2. Outcomes of the First World War: Clearing the Field for the Anglo-Saxon Project After the First World War, the center of world financial power moves to the United States, and it is here that institutions are formed that are designed to play a decisive role in creating the European "pillar" of the world

Allies (Entente): France, Great Britain, Russia, Japan, Serbia, USA, Italy (participated in the war on the side of the Entente since 1915).

Friends of the Entente (supported the Entente in the war): Montenegro, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, Siam, Haiti, Liberia, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica.

Question about the causes of the First World War is one of the most discussed in world historiography since the beginning of the war in August 1914.

The outbreak of the war was facilitated by the widespread strengthening of nationalist sentiments. France was hatching plans to return the lost territories of Alsace and Lorraine. Italy, even being in alliance with Austria-Hungary, dreamed of returning its lands of Trentino, Trieste and Fiume. The Poles saw in the war an opportunity to recreate a state destroyed by the divisions of the 18th century. Many peoples inhabiting Austria-Hungary aspired to national independence. Russia was convinced that it would not be able to develop without limiting German competition, protecting the Slavs from Austria-Hungary and expanding its influence in the Balkans. In Berlin, the future was associated with the defeat of France and Great Britain and the unification of the countries of Central Europe under the leadership of Germany. In London, it was believed that the people of Great Britain would live in peace only by crushing the main enemy - Germany.

In addition, international tensions were exacerbated by a series of diplomatic crises - the Franco-German clash in Morocco in 1905-1906; the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austrians in 1908-1909; The Balkan Wars in 1912-1913.

The immediate cause of the war was the Sarajevo murder June 28, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand nineteen-year-old Serbian student Gavrila Princip, who was a member of the secret organization "Young Bosnia", fighting for the unification of all South Slavic peoples in one state.

July 23, 1914 Austria-Hungary, having enlisted the support of Germany, presented Serbia with an ultimatum and demanded that its military formations be admitted to Serbian territory in order, together with Serbian forces, to suppress hostile actions.

Serbia's response to the ultimatum did not satisfy Austria-Hungary, and July 28, 1914 she declared war on Serbia. Russia, having received assurances of support from France, openly opposed Austria-Hungary and July 30, 1914 announced a general mobilization. Germany, taking advantage of this opportunity, announced August 1, 1914 war on Russia, and August 3, 1914- France. After the German invasion August 4, 1914 in Belgium Great Britain declared war on Germany.

The First World War consisted of five campaigns. During first campaign in 1914 Germany invaded Belgium and northern France, but was defeated at the Battle of the Marne. Russia captured parts of East Prussia and Galicia (East Prussian operation and Battle of Galicia), but was then defeated by a German and Austro-Hungarian counteroffensive.

Campaign of 1915 connected with the entry into the war of Italy, the failure of the German plan to withdraw Russia from the war and bloody fruitless battles on the Western Front.

Campaign of 1916 associated with the entry into the war of Romania and the conduct of a grueling positional war on all fronts.

Campaign of 1917 associated with the entry into the war of the United States, the revolutionary withdrawal of Russia from the war and a number of successive offensive operations on the Western Front (Operation Nivelle, operations in the Messines area, on Ypres, near Verdun, at Cambrai).

Campaign of 1918 characterized by a transition from positional defense to a general offensive by the armed forces of the Entente. From the second half of 1918, the Allies prepared and launched retaliatory offensive operations (Amiens, Saint-Miyel, Marne), during which they eliminated the results of the German offensive, and in September 1918 went over to a general offensive. By November 1, 1918, the allies liberated the territory of Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, entered the territory of Bulgaria after the armistice and invaded the territory of Austria-Hungary. On September 29, 1918, Bulgaria concluded an armistice with the allies, on October 30, 1918 - Turkey, on November 3, 1918 - Austria-Hungary, November 11, 1918 - Germany.

June 28, 1919 at the Paris Peace Conference was signed Treaty of Versailles with Germany, which officially ended the First World War of 1914-1918.

