The First World War in a Nutshell
World war I can be defined as many things, the first major global conflict, a war with modern weapons, a cause for the second world war, and more. However, it was a conflict that would affect the entirely 20th and 21st first centuries. So, what was world war I?
The 20th century Europe was a powdered keg. Germany had made itself into a large empire, competing with England and France. Russia was in constant chaos, with the loss of the Russo-Japanese war and the uncompromising Czarist government made the country very unstable. The elderly superpower, the Austrian Hungarian empire was also in chaos from ethnic division. One spark would light the European superpower into war. The spark would start in the Austrian Hungarian empire.
June 28, 1914, Sarajevo, Bosnia. Arch Duke Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian Hungarian throne, visits Sarajevo to inspect its military. However, due to ethnic division in the Empire, one young Serbian anarchist would plunge the world into war, that man was Gavrilo Princip. Gavrilo Princip would kill the Arch Duke and his wife. Now, no doubt, the Austrian Hungarian empire was furious. So it demanded the Serbian government, who might have helped the anarchist, list of demands, which they carry out except one, that one exception was enough for the Austrian Hungarians to go to war.
The 2 most important factor of the First World War was technology and alliances.
First, alliances. To sum it up, Serbia was allied with Russia, who was allied with Frace, who was technically allied with Britain, and Britain was allied with Japan, but Britain first decided not to join the war, this made up the Allies. While the Austrian Hungarian empire was allied with Germany, Ottoman would later join the Central power. Also, Italy was allied with Germany, but changed its mind and joined the allies. One thing was for sure, this war would be enormous.
Second, technology. As time passed, so did technology and science, with that, also new weapons. Weapons such as machine guns, bolt action guns, large artillery, airplanes, steam power, submarine, tank, chemical weapons, and more. However, also a new type of fighting tactic, trench warfare, and would define the first world war.
The battles. Germany’s plan was known as the Schinnifel plan. Their belief was Russia would take some time to mobilize their army, so they would quickly take Paris and move their troops to the East. However, Germany made a fatal mistake, they had marched through Belgium as their border with France was heavily fortified, this would make Britain join the war as Germany attacked a neutral country, bringing another enemy to the war. As Germany marched through Belgium and close to Paris, the allied forces broke through the German lines, to prevent a major loss, the Germans had dug trenches.
As the Germans got closer to Paris, to stop the advance, the allies tried to break the German lines, however, seeing the attack, the Germans retreated and dug trenches. Fearing that this might be where they will be for some time, the german took extra care in the trenches, seeing what the Germans did, the allies also dug trenches, however, believing that the trenches will only be temporary, dug the trench carelessly. While the Allies would barely have solid ground, the Germans had a telegraph, better bunker, and beds.
To put it simply, trench warfare was when the enemy side would dig and secure the soldiers, the enemy will do the same, and wait for the order for a push or wait for the enemy to push back. The opposing soldiers would should machine guns and thousands would be dead in seconds. This war would not be fast-paced or end in a quick victory, but a war of nutrition, the longest standing one would win. The Germans though did have better trenches overall.
First, the Germans invade Belgium to go to France as the border between Germany and France is heavily fortified. Belgium is a neutral territory, this action makes Britain and Japan join the war. As Germany advanced towards Paris, the Allies tries to flank the Germans, making Germans dig trenches, so does the allies, the trench warfare has begun.
America, when the news first came, had mixed feelings. Due to many German immigrants, the civilians had leaned to the Central power, while due to economic trade, the government had leaned to the Allies. However, America stayed neutral for most of the war, enjoying its tranquility and economic prosperity. While deciding to stay neutral, the US had sent weapons and materials to England. To stop support from the US, Germany sunk the merchant’s ships. Germany also sank Allied civilian ships which also had Americans aboard, as America’s view on Germany got worsen, one telegraph would make America choose a side and join the war.
As German start to get afraid that America might actually join the war, they despised a plan. They would contact Mexico and ask them to stall America in their own separate war and would help them conquer America after they were done with the Allies, however, with the 200 IQ level play by the germans, the telegram line was connected to England and was picked by the Allies who send them to America. Then a 400 IQ level move, the German Prime Minister Zimmerman, hence called the Zimmerman telegram, admitted to the telegram, promptly making America join the war, Mexico kindly declining the offer, as they would lose war most definitely.
To put it simply, utter chaos, first, Russia had actually mobile faster than the german though, making Germany fight two fronts as the Austro-Hungarian empire was…well….usless. As the war was widely unpopular, the people hating the government, and they were losing the war, Russia was in chaos. To quickly end the Eastern front, Germany sent Vladimir Lenin to cause a revolution, which he did, ending the Russian empire and ending the war between Russia and Germany.
As Russia left the war, the only thing that the Central power had to worry about was the Western front, however, as now America joined the war, the war was more one-sided. As new troops came with new weapons, the Germans had to retreat. As the overall trade was broken due to a naval blockade, the demoralization of the long war, and the strain of the country, the Central power sued for peace. The war had ended on November 11th on the 11th hour. And on June 28, 1919, the treaty of Versailles was signed, ending the long four-year war. While everyone enjoyed the end of this brutal war, the treaty was not fairly, as the German was blamed for the entirety of the war and had to compensate to the Allied countries, money that the Germans did not have, the Austro-Hungarian empire was broken into multiple ethnic countries, and the Ottoman empire was curved up for the allies. Due to this unfairness, Germany would suffer a major loss, and radical groups were formed to “save the country”, notably, the Nazis, then the Nazis would take over Germany which started the second world war which then started the cold war. So, the First World War can not be forgotten as due to its long-term effect, the course of the 20th and 21st centuries was formed. Making world war one, the most important factor in modern history.
