Phases of World War I

We explain what the main events were during the war and the consequences that meant a level of unprecedented violence and destruction.

World War I (1914-1918) was A large -scale military conflict which involved the main colonialist empires and world powers of the time.

At first, the Austro -Hungarian Empire and Germany (the so -called “central powers”) faced the United Kingdom, France and the Russian empire (known as “the allies”). With the development of war, different states were involved in both sides. The Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria associated with the central powers, while Italy, Japan and the United States joined the allies.

The Great War (name with which the conflict was called at that time) began on July 18, 1914. All those involved believed that war would be rapid and that, by the end of the year, the conflict would have been resolved. It started as a War of movementsin which the armies mobilized to achieve the occupation of certain territorial objectives.

However, the level of military forces of both sides, the new arms developments and the amount of mobilized troops led to stagnation, the difficulty of progress and a very high level of destruction for both sides. In this way, the great war became a War of positionsin which the armies entrenched themselves to defend positions and the battles had months.

For more than three years, the military conflict remained and the powers continued to spend human and material resourceswithout modifying the course of war or obtaining decisive victories that defined the course towards a definitive victory.

In 1917, there were two external events that deeply affected the outcome of the war. In the Russian Empire, the Bolshevik communist revolution replaced the Tsar with a popular government and signed its departure from the war, through the Brest-Litovsk treaty.

On the other hand, in the United States the Congress voted the abandonment of the policy of “non -intervention” that had been sustaining from the beginning of the Great War. Since then, USA

Finally, in 1918, the devastation of the war led to the internal crisis and The central powers surrendered. The end of the war came on November 11, when Germany signed the armistice and ended the conflict with the side of the allies.

• See also: Consequences of World War I

1882-1907: the conformation of the two sides

In the previous period at the beginning of the Great War, known as the “armed peace”, the European powers competed with each other by territorial, political, ideological and economic objectives. Although a generalized peace was maintained, the tensions were increasing. In that context, The powers were forming different alliances from each other. Some of these alliances remained during the great war and others were changing.

Among the most important alliances are:

• The triple alliance, formed in 1882 when Italy joined the mutual support pact that united the German empire and the Austrohungal Empire.
• The triple entente, constituted in 1907 between France, the United Kingdom and Russia from different previous military agreements.

With the beginning of the great war, alliances were mutating and different countries were integrated into both sides. For example, Italy withdrew from the agreement with Germany and Austria-Hungary and entered the war, in 1915, with the enemy side.

• See also: Causes of World War I

1914: The beginning of war

• June 28. The Sarajevo attack is produced: a Serbian nationalist political activist named Gavrilo Princip murdered Francisco Fernando, nephew of the emperor and heir to the throne of the Austrohungal Empire.
• July 23. After ensuring German support, Austria-Hungary launches an ultimatum to Serbia.
• July 28. Austria-Hungary declares war to Serbia.
• July 30. Russia begins general mobilization.
• August 1. Germany declares war to Russia. France begins general mobilization.
• August 3. Germany declares war to France.
• August 4. Germany invades Belgium, which causes the United Kingdom to declare war.

• It can serve you: Chronology of World War I

1914: The War of Movements

At the beginning of the conflict, no one expected a war that would extend for more than four years. The soldiers who went to the war front believed that they would return to their homes in a few months and the military strategies pointed to a rapid resolution of the conflict.

In the different war fronts, the following advances were developed:

Western front

• Schlieffen plan. Germany attacks France through the neutral Belgium. Moltke directs the German troops.
• The French army, under Joffre, manages to stop the German attack on the battle of Marne. (September-November 1914).
• The fronts are stabilized.

Eastern front

• After an initial Russian advance, the Germans are imposed, although not definitively, in the battle of Tannenberg (August 1914).
• Russia advances to Austria-Hungary.
• Austro-Hungarian troops fail in their attack on Serbia.

Other fronts

• Japan enters war in August and Tsingtao is annexed (German possession in China). From now on, it is disconnected in the practice of conflict.
• The Ottoman Empire enters war with the central empires in November.

1915-1916: The War of positions

The confrontation between great industrial powers led to war at an unpublished level of violence and destruction. The invention of new weapons – such as grenades, flamethrowers, tanks and gas – increased the loss of lives in each battle and, at the same time, generated a tactical tie on the western front.

