1914, June 28 Assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife by the secret organization "Young Bosnia" in Sarajevo. The reason for the outbreak of the First World War.

1914, August - September East Prussian operation of the Russian North-Western Front. It ended with the defeat of the Russian troops.

1914, August - September In the Galician operation, the troops of the Russian Southwestern Front repelled the offensive of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Galicia and Poland.

1914, September Marne operation of the Anglo-French troops. The German troops advancing on Paris were stopped on the Marne River. The German plan to quickly defeat France was thwarted

1914, October November The first battle of Ypres (Hungary). Failures of the German armies. The solid line of the Western Front stretched to North Sea. The war took on a protracted character and became positional.

1914, December Naval battle between the German and British squadrons near the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Almost all German ships are sunk; The English squadron had no losses.

1915, April - May The second battle of Ypres. German troops first used chemical weapons - chlorine.

1916, February - December Verdun operation on the Western Front. The German army tried to break through the front of the French troops in the Verdun region, but met stubborn resistance. In prolonged fierce battles, both sides suffered huge losses.

1916, May 31 - June 1 Battle of Jutland between the English and German fleets. England retained its dominance at sea.

1916, June - August Offensive of the Russian Southwestern Front ("Brusilovsky breakthrough"), commander - General Brusilov. Russian troops broke through the positional defense of the Austro-Hungarians.

1916, July - November Anglo-French troops on the Somme River (east of Amiens) tried to break through the positional defense of the German army. On the Somme, on September 15, British troops used tanks for the first time.

1916, August Romania entered the war against Germany (by the end of the year the Romanian army was defeated). Italy declared war on Germany.

1917, July - November The third battle of Ypres. On July 12, the Germans first used mustard gas, which received the name "mustard gas" (after the battlefield).

1917, October - December German-Austrian troops inflicted major defeat Italian army near the village of Kobarid in Slovenia.

1917, December 15 (2) The Soviet government signed an armistice agreement with Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey.

1918, March 3 Brest-Litovsk peace treaty between Russia and Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey. Germany annexes Poland, the Baltic States, part of Belarus and Transcaucasia.

1918, May - June German offensive on the rivers Aisne and Oise. Having broken through the French defenses, the German troops reached the Marne River, finding themselves less than 70 km from Paris.

1918, July 15 - August 4 Second Battle of the Marne. German troops crossed the river. But during the counteroffensive, the allies advanced 40 km and saved Paris from the threat of capture.

1918, September 26 The beginning of the offensive of the armies of the anti-German coalition (Entente) on the Western Front.

1918, September - November Capitulation of Bulgaria (September 29), Austria-Hungary (November 3) and Germany (November 11); armistice between Turkey and England (October 30). End of the First World War.

1919, June 28 Treaty of Versailles. He consolidated the redistribution of the world in favor of the victorious powers. Germany recognized the independence of all the territories that were part of the former Russian Empire by August 1, 1914, as well as the abolition of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 and all agreements concluded by it with the Soviet government. An inseparable part of the treaty was the statute of the League of Nations.

1917, November 7 (October 25) October socialist revolution in Russia. The leader is Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).

1918, November 9 Abdication and flight to Holland of Kaiser Wilhelm I. Overthrow of the monarchy in Germany.

1918 — 1922 Civil War in Russia. armed struggle between Soviet power and her opponents. According to various sources, from 8 to 13 million people died during the civil war from hunger, disease, terror and in battles; about 2 million were in exile. Main events:

1918, March - April - landing in Murmansk troops of England, France and the United States, in Vladivostok - troops of Japan;

1918, May - August - rebellion of the Czechoslovak military corps (former prisoners of war) in the Volga region, in the Urals and in Siberia;

1918, summer - the formation of the White Guard, Russian military formations that fought against Soviet power;

1919, March - May - the offensive of the White Guard forces from the east, south and west (Admiral A.V. Kolchak, generals A.I. Denikin and N.N. Yudenich), they were all defeated;

1919, autumn - the defeat of Yudenich's army near Petrograd;

1921, March 1-18 - Kronstadt uprising caused by dissatisfaction with the Soviet authorities in connection with the famine, economic ruin and repression; crushed by the Red Army

On July 31, 1919, the German Constituent National Assembly adopted the Weimar Constitution, which formalized the replacement of the semi-absolutist monarchy with a parliamentary republic.

