World War I

What was the cause of World War I?
World War I started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914. Princip and other nationalists wanted to end Austro-Hungarian rule over Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the assassination, Austria-Hungary blamed the Serbian government and wanted to settle the issue of Serbian nationalism. They asked German leader Kaiser Wilhelm II for Germany’s support in case of war, fearing that Russia’s involvement would bring France and possibly Great Britain into the conflict. Kaiser Wilhelm secretly promised to support Austria-Hungary, giving them assurance of Germany’s backing. Austria-Hungary then gave Serbia an ultimatum with harsh terms that were almost impossible to accept.

Convinced that Austria-Hungary was preparing for war, the Serbian government ordered the Serbian army to mobilize and sought help from Russia. On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Serbia formed an alliance against Austria-Hungary and Germany, starting World War I.

The first battle of Marne
Germany used a military plan called the Schlieffen Plan. This plan involved attacking France by going through Belgium, which was a neutral country, in the west. At the same time, Germany also planned to face Russia in the east. German troops crossed into Belgium on August 4, 1914, and captured the heavily fortified city of Liege by August 15. They continued their advance towards France, causing destruction along the way.

The first battle of Marne was fought from September 6–9, 1914. During this battle, French and British forces confronted the invading German army, which had made significant progress into northeastern France. The Allied troops successfully fought back, pushing the Germans back. This defeat ended Germany’s hopes for a quick victory in France, and both sides started digging trenches, leading to a long and brutal war on the Western Front.

During World War I, Russia invaded German-held territories on the Eastern Front but was stopped at the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914. Although Russia won this battle, Germany had to divert troops from the Western Front, which contributed to their loss in the Battle of the Marne. Russia’s ability to mobilize quickly in the east, along with the strong resistance in France, led to a longer and more difficult conflict than Germany had anticipated.

Russian revolution
As a result of military defeats, economic instability, and resource shortages, the Russian population became increasingly discontented. This discontent, directed towards Czar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra, culminated in the Russian Revolution of 1917. The revolution, led by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, ended the rule of the czar and led to Russia’s withdrawal from World War I. In December 1917, Russia reached an armistice with the Central Powers, allowing German troops to focus on the remaining Allies on the Western Front.

The United States entered the war.
At the beginning of World War I in 1914, the United States decided to stay out of the conflict and remain neutral, following President Woodrow Wilson’s policy of not taking sides. However, it became harder to stay neutral as Germany’s submarines started attacking ships from neutral countries, even those with passengers. In 1915, Germany declared the waters around the British Isles a war zone and sank several commercial and passenger vessels, including some American ships.

The sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania in May 1915, which had American passengers on board, caused a lot of people to protest and turned public opinion against Germany. In February 1917, Congress passed a bill to provide $250 million for weapons, getting the United States ready for war. When Germany sank four more American merchant ships the next month, President Woodrow Wilson went before Congress on April 2 and asked for a declaration of war against Germany.

Battle of Gallipoli
The Allies launched a big land invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915, with the goal of defeating the Ottoman Empire. However, this invasion failed, and in January 1916, the Allied forces retreated after suffering heavy casualties.

Battle of Isonzo
The First Battle of the Isonzo happened in late spring 1915, shortly after Italy joined the war on the side of the Allies. In the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, also called the Battle of Caporetto, in October 1917, Germany sent reinforcements to help Austria-Hungary achieve a significant win. Following Caporetto, Italy’s allies stepped in to provide more support. British, French, and later American troops arrived in the area, and the Allies started reclaiming the Italian Front.

The Battle of Jutland
After the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915, where the British attacked German ships, Germany relied more on U-boats instead of directly confronting the British Royal Navy. The Battle of Jutland in 1916, the largest naval engagement of the war, confirmed British naval superiority.

The second battle of Marne
With Germany strengthening its forces on the Western Front, Allied troops faced a German offensive in the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918. However, with reinforcements from the United States, the Allies successfully pushed back the German offensive and launched their own counteroffensive. This battle marked a turning point in the war, leading to the Allies regaining much of France and Belgium in the following months.

The end of World War I
By 1918, the Central Powers were losing. Turkey won at Gallipoli but then lost to other armies and a rebellion. Austria-Hungary stopped fighting on November 4. Germany had no more resources and had to stop fighting on November 11, 1918. This ended World War I.

At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, Allied leaders wanted to create a post-war world that would prevent future conflicts of such magnitude. Some optimists even referred to World War I as “the War to End All Wars.” However, the Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, did not make this happen. Germany was blamed for the war and had to pay a lot of money. They were also not allowed to join the League of Nations. Germany felt tricked into signing this treaty. Germany became angry about the treaty, and this contributed to the outbreak of World War II.

The results of World War I
World War I caused the deaths of more than 9 million soldiers and left 21 million wounded. Nearly 10 million civilians also lost their lives. Germany and France were the most affected countries, as they sent around 80 percent of their male populations aged 15 to 49 to fight. The political turmoil caused by the war resulted in the downfall of four imperial dynasties: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Turkey.

The war brought significant social changes, with millions of women entering the workforce to replace men who never returned from the war. Additionally, the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which claimed the lives of an estimated 20 to 50 million people, spread during this time.

World War I is often called “the first modern war” because it introduced technologies like machine guns, tanks, and radio communications on a large scale. Furthermore, World War I was the first major conflict to use airplanes. Planes played a crucial role in providing information to the Allies during the First Battle of the Marne. Machine guns were successfully mounted on planes in 1912, and further improvements were made to protect the propellers from bullets. Dutch inventor Anthony Fokker improved upon this system in 1915. The Allies also developed heavy bombers, which proved more effective than earlier Zeppelin raids.

Moreover, the devastating effects of chemical weapons, such as mustard gas and phosgene, on soldiers and civilians during the war led to widespread opposition against their use. The Geneva Convention agreements, signed in 1925, imposed restrictions on the use of chemical and biological agents in warfare, which still remain in effect today.

Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/world-war-i-history