In what year did the first one begin? World War? This question is quite important in view of the fact that the world has really changed before and after. Before this war, the world did not know such a massive death of people who died literally on every inch of the front.

After World War I, Oswald Spengler would write famous book“The Decline of Europe,” which predicts the decline of Western European civilization. After all, the First World War, in which Russia was involved and will be unleashed between Europeans.

This event will also mark the true beginning of the 20th century. It’s not for nothing that historians say that the 20th century was the shortest historical century: from 1914 to 1991.

Start

The First World War began on July 28, 1914, one month after the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife.

How did it all start?

On June 28, 1914, in the town of Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by the Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip.

Austria-Hungary tended to initially view this situation as an opportunity to establish its influence in the Balkans. She demanded that Serbia not fulfill a number of demands that infringed on the independence of this small Slavic country. The most painful thing was that Serbia had to agree to have the Austrian police investigate the case. All these demands were formalized in the so-called July ultimatum, which Austria-Hungary sent to Serbia July 23, 1914.

Serbia agreed to all the demands (to clear the state apparatus of nationalists or anyone else), except for the point of allowing the Austrian police into its territory. Realizing that this was actually a threat of war, Serbia began mobilizing the army.

For those who don’t know, all states switched to a conscription structure for army recruitment after the Franco-Prussian War of the early 1870s, when the Prussian army defeated the French in a couple of weeks.

26 July Austria-Hungary began mobilization in response. Austrian troops began to concentrate on the border between Russia and Serbia. Why Russia? Because Russia has long positioned itself as the defender of the Balkan peoples.

July 28th Due to failure to comply with the terms of the ultimatum, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Russia said it would not allow military invasion to Serbia. But the actual declaration of war is considered the beginning of the First World War.

July 29 Nicholas II suggested that Austria resolve the issue peacefully by transferring it to the Hague International Court. But Austria could not allow the Russian emperor to dictate his terms to the Austrian empire.

July 30 and 31 mobilizations were carried out in France and Russia. To the question of who fought with whom and what does France have to do with it, you ask? Despite the fact that Russia and France entered into a number of military alliances back in the 19th century, and since 1907 England joined them, as a result of which the Entente was formed - a military bloc opposing the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy)

August 1, 1914 Germany declared war on Russia. On the same date the inglorious military operations began. By the way, you can talk about them. In what year did it end: 1918. Everything is written in more detail in the article on the link.

In total, 38 states were involved in this war.

Best regards, Andrey Puchkov

Air battle

According to general consensus, the First World War is one of the largest armed conflicts in human history. Its result was the collapse of four empires: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German.

In 1914, events occurred as follows.

In 1914, two main theaters of military operations were formed: French and Russian, as well as the Balkans (Serbia), the Caucasus and, from November 1914, the Middle East, colonies of European states - Africa, China, Oceania. At the beginning of the war, no one thought that it would become protracted; its participants intended to end the war in a few months.

Start

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. On August 1, Germany declared war on Russia, the Germans, without any declaration of war, invaded Luxembourg on the same day, and the very next day they occupied Luxembourg and issued an ultimatum to Belgium to allow German troops to pass to the border with France. Belgium did not accept the ultimatum, and Germany declared war on it, invading Belgium on August 4.

King Albert of Belgium turned for help to the guarantor countries of Belgian neutrality. In London they demanded to stop the invasion of Belgium, otherwise England threatened to declare war on Germany. The ultimatum expired and Great Britain declared war on Germany.

Belgian armored Sava car on the Franco-Belgian border

The military wheel of the First World War began to roll and gain momentum.

Western Front

At the beginning of the war, Germany had ambitious plans: the instant defeat of France, passing through the territory of Belgium, the capture of Paris... Wilhelm II said: “We will have lunch in Paris and dinner in St. Petersburg.” He did not take Russia into account at all, considering it a sluggish power: it was unlikely to be able to quickly mobilize and bring its army to its borders . This was the so-called Schlieffen plan, developed by the Chief of the German General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen (modified by Helmuth von Moltke after Schlieffen's resignation).

