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 showed the world unique innovations of a completely different nature: the first tanks, the use of chemical gases, the tactics of trench warfare, the massacre for the large-scale redistribution of territories around the world and, finally, an unprecedented number of parties that took part in it.

Brief background

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 had survived quite early and by this time had occupied a very advantageous position in the world economic, naval and We are talking, first of all, about France and England. In contrast to them, Germany reached its maximum development, barely completing the industrial revolution, but never making it to the table of division of colonial possessions. A discrepancy emerged between the potential and the real role of Germany, in which, for several decades before the war, aggressive pan-German sentiments were growing. Its natural allies were the opponents of England and France, and also, secondarily, Russia. For example, Austria-Hungary and Turkey had their own interests in the Balkans, where during this period they actively

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

The First World War: 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 tough 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 search for the culprits - 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.

The First World War: the course (briefly) of military operations

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 Triple acted very successfully.

alliance: the Germans were already almost near Paris in August, but the entry of Japan and a number of other states into the conflict led to a prolongation of the conflict. Gradually, the war took on a debilitating trench character, where neither side of the Western Front (French - German) could gain an advantage. The latter had to fight on two fronts, scattering their forces in the east in the fight against the armies of the Romanovs. The forces of the Habsburg Empire quickly demonstrated their archaism in technical, administrative, and moral terms. In March 1918, US troops came to the Western Front to help the French, after which German forces gradually began to retreat from the territory of their neighbor. At the beginning of October, the situation for the Hohenzollerns (German rulers) became so complicated that Wilhelm II was forced to recognize himself as the defeated side on November 11, 1918.

The First World War: results (briefly)

This conflict became the most massive at that time. It involved 38 states and more than 74 million people, of whom about 10 million were killed and even more maimed. But the main result of the war was the system of Versailles agreements, which put the defeated countries in a humiliating position, especially 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 established in Europe. Another important result of the global massacre was popular revolutions in Germany and especially in Russia.

First World War 1914-18 First World War 1914-18 - a war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, USA, etc.; 38 states in total). The reason for the war was the murder in Sarajevo of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by a member of the terrorist organization Young Bosnia. July 15 (28), 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, July 19 (August 1) Germany - Russia, July 21 (August 3) - France, July 22 (August 4) Great Britain - Germany. Having created a superiority in troops on the Western Front, Germany occupied Luxembourg and Belgium in 1914 and began a rapid advance to the north of France towards Paris. However, already in 1914, the German plan for the rapid defeat of France failed; This was facilitated by the offensive of Russian troops in East Prussia, which forced Germany to withdraw some troops from the Western Front. In August-September 1914, Russian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian troops in Galicia, and at the end of 1914 - beginning of 1915, the Turkish troops in Transcaucasia. In 1915, the forces of the Central Powers, conducting a strategic defense on the Western Front, forced Russian troops to leave Galicia, Poland, part of the Baltic states, and defeated Serbia. In 1916, after an unsuccessful attempt by German troops to break through the Allied defenses in the Verdun region (France), the strategic initiative passed to the Entente. In addition, the heavy defeat inflicted on the Austro-German troops in May - July 1916 in Galicia actually predetermined the collapse of Germany's main ally, Austria-Hungary. In August 1916, under the influence of the successes of the Entente, Romania entered the war on its side, but its troops acted unsuccessfully and were defeated at the end of 1916. At the same time, in the Caucasian theater, the initiative continued to be retained by the Russian army, which occupied Erzurum and Trebizond in 1916. The collapse of the Russian army, which began after the February Revolution of 1917, allowed Germany and its allies to intensify their actions on other fronts, which, however, did not change the situation as a whole. After the conclusion of the separate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Russia (March 3, 1918), the German command launched a massive offensive on the Western Front. The Entente troops, having eliminated the results of the German breakthrough, went on the offensive, ending in the defeat of the Central Powers. On September 29, 1918, Bulgaria capitulated, on October 30, Turkey, on November 3, Austria-Hungary, and on November 11, Germany. During the First World War, about 74 million people were mobilized, the total losses were about 10 million killed and over 20 million wounded.

