What was the reason for the start of hostilities. Causes of the First World War and the consequences of participation in it for Great Britain. Important nuances of the reason for war

World War I (1914 - 1918)

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

Chamberlain

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

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

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

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

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

Causes of World War I

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

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

Cause to start a war

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

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

Important nuances of the reason for war

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

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

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

The role of England in starting the war

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

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

Russia before the war

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

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

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

The balance of forces and means before and after the war

Artillery

Number of guns

Of these, heavy weapons

Austria-Hungary

Germany

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

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

Armament and military equipment

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

Shooting

Artillery

Great Britain

TRIPLE ALLIANCE

Germany

Austria-Hungary

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


Number of people (infantry)

The number of fighting infantry (millions of people).

At the beginning of the war

By the end of the war

Losses killed

Great Britain

TRIPLE ALLIANCE

Germany

Austria-Hungary

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

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


The course of the war

Military events of 1914

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

Russia joined the First world war August 1, 1914. Supreme Commander was appointed Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (uncle of Nicholas 2).

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

Historical reference


German "Schlieffen Plan"

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

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

Northwestern front of Russia in 1914

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

Southwestern Front of Russia

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

The main results of the military campaign of 1914

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

Map of military events in 1914-15


Military events of 1915

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


The situation on the northwestern front

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

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

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

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

The situation on the southwestern front

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

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

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

The situation on the western front

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

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

Military events of 1916


"Verdun meat grinder"

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

Events on the southwestern front in 1916

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

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

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

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

Outcome of 1916 in World War I

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

Military and political events of 1917


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

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

End of the war for Russia

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

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


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

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

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

Historical reference

Events in the war in 1918

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

Autumn 1918

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

End of World War I


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

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

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

Results of the First World War

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

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

Map of the First World War 1914-1918

The reasons for the WWI were the clash of interests of the European powers in the redistribution of the world - the markets for raw materials and sales. a war in terms of the alignment and coverage of forces could not be local, only global; in character it was being prepared as an imperialist war for the redivision of an already divided world:

Fr. - return the lost territories in the war with Germany, play a leading role on the continent

English-crush Germ.

as the main competitor

Russia-defense of the Slavs from the Aust.-Hungarian. and expand influence in the Balkans up to the Black Sea straits.

German-crush English. as a competitor, crush. France and unite the states of central Europe under their own leadership with the colonization of the European. parts of Russia

Aust-Hungarian influence in the Balkans and the defeat of the rival Russia.

Lenin spoke about the nature of the war in his theses on war, as predatory and imperialistic.

Reason for war. On June 28, 1914, Gavro Princip, a nineteen-year-old Bosnian Serb, a student, a member of the nationalist Serbian terrorist organization Mlada Bosna, kills the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, who came to familiarize himself with the newly acquired territories, and his wife Sofia Hotek in Sarajevo. The Austrian and German ruling circles decided to use this Sarajevo massacre as a pretext for unleashing a European war. On July 5, Germany promises to support Austria-Hungary in the event of a conflict with Serbia.

On July 23, Austria-Hungary, stating that Serbia was behind the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, announces an ultimatum to Serbia, in which it demands from Serbia to fulfill obviously impossible conditions, including: purge the state apparatus and army of officers and officials seen in anti-Austrian propaganda; arrest suspected terrorists; allow the Austro-Hungarian police to carry out investigations and punishments of those responsible for anti-Austrian actions on Serbian territory. Only 48 hours were given for a response.

On the same day, Serbia begins mobilization, but agrees to all the requirements of Austria-Hungary, except for the admission of the Austrian police to its territory. Germany persistently pushes Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia

July 28 Austria-Hungary, declaring that the requirements of the ultimatum have not been met, declares war on Serbia.

Territorial plans of countries:

Germany - the assertion of hegemony in Europe, the conquest of dominance at sea, the revision of colonial possessions.

Austria-Hungary - Assertion of hegemony in the Balkans, participation in the annexation grew. territory.

England - prevent an imbalance of power in Europe, maintain dominance at sea, expand colonies at the expense of German colonies (Africa, Iran, New Guinea.). Close the ring of possessions around India.

France - hegemony in central Europe, revenge for the Franco-German war (the return of Alsace and Lorraine). The crushing of Germany.

Russia is hegemony in the Balkans, the solution of the problem of the Black Sea straits to return the times of the priest. union.