On September 10, 1919, the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty was signed with Austria; November 27, 1919 - Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria; June 4, 1920 - Trianon Peace Treaty with Hungary; August 20, 1920 - Peace Treaty of Sevres with Turkey.

In total, World War I lasted 1,568 days. It was attended by 38 states, in which 70% of the world's population lived. The armed struggle was fought on fronts with a total length of 2500-4000 km. The total losses of all the warring countries amounted to about 9.5 million killed and 20 million wounded. At the same time, the losses of the Entente amounted to about 6 million people killed, the losses of the Central Powers were about 4 million people killed.

During the First World War, for the first time in history, tanks, aircraft, submarines, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, mortars, grenade launchers, bomb throwers, flamethrowers, super-heavy artillery, hand grenades, chemical and smoke shells, and toxic substances were used. New types of artillery appeared: anti-aircraft, anti-tank, infantry escort. Aviation became an independent branch of the military, which began to be subdivided into reconnaissance, fighter and bomber. Tank troops, chemical troops, air defense troops, and naval aviation emerged. The role of engineering troops increased and the role of cavalry decreased.

The results of the First World War were the elimination of four empires: German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman, and the latter two were divided, and Germany and Russia were cut territorially. As a result, new independent states appeared on the map of Europe: Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Finland.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

World War I 1914-1918 became one of the most bloody and large-scale conflicts in human history... It began on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. 38 states took part in this conflict. If we talk about the causes of the First World War, then, with confidence, it can be argued that this conflict was provoked by serious economic contradictions in the alliances of world powers that developed at the beginning of the century. It is also worth noting that, probably, there was a possibility of a peaceful settlement of these contradictions. However, feeling the increased power, Germany and Austria-Hungary moved to more decisive actions.

The participants of the First World War were:

• on the one hand, the Quadruple Alliance, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey ( Ottoman Empire);
• on the other, the Entente bloc, which consisted of Russia, France, England and the allied countries (Italy, Romania and many others).

The outbreak of the First World War was provoked by the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife by a member of the Serbian nationalist terrorist organization. The murder by Gavrila Princip provoked the conflict between Austria and Serbia. Germany supported Austria and entered the war.

Historians divide the course of the First World War into five separate military campaigns.

The beginning of the 1914 military campaign is dated July 28. On August 1, Germany, which entered the war, declares war on Russia, and on August 3 on France. German forces invade Luxembourg and later Belgium. In 1914 g. major events The First World War unfolded in France and is today known as the "Run to the Sea". In an effort to encircle the enemy troops, both armies moved to the coast, where, as a result, the front line was closed. France retained control of the port cities. The front line gradually stabilized. The calculation of the German command for the quick capture of France was not justified. Since the forces of both sides were depleted, the war took on a positional character. These are the events on the Western Front.

Military operations on the Eastern Front began on 17 August. The Russian army launched an offensive on the eastern part of Prussia and initially it turned out to be quite successful. The victory in the Battle of Galicia (August 18) was received with joy by most of the society. After this battle, the Austrian troops no longer entered into serious battles with Russia in 1914.

Events in the Balkans did not develop very well either. Belgrade, captured earlier by Austria, was recaptured by the Serbs. There were no active battles in Serbia this year. In the same year, 1914, Japan also came out against Germany, which allowed Russia to secure its Asian borders. Japan began to seize the island colonies of Germany. However, the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of Germany, opening the Caucasian front and depriving Russia of convenient communications with the allied countries. At the end of 1914, none of the countries participating in the conflict was able to achieve their goals.

The second campaign in the chronologists of the First World War dates back to 1915. The most severe military clashes took place on the Western Front. Both France and Germany made desperate attempts to turn the tide in their favor. However, the huge losses suffered by both sides did not lead to serious results. In fact, the front line had not changed by the end of 1915. Neither the spring offensive of the French in Artois, nor the operations carried out in Champagne and Artois in the fall, changed the situation.

