First World War 1914 - 1918 became one of the most bloody and large-scale conflicts in human history. It began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. 38 states participated in this conflict. If we talk briefly about the causes of the First World War, then we can say with confidence that this conflict was provoked by serious economic contradictions of the unions of world powers that formed at the beginning of the century. It is also worth noting that, probably, there was a possibility of a peaceful settlement of these contradictions. However, feeling the increased power, Germany and Austria-Hungary moved to more decisive action.

Participants of the First World War were:

• on the one hand, the Quadruple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey ( Ottoman Empire);
• on the other block, the Entente, which was made up of Russia, France, England and allied countries (Italy, Romania and many others).

The outbreak of World War I was provoked by the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife by a member of a Serbian nationalist terrorist organization. The murder committed by Gavrilo Princip provoked a conflict between Austria and Serbia. Germany supported Austria and entered the war.

The course of the First World War is divided by historians into five separate military campaigns.

The beginning of the military campaign of 1914 is dated July 28. On August 1, Germany, which entered the war, declares war on Russia, and on August 3 on France. German troops invade Luxembourg and later Belgium. In 1914, the most important events of the First World War unfolded in France and today are known as the “Run to the Sea”. In an effort to surround the enemy troops, both armies moved to the coast, where the front line eventually closed. France retained control of the port cities. Gradually the front line stabilized. The calculation of the German command for a quick capture of France did not materialize. Since the forces of both sides were exhausted, the war took on a positional character. Such are the events on the Western Front.

Military operations on the Eastern Front began on August 17. The Russian army launched an attack on the eastern part of Prussia and initially it turned out to be quite successful. The victory in the Battle of Galicia (August 18) was accepted by the majority of society with joy. After this battle, Austrian troops no longer entered into serious battles with Russia in 1914.

Events in the Balkans did not develop too well either. Belgrade, captured earlier by Austria, was recaptured by the Serbs. There were no active battles in Serbia this year. In the same year, 1914, Japan also came out against Germany, which allowed Russia to secure the Asian borders. Japan began to take action to seize the island colonies of Germany. However, the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of Germany, opening the Caucasian front and depriving Russia of convenient communication with the allied countries. According to the results at the end of 1914, none of the countries participating in the conflict was able to achieve their goals.

The second campaign in the chronology of the First World War dates from 1915. On the Western Front there were fierce military clashes. Both France and Germany made desperate attempts to turn the tide in their favor. However, huge losses suffered by both parties, and did not lead to serious results. In fact, the front line by the end of 1915 had not changed. Neither the spring offensive of the French in Artois, nor the operations transported to Champagne and Artois in the autumn changed the situation.

The situation on the Russian front has changed for the worse. The winter offensive of the poorly prepared Russian army soon turned into the August counteroffensive of the Germans. And as a result of the Gorlitsky breakthrough of the German troops, Russia lost Galicia and, later, Poland. Historians note that in many ways the Great Retreat of the Russian army was provoked by a supply crisis. The front stabilized only by autumn. The German troops occupied the west of the Volyn province and partially repeated the pre-war borders with Austria-Hungary. The position of the troops, just as in France, contributed to the beginning of a positional war.

1915 was marked by Italy's entry into the war (May 23). Despite the fact that the country was a member of the Quadruple Alliance, it announced the start of the war against Austria-Hungary. But on October 14, Bulgaria declared war on the Entente alliance, which led to the complication of the situation in Serbia and its imminent fall.

During the military campaign of 1916, one of the most famous battles of the First World War, Verdun, took place. In an effort to suppress the resistance of France, the German command concentrated huge forces in the area of ​​the Verdun ledge, hoping to overcome the Anglo-French defenses. During this operation, from February 21 to December 18, up to 750 thousand soldiers of England and France and up to 450 thousand German soldiers died. The battle of Verdun is also known for the fact that for the first time a new type of weapon was used - a flamethrower. However, the greatest effect of this weapon was psychological. To assist the allies, an offensive operation was undertaken on the Western Russian front, called the Brusilov breakthrough. This forced Germany to transfer serious forces to the Russian front and somewhat eased the position of the allies.