1920, June 12 Official opening of the Panama Canal (the first ship passed through the canal in August 1914).

1922, April 16 Rapallo Soviet-German Treaty on the restoration of diplomatic relations and trade and economic ties. It meant a breakthrough in the economic and political blockade of Soviet Russia.

1922, October 27 In Italy, the Nazis came to power, led by Benito Mussolini (head of government since October 30).

1922, December 30 Treaty on the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics(USSR) as part of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and the Federation of Transcaucasian Republics.

On October 29, 1922, a republic was proclaimed in Turkey, Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) became its first president.

1923 November Nazi beer hall putsch in Munich to overthrow the Bavarian government. The organizers are General Erich Ludendorff and the leader of the National Socialist Party, Adolf Hitler. The latter was arrested and imprisoned.

1924, January 21 Death of the leader of the USSR Lenin. The beginning of the struggle for leadership between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky.

1929, October The global economic crisis (1929-1933) began with a sharp drop in the stock price on the New York Stock Exchange.

1929, December 27 Proclamation of I.V. Stalin's course to start in the USSR "complete collectivization."

1931, April The overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of a republic in Spain. In December 1931 a republican constitution was adopted.

1931, February - March Formation of the state of Manchukuo in the territory of Northeast China, occupied by Japanese troops.

1933-1945 Franklin Roosevelt - 32nd President of the United States. He carried out a number of reforms to eliminate the economic crisis of 1929-1933 and mitigate the contradictions of American capitalism. On November 17, 1933, the Roosevelt government established diplomatic relations with the USSR. From the beginning of the Second World War, he offered to support Great Britain, France and the USSR (since June 1941) in their fight against Nazi Germany. He made a significant contribution to the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition. attached great importance the formation of the UN and post-war international cooperation, including between the USA and the USSR.

1934, July 25 Supporters of the Anschluss (joining Germany) killed the Austrian Federal Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss.

On August 2, 1934, Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler became President of Germany. He concentrated legislative and executive power in his hands, established the regime of the Nazi dictatorship in the country and launched active preparations for war.

1935-1936 Italo-Ethiopian war. It ended with the annexation of Ethiopia by Italy.

1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. The republican government of socialists and communists was defeated by the army of General Franco. With the military support of Italy and Germany, an extreme right-wing regime was established, led by Franco.

1936, October The Berlin Agreement formalizes the military-political alliance of Germany and Italy ("Berlin-Rome Axis").

1936, November "Anti-Comintern Pact" between Germany and Japan. Italy joined a year later.

1937, July - 1938, October The invasion of Japanese troops into China, the capture of Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing and Guangzhou.

1938 March German troops occupied Austria; proclaimed its accession to Germany (Anschluss).

1938, September Munich Agreement between Great Britain (N. Chamberlain), France (E. Daladier), Germany (A. Hitler) and Italy (B. Mussolini). It provided for the separation from Czechoslovakia and the transfer of the Sudetenland to Germany, as well as the satisfaction of territorial claims to Czechoslovakia from Hungary and Poland.

1939, August Soviet-German non-aggression pact ("Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact") with a secret appendix establishing the delimitation of "spheres of interest" of the parties; The Soviet Union, under this agreement, could annex Eastern Poland, the Baltic States, Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina and part of Finland (the capture took place in 1939-1940).

Commanders

Side forces

First World War (July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918) - one of the largest armed conflicts in the history of mankind. The first global armed conflict of the XX century. As a result of the war, four empires ceased to exist: Russian, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman and German. The participating countries lost more than 10 million people killed soldiers, about 12 million civilians killed, about 55 million were injured.

Military operations at sea in the First World War

Members

The main participants in the First World War:

Central Powers: German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria.

Entente: Russian Empire, France, Great Britain.

For a complete list of participants, see: World War I (Wikipedia)

Background to the conflict

Naval arms race between british empire and the German Empire was one of the most important causes of the First World War. Germany wanted to increase her navy to a size that would allow German overseas trade not to depend on the goodwill of Britain. However, the increase in the German fleet to a size comparable to the British fleet inevitably threatened the very existence of the British Empire.