Military plans of the parties:

Common to all plans was that they expressed the predatory aspirations of individual powers, as well as individual warring coalitions; at the same time, they expressed sharp contradictions between individual imperialist predators within coalitions, each of which sought to place more of the military burden on its allies and seize more wealth in the mutual division of booty.

The essence of the German plan (the Schlieffen plan) consisted in the desire to hit the opponents in sequence: first, it was supposed to strike at France and defeat its army, and then transfer the main forces to the East and defeat Russia. In both cases, a bet was made on a short-term war.

In order to bypass and encircle the French army, it was planned to carry out a flank maneuver through Belgium, bypassing the main forces of the French army from the north. The auxiliary group was supposed to play the role of a barrier against a possible offensive by the French army.

In the East, at the beginning of the war, it was planned to deploy one army with the task of covering East Prussia from a possible invasion of Russian troops. Active operations against Russia at that time were to be carried out by Austro-Hungarian troops. The main flaw of the German plan was to overestimate their own forces and underestimate the forces of the enemy.

The Austro-Hungarian war plan was strongly influenced by the German General Staff, which sought to use the Austro-Hungarian troops to pin down the Russian armies during the period of Germany's attack on France. In view of this, the Austro-Hungarian General Staff was forced to plan simultaneous active operations against Russia, Serbia and Montenegro. It was planned to deliver the main blow from Galicia to the east and northeast. The Austro-Hungarian plan was built in isolation from the real consideration of their economic and moral possibilities. This clearly showed the influence of the German military school- underestimation of the enemy and overestimation of their own forces. The availability of forces and means did not correspond to the tasks set.

The French war plan was offensive, but it was of a waiting nature, since the initial actions of the French troops were made dependent on the actions of the German troops. Only the Lorraine grouping, consisting of two armies, received an active offensive mission. The central grouping of troops as part of one army was assigned the role of a link between the Belgian and Lorraine groupings. The Belgian grouping as part of one army was supposed to act depending on the behavior of the enemy.

In the event of the Germans violating the neutrality of Belgium and advancing through its territory, this army should be ready to attack in a northeast direction, otherwise it would have to attack in an easterly direction.

Essence English plan was reduced to a promise to send an expeditionary army consisting of seven divisions to France. The British ruling circles hoped to shift the main burden of the war on land to Russia and France. England considered its main task to ensure dominance at sea.

The Russian war plan was developed under conditions of economic and political dependence of tsarist Russia on Anglo-French capital. England and France, presenting enslaving loans to the tsarist autocracy, imposed heavy military obligations on Russia, which had to be reckoned with. General base when planning a war. The interests of the autocracy demanded the main attack on Austria-Hungary. However, due to its dependence on England and France, Russia had to conduct offensive operations against Germany in order to divert its forces from the west and weaken the blows of German troops on the French army. The desire to satisfy the interested parties led to the decision to attack simultaneously against both opponents. The Northwestern Front was supposed to encircle and destroy the 8th German Army and capture East Prussia, the Southwestern Front was tasked with encircling and defeating the Austro-Hungarian troops stationed in Galicia.

By the beginning of hostilities in the Western European theater of operations against France and Belgium, Germany deployed 86 infantry and 10 cavalry divisions (1.6 million people and 5,000 guns). These forces were opposed by 85 infantry and 12 cavalry divisions of the Franco-Anglo-Belgian troops (1.6 million people, 4640 guns).

75 Russian divisions (up to 850 thousand people and 3200 guns) were concentrated in the Eastern European theater of the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The opponents of Russia had 64 divisions here (over 1 million people and up to 2900 guns).

Consequently, none of the opposing sides by the beginning of the war had a general superiority in forces and means. Only the Germans in the direction of the main attack against France had a double numerical superiority.

The First World War, the reason, causes and beginning of the war.

Military campaigns (course) of the war 1914-1918.

Results of the war.

Basic terms and concepts: Triple Alliance, Cordially Accord - Entente, Imperialist War, Sarajevo Assassination, Gavril Princip, spheres of influence, controversy, Battle of the Marne, Flamethrower, Ottoman Empire, Jihad, Verdun Meat Grinder, Lafayette Squadron, Brusilov Breakthrough.

Reason, causes and beginning of the First World War

At the beginning of the XX century. in Europe, the process of formation of two opposing groups - the Triple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy - was completed. And an alliance consisting of Russia and France. Only one of the great powers, England, remained relatively neutral. In 1904, an agreement was concluded between France and England - a cordial agreement, according to the first French word - the Entente. In 1907 after long negotiations in St. Petersburg, a similar agreement was signed between England and Russia.

