First study option
The traditional approach to the study of this issue is the compilation of a chronological table "Main events of the First World War" in the course of the collective work of the class under the guidance of a teacher. The teacher names the battle, indicates its chronological framework, the students trace the course of events on the map, record the battle in a table and orally determine the relationship between events taking place in parallel on different fronts. The study of the issue is supplemented by messages from students.

Material for the student's message on the topic: "Military operations in East Prussia in 1914"
Realizing the "Schlieffen plan", in early August 1914, German troops launched an offensive against France. Germany correctly calculated the time needed to mobilize the entire Russian army. Russian troops had not yet pulled up to the borders, and requests were already pouring in from Paris to launch an offensive. At a reception with Nicholas II on August 5, 1914, the French ambassador M. Palaeologus said: “I implore Your Majesty to order your troops to attack immediately. Otherwise, the French army runs the risk of being crushed. " And on August 8, the North-Western Front, deployed against Germany, receives instructions to prepare an offensive, and on August 10, the front commander receives an order from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich: yourself with the banner of the cross, go into a calm and planned offensive ”. The capture of East Prussia was planned. 1st Russian Army under the command of General P.K. Rennenkampf (1854-1918), advancing from the east, and the 2nd Army, under the command of A.V. Samsonov (1859-1914), advancing from the south, acted against the 8th German army. The enemy was stronger in firepower, relied on a well-fortified area and had an excellent network of communications. On August 20, the troops of the 1st Army won a victory at Gumbinen (now the town of Gusev, Kaliningrad Region). An offensive on Berlin was expected from Rennenkampf, representatives of France were especially active in insisting on this. Samsonov was supposed to block the withdrawal of the 8th German army, which was considered defeated, and defeat it surrounded.
Germany was forced to intensify its actions in East Prussia. The command of the 8th Army was entrusted to General Hindenburg, and Ludendorff was appointed Quartermaster General (Chief of Staff). The transfer of two corps from the Western to the Eastern Front begins. By August 26, Germany had created a double superiority in forces against the 2nd Russian army on the march. In the battle on August 26-31, Russian troops were defeated. The heroism of individual units could not save the army. In the swamps of East Prussia, elite Guards regiments perished. Out of 80 thousand people from the German encirclement, 20 thousand came out, 6 thousand were killed, 20 thousand wounded remained on the battlefield. About 30 thousand people were taken prisoner. General Samsonov shot himself. The first army of General Rennenkampf could not come to the aid of the defeated troops, the order for this, according to the commander, came too late. Subsequently, Rennenkampf was repeatedly accused of treason. However, a number of military historians, in particular N. Yakovlev, believe that the reasons for this catastrophe are “the army's unpreparedness for an offensive, disorganized rear and communications, unsystematic and excessively forced march, ignorance of the enemy, excessive stretching of the front, ... march with battles, from sleepless nights and lack of food. These reasons are mainly caused by the desire to hastily help the allies in their difficult and desperate situation ... ”(quoted from: N. Yakovlev, August 1, 1914. Moscow, 1993). The Russian troops helped the French army with their victims. The commander of the French 9th Army, which stopped the advance of Germany on the Marne, wrote in his memoirs: “We cannot forget about our allies on the Eastern Front, about the Russian army, which by its active intervention diverted a significant part of the enemy's forces and thus allowed us to gain victory on the Marne. "

Material for the student's message on the topic: "Brusilov breakthrough"
In 1915, Poland, Lithuania, Galicia, and part of Belarus were left behind the retreating Russian armies. By the fall, the troops were entrenched in new positions, the front line stabilized, the war became trench war. The army suffered from the "shell hunger", which, thanks to the intensive work of the industry, it was possible only by the spring of 1916.
In early 1916, the Entente powers agreed to launch an offensive in the West on July 1, and in the East two weeks earlier. General M.V. Alekseev at a meeting in the Headquarters outlined his plan: the main attack in the direction of Vilno is delivered by the Western Front of General A.E. Evert, the Northern Front (A.M. Kuropatkin) and the South-Western Front (A.A. Brusilov) assist the offensive of the main forces. Evert and Kuropatkin expressed doubts about the success of the operation. General Brusilov not only did not doubt the need for an offensive, but also obtained permission for his front to deliver an "auxiliary, but strong blow."
The French (the French fought the hardest battles near Verdun) and the Italian command (the Italian army hastily retreated under the blows of the Austrian troops) turned to the Russian army with requests for an early transition to the offensive. Alekseev asked the front commanders to speed up the operation. Brusilov decided to launch an offensive on June 4.
By the beginning of June Brusilov had 40 infantry and 15 cavalry divisions (636 thousand people), the Austrians had 39 infantry and 10 cavalry divisions (478 thousand people). The Russian army was ahead of the enemy in the number of light guns, but the Austrian troops were ahead of the heavy ones (545 guns versus 168). For nine months the Austrians strengthened their positions, which consisted of two or three bands at a distance of five kilometers from each other. In the first lane there were three lines of trenches, covered with rows of barbed wire. In some areas, an electric current was passed through the wire. The defensive structures were reinforced with concrete dugouts; the soldiers had a novelty in service - a flamethrower.
The breakthrough of such positions was previously carried out in a narrow area, to which the main strike forces were drawn. The enemy responded in the same way, and the offensive turned into mass extermination by the sides of each other until the forces were completely exhausted. If successful, the advancing troops advanced a few kilometers. Brusilov's idea was to attack with the entire front (length 340 km), highlighting four strike sections (15-20 km). The enemy was unable to determine the direction of the main blows. The deep advance of the Russian armies in the offensive that had begun had no analogues in the war: the 8th Army, for example, covered 70-75 km in the first eleven days. The Brusilov Breakthrough was the first successful offensive of an entire front in a trench warfare. The Western and Northern Front did not provide support to Brusilov, and the enemy had to hastily transfer troops to this sector not only from near Verdun and from Italy, but also from Turkey. By the end of July, part of Eastern Galicia and all of Bukovina were recaptured. By the fall of 1916, when the Russians were stopped on the Stokhod River, they already occupied 25 thousand square meters. km. The enemy lost up to one and a half million people, our troops - three times less.
Thus, the calculation of the Quadruple Alliance that Russia would not recover from the defeats of 1915 failed. The heaviest defeat was suffered by the Austro-Hungarian troops. The Italian army was saved. Sixteen Austrian divisions were transferred from Italy to the East; from France - eighteen German and four more newly formed divisions; from the Thessaloniki front - three German and two best Turkish divisions. Under the influence of Brusilov's victory, Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente.