Count von Schlieffen

He was wrong, this Schlieffen: France launched an unforeseen counterattack in the outskirts of Paris (Battle of the Marne), and Russia quickly launched an offensive, so German plan failed and the German army began a positional war.

Nicholas II declares war on Germany from the balcony of the Winter Palace

The French believed that Germany would deliver the initial and main blow to Alsace. They had their own military doctrine: Plan-17. As part of this doctrine, the French command intended to station troops along its eastern border and launch an offensive through the territories of Lorraine and Alsace, which the Germans occupied. The same actions were provided for by the Schlieffen Plan.

Then a surprise occurred on the part of Belgium: its army, 10 times inferior in size to the German army, unexpectedly active resistance. But still, on August 20, the Germans captured Brussels. The Germans behaved confidently and boldly: they did not stop in front of the defending cities and fortresses, but simply bypassed them. The Belgian government fled to Le Havre. King Albert I continued to defend Antwerp. “After a short siege, heroic defense and fierce bombardment, the last stronghold of the Belgians, the fortress of Antwerp, fell on September 26. Under a hail of shells from the muzzles of monstrous guns brought by the Germans and installed on platforms they had built in advance, fort after fort fell silent. On September 23, the Belgian government left Antwerp, and on September 24 the bombing of the city began. Entire streets were in flames. Huge oil tanks were burning in the port. Zeppelins and airplanes bombarded the unfortunate city from above.

Air battle

The civilian population fled in panic from the doomed city, tens of thousands, escaping in all directions: on ships to England and France, on foot to Holland” (Spark Sunday magazine, October 19, 1914).

Border battle

On August 7, the Border Battle began between Anglo-French and German troops. After the German invasion of Belgium, the French command urgently revised its plans and began actively moving units towards the border. But the Anglo-French armies suffered heavy defeats at the Battle of Mons, the Battle of Charleroi and the Ardennes Operation, losing about 250 thousand people. The Germans invaded France, bypassing Paris, capturing the French army in a giant pincer. On September 2, the French government moved to Bordeaux. The defense of the city was led by General Gallieni. The French were preparing to defend Paris along the Marne River.

Joseph Simon Gallieni

Battle of the Marne ("Miracle of the Marne")

But by this time the German army had already begun to become exhausted. She did not have the opportunity to deeply cover the French army bypassing Paris. The Germans decided to turn east north of Paris and strike in the rear of the main forces of the French army.

But, turning east north of Paris, they exposed their right flank and rear to the attack of the French group concentrated for the defense of Paris. There was nothing to cover the right flank and rear. But the German command agreed to this maneuver: it turned its troops to the east, not reaching Paris. The French command took advantage of the opportunity and struck the exposed flank and rear of the German army. Even taxis were used to transport troops.

“Marne taxi”: such vehicles were used to transport troops

First Battle of the Marneturned the tide of hostilities in favor of the French and pushed back German troops on the front from Verdun to Amiens 50-100 kilometers back.

The main battle on the Marne began on September 5, and already on September 9 the defeat of the German army became obvious. The order to withdraw was met with complete misunderstanding in the German army: for the first time during the hostilities, a mood of disappointment and depression began in the German army. And for the French, this battle became the first victory over the Germans, the morale of the French grew stronger. The British realized their military inadequacy and set a course for increasing armed forces. The Battle of the Marne was the turning point of the war in the French theater of operations: the front stabilized and the enemy forces were approximately equal.

Battles in Flanders

The Battle of the Marne led to the "Run to the Sea" as both armies moved to try to flank each other. This led to the front line closing in and resting on the shores of the North Sea. By November 15, the entire space between Paris and the North Sea was filled with troops from both sides. The front was in a stable state: the offensive potential of the Germans had been exhausted, and both sides began a positional struggle. The Entente managed to retain ports convenient for sea communication with England - especially the port of Calais.

