because of them.

Historians are still scratching their heads over main reason, which prompted all of Europe to take up arms. Each state gives its own reasons. One gets the feeling that this most important reason did not exist at all. Has the global massacre of people become the reason for the ambitious attitude of some politicians?

There are a number of scientists who believe that the contradictions between Germany and England gradually escalated before a military conflict arose. The rest of the countries were simply forced to fulfill their allied duty. Another reason is also mentioned. This is the definition of the path of socio-economic development of society. On the one hand, the Western European model dominated, on the other, the Central-South European model.

History, as we know, does not like the subjunctive mood. And yet, the question increasingly arises: could that terrible war have been avoided? Of course you can. But only if the leaders of European states, especially Germany, wanted it.

Germany felt its power and military strength. She couldn’t wait to walk across Europe with a victorious step and stand at the head of the continent. No one could have imagined then that the war would drag on for more than 4 years, and what consequences it would lead to. Everyone saw the war as fast, lightning fast and victorious on each side.

That such a position was illiterate and irresponsible in all respects is evidenced by the fact that 38 countries involving one and a half billion people were involved in the military conflict. Wars with such a large number of participants cannot end quickly.

So, Germany was preparing for war, waiting. A reason was needed. And he didn’t keep himself waiting.

The war started with one shot

Gavrilo Princip was an unknown student from Serbia. But he was a member of a revolutionary youth organization. On June 28, 1914, the student immortalized his name with black glory. He shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Among some historians, no, no, but a note of annoyance slips through, they say, if the fatal shot had not happened, the war would not have happened. They are wrong. There would still be a reason. And organizing it was not difficult.

The Austrian-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia less than a month later, on July 23. The document contained requirements that were impossible to fulfill. Serbia undertook to fulfill many points of the ultimatum. But Serbia refused to open the border to Austrian-Hungarian law enforcement agencies to investigate the crime. Although there was no outright refusal, it was proposed to negotiate this point.

Austria-Hungary rejected this proposal and declared war on Serbia. Less than a day had passed before bombs rained down on Belgorod. Next, Austro-Hungarian troops entered the territory of Serbia. Nicholas II telegraphs Wilhelm I with a request to resolve the conflict peacefully. Advises that the dispute be brought to the Hague Conference. Germany responded with silence. On July 28, 1914, the First World War began.

Lots of plans

It is clear that Germany stood behind Austria-Hungary. And her arrows were not directed towards Serbia, but towards France. After capturing Paris, the Germans intended to invade Russia. The goal was to subjugate part of the French colonies in Africa, some provinces of Poland and the Baltic states belonging to Russia.

Germany intended to further expand its possessions at the expense of Turkey and the countries of the Middle and Near East. Of course, the redivision of the world was started by the leaders of the German-Austrian bloc. They are considered the main culprits of the conflict that escalated into the First World War. It’s amazing how simple the leaders of the German General Staff, who were developing the blitzkrieg operation, imagined the victorious march.

Given the impossibility of conducting a quick campaign, fighting on two fronts: with France in the west and with Russia in the east, they decided to deal with the French first. Believing that Germany would mobilize in ten days, and Russia would need at least a month, they intended to deal with France in 20 days and then attack Russia.

So the military leaders of the General Staff calculated that they would deal piecemeal with their main opponents and celebrate victory in the same summer of 1914. For some reason, they decided that Great Britain, frightened by Germany’s victorious march across Europe, would not get involved in the war. As for England, the calculation was simple. The country did not have strong ground forces, although it had a powerful navy.

Russia did not need additional territories. Well, the turmoil started by Germany, as it seemed then, was decided to be used to strengthen its influence on the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, to subjugate Constantinople, unite the lands of Poland and become the sovereign mistress of the Balkans. By the way, these plans were part of the general plan of the Entente states.

Austria-Hungary did not want to remain on the sidelines. Her thoughts extended exclusively to the Balkan countries. Each country got involved in the war not only fulfilling its allied duty, but also trying to grab its share of the victory pie.

After a short break caused by waiting for a response to the telegram, which never came, Nicholas II announced general mobilization. Germany issued an ultimatum demanding that the mobilization be cancelled. Here Russia remained silent and continued to carry out the emperor’s decree. On July 19, Germany announced the start of war against Russia.

And yet on two fronts

While planning victories and celebrating their upcoming conquests, countries were poorly prepared for war in technical terms. At this time, new, more advanced types of weapons appeared. Naturally, they could not help but influence the tactics of combat. But this was not taken into account by the military leaders, who were accustomed to using old, outdated techniques.

An important point was the involvement of more soldiers during operations, specialists who can work with new equipment. Therefore, the battle diagrams and victory diagrams drawn at headquarters were crossed out by the course of the war from the first days.

Nevertheless, powerful armies were mobilized. The Entente troops numbered up to six million soldiers and officers, the Triple Alliance gathered three and a half million people under its banner. This became a big test for the Russians. At this time, Russia continued military operations against Turkish troops in Transcaucasia.

On the Western Front, which the Germans initially considered the main one, they had to fight the French and British. In the east, Russian armies entered the battle. The US refrained from military action. Only in 1917 did American soldiers land in Europe and take the side of the Entente.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia became Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. As a result of mobilization, the Russian army grew from one and a half million people to five and a half million. 114 divisions were formed. 94 divisions opposed the Germans, Austrians and Hungarians. Germany fielded 20 of its own and 46 allied divisions against the Russians.