The second option for studying the issue
This option uses the group form. Assignments are offered to five groups representing the main events on the main fronts of the war in 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918.

Group assignments :
1) Determine which faction held the strategic initiative this year.
2) What was the main military design of the side that owns the strategic initiative?
3) Name the main events on the fronts of the First World War this year, determine their results and significance, show the course of events on the map.
4) Determine the relationship of events on different fronts of the war.
5) What are the results of hostilities this year?

The third option for studying the issue
In this case, a country-based approach is used and group work is organized, groups are distinguished that study the main events of the war from the position of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, Russia, Great Britain, France, the United States (you can add countries such as Serbia, Belgium, Romania ). Representatives of the groups, using the textbook material and the history map, complete the task for 7-10 minutes. Then the presentations of the representatives of the groups are heard. The answer to the sixth question is recorded in the "Results of the war" column of Table 10.

Group assignments :
1) What bloc did your country belong to?
2) Name the reasons for your state's entry into the First World War, define its goals.
3) Based on the information in the textbook, determine how the population of your country reacted to the war? Has this attitude changed during the war years?
4) Name the people (politicians, military, etc.), whose activities during the war years were of the greatest importance for your country.
5) What are the main battles of your country? What are their results and consequences for the course of hostilities and for your state?
6) What are the main results of the war for your state?

V. Results and consequences of the war

The class is given the task to take stock of the lesson: based on the information learned during the lesson, determine the results of the war and its consequences. The lesson ends with the words of L. Anninsky:
“It is scary to count the millions killed. It is bitter to see the demolition of the state. The mockery of fate, which excluded "at the last moment" from among the victorious countries, is a shame. Even more terrible, and bitter, and more offensive is the deaf trace of the tragedy in our history. Not a single war was so erased in the minds of descendants as this one. It "grew into a civilian" and, as it were, ceased to exist. Europe is covered with monuments to the soldiers of 1914-1918 - we don't have them. Millions of victims of the First World War were covered by tens of millions of victims of the Second, Patriotic War. The heroes of the first one hid their awards from the new government. The generations killed in 1914-1918 are calling out to us out of obscurity. "

Homework

Finish drawing up table 10 (if this work was not carried out in the lesson). Answer the question: "What is the role of Russia in the First World War?"
The teacher can repeat the material and check the assimilation of the facts with the help of tests (in some cases, several answers are correct).
Option I:
1) "Three emperors who played a major role in making the shots in Sarajevo signals of war": a - Nicholas II, b - Wilhelm II, c - Franz Ferdinand, Mr. Franz Joseph.
2) The first world war was attended by: a - 23 countries, b - 28 countries, c - 35 countries, d - 38 countries.
3) The naval blockade of the opponents of the Entente was established in: a - 1914, b - 1915, c - 1916, d - after the United States entered the war.
4) In 1915. trench warfare is going on: a - on the Western front, b - on the Eastern front, c - on both fronts, d - on neither of them.
5) The Quadruple Union did not include: a - Turkey, b - Bulgaria, c - Italy, d - Austria-Hungary.
6) Tanks in the war were used for the first time in: a - 1914, b - 1915, c - 1916, d - 1917
7) The collapse of the Eastern Front is not characterized by: a - fraternization, b - desertion, c - an armistice, d - an offensive.
8) The battles on the Marne took place in: a - 1914 and 1917, b - 1914 and 1918, c - 1915 and 1917, d - 1915 and 1918.
9) Marshal Foch was the head of the armed forces: a - the Entente, b - the Quadruple Alliance, c - Russia, d - the USA.
10) Peace in Brest-Litovsk was signed by: a - Austria-Hungary, b - Germany, c - Serbia, d - Russia.

Option II:
1) Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in: a - 06/28/1914, b - 07/28/1914, c - 08/01/1914, d - 08/08/1914
2) The German colonies were captured by Great Britain: a - in 1914, b - in 1915, c - after the US entered the war, d - after the signing of the Compiegne armistice.
3) The "Schlieffen Plan" was adopted by the command of: a - Germany, b - France, c - Austria-Hungary, d - Belgium.
4) In 1915, a mobile war goes on: a - the Western front, b - the Eastern front, c - both fronts, d - neither of them.
5) The Entente did not include: a - Romania, b - Bulgaria, c - Italy, d - France.
6) The battle on the Somme took place in: a - 1914, 6 - 1915, c - 1916, d - 1917.
7) The strategic initiative was first lost by Germany: a - in 1915, b - after the battles at Verdun and on the Somme, c - after the United States entered the war, d - after the battles at Arras and on the Marne.
8) The Battle of Caporetto took place on: a - the Eastern Front, b - the Pacific Ocean, c - the Thessaloniki Front, d - the Italian front.
9) According to Hindenburg's plan, Germany: a - refused offensive actions on the Western Front, b - entered into a separate peace with Russia, c - withdrew from the war, d - introduced market regulation of the economy.
10) The Armistice of Compiegne was signed: a - March 3, 1918, b - November 11, 1918, c - September 28, 1918, d - November 3, 1918.