Eastern front

On August 17, the Russian army crossed the border and began an attack on East Prussia. At first, the actions of the Russian army were successful, but the command was unable to take advantage of the results of the victory. The movement of other Russian armies slowed down and was not coordinated; the Germans took advantage of this, striking from the west on the open flank of the 2nd Army. This army at the beginning of the First World War was commanded by General A.V. Samsonov, participant of the Russian-Turkish (1877-1878), Russo-Japanese War, ataman of the Don Army, Semirechensky Cossack army, Turkestan Governor-General. During the East Prussian operation of 1914, his army suffered a heavy defeat in the Battle of Tannenberg, part of it was surrounded. When leaving the encirclement near the city of Willenberg (now Wielbark, Poland), Alexander Vasilyevich Samsonov died. According to another, more common version, it is believed that he shot himself.

General A.V. Samsonov

In this battle, the Russians defeated several German divisions, but lost in the general battle. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich in his book “My Memoirs” wrote that the 150,000-strong Russian army of General Samsonov was a victim deliberately thrown into the trap set by Ludendorff.”

Battle of Galicia (August-September 1914)

This is one of the largest battles of the First World War. As a result of this battle, Russian troops occupied almost all of eastern Galicia, almost all of Bukovina and besieged Przemysl. The operation involved the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th armies as part of the Russian Southwestern Front (front commander - General N.I. Ivanov) and four Austro-Hungarian armies (Archduke Friedrich, Field Marshal Götzendorf) and the German group of General R. Woyrsch. The seizure of Galicia was perceived in Russia not as an occupation, but as the return of a seized part of historical Rus', because it was dominated by the Orthodox Slavic population.

N.S. Samokish “In Galicia. Cavalryman"

Results of 1914 on the Eastern Front

The 1914 campaign turned out in favor of Russia, although on the German part of the front Russia lost part of the territory of the Kingdom of Poland. Russia's defeat in East Prussia was also accompanied by heavy losses. But Germany was also unable to achieve the planned results; all its successes from a military point of view were very modest.

Advantages of Russia: managed to inflict a major defeat on Austria-Hungary and capture significant territories. Austria-Hungary turned from a full ally for Germany into a weak partner requiring continuous support.

Difficulties for Russia: the war by 1915 turned into a positional one. The Russian army began to feel the first signs of an ammunition supply crisis. Advantages of the Entente: Germany was forced to fight on two fronts simultaneously and transfer troops from front to front.

Japan enters the war

The Entente (mainly England) convinced Japan to oppose Germany. On August 15, Japan presented an ultimatum to Germany, demanding the withdrawal of troops from China, and on August 23, it declared war and began the siege of Qingdao, a German naval base in China, which ended with the surrender of the German garrison.

Then Japan began to seize Germany's island colonies and bases (German Micronesia and German New Guinea, the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands). At the end of August, New Zealand troops captured German Samoa.

Japan's participation in the war on the side of the Entente turned out to be beneficial for Russia: its Asian part was safe, and Russia did not have to spend resources on maintaining the army and navy in this region.

Asian Theater of Operations

Türkiye initially hesitated for a long time whether to enter the war and on whose side. Finally, she declared “jihad” (holy war) on the Entente countries. November 11-12 Turkish fleet under the command of the German admiral Souchon, fired at Sevastopol, Odessa, Feodosia and Novorossiysk. On November 15, Russia declared war on Turkey, followed by England and France.

The Caucasian Front was formed between Russia and Turkey.

Russian airplane in the back of a truck on the Caucasian front

In December 1914 - January 1915. took placeSarykamysh operation: The Russian Caucasian Army stopped the advance of Turkish troops on Kars, defeated them and launched a counter-offensive.

