June 28, 1914 Serb Gavrilo Principle - killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife while they were driving through the streets of the capital of Bosnia, Sarajevo. This was a response to the forced accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria-Hungary. On July 23, Austria-Hungary presented an ultimatum to Serbia, which meant Serbia’s loss of independence. Although the Serbian government accepted most of these requirements, July 28th Austria-Hungary moved troops against Serbia - started the war. The Russian government responded with mobilization. The leaders of Germany demanded its termination, and when Russia rejected their ultimatum, on August 1 Germany entered the war with Russia. On August 2, German troops occupied Luxembourg; on August 3, Germany declared war on France. The British government, taking advantage of Germany’s violation of Belgian neutrality, declared war on Germany on August 4. In total, 33 states were drawn into the war. On the side of the Entente - France, England and Russia - Serbia, Montenegro, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Greece, Japan, China, Siam, Egypt, Liberia, the USA, Cuba, Haiti, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica spoke , Honduras, Brazil. On the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary are Bulgaria and Turkey. The war has become world war.
The cause of the first world war was the clash of interests of the European great powers.
Germany sought to satisfy its claims to hegemony in Europe and the world.
Austria-Hungary, torn by national strife, hoped that a victorious war would help strengthen and preserve the empire.
Turkey - state survival and claims to the Russian Transcaucasia.
Great Britain - to eliminate Germany’s competition in world markets, to suppress its claims to redistribute the colonies.
France - to return Alsace and Lorraine, to tear away German lands along the left bank of the Rhine and the Saar region.
Italy - to establish itself on the Balkan Peninsula.
The United States intended to dictate peace weakened by war to countries that would ensure their own world domination.
61 The main fronts of the First World War. Military operations on the Western Front in 1914
The German command basically adhered to the plan developed by General Schlieffen. 3/4 of the German troops on the western front was concentrated on the right flank, which moved across the weakly defended Belgian border to begin encircling the main enemy forces, pressing them to the Swiss border and destroying them before the fall foliage. After the defeat of France, it would be Russia’s turn. After passing Belgium in three weeks, turned into an governor-general by the occultists, the German corps broke the resistance of the French troops on the border and invaded France. Contrary to Schlieffen's plan, they lacked the strength to get around the French divisions from the north-west, however, the four German armies crossed the Marne River, by September they approached Verdun and threatened Paris. The French government temporarily left the capital. The training of Russian troops was not yet completed when the French government turned to the Russian for help. Russian troops were thrown on the offensive. Two Russian armies occupied a significant part of the territory of East Prussia. This forced the German command to transfer troops from France there, part of the reserves intended for the offensive in France. Due to the inconsistency of actions, one Russian army was defeated at the Masurian Lakes, and the Germans ousted the other from East Prussia. But the offensive of several Russian armies continued. They occupied Austrian part of Poland and Galicia. The advance of Russian troops posed a threat to the industrial regions important for Germany - Silesia and Poznan. Only an acute shortage of ammunition and food slowed their advance. To stop them, Germany had to transfer troops from France here. An unprepared offensive cost Russia enormous casualties, which may have saved France.
On September 5, French troops launched an offensive from Paris: the battle on the Marne unfolded. Heavy losses forced the Germans to retreat somewhat: the threat of their capture of Paris was eliminated.
In the east, the Austro-German bloc was not successful in 1914 either. The offensive launched by German and Austro-Hungarian forces in southern Poland ended in failure. The Germans did not achieve success in the offensive on the Vistula.
The blitzkrieg plan failed and Germany had to seriously fight both in the west and in the east.
Lesson: “The First World War. The participation of Russia in the First World War. ”
designed for students in the 9th grade of the humanities department in accordance with the basic principles of the advanced learning methodology.
v preliminary introduction of the first (small) portions of future knowledge,
v clarification of new concepts, their generalization and application,
v the development of fluency in thinking techniques and learning activities.
This dispersed assimilation of educational material provides the transfer of knowledge into long-term memory.
Conceptual provisions of pedagogy of cooperation:
v the personal approach of pedagogy of cooperation;
v comfort in the classroom: friendliness, mutual assistance;
v consistency, systematic content of educational material.
The basic principles of the advanced learning methodology are optimally suited for studying issues of international relations in the era of imperialism. Pupils of 9 classes for the first time get acquainted with the most complex processes of world and domestic history. In the 8th grade, the concepts are studied: imperialism, imperialist wars, in the 9th grade the development and deepening of these concepts will continue, the features of their manifestation in Russia are considered. In this lesson, concepts are introduced: world war, concepts are deepened: military-political blocs and contradictions within them, nationalism, chauvinism, the Versailles-Washington system and its influence on the fate of the world. The study of these concepts is promising in nature, in subsequent lessons their study will be continued and they will become basic for students to understand the causes of the Second World War.