Option III
1) Germany declared war on Russia: a - June 28, 1914, b - July 28, 1914, c - August 1, 1914, d - August 3, 1914
2) "The Schlieffen Plan" provided for the conduct of: a - mobile war, b - lightning war, c - trench warfare, d - coalition war.
3) Brusilov breakthrough was carried out in: a - 1914, b - 1915, c - 1916, d - 1917.
4) In 1915, the strategic initiative of: a - the Entente, b - the Quadruple Alliance, c - passes from the Entente to the Quadruple Alliance, d - passes from the Quadruple Alliance to the Entente ..
5) The Jutland sea battle took place in: a - 1914, b - 1915, c - 1916, d - in 1917.
6) The restructuring of the economy in the belligerent countries is characterized to the maximum extent by: a - the introduction of labor service, b - the introduction of card distribution, c - strict state regulation of the economy, d - mobilization and requisition.
7) Field Marshal Hindenburg was the supreme commander in chief: a - the Entente, b - the Quadruple Alliance, c - Russia, d - Germany.
8) The plan for the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire was signed by representatives of: a - the Quadruple Alliance, b - the Entente, c - Germany and Russia, d - Austria-Hungary and Russia.
9) During the First World War, the following were killed: a - 5 million people, b - 10 million people, c - 12 million people, d - 14 million people.
10) The Brest Peace was signed: a - December 15, 1917, b - March 3, 1918, c - September 28, 1918, d - November 3, 1918
// Koval T.V. Lesson notes for a history teacher: Grade 9: History of Russia, XX century: methodological guide / T.V. Koval. - M .: VLADOS-PRESS, 2001 .-- S. 70-77 ..

World War I (1914-1918)

It was attended by 38 states with a population of 1.5 billion people.

Each country pursued its own goals in it. It was a war for the redivision of the world. But no country has achieved its goals.

At the beginning of the war, the peoples of the belligerent countries supported their governments. However, the war dragged on, bringing only disasters - and the support of the masses was gradually replaced by discontent. The number of anti-government protests grew, reaching a climax in 1917-1918. A wave of bourgeois revolutions swept across Europe, as a result of which the largest empires in the world - including Russia - fell. And in Russia, shortly after the fall of the autocracy, the Bolsheviks came to power.

Causes of the war.

Germany planned to crush France and Russia. The goal is to seize some French colonies in Africa, to achieve overwhelming influence in Turkey, in the Near and Middle East, to annex part of the western territories of Russia (its Baltic and Polish provinces).

Austria-Hungary hoped to subjugate the Balkan states.

Russia sought to seize the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, as well as the city of Constantinople, which would allow it to completely control the Black Sea basin.

France intended to regain the territories lost in 1871 and subjugate the banks of the Rhine.

Great Britain pursued the goal of removing Germany from the game as its main rival in Europe and the world.

The war was inevitable, and there was enough reason for it to start.

The beginning of the war.

On June 28, 1914, the heir to the Austrian throne, Erz Duke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo (Bosnia). The killer is a member of the nationalist organization Gavrilo Princip. He turned out to be a Serb, and this served as a pretext for Austria-Hungary to accuse Serbia of a terrorist act. The Austrian authorities presented Serbia with an ultimatum that infringed upon the country's independence. From 28 July, events began to develop rapidly. On this day, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. On July 30, Russia, an ally of Serbia, announced a general mobilization. Then Germany on August 1 declared war on Russia, and on August 3 - France. The war has begun. It was opposed by two military blocs - the Entente (Russia, France, England) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy). But Italy declared neutrality, and Germany and Austria-Hungary came out against the Entente countries. In 1915, the Triple Alliance was transformed into the Quadruple Alliance: it included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. Thus, an increasing number of countries were involved in the war.

The course of the war.

Germany has developed a plan that would help it avoid a war on two fronts - with France and Russia. According to this plan, she hoped to defeat France in a lightning war in two months, and then bring down all her might on Russia.

1914 year.

In August 1914, Germany launched an offensive against Paris. Then France demanded that Russia begin hostilities on the Eastern Front in order to divert part of the German troops in the western direction and weaken their power. Russian troops launched an offensive on the Eastern Front. Germany had to withdraw significant forces from the Western Front and send them to the East. The untrained Russian armies were defeated. But thanks to the actions of Russia, Paris was saved, and the German plan for a lightning war failed.

1915 year.

The German command adopted a new war plan. Now it decided to first crush the Russian troops, withdraw Russia from the war, and then finally "deal with" France. In the West, Germany went over to a strategic defense, sending the main forces to the East. 1915 was the most difficult year for Russia. Russian troops were not ready for protracted hostilities. There were not enough weapons, ammunition. At the same time, they were opposed by the well-armed German army. The forces were clearly unequal. The Russian army was driven out of Galicia, Poland, a number of regions of the Baltic states, Belarus, and Ukraine. And the allies (France and England) never came to Russia's aid, did not organize a single major military operation on the Western Front.

1916 year. "Brusilov Breakthrough".

Germany decided that the Russian army, although not completely defeated, was already too weak to continue the war. Therefore, she moved on to the second part of her plan - to defeat France. The German command organized a broad offensive against the Franco-British troops in the Verdun area, behind which a direct road to Paris opened. France again turned to Russia for help. And Russia again came to the rescue. The troops of the Southwestern Front, commanded by General A.A. Brusilov, launched an offensive against the Austrian positions. The famous "Brusilov Breakthrough" was accomplished: Russian troops broke through the front for 340 km, the depth of the breakthrough reached 120 km. Austria-Hungary was on the brink of disaster. Germany had to withdraw large forces from the Western Front and throw them into Austria-Hungary. The offensive at Verdun was stopped.

