The starting point in the history of the war, later called the First World War, is considered to be 1914 (July 28), and the end - 1918 (November 11). Many countries of the world, divided into two camps, took part in it:

Entente (a bloc that originally consisted of France, England, Russia, to which Italy, Romania, and many other countries also joined after a certain period of time)

Quadruple Alliance (Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire).

If we describe the segment of history known to us as the First World War, briefly, it can be divided into three stages: the initial one, when the main participating countries entered the arena of actions, the middle one, when the situation turned in favor of the Entente, and the final one, when Germany and its allies finally lost their positions and capitulated.

First step

The war began with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (heir to the Habsburg Empire) and his wife by the Serbian nationalist terrorist Gavrila Princip. The assassination led to a conflict between Serbia and Austria, and, in fact, served as a pretext for the outbreak of a war, which had been brewing for a long time in Europe. Austria in this war was supported by Germany. This country entered the war with Russia on August 1, 1914, and two days later - with France; further, the German army broke into the territory of Luxembourg and Belgium. The enemy armies advanced to the sea, where the Western Front line was eventually closed. For some time, the situation here remained stable, and France did not lose control over its coast, which German troops were unsuccessfully trying to capture. In 1914, namely in mid-August, the Eastern Front opened: here the Russian army attacked and quickly captured territories in the east of Prussia. Victory for Russia, the Battle of Galicia took place on August 18, which temporarily put an end to the fierce clashes between the Austrians and the Russians.

Serbia recaptured Belgrade, previously captured by the Austrians, after which no particularly active battles followed. Japan also opposed Germany, capturing its island colonies in 1914. This made it safe eastern borders Russia from the invasion, but from the south it was attacked by the Ottoman Empire, which sided with Germany. At the end of 1914, she opened the Caucasian Front, which cut off Russia from convenient communication with allied countries.

Second phase

The Western Front became more active: here, in 1915, fierce battles between France and Germany resumed. The forces were equal, and the front line remained almost unchanged at the end of the year, although both sides suffered significant damage. On the Eastern Front, the situation changed for the worse for the Russians: the Germans made the Gorlitsky breakthrough, recapturing Galicia and Poland from Russia. By the fall, the front line had stabilized: now it ran almost along the pre-war border between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia.

In 1915 (May 23) Italy entered the war. At first, she announced the war on Austria-Hungary, but soon Bulgaria also joined the hostilities, opposing the Entente, which ultimately led to the fall of Serbia.

In 1916, the Battle of Verdun took place, one of the largest battles in this war. The operation lasted from late February to mid-December; During this confrontation, a flamethrower was used for the first time between the German forces, which had lost 450,000 soldiers, and the Anglo-French forces, which suffered losses of 750,000 people. On the Western Russian front, Russian troops made the Brusilov breakthrough, after which Germany transferred there most their troops, which played into the hands of England and France. Fierce battles were also fought on the water at that time. So, in the spring of 1916, a major battle of Jutland took place, which strengthened the positions of the Entente. At the end of the year, the Quadruple Alliance, having lost its dominant position in the war, proposed an armistice, which the Entente rejected.

Third stage

In 1917, the United States joined the allied forces. The Entente was close to victory, but Germany kept a strategic defense on land, and also tried to attack the forces of England with the help of submarine fleet... Russia in October 1917, after the Revolution, had almost completely withdrawn from the war, absorbed in internal problems. Germany eliminated the Eastern Front by signing a truce with Russia, Ukraine and Romania. In March 1918, the Brest Peace Treaty was concluded between Russia and Germany, the terms of which turned out to be extremely difficult for Russia, but this treaty was soon canceled. The Baltic states, part of Belarus and Poland were still under Germany; The country transferred the main military forces to the west, but, together with Austria (the Habsburg Empire), Bulgaria and Turkey (the Ottoman Empire), was defeated by the Entente forces. Finally exhausted Germany was forced to sign the Act of Surrender - it happened in 1918, on November 11. This date is considered the end of the war.

The Entente troops won the final victory in 1918.