So, the Germans began to fight against France. And they stopped almost immediately. The front, which initially curved towards the French, soon leveled off. They were helped by English units that arrived on the continent. The fighting went on with varying degrees of success. This came as a surprise to the Germans. And Germany decides to withdraw Russia from the theater of military operations.

Firstly, fighting on two fronts was unproductive. Secondly, it was not possible to dig trenches along the entire length of the Eastern Front due to the enormous distances. Well, the cessation of hostilities promised Germany the release of armies for use against England and France.

East Prussian operation

At the request of the command of the French armed forces, two armies were hastily formed. The first was commanded by General Pavel Rennenkampf, the second by General Alexander Samsonov. Armies were created hastily. After mobilization was announced, almost all the military personnel in the reserve arrived at recruiting stations. There was no time to figure it out, officer positions were filled quickly, non-commissioned officers had to be enrolled in the rank and file.

As historians note, at this moment both armies represented the flower of the Russian army. They were led by military generals, famous in battles in eastern Russia, as well as in China. The start of the East Prussian operation was successful. On August 7, 1914, the 1st Army, near Gumbinen, completely defeated the German 8th Army. The victory turned the heads of the commanders of the Northwestern Front, and they gave the order to Rennenkampf to advance on Königsberg, then go to Berlin.

The commander of the 1st Army, following the order, was forced to withdraw several corps from the French direction, including three of them from the most dangerous area. The 2nd Army of General Samsonov was under attack. Further events became disastrous for both armies. Both of them began to develop attacks, being far from each other. The warriors were tired and hungry. There was not enough bread. Communication between the armies was carried out via radiotelegraph.

The messages were sent in plain text, so the Germans knew about all the movements of military units. And then there were messages from higher commanders that brought confusion to the deployment of armies. The Germans managed to block the army of Alexander Samsonov with the help of 13 divisions, depriving it of a preferential strategic position. On August 10, the German army of General Hindenburg begins to encircle the Russians and by August 16 drives it into swampy places.

Selected guards corps were destroyed. Communication with the army of Paul Rennenkampf was interrupted. At an extremely tense moment, the general and his staff officers go to a dangerous site. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, acutely experiencing the death of his guards, the famous general shoots himself.

General Klyuev, appointed commander instead of Samsonov, gives the order to surrender. But not all officers followed this order. The officers who did not obey Klyuev removed approximately 10,000 soldiers from the swampy cauldron. It was a crushing defeat for the Russian army.

General P. Rennenkampf was blamed for the disaster of the 2nd Army. He was accused of treason and cowardice. The general was forced to leave the army. On the night of April 1, 1918, the Bolsheviks shot Pavel Rennenkapf, accusing him of betraying General Alexander Samsonov. So, as they say, from a sore head to a healthy one. Even in tsarist times, it was even attributed to the general that he bore a German surname, which meant he had to be a traitor.

In this operation, the Russian army lost 170,000 soldiers, the Germans were missing 37,000 people. But the victory of the German troops in this operation was strategically equal to zero. But the destruction of the army brought devastation and panic into the souls of Russians. The mood of patriotism has disappeared.

Yes, the East Prussian operation was a disaster for the Russian army. She only confused the cards for the Germans. The loss of the best sons of Russia became salvation for the French armed forces. The Germans were unable to capture Paris. Subsequently, Marshal of France Foch noted that thanks to Russia, France was not wiped off the face of the earth.

The death of the Russian army forced the Germans to switch all their forces and all their attention towards the east. This, ultimately, predetermined the victory of the Entente.

Galician operation

In contrast to the northwestern theater of military operations, in the southwestern direction the Russian troops were doing much more successfully. In the operation, which later became known as the Galician operation, which began on August 5 and ended on September 8, troops of Austria-Hungary fought against the Russian armies. Approximately two million troops on both sides took part in the fighting. 5,000 guns fired at the enemy.

The front line stretched for four hundred kilometers. The army of General Alexei Brusilov began attacking the enemy on August 8. Two days later, the remaining armies entered the battle. It took the Russian army just over a week to break through the enemy’s defenses and penetrate up to three hundred kilometers into enemy territory.

The cities of Galich and Lvov, as well as a vast territory of all of Galicia, were captured. Austria-Hungary's troops lost half their strength, approximately 400,000 fighters. The enemy army lost its combat effectiveness until the end of the war. Losses Russian formations amounted to 230,000 people.

The Galician operation affected further military operations. It was this operation that broke all the plans of the German General Staff for the lightning speed of the military campaign. The Germans' hopes for armed forces its allies, in particular Austria-Hungary. The German command had to urgently redeploy military units. And in this case, it was necessary to remove divisions from the Western Front.

It is also important that it was at this time that Italy left its ally Germany and took the side of the Entente.

Warsaw-Ivangorod and Lodz operations

October 1914 was also marked by the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation. The Russian command decided on the eve of October to transfer troops located in Galicia to Poland in order to subsequently launch a direct attack on Berlin. The Germans, to support the Austrians, transferred the 8th Army of General von Hindenburg to help her. The armies were tasked with going to the rear of the Northwestern Front. But first, it was necessary to attack the troops of both fronts - Northwestern and Southwestern.

The Russian command sent three armies and two corps from Galicia to the Ivangorod-Warsaw line. The fighting was accompanied big amount killed and wounded. The Russians fought bravely. Heroism took on a mass character. It was here that the name of the pilot Nesterov, who committed a heroic act in the sky, first became widely known. For the first time in the history of aviation, he went to ram an enemy plane.