However, the successful hostilities of the Russian troops did not bring strategic successes, since the allies again did not support them with offensive operations on the Western Front. As a result, the war acquired a positional character.

1917 year.

In Russia, as in all the belligerent countries, the situation of the masses worsened. The revolution broke out in February. The tsar abdicated the throne, power passed to the Provisional Government. In the summer, it organized a new offensive, which was unsuccessful. This aggravated the political crisis in the country. A new revolution began - the October Revolution. The provisional government was overthrown, the Bolsheviks came to power, headed by V.I. Lenin. The Soviet government appealed to all the belligerent countries with a proposal for peace. However, this proposal was not supported. Then it was decided to hold peace talks with Germany.

The year is 1918. Peace of Brest. The end of the war.

Negotiations with Germany took place in Brest. Lenin advocated peace at any cost. AND March 3, 1918 the predatory Brest Treaty was signed. According to the agreement, huge territories of Russia were withdrawn to Germany. In addition, Russia had to pay a huge indemnity.

Russia withdrew from the world war, but the treaty never brought peace. Former allies have become enemies. The Entente countries organized an intervention against Soviet Russia. A civil war broke out in Russia.

Meanwhile, the world war continued. In August, in the battle of Amiens, the Entente troops inflicted a decisive defeat on the German army. The Entente continued fighting, trying to finally break the resistance of the troops of the Quadruple Alliance. A revolution began in Germany, as a result of which the monarchy was overthrown. Germany was proclaimed a republic. Revolutions took place in Austria-Hungary and Turkey. The quadruple alliance fell apart.

November 11, 1918 Germany signed the act of surrender. The First World War is over. After Germany's surrender, Russia annulled the Brest Peace Treaty.

Lesson plan

Lesson topic: "World War I. Combat actions 1914-1918 ".

The purpose of the lesson:

- to form an idea of ​​the scale and mainevents of the First World War.

R develop the ability to work in groups; continue to develop the ability to analyze historical facts, skills of independent work, to draw conclusions;

To foster a rejection of war, cruelty, respect for human life as the highest value.

Lesson type: a lesson in learning new material.

Lesson equipment :

General history. Recent history. Grade 9: textbook for educational institutions / O.S. Soroko-Tsyupa, A.O. Soroko-Tsyupa.-M .: Education, 2013.

Map “First World War. 1914-1918 ".

Handout - document fragments.

Lesson plan :

Causes of the war. The reason for the war.

Participants and their goals.

The course of hostilities, the main battles of 1914-1918.

Results of the First World War.

Epigraph: "The twentieth century...
And black, earthly blood,
Promises us, inflating veins,
All destroying the frontiers
Unheard of change
Unprecedented riots ...! "

Alexander Blok.

During the classes

Organizing time.

a) communication of the purpose and objectives of the lesson.

Already 100 years separate us from the date - August 1, 1914 - a period sufficient to assess the significance of what happened then. Humanity has entered a new, very difficult period of its development, during the period of global tragedies. The First World War was the prologue to the upheavals of the 20th century. In the events of 1914-1918. - the origins of many processes that have determined the appearance of the modern world. The war, in fact, began a new era in the history of mankind and was perceived as a manifestation of the crisis of European civilization, as a great calamity, which for the first time raised the question of the physical destruction of mankind. It was led by massive armies that used destructively the weapons created by the industrial society. War has become a hard day-to-day job for millions. Started for the greatness of empires, it destroyed these empires themselves in 4 years. Today we will learn why and how the relatively prosperous European world was destroyed.

Our goal – working with historical documents and a textbook, we will have to give an assessment of the First World War ???

duration - 1554 days;

number of participating countries - 38;

composition of coalitions: England, France, Russia, USA and 30 more countries:

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria;

the number of states on the territory of which hostilities took place –14;

the population of the countries participating in the war is 1.5 billion people (62% of the world's population).

II. Explanation of the new material.

1. Causes of the war. The reason for the war.

The contradictions between the great powers, the aggravation of the struggle for spheres of influence led to their open clash. The reason for the war was the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne in Sarajevo.

Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia on July 10, which was almost completely satisfied by Serbia. But on July 28, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, and on August 3, on France. Great Britain entered the war on 4 August.

2. Participants and their goals.

Independent work of students.

Task 1: After analyzing the text of the textbook on pages 37-40 make a table: Participants in the war and their goals.

Participants in the war and their goals

Assignment 2: After analyzing the documents, express your opinion about the readiness of the Entente and the Triple Alliance for war: - weapons - armed forces - costs.

The size of the armed forces

(leading powers and their dominions)

In the ranks

(million people)

Austro-Hungarian Empire

Austria and Hungary

British empire

United Kingdom

German empire

Germany

Italian possessions

Russian empire

US possessions

French possessions

Empire of japan

The world as a whole

Direct military spending

Armament.

Bullet Meta

(billion pieces)

Aero plans

Auto-mobiles

Navy

Vin-tovki

Austro-Hungarian Empire

British empire

German empire

Italian possessions

Russian empire

US possessions

French possessions

Empire of japan

The world as a whole

Presentations by representatives from groups.

The course of hostilities, the main battles of 1914-1918.

Group work.

The students are given the task: Having studied the material of the textbook and the data in the table, tell about the main military operations of 1914-1918. their results, show the main battles on the map.