Historical Dictionary. 2000 .

See what "The First World War 1914-18" is. in other dictionaries:

FIRST WORLD WAR 1914 18, a war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary (see AUSTRIA HUNGARY), Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, USA... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

A war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, USA, etc.; 34 states in total). The reason for the war... ... Political science. Dictionary.

Imperialist, an unjust war that began in Europe between the Austro-Germans. bloc and coalition of England, France, Russia; Subsequently, many people entered the war. state of the world, military actions also took place on D. and Bl. East, Africa, Atlantic,... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

A war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, USA and others; 34 states in total). The reason for the war... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

World War I Clockwise: British Mark IV tank crossing a trench; Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after exploding a sea mine at the Battle of the Dardanelles; machine gun crew in gas masks and a biplane... ... Wikipedia

FIRST WORLD WAR 1914 1918, a war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria) and the Entente (Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, USA, etc.; 34 in total... ... Russian history

An imperialist war between two coalitions of capitalist powers for the redivision of an already divided world, the redistribution of colonies, spheres of influence and investment of capital, the enslavement of other peoples. First, the war engulfed 8 European countries: Germany and... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

First World War 1914-18- a war between two coalitions of powers: the Central Powers (,) and the Entente (,.; 38 states in total). The reason for the war was the murder in Sarajevo of the heir to Austro... ... by a member of the terrorist organization “Young Bosnia” Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History

First World War ... Wikipedia

Clockwise: British Mark IV tank crossing a trench; Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after exploding a sea mine at the Battle of the Dardanelles; machine gun crew in gas masks and an Albatros D.III biplane ... Wikipedia

Books

• The First World War 1914-1918, Tavlinov S.V. , The book is a historical overview of one of the largest events of the twentieth century - the First World War. The prerequisites and reasons that led to the war, the results of the war,… Category: Miscellaneous Series: School program Publisher: Ekon-Inform, Manufacturer: Ekon-Inform,
• The First World War of 1914–1918 and Siberia, M. V. Shilovsky, The monograph attempts to stage-manage the following problems of the topic “Siberia and the First World War”: the contribution of Siberians to military operations; economy; military... Category: Nonfiction Publisher:

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

Participants in the First World War were:

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

The outbreak of World War I was triggered 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.

Historians divide the course of the First World War into five separate military campaigns.

The beginning of the military campaign of 1914 dates back to July 28. On August 1, Germany, which entered the war, declared 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 are today known as the “Run to the Sea.” In an effort to encircle 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 German command's expectation of a quick capture of France did not materialize. Since the forces of both sides were exhausted, the war took on a positional character. These 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 most of society with joy. After this battle, Austrian troops no longer entered into serious battles with Russia in 1914.

Events in the Balkans also did not develop very well. Belgrade, previously captured by Austria, was recaptured by the Serbs. There was no active fighting in Serbia this year. In the same year, 1914, Japan also opposed Germany, which allowed Russia to secure its Asian borders. Japan began to take action to seize Germany's island colonies. However, the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of Germany, opening the Caucasian front and depriving Russia of convenient communications with the allied countries. At the end of 1914, none of the countries participating in the conflict was able to achieve their goals.

The second campaign in the First World War chronology dates back to 1915. The most severe military clashes took place on the Western Front. Both France and Germany made desperate attempts to turn the situation in their favor. However, the huge losses suffered by both sides did not lead to serious results. In fact, by the end of 1915 the front line had not changed. Neither the spring offensive of the French in Artois, nor the operations carried out in Champagne and Artois in the fall, changed the situation.