Campaign of 1914

Breakthrough of the German Mediterranean Division to Turkey

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. The Mediterranean squadron of the Kaiser Navy under the command of Rear Admiral Wilhelm Souchon (battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau), not wanting to be captured in the Adriatic, went to Turkey. German ships avoided a collision with superior enemy forces and, passing through the Dardanelles, came to Constantinople. The arrival of the German squadron in Constantinople was one of the factors that pushed the Ottoman Empire to enter the First World War on the side of the Triple Alliance.

Operations in the North Sea and the English Channel

Long-range blockade of the German fleet

The British fleet intended to solve its strategic tasks through a long-range blockade of German ports. The German fleet, inferior in strength to the British, chose a defensive strategy and began laying minefields. In August 1914, the British fleet carried out the transfer of troops to the continent. During the cover of the transfer, a battle took place in the Helgoland Bay.

Both sides actively used submarines. German submarines acted more successfully, so on September 22, 1914, U-9 sank 3 British cruisers at once. In response, the British Navy began to strengthen anti-submarine defenses, the Northern Patrol was created.

Operations in the Barents and White Seas

Actions in the Barents Sea

In the summer of 1916, the Germans, knowing that an increasing amount of military cargo was coming to Russia by the northern sea route, sent their submarines into the waters of the Barents and White Seas. They sank 31 Allied ships. For confrontation, he created the Russian Flotilla of the Arctic Ocean.

Operations in the Baltic Sea

The plans of both sides for 1916 did not provide for any major operations. Germany kept insignificant forces in the Baltic, and the Baltic Fleet constantly strengthened its defensive positions by building new minefields and coastal batteries. Actions were reduced to raiding operations of light forces. In one of these operations, on November 10, 1916, the German 10th "destroyer" flotilla lost 7 ships at once in a minefield.

Despite the generally defensive character of the actions of both sides, the losses in the ship composition in 1916 were significant, especially in the German fleet. The Germans lost 1 auxiliary cruiser, 8 destroyers, 1 submarine, 8 minesweepers and small ships, 3 military transports. The Russian fleet lost 2 destroyers, 2 submarines, 5 minesweepers and small ships, 1 military transport.

Campaign of 1917

Dynamics of losses and reproduction of the tonnage of allied countries

Operations in Western European waters and in the Atlantic

April 1 - a decision was made to introduce a system of convoys on all communications. With the introduction of the convoy system and the increase in anti-submarine defense forces and means, losses in merchant tonnage began to decline. Other measures were also introduced to strengthen the fight against boats - a mass installation of guns on merchant ships was begun. During 1917, guns were installed on 3,000 British ships, and by the beginning of 1918, up to 90% of all large-capacity British merchant ships were armed. In the second half of the campaign, the British began mass laying anti-submarine minefields - in 1917 they laid 33,660 mines in the North Sea and the Atlantic. In 11 months of unrestricted submarine warfare, she lost only in the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean 1037 ships with a total tonnage of 2 million 600 thousand tons. In addition, the allies and neutral countries lost 1085 ships with a capacity of 1 million 647 thousand tons. During 1917, Germany built 103 new boats, and the losses were 72 boats, of which 61 were lost in the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

cruiser hike wolf

German cruiser raids

On October 16 - 18 and December 11-12, German light cruisers and destroyers attacked the "Scandinavian" convoys and achieved major successes - they sent 3 English escort destroyers, 3 trawlers, 15 steamers to the bottom and damaged 1 destroyer. Germany in 1917 completed operating on the communications of the Entente with surface raiders. The last raid was made by a raider wolf- in total, he sank 37 ships with a total tonnage of about 214,000 tons. The fight against Entente shipping switched exclusively to submarines.

Operations in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic

barrage of otranto

Combat operations in the Mediterranean boiled down mainly to the unrestricted operations of German boats on enemy sea communications and anti-submarine defense of the allies. During 11 months of unrestricted submarine warfare in the Mediterranean, German and Austrian boats sank 651 Allied and neutral ships with a total tonnage of 1,647,000 tons. In addition, over a hundred ships with a total displacement of 61,000 tons were blown up and killed on mines laid by minelayer boats. Heavy losses from boats in 1917 suffered naval forces allies in the Mediterranean: 2 battleships (English - Cornwallis, French - Danton), 1 cruiser (French - Chateaurenault), 1 minelayer, 1 monitor, 2 destroyers, 1 submarine. The Germans lost 3 boats, the Austrians - 1.