1) 1914
What was the plan for lightning war? Why was it ripped off? What are the biggest battles of 1914? What are the main results of the 1914 military campaign?
2) 1915
What was the main strategic objective of the Triple Alliance? Which new countries have joined the Triple Alliance and why? Results of the 1915 military campaign.
3) 1916
What are the main battles of 1916 and their results? The main battles at sea and their results. How were the military events reflected on the living standards of the population of the warring countries?
4) 1917
Russia in World War I in 1917 - early 1918 What are the features of hostilities in 1917? What are the main battles of 1917? The main results of the 1917 military campaign.
5) 1918
What is the latest strategic plan of the German command developed by Hindenburg? Why did he fail? What events contributed to the defeat in the war of the countries of the Triple Alliance? Where and when did World War I end?
Speech by representatives of the groups.

Table: Main events First world war 1914 - 1918

Periods

Western front

Eastern front

Result

The offensive of the German troops through Belgium. Battle of the Marne. German troops are stopped and driven back from Paris. Naval blockade of Germany by the British fleet

Unsuccessful offensive of two Russian armies (generals P.K. Renenkampf and A.V. Samsonov) in East Prussia. The offensive of Russian troops into Galicia against Austria-Hungary.

The East Prussian operation of the Russian troops helped the French and British to withstand the battle on the Marne River. "The Schlieffenn Plan" failed, Germany was unable to avoid a war on two fronts. The Ottoman Empire joined Germany and Austria-Hungary.

There were almost no active hostilities. Merciless submarine war of Germany against the Entente fleet. The first ever chemical attack by German troops on Ypres (Belgium).

The offensive of Germany and Austria-Hungary against the Russian troops. The Russian army is forced to retreat with heavy losses. Russia lost Poland, part of the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine. Bulgaria sided with Germany (the central powers).

Germany and its allies failed to liquidate the Eastern Front. Positional ("trench") war. France and England have strengthened their military capabilities. The military-economic preponderance of the Entente countries has been outlined.

The offensive of the German army at Verdun. The first use of tanks by the Entente troops and the offensive on the Somme River.

The Russian army under the command of General Brusilov broke through the Austro-Hungarian front in Galicia and Bukovina ("Brusilov Breakthrough"). However, it was not possible to build on the success of the Russian army.

The battles at Verdun and the Somme did not give either side a decisive advantage. It became clear that Germany could not win the war. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of complete defeat.

In the battles on the fields of France, neither the Central Powers nor the Entente managed to achieve a decisive victory. US entry into the war on the side of the Entente.

Revolution in February-March 1917 in Russia. The fall of the monarchy. Provisional government - "War to the bitter end!" Peace decree of the Bolshevik government. The call to conclude peace without annexation and indemnity was not supported by either Germany or the Entente.

Huge losses forced the Anglo-French command to cease major offensive operations. The entry into the war of the United States led to the economic and military superiority of the Entente. Revolutionary Russia, exhausted by the war, could not continue the struggle.

The offensive of the German troops in France (P. Hindenburg, E. Ludendorff) on Paris. On the Marne, the Entente forces counterattack under the command of the French General F. Foch. US President W. Wilson proposed the "14 Points" peace plan. The uprising of the sailors in Kiel was the beginning of the German revolution. The Social Democratic government concluded an armistice with the Entente in the Compiegne forest on November 11, 1918.

In March 1918, the Bolshevik government concluded a separate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany.

The Eastern Front ceased to exist. Germany got rid of the need to fight on two fronts. Bulgaria withdrew from the war. The Ottoman Empire surrendered. The revolutions in Czechoslovakia and Hungary led to the disintegration of Austria-Hungary and its military collapse. End of the First World War. Victory of the Entente countries.

Results of the First World War.

Generalization by the teacher.

The First World War was the bloodiest and most destructive war in the history of mankind. 38 states with a population of over 1.5 billion people were involved in the orbit of the war. Over 10 million people died in the battles and twice as many were wounded. Thousands of cities and villages were turned into ruins, roads and bridges were destroyed, vast agricultural territories were desolate, millions of people lost their homes, property, lost their citizenship, their usual way of life, and professional skills.

As a result of the war, the bloc of the most aggressive states of Central Europe was defeated. The Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires collapsed. Revolutions have taken place in a number of countries. The war became a manifestation of the deepest crisis of European civilization.

The brutality and violence of war, the contempt for human life, and the humiliation of human dignity have generated moral consequences that cannot be measured.

Consolidation of the studied material.

Test: "First World War".

Eliminate unnecessary things.

Causes of the First World War.

The desire of the industrial powers to weaken the states of competitors in economic and military development, to a military solution of political and economic problems.

The desire of the industrialized powers to preserve the existing and seize new colonies, to domination and profit.

Colonies strive for political independence.

The desire of the participating countries to resolve internal problems through war.

Insert the missing words.

The reason for the start of the First World War was …………………………………

Underline the correct answer.

Schlieffen's plan assumed:

1. Maneuver warfare.

   Lightning war.

   Positional warfare.

   Coalition war.

4. Eliminate unnecessary .

The Entente did not include:

United Kingdom

Bulgaria

Italy

France

5. Eliminate unnecessary .

The Quadruple Union did not include:

Turkey

Bulgaria

Italy

Austro-hungary

Underline the correct answer .

The Armistice of Compiegne was signed:

Summing up the lesson.