In accordance with the method of advanced learning, the lesson uses tables and reference schemes.
Lesson: The First World War.
The participation of Russia in the First World War.
Lesson Objectives: to help students develop a holistic view of the system of international relations on the eve of the war, help to realize these phenomena, as well as the growth of nationalist sentiments in European society as the main factors that put the world on the brink of war. Find out the goals of the belligerent powers, the causes, scope and basic military operations. To acquaint students with the most important provisions of the Versailles-Washington system and bring them to an independent conclusion about the causes of its instability.
To promote students' humanistically valuable orientations on the attitude to wars as a way to resolve conflicts. Show Man in the war and the role of Transnistria and Transnistria in the war.
Promote the development of cognitive skills to relate historical events with certain periods, localize them on a map, group historical events by a specified attribute, determine and argue their attitude and assessment of the most significant events in history.
Lesson Equipment: -Tsupa. Recent history of foreign countries (study guide),. Russian history. XX century.,. Istria of Russia (in tables and diagrams),. Methods of teaching and studying history.
T.1-2, Atlas “World History”, wall map “World War I”.
Lesson plan:
1. The international situation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
2. "The Powder Cellar of Europe": 1 and P Balkan Wars and their results.
3. Reason, reasons, nature of war. The objectives of the participants.
4. The main military operations 1914.1915.1916gg.
5. A man in a war (based on local history material)
6. The outcome of the war. The lessons of war.
The teacher’s motivational conversation about the role of wars in the history of mankind, about the change in their character in the era of imperialism, the complication of the system of international relations. The teacher sets goals for the lesson, ways to achieve them, voices his lesson plan.
By revising first question the teacher relies on the knowledge of students that they received in history lessons earlier. The following issues are considered and discussed:
Teacher: At the turn of the Х1Х-ХХ centuries. the world entered the era of imperialism.
1. Signs of imperialism.
2. What was the determining factor in the formation of the system of international relations at the turn of the century?
Work with the map “World from 1870 to 1914”
4. What were the main metropolises by the beginning of the twentieth century?
5. Which colonies belonged to the leading European countries?
6. Give definitions of concepts: colony, metropolis, dominion.
7.Analyzing the map, suppose which countries lacked colonies and why? (It is necessary to help students remember the countries of the first and second echelon of modernization).
8. Where and in what way could these colonies be acquired?
9. What kind of war for the redivision of the world have we studied?
10 Why are these wars called imperialist?
Teacher: in the system of military-political blocs, military-political blocs are folding. Students fill out a table on the board:
Triple Alliance
11. What is the surprise and inconsistency of unions?
Get full text(If difficulties arise, students are encouraged to recall the history of Russian-English and Russian-French relations in the 19th century, during the Russo-Japanese war; Russian-German relations).
12. Name and map the first imperialist wars.
Review second question start by using a wall map and atlas. Students led by teachers call countries located in the Balkans, find out the interests of which European countries were represented in the Balkans. It is necessary to remind students that Russia refused to participate in the Triple Alliance because of contradictions with Austria-Hungary in the Balkans.
1. Why in the first decade of the twentieth century was the Balkans called “the powder magazine of Europe?”
2. Reasons and results of the 1st Balkan war.
3. Why did the Second Balkan War begin? What slogans did it go under?
Document Analysis:
“History teachers would have to take some of the responsibility for unleashing the First World War. Indeed, the war was largely a result of the excessive nationalistic and patriotic ardor of all the warring parties - the result of "poisoning by history."
(G. Wells).
v Suggest how in the early twentieth century was
is history teaching organized in leading European countries?
v Define concepts: nationalism, chauvinism
(vocabulary for the manual).
v Why the leader's murderer was acquitted in France
the pacifist movement of Jean Jaurès ?.
v What is pacifism?
Third question it is advisable to start with the murder in Sarajevo (student report). Students are invited to answer the following questions:
1. Why did the young man of Gavril the Principle knowingly go to kill the innocent Austrian heir to the throne and his wife, knowing full well that he could not live? What led him?
2. How did events develop after the murder in Sarajevo? (work with the reference circuit).
How did the war begin?
Austria-Hungary
Serbia Germany
France Turkey
England Japan
3. What are the causes of the war.
4. 38 states with a population of 1.5 billion people were involved in the war. Under the gun was delivered 67 million people. Why was the war so massive?