After the war, the economies of all participating countries suffered greatly. The state of affairs was especially deplorable in Germany; in addition, this country lost an eighth of the territories that belonged to it before the war, ceded to the Entente countries, and the bank of the Rhine River remained occupied by the victorious allied forces for 15 years. Germany was obliged to pay reparations to the allies for 30 years, severe restrictions were imposed on all types of weapons and on the size of the army - it was not supposed to quantitatively exceed 100 thousand soldiers.

However, the victorious member countries of the Entente bloc also suffered losses. Their economy was extremely depleted, all industries National economy suffered a severe decline, the standard of living deteriorated sharply, and only the military monopolies were in an advantageous position. The situation in Russia has also become extremely destabilized, which is explained not only by internal political processes(first of all, the October Revolution and the events that followed it), but also the country's participation in the First World War. The United States suffered the least - mainly because military operations were not conducted directly on the territory of this country, and its participation in the war was not long. The US economy experienced a real boom in the 1920s, which was replaced by the so-called Great Depression only in the 1930s, but the war that had already passed and did not greatly affect the country had nothing to do with these processes.

And, finally, about the losses that the First World War brought, briefly: human losses are estimated at 10 million soldiers and about 20 million civilians. The exact number of victims of this war has not been established. The lives of many people were taken away not only armed conflicts, but also hunger, epidemics of disease, as well as extremely difficult living conditions.

Who fought with whom? Now this question will surely baffle many ordinary people. But Great War, as it was called in the world until 1939, claimed more than 20 million lives and forever changed the course of history. For 4 bloody years empires collapsed, alliances were concluded. Therefore, it is necessary to know about it at least for the purposes of general development.

Reasons for the start of the war

By the early 19th century, the crisis in Europe was evident to all major powers. Many historians and analysts cite various populist reasons why Who fought with whom before, which peoples were brotherly to each other, and so on - all this had practically no meaning for most countries. The goals of the belligerent powers in the First World War were different, but the main reason was the desire of big capital to expand its influence and gain new markets.

First of all, it is worth considering the desire of Germany, since it was she who became the aggressor and actually unleashed the war. But at the same time, one should not assume that she only wished for war, and the rest of the countries did not prepare plans for an attack and only defended themselves.

Germany's goals

By the early 20th century, Germany continued to develop rapidly. The empire had good army, modern types weapons, powerful economy. The main problem was that it was possible to unite the German lands under a single flag only in the middle of the 19th century. It was then that the Germans became an important player on the world stage. But by the time Germany was becoming a great power, the period of active colonization had already been missed. England, France, Russia and other countries had many colonies. They opened good market marketing for the capital of these countries, made it possible to have a cheap labor force, an abundance of food and specific goods. Germany didn't have that. Overproduction of goods led to stagnation. The growth of the population and the limited territories of their settlement created a food shortage. Then the German leadership decided to move away from the idea of ​​being a member of the commonwealth of countries, having a secondary voice. Towards the end of the 19th century, political doctrines were aimed at building German Empire as the world's leading power. And the only way to do this is through war.

Year 1914. The First World War: Who Fought With?

Other countries thought similarly. The capitalists pushed the governments of all large states towards expansion. Russia, first of all, wanted to unite under its banners as many Slavic lands as possible, especially in the Balkans, especially since local population was loyal to such patronage.

Turkey played an important role. The world's leading players closely watched the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and waited for the moment to bite off this giant. The crisis and anticipation were felt throughout Europe. There were a number of bloody wars on the territory of modern Yugoslavia, after which the First World War followed. Who fought with whom in the Balkans, sometimes they did not remember locals the South Slavic countries themselves. The capitalists drove the soldiers forward, changing allies depending on the benefits. It was already clear that, most likely, something larger than a local conflict would happen in the Balkans. And so it happened. At the end of June, Gavril Princip killed Archduke Ferdinand. used this event as a pretext to declare war.