Giving an overall grade to the group and commenting on the grades

Homework:

World War I Statistics Duration: - days 33 Number of participating countries million people Mobilized 74 million people Killed - 10 million Wounded - 20 million

Germany The seizure of new colonies at the expense of England and France, the weakening of France and Russia, the establishment of domination in Europe Austria-Hungary Expansion of the sphere of influence in the Balkans, the suppression of the national liberation movements of the oppressed Slavic peoples Great Britain Weakening of Germany, the seizure of part of the German colonies, the partition of the Ottoman Empire France Weakening Germany, the return of Alsace and Lorraine, the Saar and part of the Rhine region of Germany Russia Establishing dominance in the Balkans, in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, weakening Germany, eliminating the danger of establishing Austro-Hungarian domination in the Balkans Italy Seeking support against France because of control over North Africa

Country Growth in the size of the army (in%) The number of military personnel per 1000 men Expenditures on the maintenance of the army and navy (in rubles) per capita England 38,825,615.2 France 48,752,512.5 Italy 22,927,46,3 Germany 44,3489,2 Austria-Hungary , 9 Russia 19.5 33.7 3.9

Reason for war Archduke Franz Ferdinand Gavrila Principle June 28, 1914 - Serbian terrorist Gavrila Princip killed Austrian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand in the capital of Bosnia Sarajevo. The killer took revenge on the Austrians for the capture of Bosnia, which Serbia claimed. To investigate the murder, Austria-Hungary demanded the introduction of its troops into Serbia. The Serbs did not agree to the occupation ..

The ratio of forces of the warring parties Entente countries Germany and its allies Population (not counting the colonies) 260 million (Russia, France, Serbia, Montenegro, Belgium, Great Britain) 120 million (Germany, Austria-Hungary) Armed forces at the beginning of the war 5800 thousand military personnel, 221 infantry and 41 cavalry divisions 3800 thousand military personnel, 148 infantry and 22 cavalry divisions Guns Aircraft Cruisers 31,662

Schlieffen's plan Albert von Schlieffen Russia will need at least 100 days to mobilize, and the Germans and Austrians 14 days. Defeat France before Russia can help her. Concentrate 90% of the German armies on the western front. Flank the Maginot Line on the German-French border. Walk through the territory of Belgium. Take Paris. Occupy France in 40 days.

Periods Western Front Eastern Front Result of 1914 German offensive through Belgium. Battle of the Marne. German troops are stopped and driven back from Paris. Naval blockade of Germany by the British fleet Unsuccessful offensive of two Russian armies (generals P.K. Renenkampf and A.V. Samsonov) in East Prussia. The offensive of Russian troops into Galicia against Austria-Hungary. The East Prussian operation of the Russian troops helped the French and British to withstand the battle on the Marne River. "The Schlieffenn Plan" failed, Germany was unable to avoid a war on two fronts. The Ottoman Empire joined Germany and Austria-Hungary. There were almost no active military operations. Merciless submarine war of Germany against the Entente fleet. The first ever chemical attack by German troops on Ypres (Belgium). The offensive of Germany and Austria-Hungary against the Russian troops. The Russian army is forced to retreat with heavy losses. Russia lost Poland, part of the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine. Bulgaria sided with Germany (the central powers). Germany and its allies failed to liquidate the Eastern Front. Positional ("trench") war. France and England have strengthened their military capabilities. The military-economic superiority of the Entente countries was outlined. The offensive of the German army on Verdun. The first use of tanks by the Entente troops and the offensive on the Somme River. The Russian army under the command of General Brusilov broke through the Austro-Hungarian front in Galicia and Bukovina ("Brusilov Breakthrough"). However, it was not possible to build on the success of the Russian army. The battles at Verdun and the Somme did not give either side a decisive advantage. It became clear that Germany would not be able to win the war. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of complete defeat. In the battles on the fields of France, neither the Central Powers nor the Entente managed to achieve a decisive victory. US entry into the war on the side of the Entente. Revolution in February-March 1917 in Russia. The fall of the monarchy. Provisional government - "War to the bitter end!" Peace decree of the Bolshevik government. The call to conclude peace without annexation and indemnity was not supported by either Germany or the Entente. Huge losses forced the Anglo-French command to cease major offensive operations. The entry into the war of the United States led to the economic and military superiority of the Entente. Exhausted by the war, revolutionary Russia could not continue the struggle. The offensive of the German troops in France (P. Hindenburg, E. Ludendorff) on Paris. On the Marne, a counterattack by the Entente forces under the command of the French General F. Foch. US President W. Wilson proposed the "14 Points" peace plan. The uprising of the sailors in Kiel was the beginning of the German revolution. The Social Democratic government concluded an armistice with the Entente in the Forest of Compiegne on November 11, 1918. In March 1918, the Bolshevik government concluded a separate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany. The Eastern Front ceased to exist. Germany got rid of the need to fight on two fronts. Bulgaria withdrew from the war. The Ottoman Empire surrendered. The revolutions in Czechoslovakia and Hungary led to the disintegration of Austria-Hungary and its military collapse. End of the First World War. Victory of the Entente countries. The main events of the First World War 1914-1918

War becomes world Entente France England Russia Serbia, Montenegro, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Greece, Japan, China, Siam, Egypt, Liberia, USA, Cuba, Haiti, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Brazil ... Diplomatic relations with Germany were severed by Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador. Quadruple alliance Germany Austria-Hungary Turkey Bulgaria

Textbook. Page option. Draw up a complex plan of the item "Transition to trench warfare". Option 2. Draw up a difficult point of the plan "Fight for attrition".

The turning point in the war turning point in the war. Simultaneous offensive of the Entente on the Western and Eastern fronts. Brusilov put Austria-Hungary on the brink of disaster.

Peace of Brest-Litovsk 1917 February - the revolution in Russia. Economy fails. December - Bolsheviks come to power. March - Brest Peace with the Quadruple Alliance.