The situation on the Russian front changed for the worse. The winter offensive of the ill-prepared Russian army soon turned into the August German counteroffensive. And as a result of the Gorlitsky breakthrough of the German troops, Russia lost Galicia and, later, Poland. Historians point out that in many ways the Great Retreat of the Russian Army was provoked by a supply crisis. The front stabilized only by the fall. German troops occupied the west of the Volyn province and partially repeated the pre-war borders with Austria-Hungary. The position of the troops, the same as in France, contributed to the start of trench warfare.

1915 was marked by the entry into the war of Italy (May 23). Despite the fact that the country was a member of the Quadruple Alliance, it announced the beginning of a war against Austria-Hungary. But on October 14, Bulgaria declared war on the Entente alliance, which led to a complication of the situation in Serbia and its imminent fall.

During the 1916 military campaign, one of the most famous battles of the First World War took place - Verdun. In an effort to suppress the resistance of France, the German command concentrated huge forces in the Verdun salient, hoping to overcome the Anglo-French defense. During this operation, from February 21 to December 18, up to 750 thousand soldiers of England and France and up to 450 thousand soldiers of Germany were killed. The battle of Verdun is also known for the fact that for the first time a new type of weapon was used - a flamethrower. However, the greatest effect of this weapon was psychological. To provide assistance to the allies, on the Western Russian Front was undertaken offensive named Brusilov breakthrough... This forced Germany to transfer serious forces to the Russian front and somewhat eased the position of the allies.

It should be noted that military operations developed not only on land. Between the blocs of the strongest world powers, there was a fierce confrontation on the water. It was in the spring of 1916 that one of the main battles of the First World War took place at sea - Jutland. In general, the Entente bloc became dominant at the end of the year. The Quadruple Alliance's peace proposal was rejected.

During the 1917 military campaign, the preponderance of forces in the direction of the Entente increased even more, and the United States joined the obvious victors. But the weakening of the economies of all countries participating in the conflict, as well as the growth of revolutionary tension, led to a decrease in military activity. The German command decides on strategic defense on land fronts, at the same time focusing on attempts to withdraw Britain from the war using the submarine fleet. In the winter of 1916-17, there were no active hostilities in the Caucasus either. The situation in Russia has deteriorated as much as possible. In fact, after the October events, the country withdrew from the war.

1918 brought major victories to the Entente, which led to the end of the First World War.

After the actual withdrawal from the war of Russia, Germany managed to eliminate the eastern front. She made peace with Romania, Ukraine, Russia. The terms of the Brest Peace Treaty, concluded between Russia and Germany in March 1918, turned out to be the hardest for the country, but this treaty was soon canceled.

In the future, Germany occupied the Baltic States, Poland and partly Belarus, after which it threw all its forces on Western front... But, thanks to the technical superiority of the Entente, the German troops were defeated. After Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria made peace with the Entente countries, Germany was on the brink of disaster. Due to revolutionary events, Emperor Wilhelm leaves his country. On November 11, 1918, Germany signed an act of surrender.

According to modern data, losses in the First World War amounted to 10 million soldiers. There are no exact figures on civilian casualties. Presumably, due to harsh living conditions, epidemics and hunger, twice as many people died.

Following the results of the First World War, Germany had to pay reparations to the allies for 30 years. She lost 1/8 of her territory, and the colonies went to the victorious countries. The banks of the Rhine have been occupied by the Allied forces for 15 years. Also, Germany was forbidden to have an army of more than 100 thousand people. Severe restrictions were imposed on all types of weapons.

But, the Consequences of the First World War also affected the situation in the victorious countries. Their economy, with the possible exception of the United States, was in a difficult state. The standard of living of the population fell sharply, the national economy fell into decay. At the same time, the military monopolies were enriched. For Russia, the First World War became a serious destabilizing factor that largely influenced the development of the revolutionary situation in the country and caused the subsequent civil war.

How was the First World War (1914 - 1918): reasons, stages, results briefly. The years of the war, its beginning and end, the entire chronicle of events and who won and won. Consider a card index of losses, how many died and what losses each country suffered. A tally table will help you to understand the details and see the big picture. You will also find out what were the most famous heroes in Russia and their exploits.

World War I began on August 1, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918. During this period, 38 states participated in hostilities, which means that 62% of the world population fought at the same time.