Parties' expectations

The warring countries of the First World War did not think in any way what the conflict would result in. If you study in detail the plans of the parties, then it is clearly visible that each was going to win as a result of a quick offensive. On fighting was allotted no more than a few months. This was due, among other things, to the fact that before that there had been no similar precedents in history, when practically all powers were participating in the war.

World War I: Who Fought Against Whom?

On the eve of 1914, two alliances were concluded: the Entente and the Triple. The first included Russia, Britain, France. In the second - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy. Smaller countries united around one of these alliances, with whom was Russia at war? With Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Albania. And also a number of armed formations of other countries.

After the Balkan crisis, two main theaters of military operations were formed in Europe - the Western and the Eastern. Also, hostilities were fought in the Transcaucasus and in various colonies in the Middle East and Africa. It is difficult to list all the conflicts that the First World War engendered. Who fought with whom depended on belonging to a certain union and territorial claims. For example, France has long dreamed of returning the lost Alsace and Lorraine. And Turkey is the land in Armenia.

For the Russian Empire, the war turned out to be the most costly. And not only in economically... On the fronts, Russian troops suffered the greatest losses.

This was one of the reasons for the start October revolution, as a result of which a socialist state was formed. The people simply did not understand why those mobilized by the thousands were sent to the West, while only a few returned.
Only the first year of the war was intense. The subsequent ones were characterized by positional fighting. Many kilometers of trenches were dug, and countless defensive structures were erected.

The atmosphere of positional permanent war is very well described in Remarque's book "On Western front no change. ”It was in the trenches that the lives of the soldiers were ground, and the economies of the countries worked exclusively for war, reducing the costs of all other institutions. 11 million civilian lives were claimed by the First World War. Who fought with whom? There can be only one answer to this question: the capitalists with the capitalists.

The First World War began on August 1, 1914. It lasted more than 4 years (ended on November 11, 1918), 38 states took part in it, over 74 million people fought on its fields, of which 10 million were killed and 20 million maimed. This war led to the downfall of the most powerful European states and the formation of a new political situation in the world.

On the eve of the war, relations between the strongest countries - England and Germany - worsened. Their rivalry turned into a fierce struggle for domination in the world, for the seizure of new territories. There were also alliances of states that were at enmity with each other.

The reason for the war was the murder on June 28, 1914 in the city of Sarajevo (in Bosnia on the Balkan Peninsula) of the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Ferdinand. As a result, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia a month later. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, on August 3 - on France and Belgium, and on August 4, England declared war on Germany. Most of the world's countries were involved in the war. On the side of the Entente (England, France, Russia) - 34 states, on the side of Germany and Austria - 4. Military operations covered the territory of Europe, Asia and Africa, were conducted on all oceans and many seas. The main land fronts in Europe, on which the outcome of the war was decided, were the Western (in France) and the Eastern (in Russia).

In August 1914, German troops were already almost near Paris, where bloody battles were fought. From the Swiss border to North Sea a continuous front line stretched. But Germany's hopes for a quick defeat of France failed. On August 23, Japan declared war on Germany, and in October Turkey entered the war on the side of Germany. It became clear that the war was becoming protracted.

In the rear, in many countries, people were faced with want, food supplies were no longer enough. The situation of peoples, especially of the belligerent states, has deteriorated sharply. To change the course of the war, Germany decided to apply the new kind weapons - poisonous gases.

It was very difficult to fight on two fronts. In October 1917, a revolution took place in Russia, and she withdrew from the war by signing a peace treaty with Germany. But this did not help Germany too much, her offensive on the Western Front in 1918 failed.

In August-September, the Allied armies, using their superiority in troops and equipment (in March 1918, troops from the United States, which entered the war in 1917, began to arrive on the Western Front), went on the offensive and forced German troops to withdraw from France.

In early October, Germany's position became hopeless. Defeats at the fronts, devastation led to a revolution in Germany. On November 9, the monarchy in it was overthrown, and on November 11, Germany declared herself defeated. Finally, the terms of the peace treaties with Germany and its allies were signed at The Paris Conference 1919-20 years. Germany paid large sums of compensation to the winners (except for Russia, which withdrew from the Entente after the October Revolution). In 1918, Austria-Hungary also disintegrated.