Actions in the Baltic

Defense of the Moonsund Archipelago in 1917

The February and October revolutions in Petrograd completely undermined the combat capability of the Baltic Fleet. On April 30, the sailor's Central Committee of the Baltic Fleet (Tsentrobalt) was created, which controlled the activities of officers.

From September 29 to October 20, 1917, using the quantitative and qualitative advantage, the German Navy and ground forces carried out Operation Albion to capture the Moonsund Islands in the Baltic Sea. In the operation, the German fleet lost 10 destroyers and 6 minesweepers, the defenders - 1 battleship, 1 destroyer, 1 submarine, up to 20,000 soldiers and sailors were captured. The Moonsund archipelago and the Gulf of Riga were abandoned by Russian forces, the Germans managed to create an immediate threat of military attack for Petrograd.

Actions in the Black Sea

Since the beginning of the year, the Black Sea Fleet continued to blockade the Bosphorus, as a result of which the Turkish fleet ran out of coal and its ships were in bases. The February events in Petrograd, the abdication of the emperor (March 2) sharply undermined morale and discipline. The actions of the fleet in the summer-autumn of 1917 were limited to raids by destroyers, which still disturbed the Turkish coast.

During the entire campaign of 1917, the Black Sea Fleet was preparing for a major landing operation on the Bosporus. It was supposed to land 3-4 rifle corps and other units. However, the timing of the landing operation was repeatedly postponed, in October the Headquarters decided to postpone the operation on the Bosphorus to the next campaign.

Campaign of 1918

Events in the Baltic, the Black Sea and the North

On March 3, 1918, a peace treaty was signed in Brest-Litovsk by representatives of Soviet Russia and the Central Powers. Russia withdrew from the First World War.

All subsequent hostilities that took place in these theaters of hostilities historically refer to

The First World War was the largest military conflict of the first third of the twentieth century and all the wars that took place before that. So when did World War I start and in what year did it end? The date July 28, 1914 is the beginning of the war, and its end is November 11, 1918.

When did World War I start?

The beginning of World War I was the declaration of war by Austria-Hungary on Serbia. The reason for the war was the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown by the nationalist Gavrilo Princip.

Speaking briefly about the First World War, it should be noted that the main reason for the outbreak of hostilities was the conquest of a place in the sun, the desire to rule the world with the emerging balance of power, the emergence of Anglo-German trade barriers, such a phenomenon in the development of the state as economic imperialism and territorial claims that reached the absolute. one state to another.

On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Serb of Bosnian origin, assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo. On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, starting the main war of the first third of the 20th century.

Rice. 1. Gavrilo Princip.

Russia in the First World

Russia announced mobilization, preparing to defend the fraternal people, thereby incurring an ultimatum from Germany to stop the formation of new divisions. On August 1, 1914, Germany officially declared war on Russia.

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In 1914, military operations on the Eastern Front were carried out in Prussia, where the rapid advance of the Russian troops was driven back by the German counteroffensive and the defeat of Samsonov's army. The offensive in Galicia was more effective. On the Western Front, the course of hostilities was more pragmatic. The Germans invaded France through Belgium and moved to Paris at an accelerated pace. Only in the Battle of the Marne was the offensive stopped by the Allied forces and the parties switched to a long trench war, which dragged on until 1915.

In 1915, Germany's former ally, Italy, entered the war on the side of the Entente. Thus was formed the southwestern front. Fighting unfolded in the Alps, giving rise to mountain warfare.

On April 22, 1915, during the Battle of Ypres, German soldiers used chlorine poison gas against the Entente forces, which was the first gas attack in history.

A similar meat grinder happened on the Eastern Front. The defenders of the Osovets fortress in 1916 covered themselves with unfading glory. The German forces, several times superior to the Russian garrison, could not take the fortress after mortar and artillery fire and several assaults. After that, a chemical attack was applied. When the Germans, walking in gas masks through the smoke, believed that there were no survivors left in the fortress, Russian soldiers ran out to them, coughing up blood and wrapped in various rags. The bayonet attack was unexpected. The enemy, many times superior in number, was finally driven back.