World War I is one of those wars that historians call controversial and highly controversial. One of the reasons for the war was the overthrow of the autocracy in Russia, which the opponents managed to achieve. The Balkan countries played the most significant role in the course of events, but England had a direct influence on their decisions and actions. So, these countries could not be called independent. Germany also had some influence (in particular, Bulgaria), but it quickly lost its authority in the region.

Who with whom?

Two groups of countries took part in the First World War. On the one hand, there was the Entente, on the other, the Triple Alliance. Each group had its own leaders and allies.

The Entente included the Russian Empire, Great Britain and France. On the side of these countries were the USA, Italy, as well as Romania, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

The Triple Alliance included: Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. During the hostilities, they were joined by and Bulgarian kingdom, which is why the coalition was later called the Quadruple Alliance.

At the very beginning, Italy was part of the Triple Alliance, but as soon as the beginning of the First World War was announced, this country declared its neutrality.

Causes

The main reason for the start of the war was the claims of the leading (at that time) world powers for the redivision of the world. England, France, Germany and Austria-Hungary planned to expand their spheres of influence in one way or another.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the colonial system, which fed the leading powers so well, suddenly failed. For decades, European countries took away valuable resources from Africans and Indians, exploiting their colonies. But the world has changed, now resources could not be obtained so easily - the powers decided to take them away from each other by force.

Against this background, the contradictions grew stronger and stronger:

• England and Germany: the first power did everything possible so that the second could not strengthen its position in the Balkans. At the same time, Germany not only sought to gain a foothold in the Balkans and the Middle East, but also made efforts to deprive England of its naval superiority in the world arena.
• Germany and France: the French dreamed of returning Alsace and Lorraine - lands lost during the war of 1870-1871. And France was also interested in the Saar coal basin, which at that time belonged to Germany.
• Germany and Russia: the Germans hunted for Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states, which at that time belonged to the Russian Empire.
• Russia and Austria-Hungary: The main contradictions between these two powers focused on the desire to influence the Balkans. And Russia also wanted to take the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles for itself.

Reason for starting a war

The impetus that triggered the outbreak of the First World War happened in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina): nineteen-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist from the Young Bosnia movement, killed Franz Ferdinand, Archduke and heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

"Young Bosnia", within the framework of which Gavrilo Princip acted, being a member of the "Black Hand" organization, fought for the liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the rule of Austria-Hungary. The assassination of the heir to the throne was that very step on the path of liberation, but the resonance received on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo turned out to be more ambitious than the participants in those events probably expected.

Austria-Hungary received an excuse to attack Serbia, but at the same time it could not start a war on its own. She needed the help of England, which, in turn, acted aggressively, trying to manipulate Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany. On the one hand, the British insisted that Nicholas II and the Russian Empire help Serbia in case of aggression. On the other hand, the British press portrayed the Serbs as real barbarians who cannot be left unpunished, thereby pushing Austria-Hungary to take action.

Thus, the resulting conflict turned into a raging flames of world war. And not the least role in this was played by England as the leading power of that time.

In the textbooks, we adhere to only the most common facts - the reason for the war is the assassination of the Archduke on June 28, 1914 in Sarajevo. But you need to understand that a fertile ground was being prepared behind the scene for inciting a full-fledged world conflict:

• The influential French politician Jean Jaures was killed on June 29 - the day after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Jean Jaures opposed the war.
• A few weeks before these two murders, mentioned above, an attempt was made on the life of Rasputin, an ardent enemy of the war, who had a serious influence on Nicholas II, the emperor of the Russian Empire.
• Russian Ambassador Hartley died at the Austrian Embassy in Serbia in 1914. By the way, in 1917 his correspondence with Sozonov, the next Russian ambassador to Serbia, mysteriously disappeared.

British diplomats acted "on two fronts": they instigated Germany, promising to take the side of Germany in the war against The Russian Empire or, as a last resort, remain neutral; and at the same time, Nicholas II received confirmation that he was preparing to help England in a potential war against Germany.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the forces of Russia and Germany were approximately equal in their world influence. Even after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, these two powers took a wait-and-see attitude, not daring to open hostilities. If England had made it clear to both Russia and Germany that it would not allow war in Europe, none of these countries would have dared to go to war. Austria-Hungary, too, would not have gone to war against Serbia, despite the murder. But England did everything so that each of the countries was preparing to fight, promising each side its help behind the backs of the others.

