World War I 1914. Important dates and events of the First World War

Who fought with whom? Now this question will probably confuse many ordinary people. But the Great War, as it was called in the world before 1939, claimed more than 20 million lives and forever changed the course of history. Over the course of 4 bloody years, empires collapsed and alliances were formed. Therefore, it is necessary to know about it, at least for the purposes of general development.

Reasons for the start of the war

By the beginning of the 19th century, the crisis in Europe was obvious to all major powers. Many historians and analysts give various populist reasons why Who fought with whom before, which nations were fraternal to each other, and so on - all this had practically no meaning for most countries. The goals of the warring powers in the First World War were different, but the main reason was the desire of big capital to spread its influence and gain new markets.

First of all, it is worth taking into account the desire of Germany, since it was she who became the aggressor and actually started the war. But at the same time, one should not assume that she only wanted war, and that other countries did not prepare plans for an attack and were only defending themselves.

Germany's goals

By the beginning of the 20th century, Germany continued to develop rapidly. The empire had a good army, modern types of weapons, and a powerful economy. The main problem was that it was possible to unite the German lands under a single flag only in the middle of the 19th century. It was then that the Germans became an important player on the world stage. But by the time Germany emerged as a great power, the period of active colonization had already been missed. England, France, Russia and other countries had many colonies. They opened up a good market for the capital of these countries, made it possible to have cheap labor, an abundance of food and specific goods. Germany did not have this. Commodity overproduction led to stagnation. Population growth and the limited territories of their settlement created a food shortage. Then the German leadership decided to move away from the idea of ​​being a member of a community of countries with a minor voice. Somewhere towards the end of the 19th century, political doctrines were aimed at building the German Empire as the world's leading power. And the only way to this is war.

The year is 1914. World War I: who did you fight with?

Other countries thought similarly. Capitalists pushed the governments of all major states towards expansion. Russia, first of all, wanted to unite as many Slavic lands as possible under its banner, especially in the Balkans, especially since the local population was loyal to such patronage.

Türkiye played an important role. The world's leading players closely watched the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and waited for the moment to bite off a piece of this giant. The crisis and anticipation were felt throughout Europe. There were a series of bloody wars in what is now Yugoslavia, followed by the First World War. Local residents of the South Slavic countries themselves sometimes did not remember who fought with whom in the Balkans. The capitalists drove the soldiers forward, changing allies depending on the benefits. It was already clear that, most likely, something larger than a local conflict would happen in the Balkans. And so it happened. At the end of June, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Ferdinand. used this event as a reason to declare war.

Expectations of the parties

The warring countries of the First World War had no idea what the conflict would lead to. If you study the plans of the parties in detail, you can clearly see that each was going to win due to a quick offensive. No more than a few months were allotted for hostilities. This was due, among other things, to the fact that there had been no such precedents in history before, when almost all powers took part in a war.

The First World War: who fought against whom?

On the eve of 1914, two alliances were concluded: the Entente and the Triple Alliance. The first included Russia, Britain, France. In the second - Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy. Smaller countries united around one of these alliances, Who was Russia at war with? With Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Albania. As well as a number of armed formations of other countries.

After the Balkan crisis, two main theaters of military operations were formed in Europe - Western and Eastern. Also, fighting took place in the Transcaucasus and in various colonies in the Middle East and Africa. It is difficult to list all the conflicts that the First World War gave rise to. Who fought with whom depended on belonging to a particular union and territorial claims. For example, France has long dreamed of returning lost Alsace and Lorraine. And Türkiye is lands in Armenia.

For the Russian Empire, the war turned out to be the most costly. And not only in economic terms. At the fronts, Russian troops suffered the greatest losses.

This was one of the reasons for the start of the October Revolution, as a result of which a socialist state was formed. The people simply did not understand why thousands of conscripts were sent to the West, and few returned.
Basically, only the first year of the war was intense. Subsequent battles were characterized by positional struggle. Many kilometers of trenches were dug and countless defensive structures were erected.

The atmosphere of a positional permanent war is very well described in Remarque’s book “All Quiet on the Western Front.” It was in the trenches that the lives of soldiers were ground up, and the countries' economies worked exclusively for the war, cutting costs on all other institutions. The First World War claimed 11 million civilian lives. Who fought with whom? There can be only one answer to this question: capitalists with capitalists.

Today no one remembers when it was World War I, who fought with whom and what caused the conflict itself. But millions of soldiers’ graves throughout Europe and modern Russia do not allow us to forget about this bloody page in history, including that of our state.

Causes and inevitability of war.

The beginning of the last century was quite tense - revolutionary sentiments in the Russian Empire with regular demonstrations and terrorist attacks, local military conflicts in the southern part of Europe, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the exaltation of Germany.

All this did not happen in one day, the situation developed and escalated over decades and no one knew how to “let off steam” and at least delay the start of hostilities.

By and large, each country had unsatisfied ambitions and grievances against its neighbors, which, in the old fashioned way, they wanted to resolve using force of arms. They just didn’t take into account the fact that technological progress gave real “infernal machines” into human hands, the use of which led to a bloodbath. These were the words used by veterans to describe many battles of that period.

The balance of power in Europe.

But in a war there are always two conflicting sides trying to get their way. During WWI these were Entente and Central Powers.

When starting a conflict, it is customary to place all the blame on the losing side, so let’s start with that. The list of Central Powers at various stages of the war included:

• Germany.
• Austria-Hungary.
• Türkiye.
• Bulgaria.

There were only three states in the Entente:

• Russian empire.
• France.
• England.

Both alliances were formed at the end of the nineteenth century, and for some time they balanced political and military forces in Europe.

The awareness of an inevitable major war on several fronts at the same time often stopped people from making hasty decisions, but the situation could not continue this way for long.

How did the First World War start?

The first state to announce the start of hostilities was Austro-Hungarian Empire. As enemy spoke Serbia, which sought to unite all the Slavs in the southern region under its leadership. Apparently this policy was not particularly liked by the restless neighbor, who did not want to have a powerful confederation at his side that could jeopardize the very existence of Austria-Hungary.

Reason for declaring war was caused by the murder of the heir to the imperial throne, who was shot by Serbian nationalists. Theoretically, this would have ended there - this is not the first time that two countries in Europe have declared war on each other and carried out offensive or defensive actions with varying success. But the fact is that Austria-Hungary was only a protégé of Germany, which had long wanted to reshape the world order in its favor.

The reason was the country's failed colonial policy, which got involved in this fight too late. One of the advantages of having a huge number of dependent states was a practically unlimited market. Industrialized Germany desperately needed such a bonus, but could not get it. It was impossible to resolve the issue peacefully; the neighbors safely received their profits and were not eager to share with anyone.

But defeat in hostilities and the signing of surrender could change the situation somewhat.

Allied participating countries.

From the above lists it can be concluded that no more than 7 countries, but why then is the war called World War? The fact is that each of the blocks had allies who entered or left the war at certain stages:

1. Italy.
2. Romania.
3. Portugal.
4. Greece.
5. Australia.
6. Belgium.
7. Japanese Empire.
8. Montenegro.

These countries did not make a decisive contribution to the overall victory, but we must not forget their active participation in the war on the side of the Entente.

In 1917, the United States joined this list after another attack by a German submarine on a passenger ship.

Results of the war for the main participants.