5. The nature of the war.
Table: The objectives of the participants of the First World War.
Powers - the main participants in the war
Which union did
Goals of entry into the war
Germany
Central Powers
Capture the overseas possessions of Great Britain and France, the western territories of the Russian Empire
Austria-Hungary
Central Powers
Establish dominance in the Balkans and seize land in Poland.
To gain control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, to strengthen its influence in the Balkans. Realize the imperial idea of \u200b\u200brebuilding the Greek Empire with its capital in Constantinople (Istanbul) led by one of the Russian Grand Dukes
To return the territories lost as a result of the Franco-Prussian war: Alsace and Lorraine. Annex Germany on the left bank of the Rhine and Saarland.
To increase their holdings at the expense of territories subject to the Ottoman Empire and Germany.
Ottoman Empire
Central Powers
Relying on the help of the Allies to take revenge for the failures in the wars with Russia and restore their possessions in the Balkans
Bulgaria
Central Powers
Capture part of the territory of Greece, Serbia and Romania.
Tried to oust Germany from China and from the islands of Oceania
Increase its territory at the expense of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire
The teacher invites students to become familiar with the table and conducts a workshop.
Workshop
Determine which of the countries pursued the listed goals in the war:
1. Colony capture and transformation of Eastern Europe to dependent lands.
2. The defeat of the main competitor - Germany - and the expansion of ownership in
Middle East.
3. Preservation of the empire "where the sun never sets."
4. Strengthening monarchical power. Strengthening influence in the Balkans. Expansion of control over the possessions of Russia.
5. The return of Alsace and Lorraine, the capture of the Rhine zone. The fragmentation of enemy territory into several small states.
6. What goals did Russia pursue in the war?
7. Was Russia ready for war? (Analysis of the document on page 51 of the "Workbook").
Teacher: How did you hear about the war in Russia? They expected the war, but it came as a complete surprise. At the military commissariats there were lines of volunteers. In 1914, there were 80 thousand officers in the Russian army. Most of them will die in the first year of the war. In the infantry among officers, losses will amount to 96%. Young, cheerful, who could have a future.
7. And how did you hear about the war in our city? (Student message)
By revising fourth issue used table, study guide on the history of Russia, wall map and Atlas.
The students are given the task: to find on the map the main military operations of the years, tell about their results, using the table:
Get full textTable: Highlights of the First
World War 1914 - 1918
Periods
Western front
Eastern front
Result
The offensive of the German troops through Belgium. The battle on the marne. German troops stopped and driven back from Paris. Sea blockade of Germany by the fleet of England
Unsuccessful offensive of two Russian armies (generals and) in East Prussia. The offensive of Russian troops in Galicia against Austria-Hungary.
The East Prussian operation of the Russian forces helped the French and British to withstand the battle on the Marne River. The Schlieffen Plan failed; Germany was unable to avoid a war on two fronts. The Ottoman Empire joined Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Active hostilities were almost never conducted. The merciless submarine war of Germany against the Entente fleet. The first chemical attack in the history of German troops on Iprom (Belgium).
The offensive of Germany and Austria-Hungary against the Russian troops. The Russian army is forced to retreat with heavy losses. Russia has lost Poland part of the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine. Bulgaria sided with Germany (central powers).
Germany and its allies failed to liquidate the Eastern Front. Positional ("trench") war. France and England have strengthened their military capabilities. The military-economic superiority of the Entente countries has been outlined.
The offensive of the German army by Verdun. The first use of tanks by the Entente forces and the offensive on the Somme River.
The Russian army under the command of General Brusilov broke through the Austro-Hungarian front in Galicia and Bukovina ("Brusilovsky breakthrough"). However, it was not possible to develop the success of the Russian army.
The battles of Verdun and the Somme did not give a decisive advantage to either side. It became clear that Germany could not win the war. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of complete defeat.
In the battles on the fields of France, neither the Central Powers nor the Entente managed to achieve a decisive victory. US entry into the war on the side of the Entente.
Revolution in February-March 1917 in Russia. The fall of the monarchy. The Provisional Government - “War to the End!” Decree on the Peace of the Bolshevik Government. The call to make peace without annexation and indemnity is not supported by either Germany or the Entente.
Huge casualties forced the Anglo-French command to cease major offensive operations. The entry into the US war led to the economic and military superiority of the Entente. Exhausted by the war, revolutionary Russia could not continue the struggle.