Rice. 2. Defenders of Osovets.

In the Battle of the Somme in 1916, tanks were used for the first time by the British during an attack. Despite frequent breakdowns and low accuracy, the attack had more of a psychological effect.

Rice. 3. Tanks on the Somme.

In order to distract the Germans from the breakthrough and draw forces away from Verdun, the Russian troops planned an offensive in Galicia, the result of which was to be the surrender of Austria-Hungary. This is how the "Brusilovsky breakthrough" occurred, which, although it moved the front line tens of kilometers to the west, did not solve the main task.

At sea, a pitched battle took place between the British and Germans in 1916 near the Jutland Peninsula. The German fleet intended to break the naval blockade. More than 200 ships took part in the battle, with a majority of the British, but during the battle there was no winner, and the blockade continued.

On the side of the Entente in 1917, the United States entered, for which entry into the world war on the side of the winner at the very last moment became a classic. The German command from Lans to the River Aisne erected a reinforced concrete "Hindenburg Line", behind which the Germans retreated and switched to a defensive war.

The French General Nivel developed a plan for a counteroffensive on the Western Front. Massive artillery preparation and attacks on different sectors of the front did not give the desired effect.

In 1917, in Russia, in the course of two revolutions, the Bolsheviks came to power, by which the shameful separate Brest peace was concluded. On March 3, 1918, Russia withdrew from the war.
In the spring of 1918, the Germans launched their last "spring offensive". They intended to break through the front and withdraw France from the war, however, the numerical superiority of the allies did not allow them to do so.

Economic exhaustion and growing dissatisfaction with the war forced Germany to sit down at the negotiating table, during which a peace treaty was concluded at Versailles.

What have we learned?

Despite who fought with whom and who won, history has shown that the end of the First World War did not solve all the problems of mankind. The battle for the redivision of the world did not end, the allies did not finish off Germany and its allies completely, but only economically exhausted, which led to the signing of peace. The Second World War was only a matter of time.

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One of the most terrible, large-scale and bloody events in the history of mankind is the 1st World War. At that time, 38 countries were involved in the conflict caused by economic contradictions.

Despite the fact that millions of human victims could have been prevented and avoided, Austria-Hungary, in alliance with Germany, chose a more decisive and tough way to resolve the situation in the world.

Reasons for the start of the conflict

At the very beginning of the 20th century, the calm situation around the world was replaced by a serious military conflict, which unfolded because of the desire of some countries to impose their opinion on other states. Attempts at world globalization in such a brutal way have led to colossal human losses.

World War I has one important feature which distinguishes it from other armed confrontations. Historians do not give a clear definition of which country belonged to the aggressors, and which became their victim.

The main opposing sides were: Atlanta (this union included England, Russia, Romania, France and others) and the Triple Alliance (formed by Austria-Hungary, Italy, Germany, and later the Ottoman Empire joined).

These two blocs were set up for war, and other states joined them over time. The growing tension in the world was caused by a number of reasons:

• England tried to remain the sole economic leader and wanted to eliminate Germany as the main competitor;
• France intended to be compensated for having previously failed to win the Franco-Prussian War and having lost a significant part of the territories (along with the resources of the Ruhr Basin);
• Russia was interested in taking from Austria-Hungary and annexing the western territories of Ukraine and Polish lands, as well as establishing control in the Black Sea straits and in the Balkans;
• Germany tried to subjugate as many colonies as possible, which it did not have, and also wanted to get unhindered access to the Caucasian and Middle Eastern oil fields.

Since Russia wanted to unite the Slavs and expand their territories by gaining access to the Black Sea, Austria-Hungary tried by all means to hinder her efforts. In this terrible military campaign, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, there were no innocent states. Some historians believe that Serbia was the immediate first victim. Other scholars insist that it was the Serbian intelligence that was involved in the creation of the Mlada Bosna terrorist group, which included Princip (the murderer of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Austrian heir to the throne).

The goal of many states that joined the fighting was to involve Russia in the conflict and the final destruction of the empire.