Russia was able to fulfill the minimum plan for this war - provide protection for the Slavs in Southern Europe. But the main goal was much more ambitious: control over the Black Sea straits could make our country a truly great maritime power.

But the then leadership failed to divide the Ottoman Empire and get some of its most “tasty” fragments. And given the social tension in the country and the subsequent revolution, slightly different problems arose. The Austro-Hungarian Empire also ceased to exist - the worst economic and political consequences for the initiator.

France and England were able to gain a foothold in a leading position in Europe, thanks to impressive contributions from Germany. But Germany faced hyperinflation, abandonment of the army, and a severe crisis with the fall of several regimes. This led to the desire for revenge and the NSDAP at the head of the state. But the United States was able to make capital from this conflict, suffering minimal losses.

Do not forget what the First World War was, who fought with whom and what horrors it brought to society. Growing tensions and conflicts of interest may once again lead to similar irreparable consequences.

Video about the First World War

This unprecedented war must be brought to complete victory. Whoever thinks now about peace, who desires it, is a traitor to the Fatherland, its traitor.

August 1, 1914 Germany declared war on Russia. The First World War (1914-1918) began, which became the Second Patriotic War for our Motherland.

How did it happen that the Russian Empire became embroiled in the First World War? Was our country ready for it?

Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor, chief researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IWI RAS), president of the Russian Association of Historians of the First World War (RAIWW) Evgeniy Yuryevich Sergeev told Foma about the history of this war, what it was like for Russia.

Visit of French President R. Poincaré to Russia. July 1914

What the masses don't know

Evgeniy Yurievich, The First World War (WWI) is one of the main directions of your scientific activity. What influenced the choice of this particular topic?

This is an interesting question. On the one hand, the significance of this event for world history leaves no doubt. This alone can motivate a historian to study WWII. On the other hand, this war still remains, to a certain extent, “terra incognita” of Russian history. The Civil War and the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) overshadowed it and relegated it to the background in our consciousness.

No less important are the extremely interesting and little-known events of that war. Including those whose direct continuation we find during the Second World War.

For example, there was such an episode in the history of WWII: On August 23, 1914, Japan declared war on Germany., being in an alliance with Russia and with other Entente countries, supplied weapons and military equipment to Russia. These supplies went through the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The Germans organized an entire expedition (sabotage team) there in order to blow up the tunnels and bridges of the Chinese Eastern Railway and interrupt this communication. Russian counterintelligence intercepted this expedition, that is, they managed to prevent the liquidation of the tunnels, which would have caused significant damage to Russia, because an important supply artery would have been interrupted.

- Marvelous. How can it be, Japan, with whom we fought in 1904-1905...

By the time WWII began, relations with Japan were different. The corresponding agreements have already been signed. And in 1916, an agreement on a military alliance was even signed. We had a very close collaboration.

Suffice it to say that Japan gave us, although not free of charge, three ships that Russia lost during the Russo-Japanese War. The Varyag, which the Japanese raised and restored, was among them. As far as I know, the cruiser "Varyag" (the Japanese called it "Soya") and two other ships raised by the Japanese were bought by Russia from Japan in 1916. On April 5 (18), 1916, the Russian flag was raised over the Varyag in Vladivostok.

Moreover, after the Bolshevik victory, Japan participated in the intervention. But this is not surprising: the Bolsheviks were considered accomplices of the Germans, the German government. You yourself understand that the conclusion of a separate peace on March 3, 1918 (Brest-Litovsk Peace) was essentially a stab in the back of the allies, including Japan.

Along with this, of course, there were very specific political and economic interests of Japan in the Far East and Siberia.

- But there were other interesting episodes in WWII?

Certainly. It can also be said (few people know about this) that military convoys known from the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 were present during WWII, and also went to Murmansk, which in 1916 was specially built for this purpose. A railway was opened connecting Murmansk with the European part of Russia. The supplies were quite significant.

A French squadron operated together with Russian troops on the Romanian front. Here is a prototype of the Normandy-Niemen squadron. British submarines fought in the Baltic Sea alongside the Russian Baltic Fleet.

Cooperation on the Caucasian front between the corps of General N.N. Baratov (who fought there against the troops of the Ottoman Empire as part of the Caucasian Army) and British forces is also a very interesting episode of WWII, one might say, the prototype of the so-called “meeting on the Elbe” during the Second World War . Baratov made a forced march and met with British troops near Baghdad, in what is now Iraq. Then these were Ottoman possessions, naturally. As a result, the Turks found themselves caught in a pincer movement.

Visit of French President R. Poincaré to Russia. Photo 1914

Grand plans

- Evgeniy Yuryevich, who is to blame for this? the outbreak of the First World War?

The blame clearly lies with the so-called Central Powers, that is, Austria-Hungary and Germany. And even more so in Germany. Although WWII began as a local war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, without the strong support that was promised to Austria-Hungary from Berlin, it would not have acquired first a European and then a global scale.

Germany really needed this war. Its main goals were formulated as follows: to eliminate British hegemony on the seas, seize its colonial possessions and acquire “living space in the East” (that is, in Eastern Europe) for the rapidly growing German population. There was a geopolitical concept of “Middle Europe”, according to which Germany’s main task was to unite European countries around itself into a kind of modern European Union, but, naturally, under the auspices of Berlin.

To ideologically support this war, a myth was created in Germany about “surrounding the Second Reich with a ring of hostile states”: from the West - France, from the East - Russia, on the seas - Great Britain. Hence the task: to break through this ring and create a prosperous world empire centered in Berlin.

- What role did Germany assign to Russia and the Russian people in the event of its victory?

In case of victory, Germany hoped to return the Russian kingdom to the borders of approximately the 17th century (that is, before Peter I). Russia, in the German plans of that time, was to become a vassal of the Second Reich. The Romanov dynasty was supposed to be preserved, but, of course, Nicholas II (and his son Alexei) would be removed from power.

- How did the Germans behave in the occupied territories during WWI?

In 1914-1917, the Germans managed to occupy only the extreme western provinces of Russia. They behaved there rather restrainedly, although, of course, they requisitioned the property of the civilian population. But there were no mass deportations to Germany or atrocities directed against civilians.

Another thing is 1918, when German and Austro-Hungarian troops occupied vast territories in conditions of the virtual collapse of the tsarist army (let me remind you that they reached Rostov, Crimea and the North Caucasus). Mass requisitions for the needs of the Reich had already begun here, and resistance units appeared, created in Ukraine by nationalists (Petlyura) and Socialist Revolutionaries, who spoke out sharply against the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. But even in 1918, the Germans could not make much of a turn, since the war was already coming to an end, and they sent their main forces to the Western Front against the French and British. However, the partisan movement against the Germans in 1917–1918 in the occupied territories was still noted.

World War I. Political poster. 1915

Meeting of the III State Duma. 1915

Why did Russia get involved in the war?

- What did Russia do to prevent war?

Nicholas II hesitated to the end whether to start a war or not, proposing to resolve all controversial issues at a peace conference in The Hague through international arbitration. Such proposals on the part of Nicholas were made to Wilhelm II, the German Emperor, but he rejected them. And therefore, to say that the blame for the start of the war lies with Russia is absolute nonsense.

Unfortunately, Germany ignored Russian initiatives. The fact is that German intelligence and ruling circles were well aware that Russia was not ready for war. And Russia’s allies (France and Great Britain) were not quite ready for it, especially Great Britain in terms of ground forces.