The German offensive in France (P. Hindenburg, E. Ludendorf) on Paris. On the Marne counter-offensive of the Entente under the command of the French General F. Foch. US President W. Wilson proposed a 14-point peace plan. The uprising of sailors in Kiel was the beginning of the German revolution. The Social Democratic Government entered into a truce with the Entente in the Compiegne Forest on November 11, 1918.
In March 1918, the Bolshevik government concluded a separate Brest peace with Germany.
The eastern front ceased to exist. Germany got rid of the need to fight on two fronts. Bulgaria came out of the war. The Ottoman Empire surrendered. The revolutions in Czechoslovakia and Hungary led to the collapse of Austria-Hungary and its military collapse. The end of the First World War. The victory of the Entente.
It is advisable to hear a message about the Brusilovsky breakthrough.
1. Analyze and answer the question: were there the most intense battles on the Western or Eastern Front?
2. How would you rate the interaction of allies in military-political blocs?
3. What is a "positional war"?
Fifth question seen from a demonstration of photographs of those distant years. (the magazine "Spark" for 1995).
Who says war is not scary
He knows nothing about the war . Yu. Drunina
Students talk about their ancestors - participants in the war, using materials from the personal archives of the Tiraspol residents and the local history museum (about the Barabash family).
The teacher reads a document on the use of gases in 1915 near the city of Ypres, demonstrates a reproduction of the painting "Disabled People of War. XX century. "
1. What are the methods of warfare traced in the documents?
2. Which methods are traditional and which are new?
Our fellow countrymen have played an exceptional role in saving lives. Among them: an outstanding chemist, an outstanding microbiologist. Student messages are heard.
By revising outcomes The war uses a textbook for universities "Patriotic History" (p. 211). Students are encouraged to write in a notebook the economic, political and social consequences of the war, and the material is voiced by the most trained student in the form of a message.
Teacher: On November 11, 1918, a truce was signed in Compiegne Forest (France) between the victors (Entente countries) and the defeated Germany. The final result of the war was summed up 1919-20gg. Students are invited to familiarize themselves with the content of the main treaties following the results of the war and draw conclusions about their consequences.
Versailles-Washington system.
Peace treaties.
1. Treaty of Versailles with Germany (June 28, 1919):
v transfer of all colonies;
v reduction of the number of armed forces to;
v Germany is deprived of the right to have heavy artillery, tanks, aircraft, submarines, warships;
v occupation of the left bank of the Rhine for 15 years;
v 50 km wide demilitarized zone on the right bank of the Rhine;
v transfer of about 1/7 of the territory and 1/10 of the population;
v reparations (redress). Article 231 (article on liability for wars).
2. The agreement signed in Saint-Germain-en-Le with Austria (September 10, 1919):
v separation of Hungary and Austria;
v Italy's transfer of South Tyrol to Brenner;
v recognition of the independent states of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia;
v repair.
3. The agreement signed in Neuilly with Bulgaria (November 2, 1919):
v transfer of the coastal territories of Thrace to Greece.
4. The Trianon Treaty with Hungary (August 10, 1920):
v Slovakia passes to Czechoslovakia;
v Transylvania is transferred to Romania;
v Banat is transferred to Yugoslavia.
v establishing international control over the straits and creating an international administration for this purpose;
v reduction of armaments, including a decrease in the size of the army to;
v transfer of territories.
6. Washington Conference
a) “Treaty of the Four Powers” \u200b\u200b(England, USA, France, Japan): guarantees of the inviolability of colonial island possessions in the Pacific Ocean;
b) “Treaty of the Five Powers” \u200b\u200b(England, USA, France, Japan and Italy): a ban on the construction of warships with a displacement of over 35 thousand tons; possession of the navy in accordance with 5: 5: 3.5: 1.75: 1.75.
c) “Treaty of the Nine Powers” \u200b\u200b(England, USA, France, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, China, Holland): adoption of a provision on respect for the sovereignty and independence of China; introduces the principle of “open doors and equal opportunities” in trade and industrial development in relation to China; Shandong post office should be returned to China.
v What consequences did the war have for Russia?
Homework: P. 9.10. Write a letter from the front on behalf of the war veteran.
General history. XX - beginning of XXI century. Grade 11. Basic level Volobuev Oleg Vladimirovich
§ 3. World War I
§ 3. World War I
Opponents Goals
The First World War ushered in an era of revolutions, economic upheavals and brutal wars. The war that broke out in August 1914 between the European powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary, on the one hand, and Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia and Belgium - on the other, surpassed all previous European conflicts in scope, cruelty and number of victims. . Moreover, contemporaries already recognized its meaninglessness. The goals of none of the parties, with the exception of Serbia, Belgium and Luxembourg, which were the first victims of aggression by a stronger neighbor, cannot be fully justified.
