August 1914 will always remain a poignant date in history. On this day Great Britain declared war on Germany. This Was to leave a scar on the landscape of the world which can be still seen today. Many years prior to the outbreak of war there was 2 powerful groups in Europe who opposed each other. Germany, AustriaHungary, and their allies and Known as the âTriple Allianceâ. Opposing them were Great Britain, France, and Russia it was also known as the âTriple Ententeâ. It is extremely hard to distinguish one main event that caused the great war, but several things can be attributed to it. One event that stands out as a major factor was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand who was the heir to the AustriaHungary empire. Along with his wife Sophie the Duchess of Hohenberg. On the 28th of June 1914. They were assassinated while out in Sarajevo.
Also contributing factors were politically motivated. Several secret alliances appeared with nationalistic and imperialistic pride coming to the fore. European powers wanted to increase their powers and holdings across Europe, and this would not be achieved without conflict. Even though the Schlieffen Plan would channel the anger of Great Britain and slide that into the war it was accepted by the German Civilian Government (GCG) as the war plan. In 1914 the Russian Generals were also able to force Czar Nicholas to accept and use full mobilization. They threatened him with the danger of defeat if he acted otherwise.
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Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism caused, without a doubt, the breakout World War I. Before the war, countries in Europe were going through the industrial revolution and many parts of Asia, South America and Africa were colonized. Many events, incidents and tension helped and led to the outbreak of the war. However, the main catalyst was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on the 28 of June 1914. With Europe split in half due to the Triple Alliance formed by Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary and the Triple Entente formed by Great Britain, France, and Russia. The Great War was a result of leaders' aggression towards other countries, which was supported by the rising of nationalism in the European nations. There was an economic and imperial competition and fear of war prompted military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of the war. Germany, as a newly united Country, was becoming more and more powerful and Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted a strong navy that would rival Britain's. The Kaiser had a plan to make Germany the most powerful nation in Europe, Strengthening his hold on Europe and parts of Africa. Britain and France decided to control the Mediterranean between them, which meant controlling parts of Africa, such as Morocco. Being aware of the riches and wealth of these two countries, the Kaiser twice tried to take Morocco to try to break the alliance, the second time being a military assault. But it turned out that the alliance was a force to be reckoned with and supported each other well.
Much can be attributed to the Slavic people In Bosnia and Herzegovina as a factor for the outbreak of World War 1. They no longer wanted to be part of AustriaHungary but be part of Serbia. So in effect their nationalism contributed heavily to war. Several countries flexed their nationalistic muscles to prove their power and dominance. This caused an extension of hostilities. Countries became very wary of each other and their military capabilities, so an arms race ensued as they strived to have the best armies and naval forces. War was coming it was inevitable. Prior to the outbreak of war, it was discovered that it was Serbian military that was responsible for the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. Their goal was to have Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of Serbia and not AustriaHungary. With the discovery of this AustriaHungary declared war on Serbia. This had a âknock onâ effect which caused war to escalate. Russia came to the defence of Serbia. This action caused Germany to declare war on Russia. France was drawn into the conflict against Germany and AustriaHungary. Germany invaded France through Belgium and due to allianceâs, this forced Great Britain to go to war.
The conflict was both devastating for the loss of human life, over 15 million people died because of the war. It effected people from all countries and of all social classes. It also had a devastating effect on the landscape with the extensive network of trenches which men from both armies lived and fought. Technology had allowed the advance of aviation had this took the battle from land and sea to the skies. Damaged by shells and chemical attack large areas of land became barren and unsuitable for farming.
The biggest and bloodiest battle of ww1 was the battle of the Somme. The battle lasted from the 1st of July to 18th of November 1916. Tanks were used for the first time these played a huge part in the outrageous number of deaths. It is reported to have cost the lives of over a million men from both sides. Lesson was learnt and the experience gained by the allied forces certainly helped to secure a victory on the western front.
The battles at sea were also a hotbed with both sides vying for control of strategic waters with the introduction of aeroplanes at sea. The most critical sea battle was the Battle of Jutland Involving some 250 ships and 100,000 men, this battle off Denmarkâs North Sea coast was the only major naval surface engagement of World War I. The battle began in the afternoon of May 31, 1916, with gunfire between the German and British scouting forces. When the main warships met, British Admiral John Jellicoe manoeuvred his boats to take advantage of the fading daylight, scoring dozens of direct hits that eventually forced German Admiral Reinhard Scheer into retreat. Both sides claimed victory in this indecisive battle, though Britain retained control of the North Sea. As war raged on the only respite for the troops in the trenches was a well-documented account of soldiers from both sides coming out of the trenches at Christmas and played football and ate and drank with each other in âNo manâs Landâ sadly it did not last.
The economy suffered Inflation was high, taxes were raised, and industry was at an all time low for both sides. Food was in short supply and governments struggled to provide for the people.
The political ramifications were felt throughout the world After the war countries were created out of old empires. Middle East countries were put under British and French control and the Ottoman Empire became Turkey. During the Russian Revolution, the Soviet Union emerged together with a new ideology: Communism.
There were also great changes in social society the birth rate dropped because of the loss to the male population. People emigrated to other countries to try and sustain the families and lives. The country was hit by the âSpanish fluâ which again claimed the lives of thousands which in turn had a slowing down effect on the social development. It was to take society several years to return to some form of stability.
World War I was a global war fought between Allies and the Central Powers. It had become clear to the Germany that losing the war was inevitable. After losing military support and with a revolution underway, Kaiser Wilhelm had no choice and was forced to abdicate and leave Germany and seek asylum in Holland, where he spent the rest of his life. On 28th June 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. However, France, who had suffered considerably in the war, was determined to make sure Germany would not be able to challenge them again. Under clause 231, Germany had to accept full responsibilities for the war and give financial compensation, known as âreparationsâ. Many Germans were outraged by the peace treaty, but they had no choice and if rejected they would face returning to war. This was not an option as the country was in turmoil and had loss the faith of the people and had no money left to continue fighting. Many discussions have ensued in homes, classrooms, and workplaces, as to who won the war. While it is Widley acknowledged it was the allies. It could be stated that due to the heavy loss of life, the damage to landscape and the turmoil caused to both sides that there was no real winner.
I can not imagine for an instance what it must have been like to go through the hell that the people of that era did, and the years of hardship suffered after the war. Sadly, several years later they would have to endure it all over again.
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