The situation on the Russian front changed for the worse. The winter offensive of the ill-prepared Russian army soon turned into the August German counter-offensive. And as a result of the Gorlitsky breakthrough of 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 in the fall. 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 start of a trench 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 declared the start of war against Austria-Hungary. But on October 14, Bulgaria declared war on the Entente alliance, which led to a 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 took place - Verdun. In an effort to suppress French resistance, the German command concentrated enormous forces in the area of ​​the Verdun salient, hoping to overcome the Anglo-French defense. During this operation, from February 21 to December 18, up to 750 thousand soldiers of England and France and up to 450 thousand soldiers of Germany died. The Battle of Verdun is also famous for the first time a new type of weapon was used - a flamethrower. However, the greatest effect of this weapon was psychological. To help the allies, an offensive operation called the Brusilov breakthrough was undertaken on the Western Russian Front. This forced Germany to transfer serious forces to the Russian front and somewhat eased the position of the Allies.

It should be noted that military operations developed not only on land. There was a fierce confrontation between the blocs of the world's strongest powers on the water as well. It was in the spring of 1916 that one of the main battles of the First World War at sea took place – the Battle of Jutland. In general, at the end of the year the Entente bloc became dominant. The Quadruple Alliance's peace proposal was rejected.

During the military campaign of 1917, the preponderance of forces in favor 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 strategic defense on land fronts, while at the same time focusing on attempts to take England out of the war using the submarine fleet. In the winter of 1916–17 there were no active hostilities in the Caucasus. The situation in Russia has become extremely aggravated. In fact, after the October events the country left the war.

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

After Russia actually left the war, Germany managed to liquidate the eastern front. She made peace with Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. The terms of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, concluded between Russia and Germany in March 1918, turned out to be extremely difficult for the country, but this treaty was soon annulled.

Subsequently, Germany occupied the Baltic states, Poland and part of Belarus, after which it threw all its forces onto the 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 found itself on the brink of disaster. Due to revolutionary events, Emperor Wilhelm leaves his country. November 11, 1918 Germany signs the act of surrender.

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

Following the First World War, Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies for 30 years. It lost 1/8 of its territory, and the colonies went to the victorious countries. The banks of the Rhine were occupied by Allied forces for 15 years. Also, Germany was prohibited from having 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 economy, with the possible exception of the United States, was in a difficult state. The standard of living of the population dropped sharply, and the national economy fell into disrepair. At the same time, the military monopolies became richer. For Russia, the First World War became a serious destabilizing factor, which largely influenced the development of the revolutionary situation in the country and caused the subsequent civil war.

First World War (1914 - 1918)

The Russian Empire collapsed. One of the goals of the war has been achieved.

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 quite controversial and extremely contradictory in modern history. I specifically quoted Chamberlain’s words in the epigraph in order to once again emphasize this inconsistency. A prominent politician in England (Russia's war ally) says that by overthrowing the autocracy in Russia one of the goals of the war has been achieved!

The Balkan countries played a major role in the beginning of the war. They were not independent. Their policies (both foreign and domestic) were greatly influenced by England. Germany had by that time 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, and New Zealand.
• Triple Alliance. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Later they were joined by the Bulgarian kingdom, and the coalition became known as the “Quadruple Alliance”.

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

One more important point. Initially, Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance. But after the outbreak of World War I, the Italians declared neutrality.

Causes of the First World War

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

• Between England and Germany. England sought to prevent Germany from increasing its influence in the Balkans. Germany sought to strengthen itself in the Balkans and the Middle East, and also sought to deprive England of maritime dominance.
• Between Germany and France. France dreamed of regaining the lands of Alsace and Lorraine, which it 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. Controversies arose due to the desire of both countries to influence the Balkans, as well as Russia's desire to subjugate the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

The reason for the start of the war

The reason for the outbreak of the First World War was the events in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand of the Young Bosnia movement, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, so the resonance of the murder was enormous. This was the pretext 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 war throughout Europe. The British at the embassy level convinced Nicholas 2 that Russia should not leave Serbia without help in the event of aggression. But then the entire (I emphasize this) 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 to ensure that Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia did not shy away from war.

Important nuances of the casus belli

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

• Gavrilo Principin. Died in prison in 1918 from tuberculosis.
• The Russian Ambassador to Serbia is 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.