World War I is one of the largest military conflicts in human history. The name of the war was established in historiography, only after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The war of 1914 was called: Great War, informally (both before the revolution and after) - German; then in the USSR, the Bolsheviks called it an imperialist war.

These agreements were of a fundamental nature, since they actually created a bloc of three great powers that received common name- The Entente, France and Russia began to lead their foreign policy counting on the support of a new ally.

Thus, all the great powers of Europe dispersed to "combat positions", having completed, in fact, diplomatic preparations for war. It is no coincidence that since 1908 constant conflicts began between the opposing sides, from which it became increasingly difficult to get out peacefully. One such conflict was the question of influence in the Balkans. In 1912, Russian diplomacy, it would seem, managed to take revenge in the struggle for influence in the Balkans: thanks to its efforts, a military alliance was concluded between Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, directed against Turkey. As a result, a complex knot of territorial and national contradictions was tied up on the Balkan Peninsula. No wonder contemporaries called this region the "powder magazine" of Europe.

The immediate cause for the war was the Sarajevo assassination on June 28, 1914 of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by the nineteen-year-old Serbian student Gavrila Princip, who was a member of the secret organization Mlada Bosna, fighting to unite all South Slavic peoples in one state. Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum. Russia recommended allied Serbia to make concessions, but the Triple Alliance did not want to miss a convenient pretext for starting a war. On July 28, 1914, Austria, supported by Germany, declared war on Serbia. Russia began mobilization and put the armed forces on alert. Germany, having received Russia's refusal to stop mobilization, on August 1, 1914 declared war on Russia. Thus began the world war.

The main reason for the First World War was the aggravation of contradictions between the two large military-political blocs, the Entente (England, France and Russia) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) over spheres of influence, markets and colonies. 38 states with a population of 1.5 billion people were involved in the war. Participants in the war: Central Powers - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria, Italy (since 1915 participated in the war on the side of the Entente, despite being a member of the Triple Alliance).

Allies (Entente) - France, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Serbia, USA. Friends of the Entente (supported the Entente in the war): Montenegro, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Siam, Haiti, Liberia, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica. The war was of an aggressive nature on the part of all its participants (except Serbia).

The second reason is the desire of governments to stabilize the internal situation in their countries, to divert peoples from social problems and conflicts.

Military campaigns (course) of the war 1914-1918.

Campaign 1914

The war unfolded in two main directions - in Western and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Balkans and in Northern Italy, in the colonies - in Africa, in China, in Oceania. In 1914, all participants in the war were going to win quickly, but the war took on a protracted character. Germany sent the main forces to the western front, hoping to defeat France with a quick blow, and then deal with Russia. On August 4, German troops invaded Belgium and Luxembourg, on August 13 the fortress of Liege was taken, on August 20 - Brussels, and on August 24 - the fortress of Namur. August 14-24 - border battle on the French border in the Ardennes. In it, the Franco-English troops suffered a major defeat, and the Germans continued their invasion of France, approaching a distance of 50 kilometers to Paris.

On July 28, 1914, the First World War began. Cause of the war served as an aggravation of the contradictions between the two military-political blocs: the Triple Alliance and the Entente. Both unions aspired to political hegemony in the world.

Reason for war served as the murder of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914. The heir was killed in Sarajevo, in Bosnia, by a member of the Mlada Bosna organization (In 1908, during the revolution in the Turkish Empire, Austria-Hungary seized the region of Bosnia from the empire inhabited by Serbs). On June 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to Serbia. Serbia turned to Russia for help.

July 28, 1914 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Soon Germany and its ally Italy, as well as their opponents: Great Britain, France, Russia and other countries of the Entente, entered the war. The war has become global.

Germany did not want to fight a war on two fronts. In 1914, she planned to launch the main attack on France. Having treacherously violated the neutrality of Belgium, German troops invaded Belgium. Troops from France and Britain came to the aid of Belgium. The Entente leadership turned to Russia for help. Without prior preparation, two Russian armies entered the territory of East Prussia. The German military command was forced to withdraw dozens of divisions from the Western Front and transfer them to the Eastern Front. Paris was saved. But at the cost of destroying two Russian armies in East Prussia.