The First World War changed the entire map of Europe.

On both sides it pursued aggressive goals. Germany sought to weaken Great Britain and France, seize new colonies on the African continent, tear away Poland and the Baltic states from Russia, Austria-Hungary - to establish itself on the Balkan Peninsula, Great Britain and France - to retain their colonies and weaken Germany as a competitor in the world market, Russia - to seize Galicia and take possession of the Black Sea straits.

Causes

Intending to start a war against Serbia, Austria-Hungary enlisted the support of Germany. The latter believed that the war would take on a local character if Russia did not defend Serbia. But if she renders assistance to Serbia, then Germany will be ready to fulfill its treaty obligations and support Austria-Hungary. In an ultimatum presented to Serbia on July 23, Austria-Hungary demanded that its military formations be allowed into Serbia in order to suppress hostile actions together with Serbian forces. The answer to the ultimatum was given within the agreed 48-hour period, but it did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, and on July 28 she declared war on Serbia. On July 30, Russia announced a general mobilization; Germany used this pretext to declare war on Russia on August 1 and France on August 3. After the German invasion of Belgium on 4 August, Great Britain declared war on Germany. Now all the great powers of Europe were embroiled in the war. Together with them, their dominions and colonies were involved in the war.

The course of the war

1914 year

The war consisted of five campaigns. During the first campaign in the city of Germany, it invaded Belgium and the northern regions of France, but was defeated in the battle on the Marne. Russia captured part of East Prussia and Galicia (East Prussian operation and the Battle of Galicia), but then was defeated as a result of the German and Austro-Hungarian counteroffensive. As a result, there was a transition from maneuverable to positional forms of struggle.

1915 year

Italy, stalling the German plan withdrawal of Russia from the war and bloody fruitless battles on the Western Front.

During this campaign, Germany and Austria-Hungary, concentrating their main efforts on the Russian front, carried out the so-called Gorlitsky breakthrough and drove out Russian troops from Poland and parts of the Baltic, but in the Vilna operation they were defeated and were forced to go over to positional defense.

On the Western Front, both sides fought strategically. Private operations (at Ypres, Champagne and Artois) were not successful, despite the use of poisonous gases.

On the Southern Front, Italian troops launched an unsuccessful operation against Austria-Hungary on the Isonzo River. German-Austrian troops managed to defeat Serbia. Anglo-French troops successfully carried out the Thessaloniki operation in Greece, but were unable to capture the Dardanelles. On the Transcaucasian front, as a result of the Alashkert, Khamadan and Sarykamysh operations, Russia reached the approaches to Erzurum.

1916 year

The campaign of the city is associated with Romania's entry into the war and the waging of a grueling trench warfare on all fronts. Germany again shifted efforts against France, but did not succeed in the Battle of Verdun. The operations of the Anglo-French troops on Somna were also unsuccessful, despite the use of tanks.

On the Italian front, Austro-Hungarian troops took the Trentino offensive operation, but were driven back by the Italian counteroffensive. On the Eastern Front, the troops of the Southwestern Russian Front conducted a successful operation in Galicia on a wide front up to 550 km long (Brusilov Breakthrough) and advanced 60-120 km, occupied the eastern regions of Austria-Hungary, which forced the enemy to transfer up to 34 divisions to this front from the Western and Italian fronts.

On the Transcaucasian front, the Russian army carried out the Erzurum and then the Trebizond offensive operations, which remained incomplete.

The decisive Battle of Jutland took place on the Baltic Sea. As a result of the campaign, conditions were created for the seizure of the strategic initiative by the Entente.

1917 year

The campaign of the city is associated with the entry into the war of the United States, the revolutionary withdrawal of Russia from the war, and the conduct of a number of successive offensive operations on the Western Front (Operation Nivelle, operations in the Messines region, on Ypres, near Verdun, near Cambrai). These operations, despite the use in them of large forces of artillery, tanks and aviation, practically did not change the general situation in the Western European theater of operations. In the Atlantic at this time, Germany launched an unlimited submarine war, during which both sides suffered heavy losses.