This all indicates that in the events of the day there were a lot of black spots that have not yet been revealed. And this is very important to understand.

England's role 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 their forces were approximately equal. Therefore, in the “July crisis” of 1914, both sides took a wait-and-see approach. British diplomacy came to the fore. She conveyed her position to Germany through the press and secret diplomacy - in the event of war, England would remain neutral or take Germany's side. Through open diplomacy, Nicholas 2 received the opposite idea that if war broke out, England would take the side of Russia.

It must be clearly understood that one open statement from England that it would not allow war in Europe would be enough for neither Germany nor Russia to even think about anything like that. Naturally, under such conditions, Austria-Hungary would not have dared to attack Serbia. But England, with all its diplomacy, pushed European countries towards war.

Russia before the war

Before the First World War, Russia carried out army reform. In 1907, a reform of the fleet was carried out, and in 1910, a reform of the ground forces. The country increased military spending many times over, and the total peacetime army size was now 2 million. In 1912, Russia adopted a new Field Service Charter. Today it is rightly called the most perfect Charter of its time, since it motivated soldiers and commanders to show 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 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 cavalry was important. As a result, 75% of all losses in the First World War were caused by artillery! This is a verdict on the imperial generals.

It is important to note that Russia never completed preparations for 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 guns
Austria-Hungary
Germany

According to the data from the table, it is clear that Germany and Austria-Hungary were many times superior to Russia and France in heavy weapons. Therefore, the balance of power was in favor of the first two countries. Moreover, the Germans, as usual, created an excellent military industry before the war, which produced 250,000 shells daily. By comparison, Britain produced 10,000 shells per 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 during the entire war. The Germans clearly understood that heavy artillery would play a decisive role in the war.

Weapons and military equipment

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

	Strelkovoe	Artillery
Great Britain
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austria-Hungary

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

Number of people (infantry)

Number of fighting infantry (millions of people).

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

The table shows that Great Britain made the smallest contribution to the war, both in terms of combatants and deaths. This is logical, since the British did not really participate in major battles. Another example from this table is instructive. All textbooks tell us that Austria-Hungary, due to large losses, could not fight on its own, and it always needed help from Germany. But notice 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 eloquent. But it turned out that the countries that fought the most and made the most effort in the war ended up with nothing. First, Russia signed the shameful Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, losing many lands. Then Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, essentially losing its independence.

Progress of the war

Military events of 1914

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

Russia entered World War I on August 1, 1914. Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (Uncle of Nicholas 2) was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

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

Historical reference

German "Schlieffen Plan"

Germany found itself under the threat of war on two fronts: Eastern - with Russia, Western - 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 was exactly what 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 reached the borders of France. The implementation of the Schlieffen Plan began. Germany advanced deep into France, but on September 5 it was stopped at the Marne River, where a battle took place in which about 2 million people took part on both sides.

Northwestern Front of Russia in 1914

At the beginning of the war, Russia did something stupid that Germany could not calculate. 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 acted successfully, and Germany was forced to retreat. As a result, part of the forces of the Western Front was transferred to the Eastern Front. 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, albeit by defeating its 1st and 2nd armies. After this, trench warfare began.

Southwestern Front of Russia

On the southwestern front, in August-September, Russia launched an offensive operation against Galicia, which was occupied by 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 killed, 100 thousand captured. For comparison, the Russian army lost 150 thousand people killed. After this, Austria-Hungary actually withdrew from the war, since it lost the ability to conduct independent actions. 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 lightning war.
• No one managed to gain a decisive advantage. The war turned into a positional one.

Map of military events of 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.

Situation on the northwestern front

From January to October, Germany waged an active offensive, as a result of which Russia lost Poland, western Ukraine, part of the Baltic states, and western Belarus. Russia went on the defensive. 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 no longer be able to recover from the losses it had suffered.

Germany's successes on 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).

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 section of the front were gigantic: 150 thousand killed, 700 thousand wounded, 900 thousand prisoners and 4 million refugees.