But Russia at the same time lost the most convenient route of communication with its allies - through the Black Sea and the straits. Russia had only two ports for transportation large quantity cargo: Arkhangelsk and Vladivostok.

Results of the military campaign of 1914

By the end of 1914, Belgium was almost completely conquered by Germany. The Entente retained a small West Side Flanders with the city of Ypres. Lille was taken by the Germans. The 1914 campaign was dynamic. The armies of both sides maneuvered actively and quickly; the troops did not erect long-term defensive lines. By November 1914, a stable front line began to take shape. Both sides exhausted their offensive potential and began building trenches and barbed wire. The war turned into a positional one.

Russian expeditionary force in France: the head of the 1st brigade, General Lokhvitsky, with several Russian and French officers bypasses the positions (summer 1916, Champagne)

The length of the Western Front (from the North Sea to Switzerland) was more than 700 km, the density of troops on it was high, significantly higher than on the Eastern Front. Intense military operations were carried out only on the northern half of the front; the front from Verdun and to the south was considered as secondary.

"Cannon fodder"

On November 11, the Battle of Langemarck took place, which the world community called senseless and neglected human lives: the Germans threw units of unfired young people (workers and students) at the English machine guns. After some time, this happened again, and this fact became an established opinion about the soldiers in this war as “cannon fodder.”

By the beginning of 1915, everyone began to understand that the war had become protracted. This was not included in the plans of either party. Although the Germans captured almost all of Belgium and most France, it turned out to be completely inaccessible to them the main objective- rapid victory over the French.

Ammunition supplies ran out by the end of 1914, and it was urgently necessary to establish their mass production. The power of heavy artillery turned out to be underestimated. The fortresses were practically unprepared for defense. As a result, Italy, as the third member of the Triple Alliance, did not enter the war on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Front lines of the First World War by the end of 1914

The first war year ended with these results.

First World War (1914 - 1918)

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

Chamberlain

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

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

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

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

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

Causes of the First World War

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 had prospered for years through the exploitation of their colonies, could no longer simply obtain resources by taking them away from Indians, Africans and South Americans. Now resources could only be won from each other. Therefore, contradictions grew:

• Between England and Germany. England sought to prevent Germany from increasing its influence in the Balkans. Germany sought to strengthen itself in the Balkans and the Middle East, and also sought to deprive England of maritime dominance.
• Between Germany and France. France dreamed of regaining the lands of Alsace and Lorraine, which it had lost in the war of 1870-71. France also sought to seize the German Saar coal basin.
• Between Germany and Russia. Germany sought to take Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states from Russia.
• Between Russia and Austria-Hungary. Controversies arose due to the desire of both countries to influence the Balkans, as well as Russia's desire to subjugate the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

The reason for the start of the war

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

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

Important nuances of the casus belli

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

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

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

England's role in starting the war

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 2 great powers in continental Europe: Germany and Russia. They did not want to openly fight against each other, since their forces were approximately equal. Therefore, in the “July crisis” of 1914, both sides took a wait-and-see approach. British diplomacy came to the fore. She conveyed her position to Germany through the press and secret diplomacy - in the event of war, England would remain neutral or take Germany's side. Through open diplomacy, Nicholas 2 received the opposite idea that if war broke out, England would take the side of Russia.

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

Russia before the war

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

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

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

The balance of forces and means before and after the war

Artillery

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

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

Weapons and military equipment

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

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

Number of people (infantry)

Number of fighting infantry (millions of people).

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

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

Progress of the war

Military events of 1914

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

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

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

Historical reference

German "Schlieffen Plan"

Germany found itself under the threat of war on two fronts: Eastern - with Russia, Western - with France. Then the German command developed the “Schlieffen Plan”, according to which Germany should defeat France in 40 days and then fight with Russia. Why 40 days? The Germans believed that this was exactly what Russia would need to mobilize. Therefore, when Russia mobilizes, France will already be out of the game.