The armies were entrenched along hundreds and hundreds of kilometers. For the first time in history, a war of trenches was triggered in which the battles could last months.

Among the main events of this period are the following:

Western front

• The successive attempts to break the front are raised in thousands of deaths that barely mean advances of a few kilometers. It is the trenches war.
• Italy Enter war with the allies, after signing the secret Treaty of London (1915). The alpine front between Italy and Austria-Hungary opens.
• In April 1915, the Germans use in Ypres (Belgium) for the first time toxic gases. The Chemical war It has begun.
• In February 1916, Falkenhayn rehearses the war of wear in the battle of Verdún (1916). The result is more than 900.00 casualties and there are no significant advances. Allies have in June in the river Somme With identical results.

Eastern front

• Germany advances under the direction of Hindemburgand occupies the Russian and Lithuania Poland.
• Austria-Hungary conquest Serbia and recovers Galitzia.
• Bulgaria enters war with the central empires in October 1915.
• Romania joins the entrance in 1916 and is quickly defeated.

Other fronts

• There are small advances from the Turkish army in the Caucasus against the Russians.
• Armenian genocide: between 300,000 and 1,500,000 are exterminated by the Turkish troops and the Kurdish population.
• The British begin their advance from Egypt, and take Palestine.
• Battle of Galipoli: failure of the British landing in Türkiye.

1917: The key moment of war

The enormous cost of lives on the fronts, the suffering of the civilian population and the awareness that the war was not going to conclude led to discouragement in the contending countries. The examples were multiple: a wave of strikes in the United Kingdom in 1916, several riots in the French army in 1917, the increase in nationalist demands in Austria-Hungary.

However, two key events modified the course of war: the Soviet revolution in Russia and the entrance of the United States into the conflict.

In the different war fronts, the following events can be highlighted in this phase:

Western front

• Germany resumes the underwater war in January. The large American economic and human losses decide President Wilson to go to war in April 1917.
• The discontent extends between the contestants. Rights in the French army are hard repressed.
• Italy is defeated in the battle of Caporetto, in October 1917.

Eastern front

• Russian Revolution (February-October 1917): The Bolsheviques de Lenin They come to power.
• Russia signs the armistice in December. There are moderate advances of the central empires.
• Greece enters war next to the entente.

Other fronts

• British troops advance through the Middle East. Conquen Baghdad and Jerusalem.

1918: The outcome

The abandonment of war by revolutionary Russia allowed Germany to concentrate all its forces on the western front. The summer of 1918 witnessed the latest German attacks.

However, their allies were on the verge of military and economic exhaustion. The arrival of the US troops definitely unbalanced the balance in favor of the entrance.

Among the most important events of the warning of the war are:

Western front

• President Wilson pronounces the discourse of the 14 points, in which he proposes the necessary conditions for peace (in January).
• Germany advances on France with the Ludendorff offensive until British forces (between March and July) are defeated (between March and July)
• North American troops arrive at the different battle fronts. The entrance responds with a definitive counteroffensive under the command of Foch (between July and September).
• Hindemburg and Ludendorff communicates to Kaiser Guillermo II the impossibility of continuing war.
• Italy expires the Austrohungary forces in the battle of Vittorio Veneto (October)
• Austria-Hungary signs the armistice (November 3).
• Revolution in Germany: the abdication kaiser and flees to Holland. The Republic is proclaimed (November 9).

Eastern front

• The outbreak of the Civil War in Russia forces the Russian delegation to sign the Brest-Litovsk treaty (March 3).
• The Soviet Russia abandons the conflict and yields large territories to the central empires.
• After the French attack from Greece, Bulgaria signs the armistice (in September).

Other fronts

• After its failed offensive in the Middle East and the arrival of British troops to Anatolia, Türkiye signs the armistice (October 30)

Continue with:

• End of World War I
• World War I alliances
• Dead of World War I

References

• Hobsbawn, eg (1998). 20th century history. Criticism
• Tato, Mi, Bubello, JP, Castello, AM and Campos, E. (2011). History of the second half of the twentieth century. Estrada
• Gilbert, M., & Devoto, A. (2005). World War I. Sphere of books.