On October 26, the advance of the Austro-German forces was stopped. They were thrown back to their previous positions. During the operation, the troops of Austria-Hungary lost up to 100,000 people killed, the Russians - 50,000 soldiers.

Three days after the completion of the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation, military operations moved to the Lodz area. The Germans intended to encircle and destroy the 2nd and 5th armies, which were part of the Northwestern Front. The German command transferred nine divisions from the Western Front. The fighting was very stubborn. But for the Germans they were ineffective.

The year 1914 became a test of strength for the warring armies. A lot of blood was spilled. The Russians lost up to two million soldiers in the battles, the German-Austrian troops were thinned by 950,000 soldiers. Neither side gained a noticeable advantage. Although Russia, not being ready for military action, saved Paris and forced the Germans to fight on two fronts at once.

Everyone suddenly realized that the war would be protracted and a lot more blood would be shed. The German command began to develop an offensive plan in 1915 along the entire Eastern Front. But again, a mischievous mood reigned in the German General Staff. It was decided to quickly deal with Russia first, and then one by one defeat France, then England. By the end of 1914, there was a lull on the fronts.

Calm before the storm

Throughout 1915, the warring parties were in a state of passively supporting their troops in occupied positions. There was preparation and redeployment of troops, delivery of equipment and weapons. This was especially true for Russia, since factories producing weapons and ammunition were not fully prepared by the start of the war. The reform in the army at that time was not yet completed. The year 1915 provided a favorable respite for this. But it was not always quiet on the fronts.

Having concentrated all their forces on the Eastern Front, the Germans initially achieved success. The Russian army is forced to leave its positions. This takes place in 1915. The army retreats with heavy losses. The Germans did not take one thing into account. The factor of huge territories begins to act against them.

Having reached Russian soil after thousands of kilometers of walking with weapons and ammunition, German soldiers were left without strength. Having won a part Russian territory, they did not become winners. However, it was not difficult to defeat the Russians at this moment. The army was almost without weapons and ammunition. Sometimes three ammunition made up the entire arsenal of one gun. But even in an almost unarmed state, Russian troops inflicted significant damage on the Germans. The highest spirit of patriotism was also not taken into account by the conquerors.

Having failed to achieve significant results in battles with the Russians, Germany returned to the Western Front. The Germans and French met on the battlefield near Verdun. It was more like exterminating each other. 600 thousand soldiers died in that battle. The French survived. Germany was unable to turn the tide of the battle in its direction. But this was already in 1916. Germany became increasingly bogged down in the war, dragging more and more countries along with it.

And the year 1916 began with victories of the Russian armies. Turkey, which was in an alliance with Germany at that time, suffered a number of defeats from Russian troops. Having advanced deep into Turkey up to 300 kilometers, the armies of the Caucasian Front, as a result of a number of victorious operations, occupied the cities of Erzurum and Trebizond.

The victorious march after a lull was continued by the army under the command of Alexei Brusilov.

To ease tension on the Western Front, the Entente allies turned to Russia with a request to begin military operations. Otherwise, the French army could be destroyed. Russian military leaders considered this an adventure that could turn into failure. But the order came to attack the Germans.

The offensive operation was led by General Alexei Brusilov. According to the tactics developed by the general, the offensive was launched on a wide front. In this state, the enemy could not determine the direction of the main attack. For two days, on May 22 and 23, 1916, artillery salvoes thundered over the German trenches. Artillery preparation gave way to calm. As soon as the German soldiers climbed out of the trenches to take up positions, the shelling began again.

It took only three hours to crush the enemy's first line of defense. Several tens of thousands of enemy soldiers and officers were captured. The Brusilovites advanced for 17 days. But Brusilov’s command did not allow him to develop this offensive. An order was received to stop the offensive and go into active defense.

7 days have passed. And Brusilov was again given the command to go on the attack. But time was lost. The Germans managed to bring up reserves and prepare well the fortification redoubts. Brusilov's army had a hard time. Although the offensive continued, it was slow, and with losses that could not be called justified. With the onset of November, Brusilov's army completed its breakthrough.

The results of the Brusilov breakthrough are impressive. 1.5 million enemy soldiers and officers were killed, and another 500 were captured. Russian troops entered Bukovina and occupied part of the territory of East Prussia. The French army was saved. The Brusilov breakthrough became the most noticeable military operation First World War. But Germany continued to fight.

A new commander-in-chief was appointed. The Austrians transferred 6 divisions from the south, where they opposed Italian troops, to Eastern front. For the successful advancement of Brusilov's army, support from other fronts was necessary. It didn't come.

Historians give this operation very great significance. They believe that this was a crushing blow to the German troops, from which the country never recovered. Its result was the practical withdrawal of Austria from the war. But General Brusilov, summing up his feat, noted that his army worked for others, and not for Russia. By this he seemed to be saying that Russian soldiers saved the allies, but did not reach the main turning point of the war. Although there was still a fracture.

The year 1916 became favorable for the Entente troops, in particular for Russia. At the end of the year, the armed forces numbered 6.5 million soldiers and officers, of whom 275 divisions were formed. In the theater of military operations, stretching from Black to Baltic seas, 135 divisions took part in Russian military operations.

But the losses of Russian military personnel were enormous. During the entire period of the First World War, Russia lost seven million of its best sons and daughters. The tragedy of the Russian troops was especially evident in 1917. Having shed a sea of ​​blood on the battlefields and emerged victorious in many decisive battles, the country did not take advantage of the fruits of its victories.