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

Northwestern Front of Russia in 1914

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

Southwestern Front of Russia

On the southwestern front in August-September, Russia 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 killed, 100 thousand captured. For comparison, the Russian army lost 150 thousand people killed. After this, Austria-Hungary actually withdrew from the war, since it lost the ability to conduct independent actions. Austria was saved from complete defeat only by the help of Germany, which was forced to transfer additional divisions to Galicia.

The main results of the military campaign of 1914

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

Map of military events of 1914-15

Military events of 1915

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

Situation on the northwestern front

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

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

Russia did not capitulate, but the countries of the Triple Alliance were convinced that Russia would no longer be able to recover from the losses it had suffered.

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

Situation on the southwestern front

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

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

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

Situation on the Western Front

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

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

Military events of 1916

"Verdun Meat Grinder"

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

Events on the southwestern front in 1916

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

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

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

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

The result of 1916 in the First World War

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

Military and political events 1917

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

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

The end of the war for Russia

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

The Russian army, exhausted by the war and losses, did not want to fight. The issues of provisions, uniforms and supplies during the war years were never resolved. The army fought reluctantly, but moved forward. The Germans were forced to transfer troops here again, and Russia's Entente allies again isolated themselves, watching what would happen next. On July 6, Germany launched a counteroffensive. As a result, 150,000 Russian soldiers died. The army virtually ceased to exist. The front fell apart. Russia could no longer fight, and this catastrophe was inevitable.

People demanded Russia's withdrawal from the war. And this was one of their main demands from the Bolsheviks, who seized power in October 1917. Initially, at the 2nd Party Congress, the Bolsheviks signed the decree “On Peace,” essentially proclaiming Russia’s exit from the war, and on March 3, 1918, they signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. The conditions of this world were as follows:

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

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

Historical reference

Events in the war in 1918

Germany got rid of the Eastern Front and the need to wage war on two fronts. As a result, in the spring and summer of 1918, she attempted an offensive on the Western Front, but this offensive had no success. Moreover, as it progressed, it became obvious that Germany was getting the most out of itself, and that it needed a break in the war.

Autumn 1918

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

End of the First World War

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

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

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

Results of the First World War

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

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

Map of the First World War 1914-1918

Russia received nothing as a result of the war, and this is one of the greatest historical injustices of the 20th century.

Fighting World War I ended on November 11, 1918. The Compiegne Truce, concluded by the Entente and Germany, ended one of the bloodiest wars in human history.

The final result was summed up later, the division of spoils between the winners was officially confirmed by the Versailles Peace Treaty of June 28, 1919. However, already in November 1918 it was clear to everyone that Germany had suffered a complete defeat. Its allies withdrew from the war even earlier: Bulgaria on September 29, Turkey on October 30, and finally Austria-Hungary on November 3.

The winners, primarily England and France, received significant acquisitions. Reparations, territories in Europe and beyond, new economic markets. But most of the other participants in the anti-German coalition were not left without spoils.

Romania, which entered the war only in 1916, was defeated in two and a half months and even managed to sign an agreement with Germany, sharply increased in size. Serbia, completely occupied by enemy troops during the fighting, turned into a large and influential state, at least in the Balkans. Belgium, defeated in the very first weeks of 1914, received something, and Italy ended the war with its own benefit.

Russia received nothing, and this is one of the greatest historical injustices of the 20th century. The Russian army completed the 1914 campaign on enemy territory; in the most difficult year of 1915, the year of retreat, the Germans were still stopped along the Riga-Pinsk-Ternopol line, and inflicted heavy defeats on Turkey on the Caucasus front.

The year 1916 was a turning point on the Russian front; all year Germany and Austria-Hungary, straining all their strength, barely held back the powerful attacks of our army, and the Brusilov breakthrough shook our enemy to the core. In the Caucasus, the Russian army won new victories.

German generals looked at Russia's preparations for 1917 with great concern and even fear.