It should be noted that hostilities developed not only on land. Between the blocks of the strongest world powers there was a fierce confrontation on the water. It was in the spring of 1916 that one of the main battles of the First World War took place on the Jutland Sea. In general, at the end of the year, the Entente bloc became dominant. The proposal of the Quadruple Alliance for peace was rejected.

During the military campaign of 1917, the preponderance of forces in the direction of the Entente increased even more and the United States joined the obvious winners. But the weakening of the economies of all countries participating in the conflict, as well as the growth of revolutionary tension, led to a decrease in military activity. The German command decides on a strategic defense on the land fronts, while at the same time focusing on attempts to withdraw England from the war using the submarine fleet. In the winter of 1916-17 there were no active hostilities in the Caucasus either. The situation in Russia has deteriorated to the maximum. In fact, after the October events, the country withdrew from the war.

1918 brought the most important victories to the Entente, which led to the end of the First World War.

After the actual withdrawal from the war of Russia, Germany managed to eliminate the eastern front. She made peace with Romania, Ukraine, Russia. The terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, concluded between Russia and Germany in March 1918, turned out to be the most difficult for the country, but this agreement was soon canceled.

Subsequently, Germany occupied the Baltic states, Poland and partly Belarus, after which it threw all its forces into Western Front. But, thanks to the technical superiority of the Entente, the German troops were defeated. After Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria made peace with the Entente countries, Germany was on the brink of disaster. By virtue of revolutionary events Emperor Wilhelm leaves his country. November 11, 1918 Germany signs the act of surrender.

According to modern data, the losses in the First World War amounted to 10 million soldiers. Accurate data on casualties among the civilian population does not exist. Presumably, due to difficult living conditions, epidemics and famine, twice as many people died.

Following the results of the First World War, Germany had to pay reparations to the allies for 30 years. She lost 1/8 of her territory, and the colonies went to the victorious countries. Rhine bank occupied for 15 years allied forces. Also, Germany was forbidden to have an army of more than 100 thousand people. Strict restrictions were imposed on all types of weapons.

But, the consequences of the First World War also affected the situation in the victorious countries. Their economies, with the possible exception of the United States, were in a difficult state. The standard of living of the population dropped sharply National economy has fallen into disrepair. At the same time, the military monopolies enriched themselves. For Russia, the First World War became a serious destabilizing factor that largely influenced the development of the revolutionary situation in the country and caused the subsequent civil war.

The last century brought to mankind two of the most terrible conflict- The First and Second World Wars, which captured the whole world. And if the echoes of the Patriotic War are still heard, then the clashes of 1914-1918 have already been forgotten, despite their cruelty. Who fought with whom, what were the reasons for the confrontation, and in what year did the First World War begin?

Prerequisites

Military conflict does not start suddenly, there is whole line prerequisites that directly or indirectly eventually become the causes of an open clash of armies. Differences between the main participants in the conflict, the powerful powers, began to grow long before the start of open battles.

The German Empire began its existence, which was the natural end of the Franco-Prussian battles of 1870-1871. At the same time, the government of the empire argued that the state had no aspirations regarding the seizure of power and domination on the territory of Europe.

After devastating internal conflicts The German monarchy needed time to recuperate and build military power, this requires peaceful times. In addition, European states are willing to cooperate with it and refrain from creating an opposing coalition.

Developing peacefully, by the mid-1880s, the Germans were getting stronger enough in the military and economic spheres and were changing their foreign policy priorities, starting to fight for dominance in Europe. At the same time, a course was taken for the expansion of the southern lands, since the country did not have overseas colonies.

The colonial division of the world allowed the two strongest states - Great Britain and France to seize economically attractive lands around the world. In order to get overseas markets, the Germans needed to defeat these states and seize their colonies.

But in addition to the neighbors, the Germans had to defeat the Russian state, since in 1891 it entered into a defensive alliance, which was called the “Cardial Accord”, or Entente, with France and England (joined in 1907).