1918 year

The campaign of the city was characterized by a transition from positional defense to a general offensive by the armed forces of the Entente. First, Germany launched the Allied March offensive in Picardy, private operations in Flanders, on the Aisne and Marne rivers. But due to lack of strength, they did not receive development.

From the second half of the year, when the United States entered the war, the Allies prepared and launched retaliatory offensive operations (Amiens, Saint-Miill, Marne), during which they eliminated the results of the German offensive, and in September they went over to a general offensive, forcing Germany to surrender ( Compiegne Armistice).

Outcomes

The final terms of the peace treaty were developed at the Paris Conference of 1919-1920. ; during the sessions, agreements on five peace treaties were determined. After its completion, the following were signed: 1) the Versailles Peace Treaty with Germany on June 28; 2) Saint-Germain peace treaty with Austria on September 10, 1919; 3) Neiji peace treaty with Bulgaria on November 27; 4) Trianon Peace Treaty with Hungary on June 4; 5) Sevres peace treaty with Turkey on August 20. Subsequently, according to the Treaty of Lausanne, on July 24, 1923, the Treaty of Sevres was amended.

As a result of the First World War, the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires were liquidated. Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Empire were divided, and Russia and Germany, having ceased to be monarchies, were cut back territorially and economically weakened. Revanchist sentiments in Germany led to World War II. The First World War accelerated the development of social processes, was one of the prerequisites for the revolutions in Russia, Germany, Hungary, Finland. As a result, a new military-political situation was created in the world.

In total, the First World War lasted 51 months and 2 weeks. Covered the territories of Europe, Asia and Africa, the waters of the Atlantic, North, Baltic, Black and Mediterranean seas... This is the first military conflict on a global scale, in which 38 of the 59 independent states that existed at that time were involved. Two-thirds of the population participated in the war the globe... The number of the fighting armies exceeded 37 million people. The total number of those mobilized into the armed forces was about 70 million. The length of the fronts was up to 2.5-4 thousand km. The casualties of the parties amounted to about 9.5 million killed and 20 million wounded.

In the war, new types of troops were developed and widely used: aviation, armored troops, anti-aircraft troops, anti-tank weapons, and submarine forces. New forms and methods of armed struggle began to be used: army and front-line operations, breaking through the fortifications of the fronts. New strategic categories have emerged: operational deployment of the Armed Forces, operational cover, border battles, and the initial and subsequent periods of the war.

Used materials

• Dictionary "War and Peace in Terms and Definitions", World War I
• Encyclopedia "Krugosvet"

World War I (1914 - 1918)

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

Chamberlain

The First World War lasted from August 1, 1914 to November 11, 1918. It was attended by 38 states with a population of 62% of the world. This war was quite ambiguous and extremely contradictory described in modern history... I deliberately 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!

An important role at the beginning of the war was played by Balkan countries... They were not independent. Their policies (both foreign and domestic) were 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 USA, Italy, Romania, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were allies.
• 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 the First World War, the Italians declared neutrality.

Causes of the First World War

main reason the beginning of the First World War lies in 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 for years prospered through the exploitation of colonies, now could not get resources just like that, taking them away from the Indians, Africans and South Americans. Now resources could only be won back from each other. Therefore, contradictions grew:

• Between England and Germany. England sought to prevent the strengthening of Germany's 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 domination.
• 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 away from Russia.
• Between Russia and Austria-Hungary. The contradictions arose because of the desire of both countries to influence the Balkans, as well as the desire of Russia to subjugate the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.