The Chief of the German General Staff, Paul von Hindenburg, admitted in his memoirs: “We should have expected that in the winter of 1916-1917, as in previous years, Russia would successfully compensate for losses and restore its offensive capabilities. We did not receive any information that would indicate serious signs of disintegration of the Russian army. We had to take into account that Russian attacks could once again lead to the collapse of the Austrian position."

There were no doubts about the overall victory of the Entente even then.

The English General Knox, who was with the Russian army, spoke more than definitely about the results of 1916 and the prospects for 1917: “Troop control was improving every day. The army was strong in spirit... There is no doubt that if the home front had rallied... the Russian army would have won further laurels for itself in the 1917 campaign and, in all likelihood, would have developed the pressure that would have made possible an Allied victory by the end of that year."

Russia by that time had fielded a ten-million-strong army, the largest army of the First World War. Its supply has improved dramatically compared to 1915, the production of shells, machine guns, rifles, explosives and much more has noticeably increased. In addition to this, significant reinforcements were expected in 1917 from foreign military orders. New factories working for defense were built at a rapid pace, and those already built were re-equipped.

In the spring of 1917, a general offensive of the Entente in all directions was planned. At that time, famine reigned in Germany, Austria-Hungary was hanging by a thread, and victory over them could actually have been won as early as 1917.

This was also understood in Russia. Those who had it understood real information about the situation at the front and in the economy. The fifth column could rant as much as they wanted about “incompetent tsarism”; for the time being, the noisy public could believe them, but a quick victory put an end to this. The senselessness and absurdity of the accusations against the Tsar will become obvious to everyone, because it was he, as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who led Russia to success.

The oppositionists were well aware of this. Their chance was to overthrow the legitimate government before the spring offensive of 1917, and then the laurels of the winners would go to them. A number of generals also imagined that it was their time to redistribute power in their favor and took part in February Revolution. Some of the king’s relatives, those who dreamed of the throne, did not stand aside either.

External and internal enemies, united into a powerful anti-Russian force, struck in February 1917. Then a chain of well-known events began that unbalanced public administration. Discipline in the army fell, desertion increased, and the economy began to stumble.

The crooks who came to power in Russia did not have any authority in the world and the Western allies no longer had obligations to them. England and France did not intend to fulfill the agreements signed with the tsarist government.

Yes, they had to wait a while with victory, but London and Paris knew that the United States was ready to join the war on their side, which means that Germany still could not avoid defeat. However, the Russian front, although weakened, still continued to exist. Despite the revolutionary chaos, neither the Germans nor the Austro-Hungarians still managed to bring Russia out of the war. Even in October 1917, on the eve of the Bolsheviks coming to power, Germany alone held 1.8 million people on the Eastern Front, not counting the armies of Austria-Hungary and Turkey.

Even in conditions of noticeable desertion and a semi-paralyzed economy, by October 1, 1917, on 100 versts of the Russian front, there were 86 thousand infantry bayonets on the Russian side, against 47 thousand from the enemy, 5 thousand checkers against 2 thousand, 263 light guns against 166, 47 howitzers against 61 and 45 heavy guns versus 81. Note that the enemy refers to the combined forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary. It is no coincidence that the front still stood at a distance of 1000 km from Moscow, and 750 from Petrograd.

It seems incredible, but in December 1917 the Germans were forced to keep 1.6 million of their soldiers and officers in the East, and in January 1918 - 1.5 million. For comparison, in August 1915, during the powerful German-Austrian offensive on Russia Germany fielded 1.2 million troops. It turns out that even at the beginning of 1918 the Russian army forced people to reckon with themselves.

There is no doubt that under the sad rule of a gang of provisional ministers together with the political adventurer Kerensky, the situation in Russia has sharply worsened. But the inertia of pre-revolutionary development was so great that for almost another year Germany and Austria-Hungary were unable to achieve any obvious successes on the eastern front. But it was vitally important for them to get the southern Russian provinces rich in grain. But the front stubbornly stood not far from Riga, Pinsk and Ternopol. Even a small part of Austria-Hungary remained in the hands of our army, which would seem completely incredible, given the realities of the end of 1917.