Austria-Hungary, in turn, tried to hold on to the annexed territories (Herzegovina and Bosnia) and at the same time tried to resist Russia, which set itself the goal of protecting and uniting the Slavic peoples in Europe and could start a confrontation. Russia's ally, Serbia, also posed a danger to Austria-Hungary.

The same tense situation was in the Middle East: it was there that the foreign policy interests of European states that wanted to gain new territories and greater benefits from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire clashed.

Here Russia claimed its rights, claiming the shores of two straits: the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. In addition, Emperor Nicholas II wanted to gain control over Anatolia, since this territory allowed access to the Middle East by land.

The Russians did not want to allow the withdrawal of these territories of Greece and Bulgaria. Therefore, European clashes were beneficial to them, since they made it possible to seize the desired lands in the East.

So, two alliances were created, the interests and opposition of which became the fundamental basis of the First World War:

1. Entente - it included Russia, France and Great Britain.
2. The Triple Alliance - it included the empires of the Germans and Austro-Hungarians, as well as the Italians.

It's important to know! Later to tripartite alliance Ottomans and Bulgarians joined and the name was changed to Quadruple Alliance.

The main reasons for the start of the war were:

1. The desire of the Germans to own large territories and occupy a dominant position in the world.
2. France's desire to take a leading position in Europe.
3. Britain's desire to weaken European countries that posed a danger.
4. Russia's attempt to seize new territories and protect the Slavic peoples from aggression.
5. Confrontations between European and Asian states for spheres of influence.

The crisis of the economy and the discrepancy between the interests of the leading powers of Europe, and after that of other states, led to the beginning of an open military conflict, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.

German goals

Who started the battles? Germany is considered the main aggressor and the country that actually started the First World War. But at the same time, it is a mistake to believe that she alone wanted a conflict, despite the active preparation of the Germans and the provocation, which became the official cause of open clashes.

All European countries had their own interests, the achievement of which required victory over their neighbors.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the empire was developing rapidly and was well prepared from a military point of view: it had good army, modern weapons and a strong economy. Due to the constant strife between the German lands, until the middle of the 19th century, Europe did not consider the Germans as a serious adversary and competitor. But after the unification of the lands of the empire and the restoration of the domestic economy, the Germans not only became an important character in the European arena, but also began to think about seizing colonial lands.

The division of the world into colonies brought England and France not only an expanded market and cheap hired labor, but also an abundance of food. The German economy began to move from intensive development to stagnation due to market glut, and population growth and limited territories led to food shortages.

The country's leadership decided to completely change foreign policy, and instead of peaceful participation in European unions, they chose illusory domination through the military seizure of territories. The First World War began immediately after the assassination of the Austrian Franz Ferdinand, which was rigged by the Germans.

Participants in the conflict

Who fought with whom throughout the battles? The main participants concentrate in two camps:

• Triple and then Quadruple Union;
• Entente.

The first camp included Germans, Austro-Hungarians and Italians. This alliance was created back in the 1880s, its main goal was to oppose France.

At the beginning of the First World War, the Italians took up neutrality, thereby violating the plans of the allies, and later completely betrayed them, in 1915 going over to the side of England and France and taking an opposing position. Instead, the Germans had new allies: the Turks and Bulgarians, who had their own clashes with members of the Entente.

In the First World War, briefly listing, in addition to the Germans, Russians, French and British participated, who acted within the framework of one military bloc "Consent" (as the word Entente is translated). It was created in 1893-1907 in order to protect the Allied countries from the ever-growing military power of the Germans and to strengthen the Triple Alliance. The allies were also supported by other states that did not want to strengthen the Germans, among them Belgium, Greece, Portugal and Serbia.

It's important to know! Russia's allies in the conflict were also outside Europe, among them China, Japan, and the United States.

Russia in the First World War fought not only with Germany, but with a number of smaller states, for example, Albania. Only two main fronts unfolded: in the West and in the East. In addition to them, battles took place in the Transcaucasus and in the Middle Eastern and African colonies.