German politicians not only longed to seize the overseas possessions of Great Britain and France, but also encroached on the western regions of Russia. Austria-Hungary, a decrepit monarchy, weighed down by acute national problems, wanted to strengthen its position by establishing dominance in the Balkans and seizing land in Poland. The weakness of Austria-Hungary made her obedient to the will of the German emperor. The Ottoman Empire, which entered the war on the side of Germany in November 1914, hoped with the help of powerful allies to compensate for the previous failures in the wars with Russia and the loss of possessions in the Balkans. Great Britain and France hoped to increase their holdings at the expense of territories subject to the Ottoman Empire and Germany. France, in addition, dreamed of regaining the Alsace and Lorraine that had been lost earlier and at the same time taking away from Germany the left bank of the Rhine and the Saar rich in coal.
The central powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary - did not have sufficient resources to conduct a long war, especially on two fronts. Therefore, in order to avoid imminent defeat, the German command developed the “Schlieffen Plan” (named after the chief of the general staff). According to him, France was to undergo the first attack, which would quickly capitulate as a result of a powerful blow. Then German troops were transferred east to wage war with Russia. According to the military command, the Russian army could not be mobilized earlier than four weeks and would not have time to help France. When Russia proves capable of active offensive action, France will be finished. The Russian army did not seem to the Germans as a serious adversary. Thus, it was assumed that Germany would escape the war on two fronts and win the campaign.
World conflict begins
Entente countries at the beginning of the war were victims of aggression. The reason for the Austrian attack on Serbia was the murder of the heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand. The crime was committed by a member of the Serbian nationalist organization G. Principle in June 1914 in Sarajevo - the center of Bosnia captured by Austria-Hungary. Russia could not leave Serbia in trouble for its ally and thereby completely lose its already not very strong position on the Balkan Peninsula. The mobilization of the Russian army led to the fact that on August 1, 1914 Germany, an ally of Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia.
The arrest of the killer of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand G. Principle. 1914
The war, which began under the slogan of protecting Slavic Orthodox brothers and was called even the Second World War, initially caused a patriotic upsurge in the Russian Empire. Later, however, it became clear that the tsarist government, like other participants in the war, pursued selfish goals. Russia was attracted by the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, control of which meant a guaranteed exit to the Mediterranean and strengthening influence in the Balkans. In court circles, even the idea of \u200b\u200brebuilding the Greek Empire with the capital in Constantinople (Istanbul) led by one of the Russian Grand Dukes arose.
On August 3, Germany declared war on France. German troops rushed to the French borders through neutral Belgium. This flagrant violation of international law gave rise to a third Entente member - Britain - to declare war on Germany.
The European conflict quickly turned into a war that swept the whole world. It was conducted on a dozen fronts in different parts of the world. In addition to the Ottoman Empire, the German bloc was able to win over Bulgaria, a longtime rival to Serbia, who was defeated in the Second Balkan War. The Germans promised to reward Bulgaria at the expense of the territories of Serbia, Greece and Romania.
In August 1914, the Entente acquired an ally in the Far East - Japan, which sought to oust Germany from China and from the islands of Oceania. The real bargaining unfolded for the entry into the war of Italy. Since 1882, this country has been a member of the Triple Alliance, but Entente diplomats managed to convince its rulers to oppose the Central Powers in 1915.
The world character of the war became even more apparent after the United States of America joined the Entente in April 1917, followed by a string of Latin American states dependent on them. By 1917, China, Greece, Brazil, and even such exotic countries as Liberia and Siam (Thailand) became allies of the Entente. 38 states were involved in the war, although most of them did not directly participate in hostilities.
The first months of hostilities
The main fronts of the First World War were the East, where battles took place between the Russian army and the troops of Germany and Austria-Hungary, and the West, where military operations were conducted mainly in France and Belgium. Here the Germans fought with the Germans, the French, the British, as well as the troops formed from the inhabitants of their colonies and dominions. Parts of the American army arrived here at the end of the war. There were also the Caucasian, Mesopotamian, Serbian and other fronts.
The first battles unfolded on the Western Front, stretching over 400 km. The German army defeated the Belgians, took Brussels without a fight and rushed to Paris. The French command, concerned about the success of the enemy, insisted that Russia strike as quickly as possible. Therefore, Russian troops, who had not yet had time to complete the mobilization, launched an offensive in East Prussia. The German command had to urgently transfer soldiers to the Eastern Front. Thus, at first, the successfully implemented Schlieffen Plan began to fail.