The reason was that the Russian army was demoralized by revolutionary forces. On the fronts, fraternization with opponents began everywhere. And the defeats began. The Germans entered Riga and captured the Moondzun archipelago, located in the Baltic.

Operations in Belarus and Galicia ended in defeat. A wave of defeatism swept over the country, and demands for an exit from the war grew louder and louder. The Bolsheviks took advantage of this brilliantly. By proclaiming the Decree of Peace, they attracted to their side a significant part of the military personnel who were tired of the war and the incompetent management of military operations by the Supreme Command.

The country of the Soviets emerged from the First World War without hesitation, concluding the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with Germany in the March days of 1918. On the Western Front, military operations ended with the signing of the Compiegne Armistice Treaty. This happened in November 1918. The final results of the war were formalized in 1919 at Versailles, where a peace treaty was concluded. Soviet Russia was not among the participants in this agreement.

Five periods of opposition

It is customary to divide the First World War into five periods. They are correlated with the years of confrontation. The first period occurred in 1914. At this time, fighting took place on two fronts. On the Western Front, Germany fought with France. In the East, Russia collided with Prussia. But before the Germans turned their arms against the French, they easily occupied Luxembourg and Belgium. Only after this did they begin to act against France.

The lightning war did not work out. Firstly, France turned out to be a tough nut to crack, which Germany never managed to crack. On the other hand, Russia put up worthy resistance. The plans of the German General Staff were not allowed to be realized.

In 1915, fighting between France and Germany alternated with long periods of calm. It was hard for the Russians. Poor supplies became the main reason for the retreat of the Russian troops. They were forced to leave Poland and Galicia. This year has become tragic for the warring parties. A lot of fighters died on both sides. This stage in the war is the second.

The third stage is marked by two big events. One of them became the bloodiest. This is the battle of the Germans and the French at Verdun. Over a million soldiers and officers were killed during the battle. The second important event was the Brusilovsky breakthrough. He entered military textbooks educational institutions many countries, as one of the most ingenious battles in the history of wars.

The fourth stage of the war occurred in 1917. The bloodless German army was no longer capable of not only conquering other countries, but also of offering serious resistance. Therefore, the Entente dominated on the battlefields. The coalition troops are being reinforced by US military units that have also joined the Entente military bloc. But Russia leaves this union in connection with the revolutions, first the February, then the October.

The final, fifth period of the First World War was marked by the conclusion of peace between Germany and Russia on very difficult and extremely unfavorable conditions for the latter. The Allies leave Germany, making peace with the Entente countries. Revolutionary sentiments are brewing in Germany, defeatist sentiments are spreading in the army. As a result, Germany is forced to surrender.

Significance of World War I

The First World War was the largest and bloodiest for many countries that took part in it in the first quarter of the 20th century. The Second World War was still a long way off. And Europe tried to heal its wounds. They were significant. Approximately 80 million people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed or seriously injured.

In a very short period of five years, four empires ceased to exist. These are Russian, Ottoman, German, Austro-Hungarian. Plus, the October Revolution took place in Russia, which firmly and permanently divided the world into two irreconcilable camps: communist and capitalist.

There have been significant changes in the economies of countries under colonial rule. Many trade ties between countries were destroyed. With the reduction in the flow of industrial goods from the metropolises, colonial-dependent countries were forced to adjust their production. All this accelerated the process of development of national capitalism.

The war caused enormous damage to the agricultural production of colonial countries. At the end of the First World War, there was a surge of anti-war protests in the countries that participated in it. In a number of countries it grew into a revolutionary movement. Subsequently, following the example of the world's first socialist country, communist parties began to be created everywhere.

Following Russia, revolutions took place in Hungary and Germany. The revolution in Russia overshadowed the events of the First World War. Many heroes are forgotten, the events of those days are erased from memory. In Soviet times, there was an opinion that this war was senseless. To some extent this may be true. But the sacrifices were not in vain. Thanks to the skillful military actions of generals Alexei Brusilov? Pavel Rennenkampf, Alexander Samsonov, other military leaders, as well as the armies they led, Russia defended its territories. The mistakes of military operations were adopted by new military leaders and subsequently studied. The experience of this war helped us survive and win during the Great Patriotic War.

By the way, the leaders of Russia at the present time are calling for the definition of “Patriotic” to be applied to the First World War. More and more insistent calls are being made to announce the names of all the heroes of that war, to immortalize them in history textbooks and in new monuments. During the First World War, Russia once again showed that it knows how to fight and defeat any enemy.

Having resisted a very serious enemy, Russian army fell under the onslaught of an internal enemy. And again there were casualties. It is believed that the First World War gave birth to revolutions in Russia and other countries. The statement is controversial, as is the fact that another result was Civil War, which also claimed lives.

It is important to understand something else. Russia survived a terrible hurricane of wars that devastated it. She survived and was reborn. Of course, today it is impossible to imagine how strong the state would be if multimillion-dollar losses had not occurred, if there had not been destruction of cities and villages, and devastation of the most productive fields in the world.

It is unlikely that anyone in the world understands this better than the Russians. And that’s why they don’t want war here, no matter in what form it may be presented. But if war happens, the Russians are ready to once again show all their strength, courage and heroism.

Notable was the creation in Moscow of the Society for the Memory of the First World War. Data about that period is already being collected and documents are being examined. The Society is an international public organization. This status will help you receive materials from other countries.

§ 76. Military actions in 1914-1918.

The beginning of the First World War.