Interests of the parties

The main interest of all battles was the land, due to various circumstances, each side sought to conquer additional territories. All states had their own interest:

1. The Russian Empire wanted to open outlet to the seas.
2. Great Britain sought to weaken Turkey and Germany.
3. France - to return their lands.
4. Germany - expand the territory by capturing neighboring European states, as well as get a number of colonies.
5. Austria-Hungary - control the sea routes and hold the annexed territories.
6. Italy - to gain dominance in southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The approaching collapse of the Ottoman Empire made the states also think about seizing its lands. The map of hostilities shows the main fronts and advances of the opponents.

It's important to know! In addition to maritime interests, Russia wanted to unite all the Slavic lands under itself, while the Balkans were especially interested in the government.

Each country had clear plans to seize territories and was determined to win. Most of the countries of Europe participated in the conflict, while their military capabilities were approximately the same, which led to a protracted and passive war.

Results

When did World War I end? Its end came in November 1918 - it was then that Germany capitulated, concluding in June next year treaty at Versailles, thereby showing who won the First World War - the French and the British.

The Russians were the losers on the winning side as they withdrew from the battles as early as March 1918 due to serious internal political divisions. In addition to Versailles, 4 more peace treaties were signed with the main warring parties.

For four empires, the First World War ended with their collapse: the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia, the Ottomans were overthrown in Turkey, the Germans and Austro-Hungarians also became republicans.

There were also changes in the territories, in particular the capture of Western Thrace by Greece, Tanzania by England, Romania took possession of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia, and the French - Alsace-Lorraine and Lebanon. The Russian Empire lost a number of territories that declared independence, among them: Belarus, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

The French occupied the German region of Saar, and Serbia annexed a number of lands (including Slovenia and Croatia) and subsequently created the state of Yugoslavia. Russia's battles in the First World War were costly: in addition to heavy losses on the fronts, the already difficult situation in the economy worsened.

The internal situation was tense long before the start of the campaign, and when, after an intense first year of fighting, the country switched to positional struggle, the suffering people actively supported the revolution and overthrew the objectionable tsar.

This confrontation showed that from now on all armed conflicts will be total in nature, and the entire population and all available resources of the state will be involved.

It's important to know! For the first time in history, opponents used chemical weapon.

Both military blocs, entering into a confrontation, had approximately the same firepower, which led to protracted battles. Equal forces at the beginning of the campaign led to the fact that after its end, each country was actively engaged in building up firepower and actively developing modern and powerful weapons.

The scale and passive nature of the battles led to a complete restructuring of the economy and production of countries in the direction of militarization, which in turn significantly influenced the development of the European economy in 1915–1939. Characteristic for this period were:

• strengthening state influence and control in the economic sphere;
• creation of military complexes;
• rapid development of energy systems;
• the growth of defense products.

Wikipedia says that in that historical period the First World War was the bloodiest - it claimed only about 32 million lives, including the military and civilians who died from hunger and disease or from bombing. But even those soldiers who survived were psychologically traumatized by the war and could not lead a normal life. In addition, many of them were poisoned by chemical weapons used at the front.

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Summing up

Germany, which was sure of its victory in 1914, ceased to be a monarchy in 1918, lost a number of its lands and was severely weakened economically not only by military losses, but also by mandatory payments of reparations. The difficult conditions and general humiliation of the nation that the Germans endured after being defeated by the Allies engendered and fueled nationalist sentiments that subsequently led to the conflict of 1939-1945.

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1914, June 28 Assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife by the secret organization "Young Bosnia" in Sarajevo. The reason for the outbreak of the First World War.

1914, August - September East Prussian operation of the Russian North-Western Front. It ended with the defeat of the Russian troops.

1914, August - September In the Galician operation, the troops of the Russian Southwestern Front repelled the offensive of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia and Poland.

1914, September Marne operation of the Anglo-French troops. The German troops advancing on Paris were stopped on the Marne River. Ripped off german plan rapid defeat of France

1914, October November The first battle of Ypres (Hungary). Failures of the German armies. The solid line of the Western Front stretched to North Sea. The war took on a protracted character and became positional.

1914, December Naval battle between the German and English squadrons near the Falkland Islands in the southern part Atlantic Ocean. Almost all German ships are sunk; The English squadron had no losses.