The inconsistency of the actions of the Russian armies, poor supply and tiredness of the soldiers prevented the consolidation of success in East Prussia. German troops managed to strike back. Having lost tens of thousands of people, the Russian troops retreated. However, the East Prussian operation helped the French and British to withstand the battle on the Marne River, which unfolded in early September 1914. About 2 million people participated on both sides. The German offensive was stifled, the Germans lost the battle, which, according to the plan of their command, was to decide the outcome of the war.
Bulgarian soldiers in a trench. 1915
An important outcome of the battle on the Marne was the transition to a positional war. Since that time, active offensive operations on the Western Front have ceased for a long period. The troops were located in fortifications along the front line, showering the enemy with a hail of shells and bullets. For the sake of moving a few hundred meters, tens of thousands of people died. The forces of the opponents were approximately equal, therefore, neither side could win a decisive victory.
On the Eastern Front in 1914, the Russian army succeeded in military operations against Austria-Hungary. The Russians occupied Lviv, pushed Austro-Hungarian troops across the San River and blocked the largest Austrian fortress Przemysl. These battles demonstrated the main weakness of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy - the lack of support from many of its peoples. Soldiers - Croats, Czechs, Slovaks - preferred to surrender to the Russians, rather than fight against them.
Heavy artillery gun on a railway platform
Success accompanied the Russian army on the Caucasian front, where it managed to inflict serious defeat on the Turkish troops.
On the whole, 1914 was favorable for the troops of the Entente. Germany and its allies did not achieve their strategic goals, and as a result they had to wage an exhausting war on two fronts.
Land and sea wrestling
In 1915, active hostilities on the Western Front were almost never conducted. The German command launched a powerful offensive on the Eastern Front. The last success of the Russian army was the capture of the Przemysl fortress. During the offensive launched in the spring of 1915, German and Austrian forces broke through the Eastern Front. Przemysl and Lviv again passed into the hands of the enemy. Warsaw fell in August, and by the end of October, the German army occupied Poland, part of the Baltic states, Belarus and Ukraine. However, the Central Powers failed to withdraw Russia from the war and thereby eliminate the Eastern Front.
In October 1915, the Bulgarian army began military operations against the Serbs. Another front appeared in the Balkans. Serbia was in an extremely difficult situation - its army, crowded from all sides, was forced to leave its country and evacuate to the Greek island of Corfu.
In the same year, the former member of the Triple Alliance - Italy entered the war on the side of the Entente, hoping to get the territories of Austria-Hungary inhabited by Italians, as well as the Adriatic coast. But the Italian army suffered one defeat after another, and only the help of the allies saved it from complete defeat.
One of the most terrible events of the war was the first chemical attack in the history of the Belgian city of Iprom in April 1915. This monstrous act of the German command claimed the lives of 5 thousand and crippled 10 thousand people. The use of toxic substances violated not only international agreements, but also moral standards. The tactical result of the attack was not significant, but it terrified the whole world. Since then, the gas mask has become an indispensable attribute of the equipment of a soldier.
"Defeat the Kaiser and its submarine fleet." World War I American Poster
Important events unfolded at sea. By the beginning of the war, the Entente had superiority in the naval forces. Her ships actually dominated the North Sea. English ships were able to block the German coast and the main naval bases of the enemy. In response, the Germans launched submarines. In 1915, the German command began a merciless submarine war. Submarines drowned not only military and transport vessels of the Entente countries. Passenger ships also became their victims. The death from the German torpedo of the Luzitania steamboat, on which there were more than a thousand passengers, including Americans, led to the fact that public opinion in the United States began to lean in favor of a war with Germany. The submarine war reached a special scope in 1916–1917.
In general, 1915 ended successfully for Germany and its allies. But the transfer of the main hostilities to the Eastern Front allowed France and England to strengthen their military capabilities and better prepare for the upcoming battles. The military-economic superiority of the Entente countries has been outlined.
Military operations in 1916-1917
Since February 1916, fierce battles unfolded in the area of \u200b\u200bthe French fortress Verdun, where large forces of the German army were thrown. In the battle of Verdun heavy artillery was used, the German infantry was constantly on the attack, but the French and the British stood to their death. To divert enemy forces, the Entente command decided to launch an offensive on the Somme River (from late June to mid-November 1916). It was here that tanks were first used. The first tank attacks were more psychological than military. The Germans soon learned to deal with new combat vehicles, creating anti-tank guns.