The sharp collapse of the eastern front only happened under the Bolsheviks. In fact, having dismissed the army to their homes, they then declared that there was no other option but to sign an obscene Treaty of Brest-Litovsk they didn't have.

The Bolsheviks promised peace to the peoples. But, of course, no peace came to Russia. Vast territories were occupied by the enemy, who tried to squeeze everything they could out of them in the vain hope of saving a lost war.

And soon it began in Russia Civil War. Europe stopped fighting, and in our country bloody chaos and hunger reigned for several years.

This is how Russia lost to the losers: Germany and its allies.

The First World War was an imperialist war between two political unions of states where capitalism flourished, for the redivision of the world, spheres of influence, the enslavement of peoples and the multiplication of capital. Thirty-eight countries took part in it, four of which were part of the Austro-German bloc. It was aggressive in nature, and in some countries, for example, Montenegro and Serbia, it was national liberation.

The reason for the outbreak of the conflict was the liquidation of the heir to the Hungarian throne in Bosnia. For Germany, this became a convenient opportunity to start a war with Serbia on July 28, whose capital came under fire. So Russia began general mobilization two days later. Germany demanded that such actions be stopped, but having received no response, it declared war on Russia, and then on Belgium, France and Great Britain. At the end of August, Japan declared war on Germany, while Italy remained neutral.

The First World War began as a result of uneven political and economic development states Strong conflicts arose between Great Britain and France with Germany, since many of their interests in the division of territory Globe collided. At the end of the nineteenth century, Russian-German contradictions began to intensify, and clashes also arose between Russia and Austria-Hungary.

Thus, the aggravation of contradictions pushed the imperialists to the division of the world, which was supposed to happen through a war, the plans of which were developed by the general staffs long before its appearance. All calculations were made on the basis of its short duration and shortness, so the fascist plan was designed for decisive offensive actions against France and Russia, which should have taken no more than eight weeks.

The Russians developed two options for conducting military operations, which were offensive in nature; the French envisaged an offensive by the forces of the left and right wing, depending on the offensive of the German troops. Great Britain did not make plans for operations on land, only the fleet was supposed to provide protection for sea communications.

Thus, in accordance with these developed plans, the deployment of forces took place.

Stages of the First World War.

1. 1914 Invasions of German troops into Belgium and Luxembourg began. In the battle of Maron, Germany was defeated, just as in the East Prussian operation. Simultaneously with the latter, the Battle of Galicia took place, as a result of which the Austro-Hungarian troops were defeated. In October, Russian troops launched a counteroffensive and pushed the enemy forces back to their original position. In November, Serbia was liberated.

Thus, this stage of the war did not bring decisive results to either side. The military actions made it clear that it was wrong to make plans to carry them out beyond short term.

2. 1915 Military operations mainly unfolded with the participation of Russia, since Germany planned its rapid defeat and withdrawal from the conflict. During this period, the masses began to protest against the imperialist battles, and already in the fall a

3. 1916 Great importance assigned to the Naroch operation, as a result of which German troops weakened their attacks, and the Battle of Jutland between the German and British fleets.

This stage of the war did not lead to the achievement of the goals of the warring parties, but Germany was forced to defend itself on all fronts.

4. 1917 Revolutionary movements began in all countries. This stage did not bring the results that both sides of the war expected. The revolution in Russia thwarted the Entente's plan to defeat the enemy.

5. 1918 Russia left the war. Germany was defeated and pledged to withdraw troops from all occupied territories.

For Russia and other countries involved, military actions made it possible to create special government agencies, resolving issues defense, transportation and many others. Military production began to grow.

Thus, the First World War was the beginning general crisis capitalism.