When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, it was not yet the First World War. In order to grow from a small war of two states on the basis of murder into a world war, all the major powers of that time had to be drawn into the conflict. Each of them was at a different level of readiness for war.

Nicholas II perfectly understood that the Russian Empire was not ready for military action, but it could not stand aside, given that its authority in the Balkans, which had been gained with such difficulty earlier, was at stake. As a result, the emperor signs a decree on mobilization. And despite the fact that the all-Russian mobilization is not yet a declaration of war, Germany and Austria-Hungary took the Russian mobilization as a signal for active action. These two powers even demanded that Russia stop mobilizing, but there was no answer. On August 1, the German ambassador, Count Pourtales, arrived in Russian Ministry foreign affairs with a note on the declaration of war.

Military power of the powers

Let's take a look at the balance of power and military armament of the key countries in the First World War:

Germany and Austria-Hungary had significantly more heavy guns, but at the same time Germany was even more active in developing its war industry. For comparison, England produced up to 10 thousand shells per month, while Germany only produced more than 250 thousand per day.

Now let's compare the weapons and equipment availability of the leading powers of the First World War:

It is obvious that the military power of the Russian Empire was much inferior not only to Germany, but also to France and England. This could not but affect the course of hostilities and losses as a result of the war.

It remains to analyze the number of the fighting infantry at the beginning and at the end of the war, as well as the losses of each side:

What conclusion can we draw from this summary? England suffered the least human losses, which was not a surprise, because this country almost did not take part in major battles.

As a result of the war, it turned out that it was precisely those countries that invested the most in this war that lost the most. While Russia and Germany were losing 4.3 million people for two, France, Austria-Hungary and England together lost 3.5 million.In fact, the war was fought between Russia and Germany, and these two powers were left with nothing: Russia lost land and signed the shameful Peace of Brest, and Germany lost its independence following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Chronicle of events

July 28, 1914... Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. The countries of the Triple Alliance and the Entente were involved in the conflict.

August 1, 1914... The Russian Empire entered the war. Nikolai Romanov, the uncle of Nicholas II, was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

As soon as the First World War began, Petersburg was immediately rushed to rename Petrograd: the capital of the Russian Empire could not have a name with German origin.

Military action in 1914

What happened on the fronts:

• Northwestern Front... The hostilities took place from August to September 1914. Russian troops carried out the East Prussian operation, which ended in the complete defeat of the first and second Russian armies.
• Southwestern Front... Military operations during the Galician operation also lasted from August to September 1914 against the Austro-Hungarian troops. The latter received reinforcements from Germany, which saved them.
• Caucasian front... From December 1914 to January 1915, the Sarikamysh operation against Turkish troops, as a result of which most of the Transcaucasia was occupied.

Military action on the Eastern Front in 1914

The Russian Empire opposes Germany and Austria-Hungary. Turkey has also joined the latter.

📌 Military operations on the Eastern Front were not crowned with success for either side - no one achieved a tangible victory.

Germany developed a plan - to crush first France, then Russia with lightning speed, but this plan failed miserably. It was called the Schlieffen plan and its essence was to destroy France from the Western Front in 40 days, and then fight with Russia on the Eastern Front. The Germans focused on 40 days, because they believed that this was how much time the Russian Empire needed to mobilize.

The advance of the German troops began successfully - on August 2, 1914, they captured Luxembourg, and on August 4, the Germans had already invaded Belgium, which at that time was a neutral country. On August 20, Germany moved to France, but on September 5 she was stopped by the Marne River. There was a battle with a total of 2 million fighting people.