The battles at Verdun and on the Somme claimed about 1.3 million lives, but did not give a decisive advantage to either side. By November 1916, Entente troops were able to capture only 200 km 2. However, already in 1916 it became clear that, despite the enormous exertion of forces, Germany would not be able to win the war.
At the insistence of the Allies in the summer of 1916, at the very height of the Battle of Verdun, the Russian army, under the command of General A. A. Brusilov, launched a widespread offensive. Initially, she managed to break through the Austro-Hungarian front in Galicia and Bukovina. Losses from the Austrian side amounted to 1.5 million people killed, wounded and captured. Austria-Hungary was on the verge of total defeat. However, it was not possible to develop the success of the Russian army. Inconsistency in the actions of the commanding staff, interruptions in the supply of troops led to the suspension of the offensive.
In 1917, the positional war on the Western Front continued. In the battles that unfolded on the fields of France, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, thousands of artillery pieces, tanks, aircraft took part.
Losses on both sides were hundreds of thousands. It was a real "meat grinder." Huge casualties forced the Anglo-French command to stop major offensive operations until 1918.
The internal situation in the warring countries
The beginning of the war was enthusiastically greeted in all the countries participating in it. Patriotic calls and threats against opponents were heard everywhere. Thousands of volunteers flocked to the recruiting stations. The streets were full of posters of a patriotic nature, calling for a battle with the enemy. Even the socialists, who declared themselves opponents of war, supported the military efforts of their governments. The call to proletarian solidarity was forgotten. The socialists of the Central Powers and Entente countries found themselves on opposite sides of the barricades, the Second International ceased to exist. Unlike the European socialists, the Russian Bolsheviks advocated the defeat of their own government in the war and the transformation of the imperialist war into a civil one.
At first, each of the belligerents counted on an early victory. During the First World War, for the first time, many new types of weapons were widely used. However, their use did not lead to a quick end to the war; lethal equipment only increased the number of victims. All the resources of the belligerent powers were directed towards achieving victory. Millions of people have been mobilized. At industrial enterprises, men and adolescents replaced men. Not only regular military personnel went to fight, but also civilians, whose training in military affairs often did not have enough time — poorly trained, they became “cannon fodder”.
“Empires need men.” World War One British Poster
The war was a disaster for the civilian population of the border and occupied regions subjected to shelling, bombing and robbery. Military action has caused a rise in economic problems - inflation, a decline in the standard of living of the population. It was especially hard for the inhabitants of the Central Powers cut off from sources of raw materials. Germany, before other warring states, introduced a card distribution system for essential goods.
The militarization of the economy led to the fact that the levers of its management were in the hands of the state, which worked closely with private entrepreneurs. This was the case, for example, in Germany, where the state participated in the management of industry, regulated production and the production process in all sectors. This allowed the Germans to achieve the growth of the military industry, but in the end the overstrain, lack of personnel, raw materials and food did their job: the German economy could not stand the test of war.
The end of the First World War
In warring countries, social conflicts intensified, anti-war sentiment grew. The slogan “Down with the war!” Was one of the main slogans under which the monarchy was overthrown in Russia in February - March 1917. Attempts by the Provisional Government to raise soldiers to " revolutionary war", The goals of which they did not understand, were unsuccessful. Russia, exhausted by the war, embraced by dramatic revolutionary events, was not able to fight further. Understanding the impossibility of continuing the war in the conditions of the complete collapse of the army, in March 1918 the Bolshevik government concluded with Germany separate Brest peace.
The anti-war slogans put forward during the Russian revolution found wide support among the peoples of the warring countries. US President W. Wilson put forward a peace plan, known as the "14 points." The American president initially strongly opposed the US entry into the war, but then, in 1917, insisted on the country's participation in the war on the side of the Entente. He proposed to make peace on the terms of the withdrawal of the troops of the German bloc from all the occupied territories. An important point of his proposals was the restoration of Poland's independence and the provision of autonomy to the peoples of Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.
The German command, led by generals Paul Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff, after signing the Brest Peace, freed from the need to fight on two fronts, in the spring of 1918 prepared a new offensive in France. Initially, the Germans were successful, in the summer they again appeared on the Marne, only 70 km from Paris. However, this was their last luck. Germany tore its forces. The Entente turned out to be better prepared in military-technical terms, the fighting spirit of its armies was higher, finally, fresh American units arrived on the European front. In July 1918, the Entente troops, under the command of the French general Ferdinand Foch, launched a counterattack. The prospect of transferring hostilities to German territory arose. Hindenburg demanded that Emperor William II conclude a truce with the Entente.
