What was World War I?
The First World War, called the Great War at the time, was a multinational armed conflict that took place between 1914 and 1918.
The War began on July 28, 1914 with the declaration of war by the Austro-Hungarian Empire on Serbia, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated.
From that moment on, two international alliances faced each other:
The Triple Alliance, composed of the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. The Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Bulgaria were later united. These countries made up the central powers. Triple Entente, made up of the United Kingdom, France and the Russian Empire. Later Italy, the United States and the Empire of Japan, among others, joined. These countries formed the allied powers.
The alliances that had been made in previous years in Europe ended up forcing the incorporation of other nations into the conflict.
The First World War was characterized as one of the most violent and deadly events in history, driven largely by nationalism. In this War, weapons with great destruction capacity were used for the first time.
The War ended on November 11, 1918 with the defeat of the Central Powers and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Consequently, the Austria-Hungary, Ottoman and Russian empires disappeared. Furthermore, the Great War left a greater number of victims and destruction than any previous war.
Characteristics of the First World War
Image of a group of soldiers in a trench.
Among the main characteristics of the First World War are:
It was the first armed conflict that involved the use of high-tech military weapons of truly massive scope. It confronted two major international alliances: the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente. Among the attack targets were both civilians and the military. developed on several fronts. The most important were the Western Front and the Eastern Front. For the first time in history, the use of toxic gases, tanks and warplanes were implemented for attack, defense and space reconnaissance. Military strategies were applied that respond to the war models of the 19th century. Among them, movement warfare and trench warfare. Propaganda was used, especially aimed at raising the morale of the troops. During this conflict, important internal political and social changes also developed between the countries that participated in the War. . For example, the Russian Revolution took place, which put an end to tsarism and gave rise to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
See also:
Causes of the First World War
The causes of the First World War were diverse. However, the most important ones derive from previous armed conflicts of a political, economic and nationalist nature.
Radicalization of nationalism: The ideology of nationalism and anti-imperialism was already being developed in Europe. This motivated people to fight for their nation, their cultural identity and territory. Each nation claimed to be superior to the others, which accentuated the existing rivalries between citizens.
Development of the arms industry: In Europe there was an exponential development of the industry, especially arms (weapons, land, sea and air transport, among others.)
Expansion of European imperialism over Africa: European empires were growing, especially those of Great Britain and France.
Inequality in the distribution of African colonies: This caused a significant disagreement between the countries of Europe. Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire demanded more advantageous territories and conditions. The United Kingdom and France were the nations with the greatest colonial dominance.
Franco-German conflict: France intended to recover the territory of Alsace-Lorraine, controlled by Germany since the end of the Franco-Prussian War.
Anglo-German conflict: Germany competed for control of the world market with Great Britain, a nation that dominated this aspect.
Austro-Russian conflict: Russia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were fighting for control of the Balkans.
Formation of international alliances:
Bismarck alliance system: the German union in the hands of Otto von Bismarck (1871-1890), created a Germanic unity and momentarily contained the power of France. Formation of the Triple Alliance (1882): originally made up of Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy. However, during the war Italy gave up supporting the Triple Alliance. Formation of the Triple Entente (1907): alliances were established between Russia, the United Kingdom and France against Germany.
Death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria: It was the trigger for the First World War. The archduke and his wife died in Sarajevo, Bosnia, after being assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the nationalist group Black Hand.
Political crisis of the Austro-Hungarian Empire: After the assassination of the archduke, a serious political crisis arose that ended with the declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Its main reason was the lack of response against the nationalist movements.
Summary of World War I
Start of World War I
On July 28, 1914, the Empire of Austria-Hungary began attacks against Serbia. The Austro-Hungarians believed it would be a quick and victorious confrontation. However, the Russian Empire, an ally of Serbia, declared war, attacking the eastern front.
In this way, armed confrontations began between the alliances of the central powers and the allied powers. Starting in August 1914, several declarations of war were pronounced and countries joined the different attack fronts.
Eastern Front
The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire formed an important alliance. Both constituted a large territory that they had to protect from the Russian Empire on the eastern front, and from France and the United Kingdom on the western front.
At the end of August 1914, the Battle of Tannenberg, which opened the eastern front between the Russian and German Empires, the latter was victorious. The eastern front was particularly extensive and prevented trench warfare. However, the clashes were devastating.
The Ottoman Empire then allied itself with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire. They also began various confrontations in the Pacific area, and in the British, French and German colonies in Africa.
Western Front
On the Western Front the first Battle of the Marne in September 1914, where France and Great Britain faced off against the German Empire, which was defeated. In this way the invasion of Paris by German troops was avoided.
On the Western Front, much of the fighting took place within a trench system that stretched nearly 800 km between the North Sea and Switzerland. This is known as trench warfare which lasted for four years.
Italy, which was initially part of the Triple Alliance, in May 1915 joined the Triple Entente and declared war on the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In 1916 the Battle of Verdun, in France, in which the French and German armies clashed. It was an extensive confrontation between the months of February and December. France won the battle and prevented the advance of German forces.
During this confrontation, the Battle of the Sommeone of the bloodiest and with the highest number of casualties for the British Army.
Its purpose was to distract German troops during the Battle of Verdun. The British and French troops clashed strongly with the Germans and made use of important weapons resources.
Sinking of the ocean liner RMS Lusitania (1915)
On May 7, 1915, a few kilometers from the port of arrival, the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania was sunk after an attack by the German submarine U-20 off the Irish coast. This was one of the worst naval attacks to occur during World War I.
The RMS Lusitania was a commercial service ship that covered the Atlantic route between Liverpool and New York, characterized by its great speed. On her last voyage she found herself in the maritime attack zone off the Irish coast, so she was intercepted and attacked by a German submarine.
As a result, 1,198 passengers died, of which 124 were Americans. This event subsequently motivated the participation of the United States in the War, a country that declared war on the German Empire and allied itself with the Triple Entente.
Russian Revolution (1917)
In February 1917, various political, social and economic events led to the development of the Russian Revolution and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Consequently, the Russian Empire withdrew from the struggles of World War I.
In October Vladimir Lenin came to power with the support of the Bolshevik forces and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was established. It was the first socialist State characterized by imposing radical political, economic and social reforms.
See also Russian Revolution.
Collapse of the Central Powers and armistices
In 1918, various confrontations took place between the Central Powers and the Allied Powers. The latter obtained important advances and victories. The troops of the German Empire were deteriorating and one by one the Ottoman troops and the Kingdom of Bulgaria surrendered.
On November 3, the troops of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and those of the Allied countries signed the Padua armistice. On November 9, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne as Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, and the German Republic was established. The shipwreck caused the death of more than a thousand passengers.
On November 11, the Compiègne armisticeending the fighting by air, sea and land, signaling the end of the First World War.
Consequences of the First World War
Image of a piece that makes up a submarine built for the First World War.
The First World War caused different political, social, economic and territorial consequences.
Political consequences
The blockade and economic sanctions imposed on Germany ended up becoming the cause of the Second World War by promoting nationalism based on fascism and Nazism. The signing of the armistices, especially that of November 11, 1918, which gave end to the Great War. Between 1919 and 1920, various peace agreements were signed, among which the Treaty of Versailles stands out, which sets out the responsibilities assigned to Germany after the end of the War. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, it emerged in June 1919 the League of Nations, an international organization that sought to establish the foundations of peace among nations.
Social consequences
The War left a balance of about 7 million civilians and…