Brief chronology

The tragic events that took place in Sarajevo have become a reason for condemnation by many countries. England openly called the Serbs cruel barbarians, calling on Austria-Hungary to respond decisively to them.

At that time, Russia and Germany remained the largest powers in Europe, and they intended to contain the growing tension in the world, frankly avoiding military provocations.

A month after the assassination attempt, Serbia put forward strict demands, among which was a clause on allowing police officers to stay on the territory of the state. The refusal to comply with this part of the agreement became a pretext for declaring war. This was confirmed by the first bombs dropped on the territory of Serbia, which proved the intentions of the Austro-Hungarians.

Russia, which for many years acted as a shield of the Slavic world and Orthodoxy, was unable to stabilize the situation through diplomacy. Therefore, World War 1 could not begin without the participation of a great empire.

Since the date of the first shelling, there has been a series of bloody provocations. The fighting took place in the Middle East and the Balkans, in the European colonies and in the Caucasus.

Germany, which acted according to the Schlieffen plan, expected a quick and favorable outcome of events: victory, dinner in the center of Paris and an evening promenade in St. Petersburg. However, the strategy failed miserably, as the opponents were well prepared.

The situation on the fronts changed dramatically:

• Germany entered Belgium and Luxembourg;
• France had to cede part of its lands;
• In the Battle of Galicia (from late July to September), the Russians occupied the territories of Bukovina, eastern Galicia and were able to besiege Przemysl;
• In the Caucasus, in 1916, a war broke out between Russia and Turkey, and domestic troops managed to occupy Trebizond and Erzerum.

In 1915 the situation began to deteriorate for the Russian army. The soldiers were not well prepared for the winter offensives, which is why they were defeated in the counter-offensive operation against the Germans.

The enemy managed to capture Galicia and part of the Polish lands. From this moment begins the war, which historians called positional.

The final collapse of the coalition occurred after the outbreak of conflict between Austria-Hungary and Italy, when the latter entered the war. And the accession of Bulgaria to the confrontation led to the creation of an alliance and the collapse of Serbia.

Algorithm of events of 1916-1917

This year one of the most significant and bloody events took place - the Battle of Verdun. It was such a large-scale clash with a huge number of victims (it was not possible to say exactly how many people died, but approximately about 1 million people). During the same period Russian army carried out the famous Brusilovsky breakthrough, improving the position of the Entente and withdrawing German soldiers from Verdun.

The final dominance in the region was established after the largest Battle of Jutland. Some opponents in last years World War I began to think about peace negotiations, but the war could not end so quickly.

In 1917, Russia decided to stop participating in hostilities.. In addition, the United States joined the Entente as an already established winner. At the same time, a revolution was taking place on Russian lands, which also influenced the course of history.

Almost all countries in 1918 understood that the war must end soon. After the occupation of the Polish territories and the Baltic lands, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, which marked the beginning of active hostilities on the western fronts.

Imperialist Germany was shaken by the revolution, the ruler was forced to flee. The act of German surrender was signed in 1917 and the intensity of the battles decreased.

For almost all states, the First World War ended with significant losses. Historians believe that from that moment the prerequisites for the Second World War began to emerge. They explain this by the fact that in Germany the inhabitants longed for revenge, but there was no person who would competently rule the country.

The following events were the results of the war:

• at the end of it, the standard of living of the population around the world fell sharply;
• the largest empires collapsed;
• France returned the provinces of Lorraine and Alsace;
• killed about 10 million soldiers and almost as many civilians;
• a ban on the creation of their own army in Germany and the payment of reparations for 30 years, as well as the loss of all colonies with the transfer of 1/8 of the territory to neighboring countries.

According to rough estimates, almost 65% of the world's population were involved in terrible bloody events. The beginning of the revolutionary movement led to the next conflict - the Civil War.

The standard school curriculum offers a brief and overview study of the events that took place during the First World War: who fought with whom, which battles became the most significant and how international confrontations ended.