1915, April - May The second battle of Ypres. German troops first used chemical weapons - chlorine.

1916, February - December Verdun operation on the Western Front. The German army tried to break through the front of the French troops in the Verdun region, but met stubborn resistance. In prolonged fierce battles, both sides suffered huge losses.

1916, May 31 - June 1 Battle of Jutland between the English and German fleets. England retained its dominance at sea.

1916, June - August Offensive of the Russian Southwestern Front ("Brusilovsky breakthrough"), commander - General Brusilov. Russian troops broke through the positional defense of the Austro-Hungarians.

1916, July - November Anglo-French troops on the Somme River (east of Amiens) tried to break through the positional defense of the German army. On the Somme, on September 15, British troops used tanks for the first time.

1916, August Romania entered the war against Germany (by the end of the year Romanian army was broken). Italy declared war on Germany.

1917, July - November The third battle of Ypres. On July 12, the Germans first used mustard gas, which received the name "mustard gas" (after the battlefield).

1917, October - December German-Austrian troops inflicted a major defeat on the Italian army near the village of Kobarid in Slovenia.

1917, December 15 (2) The Soviet government signed an armistice agreement with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.

1918, March 3 Brest-Litovsk peace treaty between Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. Germany annexes Poland, the Baltic States, part of Belarus and Transcaucasia.

1918, May - June German offensive on the rivers Aisne and Oise. Having broken through the French defenses, the German troops reached the Marne River, finding themselves less than 70 km from Paris.

1918, July 15 - August 4 Second Battle of the Marne. German troops crossed the river. But during the counteroffensive, the allies advanced 40 km and saved Paris from the threat of capture.

1918, September 26 The beginning of the offensive of the armies of the anti-German coalition (Entente) on the Western Front.

1918, September - November Capitulation of Bulgaria (September 29), Austria-Hungary (November 3) and Germany (November 11); armistice between Turkey and England (October 30). End of the First World War.

1919, June 28 Treaty of Versailles. He consolidated the redistribution of the world in favor of the victorious powers. Germany recognized the independence of all the territories that were part of the former Russian Empire by August 1, 1914, as well as the abolition of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 and all agreements concluded by it with the Soviet government. An inseparable part of the treaty was the statute of the League of Nations.

Numerical results of the war	Duration: 4 years, 3.5 months.
	Number of states at war: more than 30.
	War area: 4 million sq. km.
	Direct military spending: $208 billion.
	Use of technology: 182 thousand aircraft,
	9.2 thousand tanks, 170 thousand guns.
	Property damage: $152 billion.
	War-affected population: 1 billion
	The number of mobilized in the army: 74 million, including:
	Russia 12 million,
	Germany 11 million,
	UK 8.9 million
	France 8.4 million,
	Austria-Hungary 7.8 million,
	Italy 5.6 million,
	US 4.35 million,
	Turkey 2.85 million,
	Bulgaria 1.2 million,
	other countries 11.9 million
	Losses in the war:
	Killed: 10 million, including:
	Germany 1.77 million,
	Russia 1.7 million,
	France 1.35 million,
	Austria-Hungary 1.2 million,
	UK 0.9 million,
	Italy 0.65 million,
	Romania 0.335 million,
	Turkey 0.325 million,
	US 0.115 million,
	the remaining 1.655 million
	Wounded: 21 million
	Civilian dead: 10 million

1917, November 7 (October 25) October socialist revolution in Russia. The leader is Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).

1918, November 9 Abdication and flight to Holland of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Overthrow of the monarchy in Germany.