Germany thought it would deal with France as long as Russia mobilized its troops, but Nicholas II entered the war without fully mobilizing the army. Russian troops attacked East Prussia on August 4, which the Germans did not expect and even retreated at first. But in the end, Germany repulsed the offensive, since the Russian Empire had neither full-fledged resources nor proper organization. Russia lost the battle, but also did not allow Germany to implement Schlieffen's lightning plan: while the Russian Empire was losing the first and second armies, France saved Paris.

Military operations on the Southwestern Front in 1914

In parallel with the offensive in the East, the Russian Empire went to Galicia, where the Austro-Hungarian troops were stationed. Despite the help from Germany, which sent additional divisions to the allied Austria-Hungary, this operation was more successful for the Russian army: Austria-Hungary lost 400 thousand soldiers, another 100 thousand were taken prisoner. At the same time, Russia lost 150 thousand.

📌 After the Galician operation, Austria-Hungary withdrew from the war, no longer having the opportunity to fight on its own.

Results of 1914:

1. Schlieffen's German plan for the lightning-fast capture of the French and Russian armies failed miserably.
2. None of the powers received a significant advantage during the war.
3. As a result of 1914, the First World War became a trench war.

Military action in 1915

When it became clear that the Schlieffen plan had failed, Germany sent all its forces to the Eastern Front to fight Russia. At that moment, it seemed to Germany that the Russian Empire was the weakest country of the Entente and it was much easier to deal with it than with others.

The strategic plan for command on the Eastern Front was developed by General von Hindenburg. The Russian Empire thwarted this plan too, but spent enormous efforts on it and got out only at the cost of incredible losses.

What happened on the fronts:

• Northwestern Front... Military operations were conducted from January to October 1915. As a result of the German offensive, Russia loses Poland, Western Belarus, Ukraine and part of the Baltic states. The Russians are on the defensive.
• Southwestern Front... The hostilities lasted from January to March 1915. During the Carpathian operation against the Austro-Hungarian troops, the Russian army loses Galicia and goes on the defensive.
• Caucasian front... From June to July 1915, the Alashkert operation lasted at the lakes Van and Urmia against the Turkish army. The Erzurum operation began in December 1915.

Military operations on the Northwestern Front in 1915

From the beginning of 1915 until October, Germany actively attacked Russia, as a result of which the latter lost Poland, Western Ukraine, partly the Baltic States and Western Belarus. During this German offensive, the Russian Empire lost 850 thousand people and 900 thousand soldiers were captured.

Despite the fact that the Russian Empire did not surrender after these hostilities, but went on the defensive, the countries of the Triple Alliance were convinced that Russia would not recover from losses.

📌 After a successful attack for Germany and the defeat of the Russian army, Bulgaria joins this side - from October 14, 1915.

Military operations on the Southwestern Front in 1915

The German army with the remnants of the surviving Austro-Hungarian army in the spring of 1915 makes the Gorlitsky breakthrough. Russia retreats along the Southwestern Front and loses Galicia, which it only conquered in 1914. On the side of Germany was not only a significant technical advantage, but also the strategic mistakes of the Russian command.

📌 At that time, Germany had 2.5 times more machine guns, 4.5 times more light artillery, and the number of heavy artillery exceeded 40 times.

Military operations on the Western Front in 1915

On the Western Front, war broke out between Germany and France. Actions on both sides were sluggish and lacking in initiative. Germany concentrated more on the Eastern Front, while England and France were mobilizing their armies at that time, preparing for further actions.

Nicholas II repeatedly turned to France for help, at least to make it more active on the Western Front, but in vain.

Results of 1915:

1. Germany's plan to annihilate the Russian army failed, but the losses of the Russian Empire were colossal, though not huge enough to pull Russia out of the war.
2. After 1.5 years of hostilities, neither side received a strategic advantage or advantage. The war dragged on.

Military action in 1916

The 16th year of the 20th century began with Germany losing its strategic initiative. The successful offensive of the Russians once again played into the hands of the allied France - the fortress of Verdun was saved. At this stage, Romania joins the Entente.