June 28, 1914 in the city of Sarajevo, which was part of the annexed Austria-Hungary Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a hardliner against Serbia. Blaming the Serbian government for the assassination attempt, Austria-Hungary presented him with an ultimatum. German Emperor Wilhelm II supported the actions of his ally.
The Serbian government fulfilled all the demands made by Austria-Hungary, except for the point about an investigation into the murder by Austrian officials, but agreed to negotiate on this point. However, on July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and began bombing Belgrade the next day.
On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, then on France. Violating Belgium's neutrality, German troops launched an offensive through its territory. Great Britain entered the war. On the side of the Entente were Montenegro, Japan and Egypt, and on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary were Bulgaria and Turkey (Germany and its allies are often called the coalition of the Central Powers).
The causes of the war were the contradictions between the Entente powers and Germany and Austria-Hungary. The desire to capture others and maintain their colonies in Africa and Asia became one of the main aspirations of the warring parties. Territorial disputes in Europe itself also played a significant role. There were also huge trade and economic contradictions between the powers; they fought for areas of sales of their products and for sources of raw materials. The war was initiated by the German bloc, which considered itself deprived in all respects.

Military operations in 1914

The main fronts, on which heavy fighting began already in August 1914, were the French Western and Russian Eastern. At the first stage of the war, at the beginning of September, the main group of German armies reached the Marne River between Paris and Verdun, and then crossed it. On September 6, a counter-offensive of Anglo-French troops began along the entire front from Paris to Verdun. Only by September 12 did German troops gain a foothold across the Aisne River and on a line east of Reims. On September 15, the Allies stopped the offensive.
The unsuccessful German offensive on Paris and the defeat of German troops on the Marne led to the failure of the German strategic war plan, designed to quickly defeat the enemy on the Western Front. A positional front was established from the Swiss border to the North Sea.
In the East European Theater, hostilities began on August 4-7 (17 - 20). During the East Prussian operation, the 1st Russian Army defeated the German corps. Continuing to advance, she defeated one of the German armies. At the same time, the 2nd Russian Army began moving towards the flank and rear of the Germans. The successful offensive of Russian troops in East Prussia forced the German command to transfer additional troops from the Western to the Eastern Front. German troops, taking advantage of the mistakes of the Russian command, which did not establish interaction between the 1st and 2nd armies, managed to inflict a heavy defeat, first on the 2nd and then 1st Russian armies. Russian troops withdrew from East Prussia.
At the same time, a battle took place in Galicia, in which the troops of the Russian Southwestern Front inflicted a major defeat on the Austro-Hungarian troops. The Russians occupied Lvov. The Austro-Hungarian garrison of the Przemysl fortress was blocked, and advanced Russian units reached the foothills of the Carpathians.
The German High Command hastily transferred large forces here. However, the timely regrouping of forces carried out by the Russian Headquarters made it possible, during the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation, to stop the enemy’s attack on Ivangorod, and then repel the attack on Warsaw. Soon the parties, having exhausted all possibilities, went on the defensive.
On August 10, Germany sent the battle cruiser Goeben and the light cruiser Breslau to the Black Sea to support the Turkish fleet. Turkish and German ships suddenly fired at Sevastopol, Odessa, Novorossiysk and Feodosia. Russia, Great Britain and France declared war on Turkey. Russia moved the Caucasian Army to the border with Turkey. In December 8th Turkish army went on the offensive, but was defeated.
Military actions of 1915
The German command decided to devote the next campaign entirely to the defeat of the Russian troops. Almost 30 infantry and 9 cavalry divisions were transferred from France. In February 1915, Russian troops in winter conditions crossed the Carpathians, and in March, after a long siege, they took Przemysl. About 120 thousand enemy soldiers and officers surrendered.
However, the passivity of Russia's Western allies in 1915 allowed the German command to go on the offensive on April 19 (May 2). Under the onslaught of an enemy with enormous superiority in forces, the defense of the 3rd Russian Army was broken through in the Gorlice area. The troops of the Southwestern Front were forced to leave Galicia. At the same time, German troops were advancing in the Baltic states. They occupied Libau and reached Kovno. To avoid encirclement, Russian troops were forced to leave Poland. During the 1915 campaign, Russia lost about 2 million people killed, wounded and captured.
In August 1915, Nicholas II assumed supreme command of the active forces, hoping to turn the tide of events with his authority. In October 1915, the front was established on the Riga - Baranovichi - Dubno line.
In the Western European Theater throughout 1915, both sides fought local battles without planning major operations. In 1915, the Entente, promising to satisfy Italy's territorial claims more fully than Germany offered, attracted this country to its side. The Italian army launched an offensive, but it was not successful. In October 1915, Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers.
In the fall of 1915, the offensive of Austro-German and Bulgarian troops against Serbia began. The Serbian army resisted for 2 months and then was forced to retreat to Albania. Part of the Serbian troops was transported by the Entente fleet to the Greek island of Corfu.
The 1915 campaign did not live up to the hopes of both warring coalitions, but its course was more favorable for the Entente. The German command, having failed to liquidate the Eastern Front, found itself in a difficult situation.
Military operations in 1916
On February 21, the German command began the Verdun operation on the Western Front. During fierce fighting, both sides suffered big losses. The Germans were never able to break through the front.
At the East European Theater on May 22 (June 4), the Southwestern Front (commanded by General A.A. Brusilov) launched a decisive offensive. The defense of the Austro-German troops was broken to a depth of 80 to 120 km. The command of the Central Powers urgently transferred 11 German divisions from France and 6 Austro-Hungarian divisions from Italy.
The offensive of the Southwestern Front eased the position of the French at Verdun, and also saved the Italian army from defeat and accelerated Romania's entry on the side of the Entente countries. However, Romania's actions were unsuccessful. To provide assistance to Romania, the Russian Romanian Front was formed.
In July, Anglo-French troops launched a major offensive on the Somme River. It lasted until mid-November, but despite the huge losses, the Allies advanced only 5-15 km, failing to break through the German front.
The troops of the Caucasian Front successfully carried out a number of operations, as a result of which the cities of Erzurum and Trebizond were occupied.
At the end of 1916, the superiority of the Entente over the countries of the German bloc became obvious. Germany was forced to defend on all fronts.
Military operations in 1917-1918.
The 1917 campaign was prepared and took place in the context of the growth of the revolutionary movement in all countries, which had an impact big influence on the course of the war as a whole.
In February 1917, a revolution broke out in Russia. In June 1917, the Southwestern Front launched an offensive that ended in failure. Russia's last military operations were the defense of Riga and the defense of the Moonsund Islands.
After October revolution In Russia, on December 2(15), 1917, the new government concluded an armistice with the German coalition. The revolution in Russia thwarted the Entente's strategic plan designed to defeat Austria-Hungary. However, the troops of the Central Powers were still forced to go on the defensive.
In March 1918, a major German offensive began in France. German troops broke through the Allied defenses to a depth of 60 km, but then the Allied command, bringing reserves into the battle, eliminated the breakthrough. At the end of May, the German armies struck north of the Rhine, and reached the Marne River, finding themselves less than 70 km from Paris. Here they were stopped. On July 15, the German command made a last desperate attempt to defeat the Allied armies. But the second Battle of the Marne ended in failure.
In August 1918, the Anglo-French armies went on the offensive and inflicted a major defeat on the German troops. In September, a general Allied offensive began along the entire front. On November 9, the monarchy was overthrown in Germany. On November 11, 1918, the Entente concluded the Compiegne Truce with Germany. Germany admitted itself defeated.