Situation on the Western Front

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

The main result of 1915 was that Germany was unable to bring Russia out of the war, although all efforts were devoted to this. It became obvious that the First World War would drag on for a long time, since during the 1.5 years of the war no one was able to gain an advantage or strategic initiative.

Military events of 1916

"Verdun Meat Grinder"

In February 1916, Germany launched a general offensive against France with the goal of capturing Paris. For this purpose, 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 the defense in Bukovina (from Lutsk to Chernivtsi) happened on June 5. The Russian army managed not only to break through the defenses, but also to advance into its depths in some places up to 120 kilometers. The losses of the Germans and Austro-Hungarians were catastrophic. 1.5 million dead, wounded and prisoners. The offensive was stopped only by additional German divisions, which were hastily transferred here from Verdun (France) and from Italy.

This offensive of the Russian army was not without a fly in the ointment. As usual, the allies dropped her off. On August 27, 1916, Romania entered the First World War on the side of the Entente. Germany defeated her very quickly. As a result, Romania lost its army, and Russia received an additional 2 thousand kilometers of front.

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

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

The result of 1916 in the First World War

• The strategic initiative passed to the side of the Entente.
• The French fortress of Verdun survived thanks to the offensive of the Russian army.
• Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente.
• Russia carried out a powerful offensive - the Brusilov breakthrough.

Military and political events 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. Let me give you the example of Russia. During the 3 years of the war, prices for basic products increased on average by 4-4.5 times. Naturally, this caused discontent among the people. Add to this heavy losses and a grueling war - it turns out to be excellent soil for revolutionaries. The situation is similar in Germany.

In 1917, the United States entered the First World War. The position of the Triple Alliance is deteriorating. Germany and its allies cannot effectively fight on 2 fronts, as a result of which it goes on the defensive.

The end of the war for Russia

In the spring of 1917, Germany launched another offensive on the Western Front. Despite the events in Russia, 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 area. Again, we saved the allies from major battles, but we ourselves were completely exposed.

The Russian army, exhausted by the war and losses, did not want to fight. The issues of provisions, uniforms and supplies during the war years were never resolved. The army fought reluctantly, but moved forward. The Germans were forced to transfer troops here again, 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 virtually ceased to exist. The front fell apart. Russia could no longer fight, and this catastrophe was inevitable.

People demanded Russia's withdrawal from the war. And this was one of their main demands from the Bolsheviks, who seized power in October 1917. Initially, at the 2nd Party Congress, the Bolsheviks signed the decree “On Peace,” essentially proclaiming Russia’s exit from the war, and on March 3, 1918, they signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. 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 of territory, approximately 1/4 of the population, 1/4 of arable land and 3/4 of the coal and metallurgical industries were lost.

Historical reference

Events in the war in 1918

Germany got rid of the Eastern Front and the need to wage war on two fronts. 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, as it progressed, it became obvious that Germany was getting the most out of itself, and that it needed a break in the war.

Autumn 1918

The decisive events in the First World War took place in the fall. The Entente countries, together with the United States, went on the offensive. The German army was completely driven out of France and Belgium. In October, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria concluded a truce with the Entente, and Germany was left to fight alone. Her situation 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 overthrown.

End of the First World War

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

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

The terms of the “peace” were so humiliating for Germany that the country actually became a puppet. Therefore, many people of that time said that although the First World War ended, it did not end in peace, but in a truce for 30 years. That’s how it ultimately turned out...

Results of the First World War

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

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

Map of the First World War 1914-1918

In the trenches of the First World War

So, the Eastern Front was eliminated, and Germany could concentrate all its forces on the Western Front.

This became possible after a separate peace treaty was concluded, signed on February 9, 1918 between the Ukrainian People's Republic and the Central Powers in Brest-Litovsk (the first peace treaty signed during the First World War); a separate international peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918 in Brest-Litovsk by representatives of Soviet Russia and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria) and a separate peace treaty concluded on May 7, 1918 between Romania and the Central Powers. This treaty ended the war between Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey on the one hand, and Romania on the other.