The signing of the truce in the Compiegne forest. 1918
The course of the war was affected by the revolutionary actions of the soldiers. In September 1918, an uprising was launched in the victim of a series of defeats of the Bulgarian army, and Bulgaria withdrew from the war. In October, the Ottoman Empire surrendered. National revolutions in Czechoslovakia and Hungary in October 1918 led to the collapse of Austria-Hungary and its military collapse. Following their allies, Germany also surrendered. The uprising of sailors, which the command sent to certain death, which broke out on November 3 in Kiel, marked the beginning of the German revolution. The new government, in which the Social Democrats played a key role, agreed to conclude a truce with the Entente. It was signed near Paris, in the Compiegne Forest, on November 11, 1918. The First World War ended.
The cause of the world war was the desire of the great powers to redistribute the world. For the first time, mankind was drawn into a global confrontation, the war affected most countries of the world. Human losses were unprecedented. The unexpected outcome for the initiators of the war was the collapse of European empires, which were previously considered unshakable.
Questions and Tasks
1. What causes of the First World War can you name?
2. What were the goals of the warring parties at the beginning of the war? Have they been achieved? Why?
3. Tell us about the most important military operations of the First World War.
4. What changes in the economies of the warring countries led the First World War?
5. Why do you think Germany and its allies were defeated in the war?
6. Read the passage from the report of the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Berlin L. Segeni to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary L. Berchtold of July 12, 1914 and answer the question.
“... I believe that if the leading German circles and to no small extent the Emperor Wilhelm himself are literally pushing us to even take military action against Serbia, then this needs a certain explanation ... According to Germany, I completely share this opinion, it is necessary to choose the present moment, proceeding from general political considerations and especially from the moments arising from the Sarajevo murder. Recently, Germany has further strengthened the belief that Russia is preparing for a war against its western neighbors and is not considering this war as a well-known opportunity, but definitely takes it into account in its political calculations for the future. But precisely for the future. And at the moment she is not going to fight, or rather, she is not yet prepared.
Further, the German government believes that there are certain signs that Britain would not have taken part in the war that had arisen for the sake of any Balkan country, even if it came to a war with Russia, and maybe even France.
Thus, in general, the political situation is currently most favorable for us. ”
What erroneous conclusions were made by the German and Austro-Hungarian ruling circles? What did this lead to?
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World War I opened the era of revolution, economic upheaval and brutal wars. The war that broke out in August 1914 between the European powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary, on the one hand, and Russia, France, Great Britain, Serbia and Belgium - on the other, surpassed all the previous ones in scope, cruelty and number of victims European conflicts. Moreover, contemporaries already recognized its senselessness. The goals of none of the parties, with the exception of Serbia, Belgium and Luxembourg, which were the first victims of aggression by a stronger neighbor, cannot be fully justified.
German politicians not only longed to seize the overseas possessions of Great Britain and France, but also encroached on the western regions of Russia. Austria-Hungary, a decrepit monarchy, burdened by acute national problems, wanted to strengthen its position by establishing dominance in the Balkans and seizing land in Poland. The weakness of Austria-Hungary made her obedient to the will of the German emperor. The Ottoman Empire, which entered the war on the side of Germany in November 1914, hoped with the help of powerful allies to compensate for previous failures in the war with Russia and the loss of possessions in the Balkans. Great Britain and France hoped to increase their holdings at the expense of territories subject to the Ottoman Empire and Germany. France, in addition, dreamed of regaining the Alsace and Lorraine that had been lost earlier and at the same time taking away from Germany the left bank of the Rhine and the Saar rich in coal. Material from the site
The central powers - Germany and Austria-Hungary - did not have sufficient resources to wage a long war, especially on two fronts. Therefore, in order to avoid imminent defeat, the German command developed the "Schlieffen Plan" (named after the chief of the general staff). According to him, France was to undergo the first attack, which would quickly capitulate as a result of a powerful blow. Then the German troops were sent east to wage war with Russia. According to the military command, the Russian army could not be mobilized earlier than four weeks and would not have time to help France. When Russia proves capable of active offensive action, France will be finished. Even before the start of the war, the Schlieffen Plan was replaced by the Moltke Plan, according to which it was necessary to concentrate significantly larger forces of the German army on the Eastern Front than previously assumed.
Cause of the first world war became the desire of the great powers to redistribute the world. For the first time, mankind has been drawn into a global confrontation, the war has affected most countries of the world. Human losses were unprecedented. An unexpected result for the initiators of the war was the collapse of European empires, which were previously considered unshakable.
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