In 1915. The German military command decided to defeat Russia, knowing about its military-technical problems (lack of officers and weapons). In the spring, the German army launched an offensive against Eastern Front. Emperor Nicholas II turned to the allies for help. But they were silent. Then the country carried out a restructuring of industry for the production of military products, conducted new mobilizations for the army and trained new officers. In the autumn of 1915, the offensive of the German army was stopped.

On the Western Front in 1915, the German side committed a crime near the Belgian river Ypres, opening chlorine bottles. This gas attack cost the lives of thousands of French soldiers. In 1915, due to the intensified disagreements between Italy and Austria-Hungary, Italy withdrew from the Quadruple Alliance (which included Turkey) and joined the Entente. Then Bulgaria took the place in the Quadruple Union.

In 1916. the main hostilities took place on the Western Front. The German army again tried to defeat France. The battle began in February near the city of Verdun, which lasted 11 months and in which more than 900 thousand soldiers from both sides died. It was called the "Verdun meat grinder". On the Eastern Front Russian army in the summer of 1916, she launched an offensive against the Austro-Hungarian army, which ended in disaster for the latter. German troops came to the aid of the Austrians.

The three-year war undermined the military forces of Germany. The war was the impetus for the start of the revolution in Russia. Revolution of 1917. in Russia complicated the military confrontation of both sides. But the scales were leaning more and more clearly in the direction of the Entente. The US Army began to fight on its side. The offensive of the Entente troops in the second half of 1918 led to the surrender of Turkey, Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary and Germany. November 11, 1918 An armistice was signed and peace negotiations began.

The first countries involved in the First World War were Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The event that led to the beginning of the conflict was the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After that, the government of Austria-Hungary negotiated for a long time about what response actions to take against Serbia. In addition, the Austrian side was worried about the expansion of Serbian territory in the period 1912-1913. as a result of the Balkan wars, as well as the threat that came from the southern Slavs. Another point haunted them: whether Russia would come out on the side of Serbia. To prevent this, it was necessary to enlist the support of Germany. For the latter, Austria-Hungary was the only possible ally, so in no case could it be left in a difficult situation.

In 1913, Russia was unable to support Serbia, which needed its help to maintain the situation in the Adriatic, and in 1914, without substituting the expected shoulder, Russia risked weakening its influence in the Balkans.

The causes and nature of the First World War lay in a tense international situation. Germany understood that war could not be avoided. Only the timing was unknown. After all, it is necessary to choose the right moment, until rearmament has taken place in Russia, military reorganization in France, and a profitable naval treaty between Britain and Russia has not been signed. Therefore, the German side could regard the outbreak of hostilities as the only way achieve world domination.

The cause of the First World War was and in which all the major powers were involved. No state was frightened by the military power of others, so this fact cannot be considered as a deterrent. Countries sought to expand their own production of weapons and were not particularly in awe of the military program of opponents. It would seem that Britain had to retreat before the might of the German fleet, but she wished to increase her influence and gain naval superiority at any cost.

Therefore, by 1914, the causes of the First World War were very serious, they set the stage for the realization that hostilities could not be avoided. France, as a result of the war of 1870, remained dissatisfied with the loss of the territories of Alsace and Lorraine, while Germany, on the contrary, was satisfied with its position, feeling military superiority over other European states. Besides, late XIX century was marked by the understanding of the need for national independence in a number of countries, which threatened the continued existence of the Ottoman and Habsburg empires and, as a result, led to instability in the international system.

The causes of the First World War, according to the followers of Marxist theory, were antagonistic sentiments between the Prussian junker and the Russian landowner. A fairly long list of other prerequisites was added to them: the struggle for iron and coal, communication routes, spheres of influence, colonies, national contradictions. So, for example, French President Henri Poincaré spent his childhood in the territory of Lorraine, which was occupied by the Germans. This fact also could not but be reflected in future historical events.

The causes of the First World War are also hidden in the following points. Russia faced difficulties in moving goods through the Dardanelles, as a result of which it suffered significant economic damage. She really needed a free exit and entrance from the Black Sea, since the main export of grain passed through Constantinople. By 1904, an alliance called the Entente was created between Russia and France. A few years later, Russia signed an agreement with England on the delimitation of spheres of influence in such countries as Afghanistan, Persia and Tibet. Despite the agreement reached, the Entente in the period of 1907 could not be considered a military bloc, which could not be said about such a status, the Entente acquired only in 1914 from the moment of signing a tripartite agreement between Russia, England and France on the waiver of the obligation to conclude with opponents.

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