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The First World War (1914-1918)

World War First the Background 1914-1918

World War I was fought between central powers and allied powers. The immediate cause of World war was the assassination of one of the most famous personalities of that time Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
As per a report, there are as many as nine million deaths of army personnel and thirteen million civilian deaths. One of the most significant wars of geopolitical history led to the fall of four great imperialist Germany, Austria- Hungary, Turkey, and Russia which also resulted in the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia.

World War I: Participants

The war was fought between Allied Powers and Central Powers:

• Allied Powers-France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and Britain. The United States joined after 1917.
• Central Powers-Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria

India made a huge contribution to Britain’s cause of the war. Almost 1.5 million Indians from parts such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra volunteered for the war.

Causes of First World War

The First World War was a catastrophic event triggered by a complex chain of interconnected factors. To comprehend the root causes and factors responsible for this devastating conflict, we will examine them under several key headings.

• Mutual Defence Alliances: Prior to World War I, many nations entered into treaties where if one country was attacked, others were obligated to come to their defense.
  The following alliances existed before the war:
  • Russia and Serbia
  • Germany and Austria-Hungary
  • France and Russia
  • Britain and France and Belgium
  • Japan and Britain
    These mutual defence pacts set the stage for a cascading series of events leading to the war.
• Imperialism: Imperialism, defined as the policy of expanding one's territorial boundaries through the use of power, played a significant role in the lead-up to World War I. Africa and Asia became focal points of conflict as numerous European countries sought to expand their empires. The quest for power and intensified competition exacerbated tensions, setting the stage for the conflict.
• Militarism: At the dawn of the 20th century, nations engaged in a relentless arms race, showcasing their military might. Germany was at the forefront of this race, followed closely by Russia and France. The burgeoning military capabilities of these nations intensified the global atmosphere and contributed to the outbreak of the disastrous war.
• Nationalism: Nationalism emerged as one of the foremost catalysts for war. People in regions like Bosnia and Herzegovina no longer wished to remain part of Austria-Hungary; instead, they sought association with Serbia. Across Europe, countries fueled the flames of war by asserting their nationalism and vying for dominance over one another.
• Immediate Trigger: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand: The immediate spark that ignited World War I stemmed from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a member of the royal Habsburg dynasty ruling the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A Serbian-nationalist terrorist group known as the Black Hand made an initial failed attempt on Ferdinand's life. However, in 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a Serbian nationalist, successfully assassinated Ferdinand and his wife while they were in Sarajevo, a city in Bosnia, which was part of Austria-Hungary. This act prompted Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, leading to a domino effect as other nations mobilized to honor their alliances.
  In essence, a web of mutual defence alliances, imperial ambitions, militaristic fervor, nationalist aspirations, and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand converged to plunge the world into the cataclysmic First World War.

The course of World War I

• Commencement of the Conflict: Following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a sequence of critical events unfolded:
  • On July 28, Austria declared war on Serbia.
  • On August 1, Germany, Austria's ally, declared war on Russia, which was allied with Serbia.
  • Subsequently, on August 3, Germany declared war on France.
  • On August 4, Great Britain, an ally of France, declared war against Germany.
  • Notably, President Wilson of the United States declared the nation's intention to remain neutral in the conflict.
• Western and Eastern Theatres: The warfronts were divided into Western and Eastern theatres:
  • In the West, Germany initiated hostilities by attacking Belgium and France.
  • In the East, Russia launched attacks on both Germany and Austria-Hungary.
  • The pivotal Battle of Marne, occurring between September 5th and 9th, 1914, was fought in central France, which subsequently became a focal point on the Eastern front and a gateway for further wartime operations.
• Ottoman Empire Involvement: During 1915, the Allied Powers took a stand against the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. This move was prompted by Germany's deception, which led Russia to believe that it was under attack by Turkey. British forces conducted a series of campaigns, including actions at Dardanelles, the Gallipoli Peninsula, and Mesopotamia. While they achieved some successes, they suffered a significant defeat at Dardanelles.
• Trench Warfare: A defining characteristic of the conflict was trench warfare. Combatants on both sides dug extensive trench systems, extending from the North Sea through Belgium and France. These fortified positions offered soldiers a slight advantage in terms of defense. The perilous area between the opposing French trench lines, known as "No Man's Land," was laden with land mines and barbed wire fences.
• Entry of the United States and Russia's Withdrawal: In 1917, the trajectory of the war took a momentous turn:
  • The United States, provoked by an attack on its ships in the Atlantic Ocean, declared war on Germany, significantly altering the course of the conflict.
  • Simultaneously, Russia withdrew from the war due to the Bolshevik Revolution, which further reshaped the dynamics of the conflict.
• The End of Hostilities and the Armistice: The protracted and grueling four-year war exacted a profound toll on the physical and emotional well-being of the soldiers involved, demoralizing them and impeding further advancements. Moreover, a deadly influenza outbreak claimed the lives of soldiers on both sides.
  Ultimately, both Germany and Austria-Hungary agreed to an armistice. Germany consented to surrender and relinquish its occupied territories, marking the culmination of the First World War.