Surrender of the Quadruple Alliance 1918 - May-June - Germany - 5 powerful offensives on the Western Front. But! It was not possible to break through the front in July - the Entente launched an offensive. But! It was not possible to break through the Hindenburg Line. Defensive structure of the Hindenburg line

Surrender of the Quadruple Alliance 1918 - September - the Entente troops began the assault on the Hindenburg line - October - the line was broken. In Germany, there is a revolution. November 9, 1918 - Germany became a republic. November 11, 1918 - the surrender of Germany. Assault on the Hindenburg Line

RESULTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1. Political results: the February and October revolutions in Russia and the November revolution in Germany; the elimination of four empires: the German, Russian, Ottoman empires and Austria-Hungary, the latter two being divided; Germany is cut geographically and economically weakened. 2. Territorial changes: the accession to England of Tanzania and South-West Africa, Iraq and Palestine, parts of Togo and Cameroon; the accession of Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda to Belgium; the annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, Syria, parts of Togo and Cameroon by France; the occupation of the Saar by France; the annexation of South Tyrol and Istria by Italy; the independence of the Belarusian People's Republic, the Ukrainian People's Republic, Hungary, Danzig, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Finland and Yugoslavia was proclaimed; the Weimar and Austrian republics are founded; the Rhineland and the Black Sea straits have been demilitarized.

3. Military results: For the first time, tanks, chemical weapons, gas masks, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns were used; aircraft, machine guns, mortars, submarines, and torpedo boats have become widespread; the firepower of the troops increased sharply; new types of artillery appeared: anti-aircraft, anti-tank, infantry escort; aviation became an independent branch of the military, which began to be subdivided into reconnaissance, fighter, and bomber; tank troops, chemical troops, air defense troops, and naval aviation arose; the role of the engineering troops increased and the role of cavalry decreased; appeared "trench tactics" of warfare with the aim of exhausting the enemy and depleting his economy, working on military orders. 4. Economic results: strengthening of state regulation and planning of the economy, the formation of military-industrial complexes; accelerating the development of national economic infrastructures (power systems, paved road network, etc.); an increase in the share of production of defense products and dual-use products.

As a result of hostilities, more than 10 million people died and 2 times more were wounded. Thousands of cities and villages were turned into ruins, roads and bridges were destroyed, millions of people lost their homes, property ... 33 states with a population of over 1.5 billion people were involved in the war.

Being one of the two main theaters of military operations of the First World War, the Western Front undoubtedly ranks first in terms of its military and political significance. It was here that the German command in August - September 1914 made a decisive bet on victory, and its failure led to the final defeat of Kaiser's Germany, which was unable to withstand a protracted war of attrition against the combined potential of the Entente powers. Being of paramount importance for Germany on the one hand, and Great Britain and France on the other, the Western Front existed until the conclusion of the Compiegne Armistice in November 1918.
After declaring war on Russia on August 1, 1914, Germany presented France with an ultimatum, demanding that it remain neutral, but France declared that it would fulfill its allied obligations to Russia, and on August 3 Germany declared war on it under the pretext of the alleged bombing of German territory by French airplanes. Since the German plan of lightning war (Schlieffen plan) envisaged the invasion of the main forces of the German army into France through the territory of Belgium, the refusal of the Belgian government to let German troops pass led to the violation of the neutrality of Belgium by the latter, which served as the basis for the entry into the war of Great Britain, connected by military-political agreements with France and Russia.

Campaign of 1914

During the Battle of the Frontier in August 1914, French forces and the British Expeditionary Force were unable to contain the advance of seven German armies pouring across the borders of Belgium and France. The German plan for waging a war on two fronts was to quickly defeat the troops of its opponents in the West with a powerful blow, seize Paris and force France to surrender, and then transfer the main forces of German troops to the Eastern Front and in cooperation with the Austro-Hungarian army inflict a decisive defeat on Russia. However, this plan was thwarted by the active actions of the Russian troops in East Prussia. Despite the fact that the Russian 2nd Army of General Samsonov ultimately suffered a heavy defeat at Tannenberg, the German command, having very limited forces against the Russians, was forced to prepare reserves for sending to the East - two army corps designed to strengthen the attack grouping to Paris. This played a decisive role in the defeat of the Germans at the Battle of the Marne.

Battle of the Marne (Marne).

On September 5, 1914, the French 6th Army of General Monoury, concentrated to the east of Paris, launched a counterattack on the unprotected right flank of the enemy on the Marne River. The German command did not have the free forces to fend off the blow, and the commander of the right-flank German 1st Army, General von Kluck, deployed two corps against Monuri's army, and then two more divisions, exposing the joint with the neighboring 2nd Army. This allowed the French 5- 1st Army and British troops to deliver a second counterstrike into the gap that had opened. The German 2nd Army faced the threat of encirclement and was forced to retreat to the north, pulling the neighboring 1st and 3rd armies with it. By September 12, German troops had retreated 60 km, taking up defenses along the lines of the Aisne and Vel rivers. Thus, the German plan to defeat France with one blow failed, which predetermined the unfavorable outcome of the entire war for Germany.
In the second half of September - October, both sides continued to maneuver, trying to outflank the enemy from the open northern flank (the so-called "Run to the Sea"), as a result of which the front line stretched to the coast of the North Sea, and the war acquired a positional character.

Campaign of 1915

From the end of 1914, the opposing sides buried themselves in the ground, rebuilding dugouts, trenches, machine-gun points, reliably covered with barbed wire and minefields. Attempts to break through such a defense each time turned out to be huge losses for the advancing side with insignificant results. In the changed conditions of military operations, along with the strengthening of the role of artillery, especially heavy artillery, new means of warfare began to develop, including chemical weapons, airplanes, tanks, specially trained assault detachments of infantrymen and combat engineers. At the same time, the importance of cavalry, which turned out to be extremely vulnerable to automatic fire, aviation weapons (bombs, airplane arrows) and toxic substances, was reduced to naught. In the spring of 1915, the main efforts of Germany were shifted to the Eastern Front, and the Anglo-French troops tried to take advantage of this situation to go on the offensive. However, the operation in Artois undertaken in May and June was not crowned with success. In two weeks of fighting, the Allies lost 130 thousand people, moving forward only 3-4 km in the French sector of the front and 1 km in the British.