The reason for the start of the war

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

The behavior of England is very important here, since Austria-Hungary on its own could not start a war, because this practically guaranteed a war in all of Europe. The British at the level of the embassy tried to convince Nicholas II that Russia, in the event of aggression, should not leave Serbia without help. But then the whole (I emphasize this) the English press wrote that the Serbs are barbarians and Austria-Hungary should not leave the murder of the Archduke unpunished. That is, England did everything to prevent Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia from evading the 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 is the assassination of the Austrian Archduke. At the same time, they forget to say that the next day, June 29, another significant murder took place. The French politician Jean Jaures, who actively opposed the war and had great influence in France, was killed. A few weeks before the assassination of the Archduke, there was an attempt on the life of Rasputin, who, like Jaures, 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 attended 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 been revealed until now. 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 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. She, through the press and secret diplomacy, conveyed to Germany the position - in case of war, England would remain neutral or take the side of Germany. By open diplomacy, Nicholas II received the opposite idea that in the event of the outbreak of war, England would side with Russia.

It should 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 think about anything like that. Naturally, in such conditions, Austria-Hungary would not have dared to attack Serbia. But England, with all her diplomacy, pushed European countries to war.

Russia before the war

Before the First World War, Russia carried out an army reform. In 1907, the fleet was reformed, and in 1910 the reform ground forces... The country has multiplied military spending, and the total size of the army in Peaceful time was now 2 million people. In 1912, Russia adopted a new Charter of the Field Service. Today it is rightfully called the most perfect charter of its time, since it motivated soldiers and commanders to show personal initiative. An 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, it 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 losses of the First World War were inflicted by artillery! This is a sentence to the imperial generals.

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

The ratio of forces and means before and after the war

Artillery

	Number of guns	Of these, heavy weapons
Austro-hungary
Germany

According to the data from the table, it can be seen that in heavy guns Germany and Austria-Hungary were many times superior to Russia and France. Therefore, the balance of forces was in favor of the first two countries. Moreover, the Germans, as usual, created an excellent war industry before the war, which produced 250,000 rounds daily. By comparison, Britain was producing 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
United Kingdom
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austro-hungary

This table clearly shows weakness Russian Empire in terms of equipping the army. In all the main indicators, Russia is far behind 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)

The number of infantry fighting (millions).

	At the start of the war	By the end of the war	Casualties
United Kingdom
TRIPLE ALLIANCE
Germany
Austro-hungary

The table shows that Great Britain made the smallest contribution, both in terms of belligerents and in terms of deaths, to the war. This is logical, since the British did not really participate in major battles. Another example from this table is indicative. We are told in all textbooks that Austria-Hungary, due to heavy losses, could not fight on its own, and she always needed the help of Germany. 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 three times during the First World War saved Paris from surrender by its actions).

The table also shows that in fact the war was between Russia and Germany. Both countries lost 4.3 million people 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 efforts in the war ended up with nothing. First, Russia signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, shameful for itself, having lost many lands. Then Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, essentially losing its independence.

The course of the war

Military events of 1914

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

Russia entered World War I on August 1, 1914. Nikolai Nikolayevich Romanov (Nikolai's uncle 2) was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

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

Historical reference

German "Schlieffen Plan"

Germany was under the threat of war on two fronts: the East with Russia, the West with France. Then the German command developed the "Schlieffen plan", according to which Germany must defeat France in 40 days and then fight with Russia. Why 40 days? The Germans believed that that was exactly how much Russia would need to mobilize. Therefore, when Russia is mobilized, 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 was stopped by the Marne River, where a battle took place, in which about 2 million people participated on both sides.

Northwestern Front of Russia in 1914

At the beginning of the war, Russia did something stupid that Germany could not possibly 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 (present-day Kaliningrad). Samsonov's army was equipped to help her. Initially, the troops operated successfully, and Germany was forced to retreat. As a result, part of the forces of the Western Front was transferred to the Eastern. Result - Germany repulsed the offensive of Russia in East Prussia (the troops acted disorganized and lacked resources), but as a result, the Schlieffen plan failed, and France was not captured. So, Russia saved Paris, though by defeating its 1st and 2nd armies. After that, 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 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 killed, 100 thousand captured. For comparison, the Russian army lost 150 thousand people killed. After that, 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 in 1914

• Germany failed to implement Schlieffen's plan for lightning war.
• No one has won a decisive advantage. The war turned into a trench war.