Timeline of First World War

World War I: List of Important Battles

• First Battle of Ypres 1914- Between allied powers and Germany, Marked the beginning of the Trench Warfare system
• Battle of Mons 1914 – Germans against British
• First Battle of Marne 1914 – French against Germany
• Battle of Dogger Bank 1915- British against Germany
• Battle of Verdun 1916 – French checked German
• Sussex Incident 1916- Sinking of French passenger steamer Sussex led to Germany’s unrestricted submarine warfare
• Second Battle of Somme 1916-British and French against Germany
• First Battle of Somme 1916- British and French against Germany
• Battle of Passchendaele or Third battle of Ypres 1917- Between allied powers and Germany
• Battle of Jutland 1916 – British and German Battle fleets
• Gallipoli Campaign 1916 – Anglo French Operation
• June Offensive 1917- Launched by Russia
• Battle of Isonzo 1917- 11 battles between Austria and Italy
• First Battle of Cambrai 1917- first use of tanks in warfare by British offensive
• Battle of Mons 1918- Canadian forces against Germans
• Battles of the Meuse-Argonne 1918- Allied army against Germany
• Second Battle of Marne 1918- Last major German offensive
• Second Battle of Cambrai 1918- Hundred days battle by Canadian troops
• Battle of Amiens 1918- Collapse of Germany army and end of war

Consequences of World War I

Consequences or Aftermath of the war can be read under Political, Social, Territorial and Military causes:

• Political Consequences:
  • Rule of the king ended in Germany and it became a Republic in Nov 1918.
  • The fall of the Russian revolution led to the formation of the USSR IN 1922 the United States emerged as a superpower
  • European Supremacy began to end and Japan emerged as powerful in Asia
  • Emergence of Independent countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia
  • Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – became independent.
  • Austria Hungary break into several states
  • Leftover Ottoman Empire became Turkey
  • Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Russia moved towards monarchy
• Treaties after World War I:
  • Three treaties were signed during the course of the Paris Peace Conference between Allied and Central powers.
  • The first and most important is the Treaty of Versailles, a peace document signed between allied and central powers on 28 June 1919. This treaty included a contract of the League of Nations under which members guaranteed each other’s independence and territorial integrity.
  • The treaty of Saint – Germain 10 Sept 1919, dissolved the Austria-Hungary Empire, and independence was given to the new Republic of Austria
  • Treaty of Sevres- Signed between 1920between allied and Ottoman Empire
• Social Consequences:
  • Around 1 crore people were killed
  • Birth rate declined due to decrease in no of males due to death and exodus in large numbers
  • Due to fewer males available women were employed in major works such as factories and offices and were given more rights, their position changed and were uplifted.
• Territorial Cause:
  • Alsace and Lorraine went back to France
  • Belgium regained Eupen and Malmedy
  • Poland annexed Eastern territories and thus East Russia became territorially isolated.
  • Former Baltic German cities Danzig and Memel were declared free
  • Northern Schleswig-Holstein was annexed by Denmark
  • Germany Lost all Colonies
• Military Consequences: 
  • Decline in the numbers of the German navy.
  • Dramatic reduction of the Army to 100,000
  • Rhineland region was demilitarised

India and World War I

• Although India had a neutral stance towards war and didn’t want to participate, being a British colony at that time Indian nationalists mostly moderates believed India’s effort in Britain’s cause of war will have a beneficial impact on Britain and it could help Indians to attain the goal of Self rule earlier.
• India being a Britain colony made huge efforts to the cause of World War I. Indian men from all over the region were seen fighting at the western front during the war.
• Indians were employed in France first as Britain’s force was not optimum in France.
• Indian men served in various places such as France and Belgium, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Gallipoli, Palestine, and Sinai
• Britain raised both men and money from India from the harsh taxation rules imposed. In return, a promise of self-rule was given which was never fulfilled.
• Indian men were paid 11 rupees a month which motivated Indians to fight for someone else’s cause thousands of miles away.

Conclusion

The First World War or World War I is momentous in history for all negative reasons. It will be buried in history with the large-scale blood bath, destruction, and casualties it caused. The Impact of the First World War destroyed empires, created numerous new nation-states, encouraged independence movements in Europe’s colonies, forced the United States to become a world power, and led directly to Soviet communism and the rise of Hitler. For Indians, there were a few positive outcomes of the war, after the war political activities against colonial rule gained much momentum. It was followed by large-scale Nationalism and Civil Disobedience.