In 1912, Russia began to carry out a large program of army rearmament, and it was supposed to end only by 1918–1919. And Germany actually completed preparations for the summer of 1914.

In other words, the “window of opportunity” was quite narrow for Berlin, and if a war was to start, it had to start in 1914.

- How justified were the arguments of opponents of the war?

The arguments of the opponents of the war were quite strong and clearly formulated. There were such forces among the ruling circles. There was a fairly strong and active party that opposed the war.

There is a well-known note from one of the major statesmen of that time, P. N. Durnovo, which was submitted at the beginning of 1914. Durnovo warned Tsar Nicholas II about the destructiveness of the war, which, in his opinion, meant the death of the dynasty and the death of Imperial Russia.

There were such forces, but the fact is that by 1914 Russia was in allied relations not with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but with France, and then with Great Britain, and the very logic of the development of the crisis associated with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria -The Hungarian throne, brought Russia to this war.

Speaking about the possible fall of the monarchy, Durnovo believed that Russia would not be able to withstand a large-scale war, that there would be a crisis of supply and a crisis of power, and this would ultimately lead not only to the disorganization of the political and economic life of the country, but also to the collapse of the empire , loss of control. Unfortunately, his prediction was largely justified.

- Why did anti-war arguments, for all their validity, clarity and clarity, not have the desired impact? Russia could not help but enter the war, even despite such clearly expressed arguments of its opponents?

Allied duty on the one hand, on the other hand - fear of losing prestige and influence in the Balkan countries. After all, if we had not supported Serbia, it would have been catastrophic for Russia’s prestige.

Of course, the pressure of certain forces inclined towards war, including those associated with some Serbian circles at court and with Montenegrin circles, also had an effect. Famous “Montenegro women”, that is, the wives of the grand dukes at court, also influenced the decision-making process.

It can also be said that Russia owed significant amounts of money received as loans from French, Belgian and English sources. The money was received specifically for the rearmament program.

But I would still put the issue of prestige (which was very important for Nicholas II) to the fore. We must give him his due - he always advocated maintaining the prestige of Russia, although, perhaps, he did not always understand this correctly.

- Is it true that the motive of helping the Orthodox (Orthodox Serbia) was one of the decisive factors that determined Russia’s entry into the war?

One of the very significant factors. Perhaps not decisive, because - I emphasize again - Russia needed to maintain the prestige of a great power and not turn out to be an unreliable ally at the very beginning of the war. This is probably the main motive.

A sister of mercy writes down the last will of a dying person. Western Front, 1917

Myths old and new

WWII became for our Motherland the Patriotic War, the Second Patriotic War, as it is sometimes called. In Soviet textbooks, WWI was called “imperialist.” What is behind these words?

Giving WWI an exclusively imperialist status is a serious mistake, although this point is also present. But first of all, we must look at it as the Second Patriotic War, remembering that the First Patriotic War was the war against Napoleon in 1812, and we had the Great Patriotic War back in the 20th century.

By taking part in WWI, Russia defended itself. After all, it was Germany that declared war on Russia on August 1, 1914. The First World War became the Second Patriotic War for Russia. In support of the thesis about the main role of Germany in the outbreak of WWII, it can be said that at the Paris Peace Conference (which took place from 01/18/1919 to 01/21/1920), the Allied powers, among other demands, set a condition for Germany to agree to the article on the “war crime” "and admit their responsibility for starting the war.

The whole people then rose up to fight against the foreign invaders. War, I emphasize once again, was declared on us. We didn't start it. And not only the active armies, where, by the way, several million Russians were drafted, but also the entire people took part in the war. The rear and the front acted together. And many of the trends that we later observed during the Great Patriotic War originated precisely during the WWII period. Suffice it to say that partisan detachments were active, that the population of the rear provinces actively showed themselves when they helped not only the wounded, but also refugees fleeing the war from the western provinces. The sisters of mercy were active, and the clergy who were on the front line and often raised troops to attack performed very well.

It can be said that the designation of our great defensive wars by the terms: “First Patriotic War,” “Second Patriotic War,” and “Third Patriotic War” is the restoration of that historical continuity that was broken in the period after WWII.

In other words, whatever the official goals of the war, there were ordinary people who perceived this war as a war for their Fatherland, and died and suffered precisely for this.

- And what, from your point of view, are the most common myths about WWI now?

We have already named the first myth. It is a myth that WWII was clearly imperialist and was carried out exclusively in the interests of the ruling circles. This is probably the most common myth, which has not yet been eradicated even on the pages of school textbooks. But historians are trying to overcome this negative ideological legacy. We are trying to take a different look at the history of WWII and explain to our schoolchildren the true essence of that war.

Another myth is the idea that the Russian army only retreated and suffered defeats. Nothing like this. By the way, this myth is widespread in the West, where, apart from the Brusilov breakthrough, that is, the offensive of the troops of the Southwestern Front in 1916 (spring-summer), even Western experts, not to mention the general public, there were no major victories of Russian weapons in WWII They can’t name it.

In fact, excellent examples of Russian military art were demonstrated in WWII. Let's say, on the Southwestern Front, on the Western Front. This is both the Battle of Galicia and the Lodz operation. Osovets’ defense alone is worth it. Osowiec is a fortress located on the territory of modern Poland, where the Russians defended themselves against superior German forces for more than six months (the siege of the fortress began in January 1915 and lasted 190 days). And this defense is quite comparable to the defense of the Brest Fortress.

You can give examples of Russian hero pilots. You can remember the sisters of mercy who saved the wounded. There are many such examples.

There is also a myth that Russia fought this war in isolation from its allies. Nothing like this. The examples I gave earlier debunk this myth.

The war was a coalition one. And we received significant assistance from France, Great Britain, and then the United States, which entered the war later, in 1917.

- Is the figure of Nicholas II mythologized?

In many ways, of course, it is mythologized. Under the influence of revolutionary agitation, he was branded almost as an accomplice of the Germans. There was a myth according to which Nicholas II allegedly wanted to conclude a separate peace with Germany.

In fact, this was not the case. He was a sincere supporter of waging war to a victorious end and did everything in his power to achieve this. Already in exile, he received the news of the Bolsheviks concluding a separate Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty extremely painfully and with great indignation.

Another thing is that the scale of his personality as a statesman turned out to be not entirely adequate for Russia to be able to get through this war to the end.

None I emphasize , no documentary evidence of the desire of the emperor and empress to conclude a separate peace not found. He didn't even allow the thought of it. These documents do not exist and could not exist. This is another myth.

As a very clear illustration of this thesis, we can cite Nicholas II’s own words from the Act of Abdication (March 2 (15), 1917 at 3 p.m.): "In the days of the greatstruggle against an external enemy who had been striving to enslave our homeland for almost three years, the Lord God was pleased to send Russia a new and difficult test. The outbreak of internal popular unrest threatens to have a disastrous effect on the further conduct of the stubborn war.The fate of Russia, the honor of our heroic army, the good of the people, the entire future of our dear Fatherland require bringing the war to a victorious end at all costs. <…>».

Nicholas II, V.B. Fredericks and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich at Headquarters. 1914

Russian troops on the march. Photo 1915

Defeat a year before victory

The First World War, as some believe, was a shameful defeat of the tsarist regime, a disaster, or something else? After all, as long as the last Russian Tsar remained in power, the enemy could not enter the Russian Empire? Unlike the Great Patriotic War.