§ 77. War and society

Development of military equipment during the war.

The First World War gave a powerful impetus to the development of military technology. Since 1915, the main problem in conducting military operations has been breaking through the positional front. The appearance of tanks and new types of accompanying artillery in 1916 increased the fire and striking POWER of the advancing troops. On September 15, 1916, the British used tanks for the first time. With the support of 18 tanks, the infantry was able to ADVANCE 2 km. The first case of massive use of tanks was the Battle of Cambrai on November 20 - 21, 1917, where 378 tanks operated. Surprise and great superiority in forces and means allowed British troops to break through the German defenses. However, the tanks, separated from the infantry and cavalry, suffered heavy losses.
The war gave a sharp impetus to the development of aviation. Initially, airplanes, along with balloons, served as a means of reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment. Then they began to install machine guns and bombs on the planes.
The most famous aircraft were the German Fokker, the English Sopwith and the French Farman, Voisin and Nieuport. Military aircraft in Russia were built mainly according to French models, but there were also their own designs. Thus, in 1913, a heavy 4-engine aircraft by I. Sikorsky “Ilya Muromets” was built, which could lift up to 800 kg of bombs and was armed with 3-7 machine guns.
Chemical weapons were a qualitatively new type of weapon. In April 1915, near Ypres, the Germans released 180 tons of chlorine from cylinders. As a result of the attack, about 15 thousand people were injured, of which 5 thousand died. Such large losses from relatively low-toxic chlorine were caused by the lack of protective equipment, the first samples of which appeared only a year later. On April 12, 1917, in the area of ​​Ypres, the Germans used mustard gas (mustard gas). In total, about 1 million people were affected by toxic substances during the war.
State regulation of the economy.
In all the warring countries, state military-economic departments were created to regulate the economy, which brought industry and Agriculture. State bodies distributed orders and raw materials, and managed the products of enterprises. These bodies not only directed production process, but also regulated working conditions, wages, etc. In general, government intervention in the economy during the war years had a visible effect. This gave rise to the idea that such a policy would be beneficial.
In Russia, the relatively weak development of heavy industry could not but affect the supply of the army. Despite the transfer of workers to the position of military personnel, the growth of military production at first was insignificant. The supply of weapons and ammunition from the allies was carried out in extremely limited quantities. To establish military production, the government moved to sequester (transfer to the state) large military factories and banks. For the owners this was a huge source of income.
When major abuses by officials in supplying the fronts with everything they needed were revealed, the government decided to create committees and meetings that were supposed to deal with military orders. But in practice, this only led to the distribution of military orders and the issuance of cash subsidies.
Due to the mass mobilization of peasants into the army in Russia, grain collection sharply decreased, and the cost of processing it increased. A significant part of horses and cattle was also requisitioned as draft power and to feed the army. The food situation sharply worsened in the Axis, speculation flourished and prices for essential goods rose. Hunger began.
Public opinion during the war years.
The outbreak of war caused an explosion of patriotic feelings in all the warring countries. Mass rallies took place in support of the government's actions. However, by the end of 1915, the mood of the population of the warring countries began to gradually change. The strike movement grew everywhere, and the opposition, including parliamentary opposition, grew stronger. In Russia, where the military defeats of 1915 sharply aggravated the internal political situation, this process was particularly violent. The defeats made the Duma opposition want to once again begin the fight against the autocratic regime, which “does not know how to wage war.” Several Duma groups led by the Cadet Party united in “ Progressive block", the purpose of which was to create a cabinet of public trust, i.e. government based on the Duma majority.
The activity of groups in the social democratic parties intensified, from the very beginning they opposed the war with varying degrees of categoricalness. On September 5-8, 1915, the Zimmerwald Conference of such groups took place. 38 delegates from Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands took part in its work. They made a statement against the war and called on the peoples for peace. About a third of the delegates, led by Russian Bolshevik leader V.I. Lenin, considered this call too lenient. They spoke out in favor of turning the “imperialist war into a civil war,” taking advantage of the fact that weapons are in the hands of millions of “proletarians.”
At the fronts, cases of fraternization between soldiers of opposing armies increasingly occurred. During the strikes, anti-war slogans were put forward. On May 1, 1916, in Berlin, at a mass demonstration, the leader of the left Social Democrats, K. Liebknecht, made a call “Down with war!”
National protests intensified in multinational countries. In July 1916, the Central Asian uprising began in Russia, which was finally suppressed only in 1917. On April 24-30, 1916, the Irish uprising broke out and was brutally suppressed by the British. There were also performances in Austria-Hungary.