Russian troops leave the Eastern Front

Advance of the German Army

Germany, having withdrawn its troops from the Eastern Front, hoped to transfer them to the Western Front, gaining a numerical superiority over the Entente troops. Germany's plans included a large-scale offensive and the defeat of the Allied forces on the Western Front, and then the end of the war. It was planned to dismember the allied group of troops and thereby achieve victory over them.

In March-July, the German army launched a powerful offensive in Picardy, Flanders, on the Aisne and Marne rivers, and during fierce battles advanced 40-70 km, but was unable to defeat the enemy or break through the front. Germany's limited human and material resources were depleted during the war. In addition, having occupied vast territories of the former Russian Empire after the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, the German command, in order to maintain control over them, was forced to leave large forces in the east, which negatively affected the course of hostilities against the Entente.

By April 5, the first phase of the Spring Offensive (Operation Michael) was completed. The offensive continued until mid-summer 1918, ending with the Second Battle of the Marne. But, as in 1914, the Germans were also defeated here. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Operation Michael

German tank

This is the name given to the large-scale offensive of German troops against the armies of the Entente during the First World War. Despite the tactical success, the German armies failed to complete their main task. The offensive plan called for defeating the Allied forces on the Western Front. The Germans planned to dismember the allied group of troops: throw the British troops into the sea, and force the French to retreat to Paris. Despite initial successes, German troops failed to complete this task. But after Operation Michael, the German command did not abandon active actions and continued offensive operations on the Western Front.

Battle of Lysa

Battle of the Lys: Portuguese troops

The battle between German and Allied (1st, 2nd British armies, one French cavalry corps, as well as Portuguese units) troops during the First World War in the Lys River area. It ended in success for the German troops. Operation Fox was a continuation of Operation Michael. By attempting a breakthrough in the Lys area, the German command hoped to turn this offensive into the “main operation” to defeat the British troops. But the Germans failed to do this. As a result of the Battle of the Lys, a new ledge 18 km deep was formed in the Anglo-French front. The Allies suffered heavy losses during the April offensive on Lys and the initiative in the conduct of hostilities continued to remain in the hands of the German command.

Battle of the Aisne

Battle of the Aisne

The battle took place from May 27 to June 6, 1918 between German and allied (Anglo-French-American) forces; it was the third phase of the Spring Offensive of the German army.

The operation was carried out immediately after the second phase of the Spring Offensive (Battle of the Lys). German troops were opposed by French, British and American troops.

On May 27, artillery preparation began, which caused great damage to the British troops, then the Germans used a gas attack. After this, the German infantry managed to move forward. The German troops were successful: 3 days after the start of the offensive, they captured 50,000 prisoners and 800 guns. By June 3, German troops approached 56 km to Paris.

But soon the offensive began to subside, the attackers lacked reserves, and the troops were tired. The Allies offered fierce resistance, and American troops newly arrived on the Western Front were brought into battle. On June 6, in view of this, the German troops were ordered to stop on the Marne River.

Completion of the Spring Offensive

Second Battle of the Marne

From July 15 to August 5, 1918, a major battle took place between German and Anglo-French-American troops near the Marne River. This was the last general offensive of German troops during the entire war. The battle was lost by the Germans after a French counterattack.

The battle began on 15 July when 23 German divisions of the 1st and 3rd Armies, led by Fritz von Bülow and Karl von Einem, attacked the French 4th Army, led by Henri Gouraud, east of Reims. At the same time, 17 divisions of the 7th German Army, with the support of the 9th, attacked the 6th French Army west of Reims.

The Second Battle of the Marne took place here (modern photography)

American troops (85,000 people) and the British Expeditionary Force came to the aid of the French troops. The offensive in this sector was stopped on July 17 by the joint efforts of troops from France, Great Britain, the United States and Italy.