You are not entirely right that the enemy could not enter our borders. It nevertheless entered the Russian Empire as a result of the offensive of 1915, when the Russian army was forced to retreat, when our opponents transferred virtually all their forces to the Eastern Front, to the Russian front, and our troops had to retreat. Although, of course, the enemy did not enter the deep regions of Central Russia.

But I would not call what happened in 1917-1918 a defeat, a shameful defeat of the Russian Empire. It would be more accurate to say that Russia was forced to sign this separate peace with the Central Powers, that is, with Austria-Hungary and Germany and with other participants in this coalition.

This is a consequence of the political crisis in which Russia finds itself. That is, the reasons for this are internal, and not at all military. And we must not forget that the Russians actively fought on the Caucasian front, and the successes were very significant. In fact, the Ottoman Empire was dealt a very serious blow by Russia, which later led to its defeat.

Although Russia did not fully fulfill its allied duty, this must be admitted, it certainly made its significant contribution to the victory of the Entente.

Russia literally didn't have enough for a year. Maybe a year and a half in order to finish this war with dignity as part of the Entente, as part of a coalition

How was the war generally perceived in Russian society? The Bolsheviks, representing an overwhelming minority of the population, dreamed of the defeat of Russia. But what was the attitude of ordinary people?

The general mood was quite patriotic. For example, women of the Russian Empire were most actively involved in charitable assistance. Many people signed up to become nurses without even being professionally trained. They took special short-term courses. A lot of girls and young women from different classes took part in this movement - from members of the imperial family to the simplest people. There were special delegations of the Russian Red Cross Society that visited prisoner of war camps and monitored their maintenance. And not only in Russia, but also abroad. We traveled to Germany and Austria-Hungary. Even in war conditions, this was feasible through the mediation of the International Red Cross. We traveled through third countries, mainly through Sweden and Denmark. During the Great Patriotic War, such work, unfortunately, was impossible.

By 1916, medical and social assistance to the wounded was systematized and took on a targeted character, although initially, of course, much was done on private initiative. This movement to help the army, to help those who were wounded in the rear, had a nationwide character.

Members of the royal family also took an active part in this. They collected parcels for prisoners of war and donations for the wounded. A hospital was opened in the Winter Palace.

By the way, one cannot help but say about the role of the Church. She provided enormous assistance both to the active army and to the rear. The activities of regimental priests at the front were very versatile.
In addition to their immediate duties, they were also involved in drawing up and sending “funerals” (death notices) to the relatives and friends of fallen soldiers. Many cases were recorded when priests walked at the head or in the first ranks of advancing troops.

The priests had to do the work of, as they would say now, psychotherapists: they held conversations, reassured, tried to remove the feeling of fear that was natural for a person in the trenches. It's at the front.

On the home front, the Church provided assistance to the wounded and refugees. Many monasteries set up free hospitals, collected parcels for the front, and organized the sending of charitable aid.

Russian infantry. 1914

Remember everyone!

Is it possible, given the current ideological chaos in society, including in the perception of WWI, to present a sufficiently clear and clear position on WWII that would reconcile everyone regarding this historical phenomenon?

We, professional historians, are working on this right now, striving to create such a concept. But this is not easy to do.

In fact, we are now making up for what Western historians did back in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century - we are carrying out work that, due to the peculiarities of our history, we did not do. The entire emphasis was on the October Socialist Revolution. The history of WWI was hushed up and mythologized.

Is it true that it is already planned to build a temple in memory of the soldiers who died in WWII, just as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built with public money in its time?

Yes. This idea is being developed. And there is even a unique place in Moscow - a brotherly cemetery near the Sokol metro station, where not only Russian soldiers who died here in rear hospitals, but also prisoners of war of the enemy armies were buried. That's why it's fraternal. Soldiers and officers of different nationalities are buried there.

At one time, this cemetery occupied quite a large space. Now, of course, the situation is completely different. Much has been lost there, but the memorial park has been recreated, there is already a chapel, and restoring the temple there would probably be a very correct decision. The same as the opening of a museum (with a museum the situation is more complicated).

You can announce a fundraiser for this temple. The role of the Church is very important here.

In fact, we can put an Orthodox church at the crossroads of these historical roads, just as we used to put chapels at the crossroads where people could come, pray, and remember their dead relatives.

Yes, that's absolutely right. Moreover, almost every family in Russia is connected with WWI, that is, with the Second Patriotic War, as well as with the Great Patriotic War.

Many fought, many had ancestors who took part in this war in one way or another - either on the home front or in the active army. Therefore, it is our sacred duty to restore historical truth.

Content:

Any war, no matter what its nature and scale, always brings with it tragedy. This is the pain of loss that does not subside over time. This is the destruction of houses, buildings and structures that are monuments of centuries-old culture. During war, families break up, customs and foundations are broken. All the more tragic is a war involving many states, and which is therefore defined as a world war. The First World War was one of the sad pages in the history of mankind.

Main reasons

Europe on the eve of the 20th century was formed as a conglomerate of Great Britain, Russia and France. Germany remained on the sidelines. But only as long as its industry stood on strong legs did its military power strengthen. While it did not strive to become the main force in Europe, it began to lack markets for selling its products. There was a shortage of territories. Access to international trade routes was limited.

Over time, the highest echelons of German power realized that the country did not have enough colonies for its development. Russia was a huge state with vast expanses. France and England developed with the help of their colonies. Thus, Germany was the first to ripen to the need to redivide the world. But how to fight against a bloc that included the most powerful countries: England, France and Russia?

It is clear that you cannot cope alone. And the country enters into a bloc with Austria-Hungary and Italy. Soon this block received the name Central. In 1904, England and France entered into a military-political alliance and called it the Entente, which means “cordial agreement.” Before this, France and Russia had concluded an agreement in which the countries pledged to help each other in the event of military conflicts.

Therefore, an alliance between Great Britain and Russia was a matter of urgency. Soon this happened. In 1907, these countries entered into an agreement in which they defined spheres of influence in Asian territories. With this, the tension that separated the British and Russians was removed. Russia joined the Entente. After some time, already during hostilities, Germany’s former ally Italy also gained membership in the Entente.

Thus, two powerful military blocs were formed, the confrontation of which could not but result in a military conflict. The most interesting thing is that the desire to find colonies and markets that the Germans dreamed of is far from the most important reasons for the subsequent world war. There were mutual claims of other countries against each other. But all of them were not so important as to unleash a global conflagration of war because of them.

Historians are still puzzling over the main reason that prompted the whole of Europe to take up arms. Each state gives its own reasons. One gets the feeling that this most important reason did not exist at all. Has the global massacre of people become the reason for the ambitious attitude of some politicians?

There are a number of scientists who believe that the contradictions between Germany and England gradually escalated before a military conflict arose. The rest of the countries were simply forced to fulfill their allied duty. Another reason is also mentioned. This is the definition of the path of socio-economic development of society. On the one hand, the Western European model dominated, on the other, the Central-South European model.

History, as we know, does not like the subjunctive mood. And yet, the question increasingly arises: could that terrible war have been avoided? Of course you can. But only if the leaders of European states, especially Germany, wanted it.

Germany felt its power and military strength. She couldn’t wait to walk across Europe with a victorious step and stand at the head of the continent. No one could have imagined then that the war would drag on for more than 4 years, and what consequences it would lead to. Everyone saw the war as fast, lightning fast and victorious on each side.

That such a position was illiterate and irresponsible in all respects is evidenced by the fact that 38 countries involving one and a half billion people were involved in the military conflict. Wars with such a large number of participants cannot end quickly.

So, Germany was preparing for war, waiting. A reason was needed. And he didn’t keep himself waiting.

The war started with one shot

Gavrilo Princip was an unknown student from Serbia. But he was a member of a revolutionary youth organization. On June 28, 1914, the student immortalized his name with black glory. He shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. Among some historians, no, no, but a note of annoyance slips through, they say, if the fatal shot had not happened, the war would not have happened. They are wrong. There would still be a reason. And organizing it was not difficult.

The Austrian-Hungarian government issued an ultimatum to Serbia less than a month later, on July 23. The document contained requirements that were impossible to fulfill. Serbia undertook to fulfill many points of the ultimatum. But Serbia refused to open the border to Austrian-Hungarian law enforcement agencies to investigate the crime. Although there was no outright refusal, it was proposed to negotiate this point.

Austria-Hungary rejected this proposal and declared war on Serbia. Less than a day had passed before bombs rained down on Belgorod. Next, Austro-Hungarian troops entered the territory of Serbia. Nicholas II telegraphs Wilhelm I with a request to resolve the conflict peacefully. Advises that the dispute be brought to the Hague Conference. Germany responded with silence. On July 28, 1914, the First World War began.

Lots of plans

It is clear that Germany stood behind Austria-Hungary. And her arrows were not directed towards Serbia, but towards France. After capturing Paris, the Germans intended to invade Russia. The goal was to subjugate part of the French colonies in Africa, some provinces of Poland and the Baltic states belonging to Russia.

Germany intended to further expand its possessions at the expense of Turkey and the countries of the Middle and Near East. Of course, the redivision of the world was started by the leaders of the German-Austrian bloc. They are considered the main culprits of the conflict that escalated into the First World War. It’s amazing how simple the leaders of the German General Staff, who were developing the blitzkrieg operation, imagined the victorious march.

Given the impossibility of conducting a quick campaign, fighting on two fronts: with France in the west and with Russia in the east, they decided to deal with the French first. Believing that Germany would mobilize in ten days, and Russia would need at least a month, they intended to deal with France in 20 days and then attack Russia.

So the military leaders of the General Staff calculated that they would deal piecemeal with their main opponents and celebrate victory in the same summer of 1914. For some reason, they decided that Great Britain, frightened by Germany’s victorious march across Europe, would not get involved in the war. As for England, the calculation was simple. The country did not have strong ground forces, although it had a powerful navy.

Russia did not need additional territories. Well, the turmoil started by Germany, as it seemed then, was decided to be used to strengthen its influence on the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, to subjugate Constantinople, unite the lands of Poland and become the sovereign mistress of the Balkans. By the way, these plans were part of the general plan of the Entente states.

Austria-Hungary did not want to remain on the sidelines. Her thoughts extended exclusively to the Balkan countries. Each country got involved in the war not only fulfilling its allied duty, but also trying to grab its share of the victory pie.

After a short break caused by waiting for a response to the telegram, which never came, Nicholas II announced general mobilization. Germany issued an ultimatum demanding that the mobilization be cancelled. Here Russia remained silent and continued to carry out the emperor’s decree. On July 19, Germany announced the start of war against Russia.

And yet on two fronts

While planning victories and celebrating their upcoming conquests, countries were poorly prepared for war in technical terms. At this time, new, more advanced types of weapons appeared. Naturally, they could not help but influence the tactics of combat. But this was not taken into account by the military leaders, who were accustomed to using old, outdated techniques.

An important point was the involvement of more soldiers during operations, specialists who can work with new equipment. Therefore, the battle diagrams and victory diagrams drawn at headquarters were crossed out by the course of the war from the first days.

Nevertheless, powerful armies were mobilized. The Entente troops numbered up to six million soldiers and officers, the Triple Alliance gathered three and a half million people under its banner. This became a big test for the Russians. At this time, Russia continued military operations against Turkish troops in Transcaucasia.

On the Western Front, which the Germans initially considered the main one, they had to fight the French and British. In the east, Russian armies entered the battle. The US refrained from military action. Only in 1917 did American soldiers land in Europe and take the side of the Entente.

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich became the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia. As a result of mobilization, the Russian army grew from one and a half million people to five and a half million. 114 divisions were formed. 94 divisions opposed the Germans, Austrians and Hungarians. Germany fielded 20 of its own and 46 allied divisions against the Russians.

So, the Germans began to fight against France. And they stopped almost immediately. The front, which initially curved towards the French, soon leveled off. They were helped by English units that arrived on the continent. The fighting went on with varying degrees of success. This came as a surprise to the Germans. And Germany decides to withdraw Russia from the theater of military operations.

Firstly, fighting on two fronts was unproductive. Secondly, it was not possible to dig trenches along the entire length of the Eastern Front due to the enormous distances. Well, the cessation of hostilities promised Germany the release of armies for use against England and France.

East Prussian operation

At the request of the command of the French armed forces, two armies were hastily formed. The first was commanded by General Pavel Rennenkampf, the second by General Alexander Samsonov. Armies were created hastily. After mobilization was announced, almost all the military personnel in the reserve arrived at recruiting stations. There was no time to figure it out, officer positions were filled quickly, non-commissioned officers had to be enrolled in the rank and file.

As historians note, at this moment both armies represented the flower of the Russian army. They were led by military generals, famous in battles in eastern Russia, as well as in China. The start of the East Prussian operation was successful. On August 7, 1914, the 1st Army, near Gumbinen, completely defeated the German 8th Army. The victory turned the heads of the commanders of the Northwestern Front, and they gave the order to Rennenkampf to advance on Königsberg, then go to Berlin.

The commander of the 1st Army, following the order, was forced to withdraw several corps from the French direction, including three of them from the most dangerous area. The 2nd Army of General Samsonov was under attack. Further events became disastrous for both armies. Both of them began to develop attacks, being far from each other. The warriors were tired and hungry. There was not enough bread. Communication between the armies was carried out via radiotelegraph.

The messages were sent in plain text, so the Germans knew about all the movements of military units. And then there were messages from higher commanders that brought confusion to the deployment of armies. The Germans managed to block the army of Alexander Samsonov with the help of 13 divisions, depriving it of a preferential strategic position. On August 10, the German army of General Hindenburg begins to encircle the Russians and by August 16 drives it into swampy places.

Selected guards corps were destroyed. Communication with the army of Paul Rennenkampf was interrupted. At an extremely tense moment, the general and his staff officers go to a dangerous site. Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, acutely experiencing the death of his guards, the famous general shoots himself.

General Klyuev, appointed commander instead of Samsonov, gives the order to surrender. But not all officers followed this order. The officers who did not obey Klyuev removed approximately 10,000 soldiers from the swampy cauldron. It was a crushing defeat for the Russian army.

General P. Rennenkampf was blamed for the disaster of the 2nd Army. He was accused of treason and cowardice. The general was forced to leave the army. On the night of April 1, 1918, the Bolsheviks shot Pavel Rennenkapf, accusing him of betraying General Alexander Samsonov. So, as they say, from a sore head to a healthy one. Even in tsarist times, it was even attributed to the general that he bore a German surname, which meant he had to be a traitor.

In this operation, the Russian army lost 170,000 soldiers, the Germans were missing 37,000 people. But the victory of the German troops in this operation was strategically equal to zero. But the destruction of the army brought devastation and panic into the souls of Russians. The mood of patriotism has disappeared.

Yes, the East Prussian operation was a disaster for the Russian army. She only confused the cards for the Germans. The loss of the best sons of Russia became salvation for the French armed forces. The Germans were unable to capture Paris. Subsequently, Marshal of France Foch noted that thanks to Russia, France was not wiped off the face of the earth.

The death of the Russian army forced the Germans to switch all their forces and all their attention towards the east. This, ultimately, predetermined the victory of the Entente.

Galician operation

In contrast to the northwestern theater of military operations, in the southwestern direction the Russian troops were doing much more successfully. In the operation, which later became known as the Galician operation, which began on August 5 and ended on September 8, troops of Austria-Hungary fought against the Russian armies. Approximately two million troops on both sides took part in the fighting. 5,000 guns fired at the enemy.

The front line stretched for four hundred kilometers. The army of General Alexei Brusilov began attacking the enemy on August 8. Two days later, the remaining armies entered the battle. It took the Russian army just over a week to break through the enemy’s defenses and penetrate up to three hundred kilometers into enemy territory.

The cities of Galich and Lvov, as well as a vast territory of all of Galicia, were captured. Austria-Hungary's troops lost half their strength, approximately 400,000 fighters. The enemy army lost its combat effectiveness until the end of the war. The losses of Russian forces amounted to 230,000 people.

The Galician operation affected further military operations. It was this operation that broke all the plans of the German General Staff for the lightning speed of the military campaign. The Germans' hopes for the armed forces of their allies, in particular Austria-Hungary, dimmed. The German command had to urgently redeploy military units. And in this case, it was necessary to remove divisions from the Western Front.

It is also important that it was at this time that Italy left its ally Germany and took the side of the Entente.

Warsaw-Ivangorod and Lodz operations

October 1914 was also marked by the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation. The Russian command decided on the eve of October to transfer troops located in Galicia to Poland in order to subsequently launch a direct attack on Berlin. The Germans, to support the Austrians, transferred the 8th Army of General von Hindenburg to help her. The armies were tasked with going to the rear of the Northwestern Front. But first, it was necessary to attack the troops of both fronts - Northwestern and Southwestern.

The Russian command sent three armies and two corps from Galicia to the Ivangorod-Warsaw line. The fighting was accompanied by a large number of killed and wounded. The Russians fought bravely. Heroism took on a mass character. It was here that the name of the pilot Nesterov, who committed a heroic act in the sky, first became widely known. For the first time in the history of aviation, he went to ram an enemy plane.

On October 26, the advance of the Austro-German forces was stopped. They were thrown back to their previous positions. During the operation, the troops of Austria-Hungary lost up to 100,000 people killed, the Russians - 50,000 soldiers.

Three days after the completion of the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation, military operations moved to the Lodz area. The Germans intended to encircle and destroy the 2nd and 5th armies, which were part of the Northwestern Front. The German command transferred nine divisions from the Western Front. The fighting was very stubborn. But for the Germans they were ineffective.

The year 1914 became a test of strength for the warring armies. A lot of blood was spilled. The Russians lost up to two million soldiers in the battles, the German-Austrian troops were thinned by 950,000 soldiers. Neither side gained a noticeable advantage. Although Russia, not being ready for military action, saved Paris and forced the Germans to fight on two fronts at once.

Everyone suddenly realized that the war would be protracted and a lot more blood would be shed. The German command began to develop an offensive plan in 1915 along the entire Eastern Front. But again, a mischievous mood reigned in the German General Staff. It was decided to quickly deal with Russia first, and then one by one defeat France, then England. By the end of 1914, there was a lull on the fronts.

Calm before the storm

Throughout 1915, the warring parties were in a state of passively supporting their troops in occupied positions. There was preparation and redeployment of troops, delivery of equipment and weapons. This was especially true for Russia, since factories producing weapons and ammunition were not fully prepared by the start of the war. The reform in the army at that time was not yet completed. The year 1915 provided a favorable respite for this. But it was not always quiet on the fronts.

Having concentrated all their forces on the Eastern Front, the Germans initially achieved success. The Russian army is forced to leave its positions. This takes place in 1915. The army retreats with heavy losses. The Germans did not take one thing into account. The factor of huge territories begins to act against them.

Having reached Russian soil after thousands of kilometers of walking with weapons and ammunition, the German soldiers were left exhausted. Having conquered part of Russian territory, they did not become winners. However, it was not difficult to defeat the Russians at this moment. The army was almost without weapons and ammunition. Sometimes three ammunition made up the entire arsenal of one gun. But even in an almost unarmed state, Russian troops inflicted significant damage on the Germans. The highest spirit of patriotism was also not taken into account by the conquerors.

Having failed to achieve significant results in battles with the Russians, Germany returned to the Western Front. The Germans and French met on the battlefield near Verdun. It was more like exterminating each other. 600 thousand soldiers died in that battle. The French survived. Germany was unable to turn the tide of the battle in its direction. But this was already in 1916. Germany became increasingly bogged down in the war, dragging more and more countries along with it.

And the year 1916 began with victories of the Russian armies. Turkey, which was in an alliance with Germany at that time, suffered a number of defeats from Russian troops. Having advanced deep into Turkey up to 300 kilometers, the armies of the Caucasian Front, as a result of a number of victorious operations, occupied the cities of Erzurum and Trebizond.

The victorious march after a lull was continued by the army under the command of Alexei Brusilov.

To ease tension on the Western Front, the Entente allies turned to Russia with a request to begin military operations. Otherwise, the French army could be destroyed. Russian military leaders considered this an adventure that could turn into failure. But the order came to attack the Germans.

The offensive operation was led by General Alexei Brusilov. According to the tactics developed by the general, the offensive was launched on a wide front. In this state, the enemy could not determine the direction of the main attack. For two days, on May 22 and 23, 1916, artillery salvoes thundered over the German trenches. Artillery preparation gave way to calm. As soon as the German soldiers climbed out of the trenches to take up positions, the shelling began again.

It took only three hours to crush the enemy's first line of defense. Several tens of thousands of enemy soldiers and officers were captured. The Brusilovites advanced for 17 days. But Brusilov’s command did not allow him to develop this offensive. An order was received to stop the offensive and go into active defense.

7 days have passed. And Brusilov was again given the command to go on the attack. But time was lost. The Germans managed to bring up reserves and prepare well the fortification redoubts. Brusilov's army had a hard time. Although the offensive continued, it was slow, and with losses that could not be called justified. With the onset of November, Brusilov's army completed its breakthrough.

The results of the Brusilov breakthrough are impressive. 1.5 million enemy soldiers and officers were killed, and another 500 were captured. Russian troops entered Bukovina and occupied part of the territory of East Prussia. The French army was saved. The Brusilov breakthrough became the most notable military operation of the First World War. But Germany continued to fight.

A new commander-in-chief was appointed. The Austrians transferred 6 divisions from the south, where they opposed Italian troops, to the Eastern Front. For the successful advancement of Brusilov's army, support from other fronts was necessary. It didn't come.

Historians give this operation very great significance. They believe that this was a crushing blow to the German troops, from which the country never recovered. Its result was the practical withdrawal of Austria from the war. But General Brusilov, summing up his feat, noted that his army worked for others, and not for Russia. By this he seemed to be saying that Russian soldiers saved the allies, but did not reach the main turning point of the war. Although there was still a fracture.

The year 1916 became favorable for the Entente troops, in particular for Russia. At the end of the year, the armed forces numbered 6.5 million soldiers and officers, of whom 275 divisions were formed. In the theater of military operations, stretching from the Black to the Baltic Seas, 135 divisions participated in military operations on the Russian side.

But the losses of Russian military personnel were enormous. During the entire period of the First World War, Russia lost seven million of its best sons and daughters. The tragedy of the Russian troops was especially evident in 1917. Having shed a sea of ​​blood on the battlefields and emerged victorious in many decisive battles, the country did not take advantage of the fruits of its victories.

The reason was that the Russian army was demoralized by revolutionary forces. On the fronts, fraternization with opponents began everywhere. And the defeats began. The Germans entered Riga and captured the Moondzun archipelago, located in the Baltic.

Operations in Belarus and Galicia ended in defeat. A wave of defeatism swept over the country, and demands for an exit from the war grew louder and louder. The Bolsheviks took advantage of this brilliantly. By proclaiming the Decree of Peace, they attracted to their side a significant part of the military personnel who were tired of the war and the incompetent management of military operations by the Supreme Command.

The country of the Soviets emerged from the First World War without hesitation, concluding the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty with Germany in the March days of 1918. On the Western Front, military operations ended with the signing of the Compiegne Armistice Treaty. This happened in November 1918. The final results of the war were formalized in 1919 at Versailles, where a peace treaty was concluded. Soviet Russia was not among the participants in this agreement.

Five periods of opposition

It is customary to divide the First World War into five periods. They are correlated with the years of confrontation. The first period occurred in 1914. At this time, fighting took place on two fronts. On the Western Front, Germany fought with France. In the East, Russia collided with Prussia. But before the Germans turned their arms against the French, they easily occupied Luxembourg and Belgium. Only after this did they begin to act against France.

The lightning war did not work out. Firstly, France turned out to be a tough nut to crack, which Germany never managed to crack. On the other hand, Russia put up worthy resistance. The plans of the German General Staff were not allowed to be realized.

In 1915, fighting between France and Germany alternated with long periods of calm. It was hard for the Russians. Poor supplies became the main reason for the retreat of the Russian troops. They were forced to leave Poland and Galicia. This year has become tragic for the warring parties. A lot of fighters died on both sides. This stage in the war is the second.

The third stage is marked by two big events. One of them became the bloodiest. This is the battle of the Germans and the French at Verdun. Over a million soldiers and officers were killed during the battle. The second important event was the Brusilovsky breakthrough. It was included in the textbooks of military schools in many countries as one of the most ingenious battles in the history of war.

The fourth stage of the war occurred in 1917. The bloodless German army was no longer capable of not only conquering other countries, but also of offering serious resistance. Therefore, the Entente dominated on the battlefields. The coalition troops are being reinforced by US military units that have also joined the Entente military bloc. But Russia leaves this union in connection with the revolutions, first the February, then the October.

The final, fifth period of the First World War was marked by the conclusion of peace between Germany and Russia on very difficult and extremely unfavorable conditions for the latter. The Allies leave Germany, making peace with the Entente countries. Revolutionary sentiments are brewing in Germany, defeatist sentiments are spreading in the army. As a result, Germany is forced to surrender.

Significance of World War I

The First World War was the largest and bloodiest for many countries that took part in it in the first quarter of the 20th century. The Second World War was still a long way off. And Europe tried to heal its wounds. They were significant. Approximately 80 million people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed or seriously injured.

In a very short period of five years, four empires ceased to exist. These are Russian, Ottoman, German, Austro-Hungarian. Plus, the October Revolution took place in Russia, which firmly and permanently divided the world into two irreconcilable camps: communist and capitalist.

There have been significant changes in the economies of countries under colonial rule. Many trade ties between countries were destroyed. With the reduction in the flow of industrial goods from the metropolises, colonial-dependent countries were forced to adjust their production. All this accelerated the process of development of national capitalism.

The war caused enormous damage to the agricultural production of colonial countries. At the end of the First World War, there was a surge of anti-war protests in the countries that participated in it. In a number of countries it grew into a revolutionary movement. Subsequently, following the example of the world's first socialist country, communist parties began to be created everywhere.

Following Russia, revolutions took place in Hungary and Germany. The revolution in Russia overshadowed the events of the First World War. Many heroes are forgotten, the events of those days are erased from memory. In Soviet times, there was an opinion that this war was senseless. To some extent this may be true. But the sacrifices were not in vain. Thanks to the skillful military actions of generals Alexei Brusilov? Pavel Rennenkampf, Alexander Samsonov, other military leaders, as well as the armies they led, Russia defended its territories. The mistakes of military operations were adopted by new military leaders and subsequently studied. The experience of this war helped us survive and win during the Great Patriotic War.

By the way, the leaders of Russia at the present time are calling for the definition of “Patriotic” to be applied to the First World War. More and more insistent calls are being made to announce the names of all the heroes of that war, to immortalize them in history textbooks and in new monuments. During the First World War, Russia once again showed that it knows how to fight and defeat any enemy.

Having resisted a very serious enemy, the Russian army fell under the onslaught of an internal enemy. And again there were casualties. It is believed that the First World War gave birth to revolutions in Russia and other countries. The statement is controversial, as is the fact that another result was the Civil War, which also claimed lives.

It is important to understand something else. Russia survived a terrible hurricane of wars that devastated it. She survived and was reborn. Of course, today it is impossible to imagine how strong the state would be if multimillion-dollar losses had not occurred, if there had not been destruction of cities and villages, and devastation of the most productive fields in the world.

It is unlikely that anyone in the world understands this better than the Russians. And that’s why they don’t want war here, no matter in what form it may be presented. But if war happens, the Russians are ready to once again show all their strength, courage and heroism.

Notable was the creation in Moscow of the Society for the Memory of the First World War. Data about that period is already being collected and documents are being examined. The Society is an international public organization. This status will help you receive materials from other countries.

To thoroughly understand how the First World War (1914-1918) began, you must first become familiar with the political situation that developed in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. The prehistory of the global military conflict was the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). It ended with the complete defeat of France, and the confederate union of German states was transformed into the German Empire. Wilhelm I became its head on January 18, 1871. Thus, a powerful power emerged in Europe with a population of 41 million people and an army of almost 1 million soldiers.

Political situation in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century

At first, the German Empire did not strive for political dominance in Europe, since it was economically weak. But over the course of 15 years, the country gained strength and began to claim a more worthy place in the Old World. Here it must be said that politics is always determined by the economy, and German capital had very few markets. This can be explained by the fact that Germany in its colonial expansion was hopelessly behind Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, France, and Russia.

Map of Europe by 1914. Germany and its allies are shown in brown. Entente countries are shown in green.

It is also necessary to take into account the small area of ​​the state, whose population was growing rapidly. It required food, but there was not enough of it. In a word, Germany gained strength, but the world was already divided, and no one was going to voluntarily give up the promised lands. There was only one way out - to take away the tasty morsels by force and provide a decent, prosperous life for your capital and people.

The German Empire did not hide its ambitious claims, but it could not resist England, France and Russia alone. Therefore, in 1882, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy formed a military-political bloc (Triple Alliance). Its consequences were the Moroccan crises (1905-1906, 1911) and the Italo-Turkish War (1911-1912). It was a test of strength, a rehearsal for a more serious and large-scale military conflict.

In response to increasing German aggression in 1904-1907, a military-political bloc of Cordial Concord (Entente) was formed, which included England, France and Russia. Thus, at the beginning of the 20th century, two powerful military forces emerged in Europe. One of them, led by Germany, sought to expand its living space, and the other force tried to counteract these plans in order to protect its economic interests.

Germany's ally, Austria-Hungary, represented a hotbed of instability in Europe. It was a multinational country, which constantly provoked interethnic conflicts. In October 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Herzegovina and Bosnia. This caused sharp discontent in Russia, which had the status of protector of the Slavs in the Balkans. Russia was supported by Serbia, which considered itself the unifying center of the South Slavs.

A tense political situation was observed in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire, which once dominated here, began to be called the “sick man of Europe” at the beginning of the 20th century. And therefore, stronger countries began to lay claim to its territory, which provoked political disagreements and local wars. All of the above information has given a general idea of ​​the background to the global military conflict, and now it’s time to find out how the First World War began.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife

The political situation in Europe was heating up every day and by 1914 it had reached its peak. All that was needed was a small push, a pretext for unleashing a global military conflict. And soon such an opportunity presented itself. It went down in history as the Sarajevo murder, and it happened on June 28, 1914.

Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophia

On that ill-fated day, Gavrilo Princip (1894-1918), a member of the nationalist organization Mlada Bosna (Young Bosnia), killed the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914) and his wife Countess Sofia Chotek (1868-1914). “Mlada Bosna” advocated the liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the rule of Austria-Hungary and was ready to use any methods for this, including terrorism.

The Archduke and his wife arrived in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, at the invitation of the Austro-Hungarian governor, General Oscar Potiorek (1853-1933). Everyone knew about the arrival of the crowned couple in advance, and members of Mlada Bosna decided to kill Ferdinand. For this purpose, a battle group of 6 people was created. It consisted of young people, natives of Bosnia.

Early on the morning of Sunday, June 28, 1914, the crowned couple arrived in Sarajevo by train. She was met on the platform by Oscar Potiorek, journalists and an enthusiastic crowd of loyal colleagues. The arrivals and high-ranking greeters were seated in 6 cars, while the Archduke and his wife found themselves in the third car with the top folded. The motorcade took off and rushed towards the military barracks.

By 10 o'clock the inspection of the barracks was completed, and all 6 cars drove along the Appel embankment to the city hall. This time the car with the crowned couple was the second in the motorcade. At 10:10 a.m. the moving cars caught up with one of the terrorists named Nedeljko Chabrinovic. This young man threw a grenade, aiming at the car with the Archduke. But the grenade hit the convertible top, flew under the third car and exploded.

Detention of Gavrilo Princip, who killed Archduke Ferdinand and his wife

The driver of the car was killed by shrapnel, passengers were injured, as well as people who were near the car at that moment. A total of 20 people were injured. The terrorist himself swallowed potassium cyanide. However, it did not give the desired effect. The man vomited, and he jumped into the river to escape the crowd. But the river in that place turned out to be very shallow. The terrorist was dragged ashore, and angry people brutally beat him. After this, the crippled conspirator was handed over to the police.

After the explosion, the motorcade increased speed and reached the city hall without incident. There, a magnificent reception awaited the crowned couple, and, despite the assassination attempt, the official part took place. At the end of the celebration, it was decided to curtail the further program due to the emergency situation. It was decided only to go to the hospital to visit the wounded there. At 10:45 a.m. the cars started moving again and drove along Franz Joseph Street.

Another terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, was waiting for the moving motorcade. He was standing outside the Moritz Schiller Delicatessen store next to the Latin Bridge. Seeing the crowned couple sitting in a convertible car, the conspirator stepped forward, caught up with the car and found himself next to it at a distance of only one and a half meters. He shot twice. The first bullet hit Sophia in the stomach, and the second in Ferdinand's neck.

After shooting people, the conspirator tried to poison himself, but, like the first terrorist, he only vomited. Then Princip tried to shoot himself, but people ran up, took the gun away and began beating the 19-year-old man. He was beaten so badly that the killer's arm was amputated in the prison hospital. Subsequently, the court sentenced Gavrilo Princip to 20 years of hard labor, since according to the laws of Austria-Hungary he was a minor at the time of the crime. In prison, the young man was kept in the most difficult conditions and died of tuberculosis on April 28, 1918.

Ferdinand and Sofia, wounded by the conspirator, remained sitting in the car, which rushed to the governor’s residence. There they were going to provide medical assistance to the victims. But the couple died on the way. First, Sofia died, and 10 minutes later Ferdinand gave his soul to God. Thus ended the Sarajevo murder, which became the reason for the outbreak of the First World War.

July crisis

The July Crisis was a series of diplomatic clashes between the leading powers of Europe in the summer of 1914, provoked by the Sarajevo assassination. Of course, this political conflict could have been resolved peacefully, but the powers that be really wanted war. And this desire was based on the confidence that the war would be very short and effective. But it became protracted and claimed more than 20 million human lives.

Funeral of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Countess Sophia

After the assassination of Ferdinand, Austria-Hungary stated that Serbian state structures were behind the conspirators. At the same time, Germany publicly announced to the whole world that in the event of a military conflict in the Balkans, it would support Austria-Hungary. This statement was made on July 5, 1914, and on July 23, Austria-Hungary issued a harsh ultimatum to Serbia. In particular, in it the Austrians demanded that their police be allowed into the territory of Serbia for investigative actions and punishment of terrorist groups.

The Serbs could not do this and announced mobilization in the country. Literally two days later, on July 26, the Austrians also announced mobilization and began to gather troops to the borders of Serbia and Russia. The final touch in this local conflict was July 28. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and began shelling Belgrade. After artillery bombardment, Austrian troops crossed the Serbian border.

On July 29, Russian Emperor Nicholas II invited Germany to resolve the Austro-Serbian conflict at the Hague Conference peacefully. But Germany did not respond to this. Then, on July 31, general mobilization was announced in the Russian Empire. In response to this, Germany declared war on Russia on August 1, and war on France on August 3. Already on August 4, German troops entered Belgium, and its king Albert turned to European countries as guarantors of its neutrality.

After this, Great Britain sent a note of protest to Berlin and demanded an immediate end to the invasion of Belgium. The German government ignored the note, and Great Britain declared war on Germany. And the final touch of this general madness came on August 6th. On this day, Austria-Hungary declared war on the Russian Empire. This is how the First World War began.

Soldiers in the First World War

Officially it lasted from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918. Military operations took place in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa, China, and Oceania. Human civilization had never known anything like this before. It was the largest military conflict that shook the state foundations of the leading countries of the planet. After the war, the world became different, but humanity did not grow wiser and by the middle of the 20th century unleashed an even larger massacre that claimed many more lives.