Results of the war.

The First World War ended with the defeat of Germany and its allies. At the Paris Peace Conference contracts were prepared. On June 28, 1919 it was signed Treaty of Versailles with Germany, September 10 - Treaty of Saint-Germain with Austria, November 27 - Treaty of Nine with Bulgaria, June 4 - Treaty of Trianon with Hungary and August 10, 1920 - Treaty of Sèvres with Turkey. The Paris Peace Conference decided to establish League of Nations. Germany and its allies lost significant territory, were also forced to significantly limit their armed forces and pay large reparations.
The post-war peace settlement was completed by the Washington Conference, held in 1921-1922. Its initiator, the United States, dissatisfied with the results of the Paris Conference, made a serious bid for leadership in Western world. Thus, the United States managed to achieve recognition of the principle of “freedom of the seas,” weaken Great Britain as a great maritime power, oust Japan in China, and also achieve the approval of the principle of “equal opportunity.” Nevertheless, Japan's position in the Far East and the Pacific Ocean turned out to be quite strong.

Today no one remembers when it was World War I, who fought with whom and what caused the conflict itself. But millions of soldiers’ graves throughout Europe and modern Russia do not allow us to forget about this bloody page in history, including that of our state.

Causes and inevitability of war.

The beginning of the last century was quite tense - revolutionary sentiments in Russian Empire with regular demonstrations and terrorist attacks, local military conflicts in the southern part of Europe, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Germany.

All this did not happen in one day, the situation developed and escalated over decades and no one knew how to “let off steam” and at least delay the start of hostilities.

By by and large Each country had unsatisfied ambitions and claims against its neighbors, which, in the old fashioned way, they wanted to resolve using force of arms. They just didn’t take into account the fact that technological progress has given human hands real "infernal machines" whose use led to a bloodbath. These were the words used by veterans to describe many battles of that period.

The balance of power in Europe.

But in a war there are always two conflicting sides trying to get their way. During WWI these were Entente and Central Powers.

When starting a conflict, it is customary to place all the blame on the losing side, so let’s start with that. To the list of Central Powers on different stages wars included:

• Germany.
• Austria-Hungary.
• Türkiye.
• Bulgaria.

There were only three states in the Entente:

• Russian empire.
• France.
• England.

Both alliances were formed at the end of the nineteenth century, and for some time they balanced political and military forces in Europe.

The awareness of an inevitable major war on several fronts at the same time often stopped people from making hasty decisions, but the situation could not continue this way for long.

How did the First World War start?

The first state to announce the start of hostilities was Austro-Hungarian Empire. As enemy spoke Serbia, which sought to unite under its leadership all the Slavs in southern region. Apparently this policy was not particularly liked by the restless neighbor, who did not want to have a powerful confederation at his side that could jeopardize the very existence of Austria-Hungary.

Reason for declaring war was caused by the murder of the heir to the imperial throne, who was shot by Serbian nationalists. Theoretically, this would have ended there - this is not the first time that two countries in Europe have declared war on each other and carried out offensive or defensive actions with varying success. But the fact is that Austria-Hungary was only a protégé of Germany, which had long wanted to reshape the world order in its favor.

The reason was the country's failed colonial policy, which got involved in this fight too late. One of the advantages of having a huge number of dependent states was a practically unlimited market. Industrialized Germany desperately needed such a bonus, but could not get it. It was impossible to resolve the issue peacefully; the neighbors safely received their profits and were not eager to share with anyone.

But defeat in hostilities and the signing of surrender could change the situation somewhat.

Allied participating countries.

From the above lists it can be concluded that no more than 7 countries, but why then is the war called World War? The fact is that each of the blocks had allies who entered or left the war at certain stages:

1. Italy.
2. Romania.
3. Portugal.
4. Greece.
5. Australia.
6. Belgium.
7. Japanese Empire.
8. Montenegro.

These countries did not make a decisive contribution to the overall victory, but we must not forget their active participation in the war on the side of the Entente.

In 1917, the United States joined this list after another attack by a German submarine on a passenger ship.

Results of the war for the main participants.

Russia was able to fulfill the minimum plan for this war - provide protection for the Slavs in Southern Europe. But the main goal was much more ambitious: control over the Black Sea straits could make our country a truly great maritime power.

But the then leadership failed to divide the Ottoman Empire and get some of its most “tasty” fragments. And given the social tension in the country and the subsequent revolution, slightly different problems arose. The Austro-Hungarian Empire also ceased to exist - the worst economic and political consequences for the initiator.