Ferdinand Foch

After stopping the German advance Ferdinand Foch(commander of the allied forces) launched a counteroffensive on July 18, and already on July 20 the German command gave the order to retreat. The Germans returned to the positions they occupied before the spring offensive. By August 6, the Allied counterattack fizzled out after the Germans consolidated their old positions.

The catastrophic defeat of Germany led to the abandonment of the plan to invade Flanders and was the first of a series of Allied victories that ended the war.

The Battle of the Marne marked the beginning of the Entente counter-offensive. By the end of September, Entente troops had eliminated the results of the previous German offensive. In a further general offensive in October and early November, most of the captured French territory and part of Belgian territory were liberated.

In the Italian Theater at the end of October, Italian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian army at Vittorio Veneto and liberated Italian territory captured by the enemy the previous year.

In the Balkan theater, the Entente offensive began on September 15. By November 1, Entente troops liberated the territory of Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, entered the territory of Bulgaria and invaded the territory of Austria-Hungary.

Surrender of Germany in World War I

Entente's Hundred Day Offensive

It took place from August 8 to November 11, 1918 and was a large-scale offensive by Entente troops against the German army. The Hundred Day Offensive consisted of several offensive operations. British, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, American and French troops took part in the decisive Entente offensive.

After the victory on the Marne, the Allies began to develop a plan for the final defeat of the German army. Marshal Foch believed that the moment had arrived for a large-scale offensive.

Together with Field Marshal Haig, the main attack site was chosen - the site on the Somme River: here was the border between French and British troops; Picardy had flat terrain, which made it possible to actively use tanks; the Somme section was covered by the weakened 2nd German Army, which was exhausted by constant Australian raids.

The offensive group included 17 infantry and 3 cavalry divisions, 2,684 artillery pieces, 511 tanks (heavy Mark V and Mark V* tanks and medium Whippet tanks), 16 armored vehicles and about 1,000 aircraft. The German 2- I army had 7 infantry divisions, 840 guns and 106 aircraft.The huge advantage of the Allies over the Germans was the presence of a large mass of tanks.

Mk V* - British heavy tank from the First World War

The start of the offensive was scheduled for 4 hours 20 minutes. It was planned that after the tanks had passed the line of the advanced infantry units, all the artillery would open surprise fire. A third of the guns were supposed to create a barrage of fire, and the remaining 2/3 would fire at infantry and artillery positions, command posts, and reserve routes. All preparations for the attack were carried out secretly, using carefully thought-out measures to camouflage and mislead the enemy.

Amiens operation

Amiens operation

On August 8, 1918, at 4:20 a.m., allied artillery opened powerful fire on positions, command and observation posts, communications centers and rear facilities of the 2nd German Army. At the same time, a third of the artillery organized a barrage of fire, under the cover of which the divisions of the 4th British Army, accompanied by 415 tanks, launched an attack.

The surprise was a complete success. The Anglo-French offensive came as a complete surprise to the German command. Fog and massive explosions of chemical and smoke shells covered everything that was further than 10-15 m from the positions of the German infantry. Before the German command could understand the situation, a mass of tanks fell on the positions of the German troops. The headquarters of several German divisions were taken by surprise by rapidly advancing British infantry and tanks.

The German command abandoned any offensive actions and decided to move on to the defense of the occupied territories. “Don’t leave an inch of land without a fierce fight,” was the order to the German troops. In order to avoid serious internal political complications, the High Command hoped to hide the true state of the army from the German people and achieve acceptable peace conditions. As a result of this operation, German troops began to retreat.

The Saint-Mihiel operation of the Allies intended to eliminate the Saint-Mihiel ledge, reach the Norois, Odimon front, liberate the Paris-Verdun-Nancy railway and create an advantageous starting position for further operations.

Saint-Mihiel operation

The operation plan was developed jointly by the French and American headquarters. It provided for two strikes on converging directions of German troops. The main blow was delivered to the southern face of the ledge, and the auxiliary blow was delivered to the western one. The operation began on September 12. The German defense, overwhelmed by the American advance at the height of the evacuation and deprived of most of its artillery, already withdrawn to the rear, was powerless. The resistance of the German troops was insignificant. The next day, the Saint-Mihiel salient was practically eliminated. On September 14 and 15, American divisions came into contact with the new German position and stopped the offensive at the Norois and Odimon line.