Consider briefly what happened in the third year of the war:

• Northwestern Front... From spring to autumn, defensive battles are fought on the western border.
• Southwestern Front... From May to July 1916, the Russian army advances and makes the Brusilov breakthrough. In the course of these actions, Russia recaptures Bukovina and South Galicia, destroying the Austro-Hungarian troops.
• Caucasian front... The Erzurum operation comes to an end and the Trebizond operation begins, as a result of which Erzurum and Trebizond are captured.

Military operations on the Southwestern Front in 1916

In February 1916, German forces decisively attack France to capture Paris. He defended the capital Verdun - a fortress on the outskirts of Paris. It was to Verdun that Germany went. In that battle, 2 million people died, and it lasted until the very end of 1916.

📌 Considering how much time was spent on the capture of the fortress of Verdun, and how many people died, those battles were called the "Verdun meat grinder". France managed to withstand, but only because Russia came to her aid.

Russian troops have been actively advancing along the Southwestern Front since May 1916. This offensive went down in history as the Brusilov Breakthrough, since General Brusilov was in command. The offensive lasted 2 months.

The breakthrough took place on June 5 in Bukovina. The Russian army not only broke through the defenses, but also advanced 120 km inland. The losses of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies in that breakthrough amounted to 1.5 million people - wounded and prisoners in total. The Russian offensive was stopped only after the transfer of additional German divisions, which at that time were located near Verdun and in Italy.

Having entered the war on the side of the Entente, Romania was unable to resist the German army. Germany quickly dealt with the Romanian troops, inflicting a serious defeat on them. As a result, Russia got 2,000 km of additional front, which means additional losses.

Results of 1916:

1. The strategic initiative was on the side of the Entente.
2. France again defended Paris from the offensive, retaining the fortress of Verdun. But, like the first time, it happened thanks to the help of the Russian Empire.
3. In the third year of the war, Romania joins the Entente, but Germany quickly destroyed its army.
4. A significant achievement of the Russian Empire this year is the Brusilov Breakthrough.

Military action in 1917

1917 was a fatal year for the Russian Empire. On all fronts, Russian troops are conducting unsuccessful operations: Germany captures Riga, and then the Moonsund archipelago in the Baltic. The Russian army is demoralized, and popular unrest is directed towards peace. Inside the country, their own changes are ripe - on November 20 (December 3) the Bolsheviks seize power and negotiate peace. As a result of these negotiations, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918.

Both in Germany and in Russia, against the backdrop of the war in 1917, worsened economic situation... For example, in the Russian Empire, only in the first 3 years of the war, food prices increased 4 - 5 times. A dissatisfied people, a grueling war, great human losses - all this served as fertile ground for the revolutionaries, who hastened to seize the moment to seize power. A similar picture has developed in Germany.

As for the balance of power in the First World War, the position of the Triple Alliance was seriously weakened: Germany could no longer fight on two fronts, and then the United States also entered the war.

End of World War I for the Russian Empire

In the spring of 1917, Germany tried to launch an offensive along the Western Front, but the Provisional Government in Russia, trying to fulfill the agreements signed by the Russian Empire, sent its troops to Lvov on the offensive.

Once again, the allies are saved, but the Russian army suffers crushing losses step by step - the food is scarce, the uniforms and supplies of the soldiers leave much to be desired, but even in such circumstances, the Russian troops are trying to move forward. Meanwhile, Russia's allies are not actively involved and are not providing the necessary assistance.

On July 6, when Germany launched a counteroffensive, 150,000 Russian soldiers were killed. The front collapsed, and the Russian army ceased to exist. Russia had nothing else and had nothing to fight with.

In such conditions, the Bolsheviks, having seized power in the country in October 1917, signed the decree "On Peace", thereby withdrawing from the war, and already in 1918, on March 3, the Brest Peace was signed, according to which Russia:

• concludes peace with Austria-Hungary, Germany and Turkey;
• renounces claims to Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic States, Finland and part of Belarus;
• gives way to Batum, Ardahan and Kars to Turkey.

Having entered the First World War, the Russian Empire:

• ceased to exist as a power, giving power to the Bolsheviks;
• lost 1 million square meters. m of territories;
• lost a quarter of the population;
• seriously weakened in the agricultural sector and in the coal / metallurgical industry.