France and England were able to gain a foothold in a leading position in Europe, thanks to impressive contributions from Germany. But Germany faced hyperinflation, abandonment of the army, and a severe crisis with the fall of several regimes. This led to the desire for revenge and the NSDAP at the head of the state. But the United States was able to make capital from this conflict, suffering minimal losses.

Do not forget what the First World War was, who fought with whom and what horrors it brought to society. Growing tensions and conflicts of interest may once again lead to similar irreparable consequences.

Video about the First World War

Allies (Entente): France, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Serbia, USA, Italy (participated in the war on the side of the Entente since 1915).

Friends of the Entente (supported the Entente in the war): Montenegro, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Siam, Haiti, Liberia, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica.

Question about the causes of the First World War is one of the most discussed in world historiography since the outbreak of the war in August 1914.

The outbreak of the war was facilitated by the widespread strengthening of nationalist sentiments. France hatched plans to return the lost territories of Alsace and Lorraine. Italy, even being in an alliance with Austria-Hungary, dreamed of returning its lands to Trentino, Trieste and Fiume. The Poles saw in the war an opportunity to recreate the state destroyed by the partitions of the 18th century. Many peoples inhabiting Austria-Hungary sought national independence. Russia was convinced that it could not develop without limiting German competition, protecting the Slavs from Austria-Hungary and expanding influence in the Balkans. In Berlin, the future was associated with the defeat of France and Great Britain and the unification of the countries of Central Europe under the leadership of Germany. In London they believed that the people of Great Britain would live in peace only by crushing their main enemy - Germany.

In addition, international tension was heightened by a series of diplomatic crises - the Franco-German clash in Morocco in 1905-1906; the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austrians in 1908-1909; Balkan wars in 1912-1913.

The immediate cause of the war was the Sarajevo Murder. June 28, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand by nineteen-year-old Serbian student Gavrilo Princip, who was a member of the secret organization "Young Bosnia", fighting for the unification of all South Slavic peoples in one state.

July 23, 1914 Austria-Hungary, having secured the support of Germany, presented Serbia with an ultimatum and demanded that its military units be allowed into Serbian territory in order to, together with Serbian forces, suppress hostile actions.

Serbia's response to the ultimatum did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, and July 28, 1914 she declared war on Serbia. Russia, having received assurances of support from France, openly opposed Austria-Hungary and July 30, 1914 announced a general mobilization. Germany, taking advantage of this opportunity, announced August 1, 1914 war against Russia, and August 3, 1914- France. After the German invasion August 4, 1914 Great Britain declared war on Germany in Belgium.

The First World War consisted of five campaigns. During first campaign in 1914 Germany invaded Belgium and northern France, but was defeated at the Battle of the Marne. Russia captured parts of East Prussia and Galicia (East Prussian Operation and Battle of Galicia), but was then defeated as a result of the German and Austro-Hungarian counteroffensive.

1915 Campaign associated with Italy’s entry into the war, the disruption of the German plan to withdraw Russia from the war, and bloody, inconclusive battles on the Western Front.

1916 Campaign associated with the entry of Romania into the war and the waging of a grueling positional war on all fronts.

1917 campaign associated with the entry of the United States into the war, Russia's revolutionary exit from the war and a series of successive offensive operations on the Western Front (Nivelle's operation, operations in the Messines area, Ypres, near Verdun, and Cambrai).

1918 Campaign was characterized by a transition from positional defense to a general offensive of the Entente armed forces. From the second half of 1918, the Allies prepared and deployed retaliatory offensive operations(Amiens, Saint-Miel, Marne), during which the results of the German offensive were eliminated, and in September 1918 they launched a general offensive. By November 1, 1918, the Allies liberated the territory of Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, entered the territory of Bulgaria after the armistice and invaded the territory of Austria-Hungary. On September 29, 1918, a truce with the allies was concluded by Bulgaria, October 30, 1918 - Turkey, November 3, 1918 - Austria-Hungary, November 11, 1918 - Germany.

June 28, 1919 was signed at the Paris Peace Conference Treaty of Versailles with Germany, officially ending the First World War of 1914-1918.

On September 10, 1919, the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty with Austria was signed; November 27, 1919 - Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria; June 4, 1920 - Treaty of Trianon with Hungary; August 20, 1920 - Treaty of Sèvres with Turkey.

In total, the First World War lasted 1,568 days. It was attended by 38 states, in which 70% of the population lived globe. The armed struggle was carried out on fronts with a total length of 2500–4000 km. The total losses of all countries at war amounted to about 9.5 million people killed and 20 million people wounded. At the same time, the losses of the Entente amounted to about 6 million people killed, the losses of the Central Powers amounted to about 4 million people killed.

During the First World War, for the first time in history, tanks, airplanes, submarines, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, mortars, grenade launchers, bomb throwers, flamethrowers, super-heavy artillery, hand grenades, chemical and smoke shells, and toxic substances were used. New types of artillery appeared: anti-aircraft, anti-tank, infantry escort. Aviation became an independent branch of the military, which began to be divided into reconnaissance, fighter and bomber. Tank troops, chemical troops, air defense troops, and naval aviation emerged. The role of engineering troops increased and the role of cavalry decreased.

The results of the First World War were the liquidation of four empires: German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman, the latter two being divided, and Germany and Russia being reduced territorially. As a result, new independent states appeared on the map of Europe: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Finland.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources