First World War

First World War

• World War I (WWI), also known as the Great War, lasted from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918.
• World War I was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers.
  • The main members of the Allied Forces were France, Russia and Great Britain. The United States also fought alongside the Allies after 1917.
  • The main members of the Central powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.

Causes of war

No single event led to World War I. The war occurred because of several different events that took place in the years leading up to 1914.

• Germany’s new international expansionist policy: In 1890, the new emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, began an international policy aimed at making his country a world power. Germany was seen as a threat by other powers and was destabilizing the international situation.
• Mutual defense alliances: Countries across Europe have entered into mutual defense agreements. These treaties meant that if a country was attacked, allied countries were required to defend it.
  • THE Triple Alliance-1882 connecting Germany to Austria-Hungary and Italy.
  • THE Triple Entente, composed of Great Britain, France and Russia, concluded in 1907.
  • There were therefore two rival groups in Europe.

Fig: Alliances at the start of the war

• Imperialism: Before World War I, Africa and parts of Asia were points of contention between European countries due to their raw materials. Growing competition and the desire to create larger empires led to intensified clashes that helped push the world into World War I.
• Militarism: As the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had begun. In 1914, Germany experienced the greatest increase in its military buildup. Both Britain and Germany significantly increased their navies during this period. This rise in militarism helped push countries involved into war.
• Nationalism: Much of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria-Hungary but of Serbia. This is how nationalism led to war.
• Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand: In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot dead while visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia. He was killed by a Serb who believed that Serbia should control Bosnia rather than Austria. Its leader having been defeated, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Therefore:
  • Russia got involved because it had an alliance with Serbia.
  • Germany then declared war on Russia because it had an alliance with Austria-Hungary.
  • Britain declared war on Germany over its invasion of neutral Belgium. Britain had agreements to protect both Belgium and France.

• Some of the major battles of the war included the First Battle of the Marne, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Tannenberg, the Battle of Gallipoli, and the Battle of Verdun.

Phases of the war

• The conflict has developed on several fronts in Europe, Africa and Asia. The two main scenarios were the Western Front, where the Germans faced Britain, France and, after 1917, the Americans. The second front was the Eastern Front during which the Russians fought against the Germans and the Austro-Hungarians.
• After a brief German advance in 1914, the Western Front was stabilized and a long and brutal trench war began: it was a “war of attrition” (the western front remained immobile). Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the Germans were advancing, but not decisively.
• In 1917, two events changed the course of the war: The United States joined the Allies and Russia, after the Russian Revolution, abandoned the conflict and signed a separate peace.
• Ultimately, after the German spring offensive of 1918, the Allied counterattack succeeded in forcing a decisive retreat of the German army. The defeat of Germany’s allies and the revolution in Germany which dethroned Wilhelm II (German Emperor) led to the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918. The Great War was over.

Consequences of the war

• Economic consequences: The First World War was very costly for the participating countries. Germany and Britain spent around 60% of the money produced by their economies. Countries have had to raise taxes and borrow money from their citizens. They also printed money in order to buy weapons and other things they needed for war. This led to inflation after the war.
• Political consequences: The First World War brought an end to four monarchies: Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Emperor Wilhelm of Germany, Emperor Charles of Austria and the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had to step down.
  • New countries were created from old empires. Austria-Hungary was divided into several independent states.
  • Russia and Germany ceded land to Poland. The countries of the Middle East were placed under the control of Great Britain and France.
  • What remained of the Ottoman Empire became Turkey.

• Social consequences: The World War completely changed society. Birth rates declined because millions of young men died (eight million dead, millions wounded, maimed, widowed and orphaned). Civilians lost their land and fled to other countries.
  • The role of women has also changed. They played a major role in replacing men in factories and offices. Many countries granted more rights to women after the war ended, including the right to vote.
  • The upper classes have lost their leading role in society. Young men and women from the middle and lower classes demanded a say in the formation of their country after the war.

• Treaty of Versailles: On June 28, 1919, the First World War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was an attempt to prevent the world from entering into another war.

However, the war also brought other important social and ideological changes.

• THE WE, who had won the war but had not experienced the conflict on his territory, has become a leading world power.
• The massive mobilization of men led to the integration of women into the labor market, which constituted a major advance for women’s rights.
• The triumph of the Soviet Revolution (Russian Revolution) and the social crisis that followed the war encouraged the workers in many countries to protest, creating a pre-revolutionary climate.
• The extreme nationalism experienced during the war, coupled with fear of a communist revolution, encouraged middle-class populations in some countries to move toward the far right. This created a hotbed of fascist movements.
• Creation of the League of Nations: The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group created after World War I to resolve disputes between countries before they erupted into open war. A precursor to the United Nations, the League won some victories but had a mixed record.

India and the First World War

• India, as a former British colony, played a vital role in helping Britain and its allies defeat Germany and its allies, a role often overlooked.
• As a British colony, the Indian Army contributed large numbers of soldiers to war conflicts in Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East during the First World War.
• The Indian Army fought against the German Empire in East Africa as well as on the Western Front.
• They served in places as diverse as France and Belgium, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine and Sinai.
• More than 70,000 Indian soldiers who served the British during World War I lost their lives. Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, once said: “Britain could not have overcome the wars without the Indian Army. »
• India gave Britain up to £100 million to finance its war, expecting dominion status and self-rule in return.
• The British collected men and money from India, as well as large reserves of food, silver and ammunition, collected through British tax policy. In return, the British promised to grant autonomy to India at the end of the war, which was ultimately not achieved.

However, the “war to end all wars” turned out to be the opposite. By ensuring Germany’s economic ruin and political humiliation through the Versatility Treaty, the postwar settlement provided fertile ground for World War II.