Conferences at the Château de Chantilly.

The failure of the Anglo-French troops in operations on the Western Front, the retreat of the Russian armies in Galicia and Poland seriously worried the military-political leadership of the Entente powers.

In mid-1915, the French government invited the Allies to carry out a general development of future operations and submitted a draft of convening a conference, where the headquarters of the French army was located. For a year and a half, four inter-allied conferences were held. The first conference (July 1915) discussed the Allied plan for the second half of 1915. At the second conference (December 1915), the general plan of the 1916 campaign and recommendations to the governments of the Entente countries on economic and political issues were discussed. The third conference (March 1916) reviewed and approved the plan of the 1916 campaign.The fourth conference (November 1916) decided to prepare coordinated operations by the spring of 1917. The conferences also repeatedly discussed the issue of a centralized body for coordinating the actions of the allied armies, but the military-political contradictions between their participants did not allow to create it. The Supreme Military Council of the Entente was formed only in November 1917.

Campaign of 1916

Despite the major successes scored in 1915 on the Eastern Front, the Austro-German troops failed to crush Russia and withdraw it from the war, and the German command decided to try again in the West.

Battle of Verdun.

The fortified area of ​​Verdun was chosen as the main point of application of forces, against which the Germans were pulling together unprecedented artillery forces in history (1225 guns, of which 703 are heavy, 110 guns per 1 km of the front). It was assumed that in the battle for Verdun, which is the key to Paris, the French would be forced to deplete their resources of manpower, weapons and ammunition. However, during the fierce fighting that lasted from February to December 1916, the German army was able to achieve only very limited success at the cost of huge losses. This was facilitated, in particular, by the fact that during the year the German command had to repeatedly withdraw troops from the front in order to support its ally Austria-Hungary, which found itself in a difficult situation as a result of the offensive of the Russian troops (Brusilov breakthrough), undertaken in accordance with the decisions, adopted at the meetings of representatives of the general staffs of the allied powers in Chantilly.

Battle of the Somme.

In July - November 1916, the Allied Joint Command launched an offensive operation on the Somme River, which went down in history as one of the largest battles of the First World War. Despite many days of artillery preparation, the offensive developed slowly and at the cost of heavy losses. The total losses of the sides in killed and wounded amounted to more than 1 million people. For the first time in history, tanks were used to break through enemy defenses during this battle. As a result of the operation, the Allies broke through the German front by only 10 km in a sector of 35 km. in depth. To prevent the development of a breakthrough, the Germans had to urgently create a new line of defense. The losses at Verdun and the Somme seriously affected the morale and combat capability of the German troops. The strategic initiative passed to the allies for a long time.

Campaign of 1917

The 1917 campaign was marked by renewed Allied attempts to break through the front. This was preceded by the withdrawal of German troops to the rear defensive line (the Hindenburg line) prepared in the winter of 1916-17. By reducing the front line, the German command thereby liberated part of its forces.

The April offensive of the British and French near Arras, which went down in history as the "massacre of Nivelle" (named after the French commander-in-chief Robert Nivelle), did not achieve its goals, and the losses incurred during it caused protest moods and riots in the French army due to the unwillingness of soldiers to go to the battle. Equally unsuccessful were the actions of British troops during several operations undertaken in July-November in Flanders (Battle of Paschendale). Their results remained far from desired, but the experience gained made it possible to improve the offensive tactics of the allies, which were successfully used in the operations of 1918.

Battle of Cambrai.

In late November - early December 1917, British troops undertook a large-scale operation against the new German defense line in the Cambrai area, relying on the massive use of tanks (476 units) and new assault tactics of infantry units. On the first day of the offensive, they managed to achieve tangible successes, breaking through the German front in a sector of 12 km by 6-8 km in depth with rather small losses. However, the delay in the introduction of the Canadian cavalry into the breakthrough allowed the Germans to recover from the initial shock and close the gap. Over the next days, German forces were able to completely stop the enemy's advance, and then launched a counteroffensive and pushed the British back to their original positions.
During the 1917 campaign, both sides exhausted their forces almost to the limit. Only the influence of external factors could decide the outcome of the struggle in favor of one of them. For Germany, this was Russia's withdrawal from the war as a result of the Bolshevik revolution and the possibility of using additional forces transferred from the East on the Western Front; for Great Britain and France - the entry into the war of the United States on the side of the Entente and the arrival in Europe of numerous and fresh American troops. In such a situation, Germany could only count on achieving a decisive victory before sufficiently large American contingents appeared on the front.

Campaign of 1918

In March 1918, after the conclusion of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Germany and Soviet Russia, German troops launched a series of offensive operations in the West, which went down in history under the general title "Battle of the Kaiser". The Germans managed to significantly press their opponents and again, as in 1914, to reach the approaches to Paris. However, the material resources of Germany and the morale of the army and the population were finally torn apart. In July, during the second battle on the Marne, the German offensive was stopped, and in August, having broken through the German front near Amiens, the Anglo-French troops launched an offensive, supported by the American troops that had arrived in France. The German command was forced to leave all territories occupied during the offensive and withdraw troops to rear positions. Failures at the front and an extremely difficult situation in the rear led in early November to a revolution in Germany, the monarchy fell, and the interim government that came to power signed an armistice with the Entente powers on November 11 in Compiegne, recognizing defeat in the war and pledging to evacuate all territories. still occupied by German troops at that time.

S.I. Drobyazko,
Candidate of Historical Sciences