Military action in 1918

When the Eastern Front disappeared, Germany could no longer be split into two directions. In the spring, she went to the Western Front, but did not achieve success there. It became obvious that she needed a break.

Decisive events took place in the fall of 1918, when the United States and the Entente countries attacked the German army, displacing it from the territories of France and Belgium. Already in October, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey concluded an armistice with the Entente powers, and now Germany was completely isolated. The Triple Alliance capitulated and, like the events in Russia, fertile ground for the revolution was formed in Germany, which took place on November 9, 1918 - Emperor Wilhelm II was overthrown.

War heroes and their exploits

A.A. Brusilov (1853-1926)... He commanded the Southwestern Front and carried out a successful operation, which was later called the Brusilov Breakthrough. The army of the commander Brusilov made the enemy think from which side the main blow was being delivered. The tactic of simultaneous attacks in several directions worked in four cases at once. For 3 days more than 100 thousand people were taken prisoner. Over the entire summer, the Russian army took away from the Germans and Austro-Hungarians the territory up to the Carpathians.

M.V. Alekseev (1857 - 1918)... Infantry General and Chief of Staff of the Russian Army on the Southwestern Front. He led the largest operations, leading the Russian army.

Kozma Kryuchkov- the first to receive the St. George Cross in the First World War. He served in the Don Cossack regiment and with other comrades in arms once met a patrol of German cavalrymen. Of the 22 enemies, he personally killed ten, among whom was an officer. He himself received 16 wounds. His name is not well known, because in 1919 Kryuchkov gave his life in battles with the Bolsheviks, serving in the ranks of the White Army.

Vasily Chapaev, Georgy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovsky, Rodion Malinovsky also received the St. George cross.

A.I. Denikin (1872 - 1947)... Warlord and general of the First World War. He was the commander of the "iron brigade", which distinguished itself more than once in battles.

P.N. Nesterov (1887 - 1914)... The Russian pilot who invented the air loop named after him. He died in 1914, in battle, having rammed an enemy airplane.

End of the First World War

World War I ended on November 11, 1918, when Germany signed a surrender. In the Compiegne forest at the Retord station, near Paris, the French Marshal Foch accepted the surrender of the defeated power. As a result, Germany:

• admitted defeat in the war;
• pledged to return Alsace and Lorraine, as well as the Saar coal basin of France;
• renounced all its colonies;
• transferred an eighth of its territories to neighbors.

In addition, the signed surrender required:

• the Entente troops were stationed on the left bank of the Rhine for 15 years;
• until May 1921 Germany had to pay the Entente powers (except Russia) 20 billion marks;
• for 30 years, Germany was obliged to pay reparations, the amount of which the victorious countries could change during these 30 years;
• Germany did not have the right to form an army of more than 100 thousand people, while the army itself should be voluntary for citizens.

All these conditions were so humiliating for Germany that they actually deprived her of independence, making it an obedient puppet in the hands of other powers.

Results of the First World War

The First World War involved 14 major countries and a total of 38 powers in total. This meant that over 4 years of the war, 1 billion people or 62% of the world's population were involved. During the entire war, 74 million people were mobilized, of which 10 million were killed and 20 million were injured.

The political map of Europe has changed:

• New states appeared, such as: Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Albania.
• Austria-Hungary ceased to exist, divided into 3 independent states: Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
• The borders of France, Italy, Greece and Romania have expanded.

The losing countries that lost land were Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Bulgaria and Turkey. During the war, 4 empires ceased to exist: Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman.

So, it was the First World War 1914 - 1918: reasons, stages, results in brief and in pictures. We looked at the years - the beginning and end of the battles (including separately for Russia), who won and how many people died (card index of countries' losses in the table), and also found out what the heroes of the war were and their exploits. Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments.

Sources of

• Ardashev A.N. Great trench war. Positional massacre of the First World War
• Pereslegin S.B. First World War. War Between Realities
• Basil Liddell Garth. World War I history
• Evgeny Belash. World War I myths
• Anatoly Utkin. World War I
• Badak A.N. The World History... Volume 19