Map of military events 1914-15 years

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 II.

Position on the northwestern front

From January to October, Germany led an active offensive, as a result of which Russia lost Poland, western Ukraine, part of the Baltic States, western Belarus. Russia went into deep defense. The losses of the Russians 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 received.

The successes of Germany 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).

Position 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 terrible mistakes Russian command, as well as a significant technical advantage. German superiority in technology reached:

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

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

Position on the western front

"Everything is calm on the western front." This phrase can be used to describe the course of the war between Germany and France in 1915. There was a sluggish military action in which no one strove for the initiative. Germany implemented plans in Eastern Europe, and England and France calmly mobilized the economy and the army, preparing for further war... Nobody provided any help to Russia, although Nicholas II repeatedly appealed to France, first of all, so that she go to active action 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 his novel A Farewell to Arms.

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

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 to 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 named "Verdun meat grinder". France resisted, 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 launched an offensive that lasted 2 months. This offensive went down in history under the name "Brusilov 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 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. The allies threw her up, as usual. On August 27, 1916, Romania entered the First World War on the side of the Entente. Germany very quickly defeated her. As a result, Romania lost the army, and Russia received an additional 2 thousand kilometers of front.

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern Fronts

Positional battles continued on the North-Western Front during the spring-autumn period. As for the Caucasian Front, here the main events 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.

Outcome of 1916 in the First World War

• The strategic initiative went over 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 launched 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 an example of Russia. Over the 3 years of the war, prices for basic food products have increased by an average of 4-4.5 times. Naturally, this caused discontent among the people. Add to this the heavy losses and the exhausting war - it is an excellent ground for revolutionaries. The situation is similar in Germany.

In 1917, the United States entered the First World War. The positions of the "Triple Alliance" are deteriorating. Germany with 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 launched an offensive in the Lvov region. Again, we saved the allies from major battles, but they themselves substituted themselves thoroughly.

The Russian army, exhausted by the war and losses, did not want to fight. The issues of provisions, uniforms and provision of supplies during the war years have not been resolved. The army fought reluctantly, but moved forward. The Germans were forced to redeploy troops here, and Russia's allies in the Entente again isolated themselves, watching what would happen next. On July 6, Germany launched a counteroffensive. As a result, 150,000 Russian soldiers were killed. The army actually ceased to exist. The front fell apart. 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 congress of the party, the Bolsheviks signed the decree "On Peace", actually proclaiming Russia's withdrawal 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 loses Poland, Ukraine, Finland, part of Belarus and the Baltic states.
• Russia yields to Turkey Batum, Kars and Ardahan.

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.

Historical reference

Events in the war in 1918

Germany got rid of the Eastern Front and the need to wage a war in two 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, as it went on, 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 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 an armistice with the Entente, and Germany was left to fight alone. Her position was hopeless after the German allies' Triple alliance"Essentially capitulated. This resulted in the same thing that happened in Russia - the revolution. On November 9, 1918, Emperor Wilhelm II was overthrown.

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 Compiegne forest, at the Retonde station. The capitulation 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 France to the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the borders of 1870, as well as the transfer of the Saar coal basin.
• Germany lost all of its colonial possessions, and also pledged to transfer 1/8 of its territory to its geographical neighbors.
• For 15 years, the Entente troops are on the left bank of the Rhine.
• By May 1, 1921, Germany had to pay the members of the Entente (Russia was not entitled to anything) 20 billion marks in gold, goods, securities etc.
• For 30 years, Germany has to pay reparations, and the amount of these reparations is set by the winners 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 conditions 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 ended not in peace, but in a truce for 30 years. So it ultimately happened ...

Results of the first world war

The First World War was fought on the territory of 14 states. It was attended by countries with a total population of over 1 billion people (this is about 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 like Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Albania. Auto-Hungary split into Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Romania, Greece, France, Italy have increased their borders. Losers and losers in the territory were 5 countries: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and Russia.

World War I 1914-1918 map