As a result of the operation, the front line was reduced by 24 km. In four days of fighting, German troops alone lost 16 thousand people and more than 400 guns as prisoners. American losses did not exceed 7 thousand people.

A major offensive by the Entente began, which dealt the final, fatal blow to the German army. The front was falling apart.

But Washington was in no hurry to make a truce, trying to weaken Germany as much as possible. The US President, without rejecting the possibility of starting peace negotiations, demanded from Germany guarantees that all 14 points would be fulfilled.

Wilson's Fourteen Points

US President William Wilson

Wilson's Fourteen Points- a draft peace treaty ending the First World War. It was developed by US President William Wilson and presented to Congress on January 8, 1918. This plan included the reduction of armaments, the withdrawal of German units from Russia and Belgium, the declaration of independence of Poland and the creation of a “general association of nations” (called the League of Nations). This program formed the basis of the Treaty of Versailles. Wilson's 14 points were an alternative to those developed by V.I. Lenin's Decree on Peace, which was less acceptable to the Western powers.

Revolution in Germany

The fighting on the Western Front had by this time entered its final stage. On November 5, the 1st American Army broke through the German front, and on November 6, the general retreat of German troops began. At this time, an uprising of sailors of the German fleet began in Kiel, which developed into the November Revolution. All attempts to suppress revolutionary uprisings were unsuccessful.

Truce of Compiègne

In order to prevent the final defeat of the army, on November 8, a German delegation arrived in the Compiegne Forest, received by Marshal Foch. The terms of the Entente truce were as follows:

• Cessation of hostilities, evacuation within 14 days of the areas of France occupied by German troops, the territories of Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as Alsace-Lorraine.
• Entente troops occupied the left bank of the Rhine, and on the right bank it was planned to create a demilitarized zone.
• Germany pledged to immediately return all prisoners of war to their homeland and evacuate its troops from the territories of countries that were previously part of Austria-Hungary, from Romania, Turkey and East Africa.

Germany was to give the Entente 5,000 artillery pieces, 30,000 machine guns, 3,000 mortars, 5,000 steam locomotives, 150,000 carriages, 2,000 aircraft, 10,000 trucks, 6 heavy cruisers, 10 battleships, 8 light cruisers, 50 destroyers and 160 submarines. The remaining ships of the German navy were disarmed and interned by the Allies. The blockade of Germany continued. Foch sharply rejected all attempts by the German delegation to soften the terms of the armistice. In fact, the conditions put forward required unconditional surrender. However, the German delegation still managed to soften the terms of the truce (reduce the number of weapons to be issued). Requirements for the release of submarines were lifted. In other points, the terms of the truce remained unchanged.

On November 11, 1918, at 5 a.m. French time, the terms of the armistice were signed. The Compiegne Truce was concluded. At 11 o'clock the first shots of the 101st artillery salute of nations were fired, signaling the end of the First World War. Germany's allies in the Quadruple Alliance capitulated even earlier: Bulgaria capitulated on September 29, Turkey on October 30, and Austria-Hungary on November 3.

Representatives of the Allies at the signing of the armistice. Ferdinand Foch (second from right) near his carriage in the Compiegne Forest

Other theaters of war

On the Mesopotamian front Throughout 1918 there was a lull. On November 14, the British army, without encountering resistance from Turkish troops, occupied Mosul. This was the end of the fighting here.

In Palestine there was also a lull. In the fall of 1918, the British army launched an offensive and occupied Nazareth, the Turkish army was surrounded and defeated. The British then invaded Syria and ended the fighting there on 30 October.

In Africa German troops continued to resist. After leaving Mozambique, the Germans invaded the territory of the British colony of Northern Rhodesia. But when the Germans learned of Germany's defeat in the war, their colonial troops laid down their arms.