1918 — 1922 Civil War in Russia. armed struggle between Soviet power and her opponents. According to various sources, from 8 to 13 million people died during the civil war from hunger, disease, terror and in battles; about 2 million were in exile. Main events:

1918, March - April - landing in Murmansk troops of England, France and the United States, in Vladivostok - troops of Japan;

1918, May - August - rebellion of the Czechoslovak military corps (former prisoners of war) in the Volga region, in the Urals and in Siberia;

1918, summer - the formation of the White Guard, Russian military formations that fought against Soviet power;

1919, March - May - the offensive of the White Guard forces from the east, south and west (Admiral A.V. Kolchak, generals A.I. Denikin and N.N. Yudenich), they were all defeated;

1919, autumn - the defeat of Yudenich's army near Petrograd;

1921, March 1-18 - Kronstadt uprising caused by dissatisfaction with the Soviet authorities in connection with the famine, economic ruin and repression; crushed by the Red Army

On July 31, 1919, the German Constituent National Assembly adopted the Weimar Constitution, which formalized the replacement of the semi-absolutist monarchy by a parliamentary republic.

1920, June 12 Official opening of the Panama Canal (the first ship passed through the canal in August 1914).

1922, April 16 Rapallo Soviet-German Treaty on the restoration of diplomatic relations and trade and economic ties. It meant a breakthrough in the economic and political blockade of Soviet Russia.

1922, October 27 In Italy, the Nazis came to power, led by Benito Mussolini (head of government since October 30).

1922, December 30 Treaty on the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR) as part of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Federation of Transcaucasian Republics.

On October 29, 1922, a republic was proclaimed in Turkey, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) became its first president.

1923 November Nazi beer hall putsch in Munich to overthrow the Bavarian government. The organizers are General Erich Ludendorff and the leader of the National Socialist Party, Adolf Hitler. The latter was arrested and imprisoned.

1924, January 21 Death of the leader of the USSR Lenin. The beginning of the struggle for leadership between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky.

1929, October The global economic crisis (1929-1933) began with a sharp drop in the stock price on the New York Stock Exchange.

1929, December 27 Proclamation of I.V. Stalin's course to start in the USSR "complete collectivization."

1931, April The overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of a republic in Spain. In December 1931 a republican constitution was adopted.

1931, February - March Formation of the state of Manchukuo on the territory Northeast China occupied by Japanese troops.

1933-1945 Franklin Roosevelt - 32nd President of the United States. He carried out a number of reforms to eliminate the economic crisis of 1929-1933 and mitigate the contradictions of American capitalism. On November 17, 1933, the Roosevelt government established diplomatic relations with the USSR. From the beginning of the Second World War, he offered to support Great Britain, France and the USSR (since June 1941) in their fight against Nazi Germany. He made a significant contribution to the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition. attached great importance UN formation and post-war international cooperation, including between the US and the USSR.

1934, July 25 Supporters of the Anschluss (joining Germany) killed the Austrian Federal Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss.

On August 2, 1934, Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler became President of Germany. He concentrated legislative and executive power in his hands, established the regime of the Nazi dictatorship in the country and launched active preparations for war.

1935-1936 Italo-Ethiopian war. It ended with the annexation of Ethiopia by Italy.

1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. The republican government of socialists and communists was defeated by the army of General Franco. With the military support of Italy and Germany, an extreme right-wing regime was established, led by Franco.

1936, October The Berlin Agreement formalizes the military-political alliance of Germany and Italy ("Berlin-Rome Axis").

November 1936 Anti-Comintern Pact between Germany and Japan. Italy joined a year later.

1937, July - 1938, October The invasion of Japanese troops into China, the capture of Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing and Guangzhou.

1938 March German troops occupied Austria; proclaimed its accession to Germany (Anschluss).

1938, September Munich Agreement between Great Britain (N. Chamberlain), France (E. Daladier), Germany (A. Hitler) and Italy (B. Mussolini). It provided for the separation from Czechoslovakia and the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany, as well as the satisfaction of territorial claims to Czechoslovakia from Hungary and Poland.

1939, August Soviet-German non-aggression pact ("Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact") with a secret appendix establishing the delimitation of "spheres of interest" of the parties; Soviet Union, under this agreement, could annex Eastern Poland, the Baltic States, Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and part of Finland (the capture took place in 1939-1940).