However, you can learn a lot interesting facts, which for some reason are not mentioned in the textbooks:

• the four-year confrontation killed more people than the most dangerous diseases (2/3 of all deaths during this period occurred in battles);
• beds and wardrobes, lighting and even entry bells were found in the German trenches;
• 30 types of poisonous and deadly poisons were used (today they are banned in all countries);
• the Turks committed a cruel act of genocide, killing 1.5 million people of Armenian nationality;
• for the first time, flamethrowers, anti-tank and chemical weapons, as well as anti-aircraft installations and gas masks were used for combat;
• Russia was the only country where there was no shortage of food.

The events of the past years, described briefly, were called the First World War only after the Second began in 1939.

Prior to this, the correct name for the confrontation was the Great, Great, German or Imperialist War.

World War I (1914 - 1918)

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

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

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

Enemies in the war

The war took place between two groups of countries:

Entente. Russian Empire, France, Great Britain. The allies were the USA, Italy, Romania, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.
Triple Alliance. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Later, the Bulgarian kingdom joined them, and the coalition became known as the Quadruple Union.
The following major countries took part in the war: Austria-Hungary (July 27, 1914 - November 3, 1918), Germany (August 1, 1914 - November 11, 1918), Turkey (October 29, 1914 - October 30, 1918), Bulgaria (October 14, 1915 - 29 September 1918). Entente countries and allies: Russia (August 1, 1914 - March 3, 1918), France (August 3, 1914), Belgium (August 3, 1914), Great Britain (August 4, 1914), Italy (May 23, 1915), Romania (August 27, 1916) .

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

Causes of World War I

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

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

Cause to start a war

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

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

Important nuances of the reason for war

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

Gavrilo Principin. He died in prison in 1918 from tuberculosis.
Russian Ambassador to Serbia - Hartley. In 1914 he died at the Austrian embassy in Serbia, where he came for a reception.
Colonel Apis, leader of the Black Hand. Shot in 1917.
In 1917 Hartley's correspondence with Sozonov (the next Russian ambassador to Serbia) disappeared.
All this indicates that there were a lot of black spots in the events of the days, which have not yet been revealed. And this is very important to understand.

The role of England in starting the war

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

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

Russia before the war

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The course of the war

Military events of 1914

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

Russia entered World War I on August 1, 1914. Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (uncle of Nicholas 2) was appointed supreme commander.

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

German "Schlieffen Plan"

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

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

Northwestern front of Russia in 1914

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

Southwestern Front of Russia

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

The main results of the military campaign of 1914

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

Map of military events in 1914-15

Military events of 1915

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

The situation on the northwestern front

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

Killed and wounded - 850 thousand people
Captured - 900 thousand people
Russia did not capitulate, but the countries of the "Triple Alliance" were convinced that Russia would not be able to recover from the losses it had received.

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

The situation on the southwestern front

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

* 2.5 times in machine guns.
*4.5 times in light artillery.
*40 times in heavy artillery.
It was not possible to withdraw Russia from the war, but the losses on this sector of the front were gigantic: 150,000 killed, 700,000 wounded, 900,000 prisoners and 4 million refugees.

The situation on the western front

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

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

Military events of 1916

"Verdun meat grinder"

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

Events on the southwestern front in 1916

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

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

Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern fronts

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

Outcome of 1916 in World War I

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

Military and political events of 1917

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

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

End of the war for Russia

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

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


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

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

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

Events in the war in 1918

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

Autumn 1918

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

End of World War I

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

* Germany recognizes complete defeat in the war.
* The return of France to the province of Alsace and Lorraine to the borders of 1870, as well as the transfer of the Saar coal basin.
* Germany lost all its colonial possessions, and also pledged to transfer 1/8 of its territory to its geographical neighbors.
*For 15 years, the Entente troops are located on the left bank of the Rhine.
* By May 1, 1921, Germany had to pay the members of the Entente (Russia was not supposed to do anything) 20 billion marks in gold, goods, securities, etc.
*For 30 years, Germany must pay reparations, and the amount of these reparations is set by the winners themselves and can increase them at any time during these 30 years.
* Germany was forbidden to have an army of more than 100 thousand people, and the army was obliged to be exclusively voluntary.
The terms of "peace" were so humiliating for Germany that the country actually became a puppet. Therefore, many people of that time said that the First World War, although it ended, did not end with peace, but with a truce for 30 years. And so it eventually happened ...

Results of the First World War

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

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

Map of the First World War 1914-1918