World War I (1914 - 1918)

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

Chamberlain

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

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

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

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

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

Causes of World War I

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

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

Cause to start a war

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

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

Important nuances of the reason for war

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

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

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

The role of England in starting the war

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

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

Russia before the war

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

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

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

The balance of forces and means before and after the war

Artillery

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

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

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

Armament and military equipment

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

	Shooting	Artillery
Great Britain
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austria-Hungary

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

Number of people (infantry)

The number of fighting infantry (millions of people).

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

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

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

The course of the war

Military events of 1914

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

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

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

History reference

German "Schlieffen Plan"

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

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

Northwestern front of Russia in 1914

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

Southwestern Front of Russia

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

The main results of the military campaign of 1914

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

Map of military events in 1914-15

Military events of 1915

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

The situation on the northwestern front

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

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

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

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

The situation on the southwestern front

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

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

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

The situation on the western front

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

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

Military events of 1916

"Verdun meat grinder"

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

Events on the southwestern front in 1916

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

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

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

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

Outcome of 1916 in World War I

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

Military and political events of 1917

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

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

End of the war for Russia

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

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

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

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

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

History reference

Events in the war in 1918

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

Autumn 1918

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

End of World War I

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

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

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

Results of the First World War

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

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

Map of the First World War 1914-1918

In 1914, the First World War broke out in the world and, above all, on the European continent. It is very difficult to describe it briefly and at the same time fully, because neither Europe nor the rest of the planet has known such a conflict in the entire history of its existence. This war revealed to the world peculiar innovations of a completely different nature: the first tanks, the use chemical gases, the tactics of trench warfare, the massacre for the large-scale redistribution of territories around the world, and, finally, the unprecedented number of parties who took part in it.

Briefly about the prerequisites

At the beginning of the century, very serious contradictions arose in Europe between the most influential states of that time. The backbone of the Entente countries consisted of states that survived quite early and by this time had taken a very advantageous position in the world economic, naval and, above all, France and England. In contrast to them, Germany reached its maximum development, having barely completed the industrial revolution, but did not manage to reach the table of division of colonial possessions. A discrepancy was established between the potential and the real role of Germany, in which for several decades on the eve of the war, aggressive pan-Germanist sentiments were growing. Its natural allies were the opponents of England and France, and, secondarily, Russia. So, for example, Austria-Hungary and Turkey had their own interest in the Balkans, where during this period actively

Russia was confirmed. The First World War, in short, was the inevitable consequence of growing contradictions. Thus, conflict was inevitable sooner or later.

World War I: briefly about the occasion

The formal reason for opening fire was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke by Serbian separatists in Sarajevo in June 1914. put forward a very harsh ultimatum to Serbia, with which the government of the Balkan country almost completely agreed, except for the point on the participation of Austrian delegates in the internal Serbian investigation and the search for the perpetrators - this already affected the sovereignty of the Serbian side. In fact, the Habsburgs only needed a pretext to start a war, and they declared it on July 28, giving rise to bloody events.

World War I: course (briefly) of hostilities

The fighting continued for more than four years and ended only in November 1918. At the first stage of the war, the states of the Triple

union: the Germans already in August were practically near Paris, but the entry into the conflict of Japan and a number of other states led to a prolongation of the clash. Gradually, the war took on an exhausting trench character, where none of the sides of the Western Front (French - Germans) could gain advantages. The latter even had to fight on two fronts, dispersing their forces in the east in the fight against the armies of the Romanovs. The forces of the Habsburg Empire quickly demonstrated their archaism both technically, and administratively, and morally. In March 1918, US troops came to the Western Front to help the French, after which the German forces gradually begin to retreat from the territory of their neighbor. In early October, the situation for the Hohenzollerns (German rulers) became so complicated that Wilhelm II was forced to recognize himself as the underdog on November 11, when 1918 was on.

World War I: results (briefly)

This conflict became the most massive at that time. 38 states and more than 74 million people participated in it, of which about 10 million were killed and even more maimed. But the main result of the war was the system of the Versailles agreements, which put defeated countries in a humiliating position, primarily Germany, and led to the next world war. As a result of these same agreements, the last empires were destroyed, and the triumph of nation-states was finally approved in Europe. Another most important result of the worldwide slaughter was the people's revolutions in Germany, and especially in Russia.