Great War

The **Great War** was a global war fought between 1914 and 1917 between nations in the Entente and nations in the Central Powers. While it ended in a somewhat predictable Entente victory, it’s ramifications would be felt across the world, and even by 1936 the war is still fresh in the minds of millions, while its aftermath changed the world as everyone knew it. Casualties were enormous, as over 11 million men died in combat while 3 million civilians perished in the conflict as well.

## The Great War

### **Outcome**

Entente victoryCollapse of Russian and German monarchies

Creation of the German and Russian Republic

Decimation of Europe

## 1914

The strategy of the Central Powers suffered from miscommunication. Germany had promised to support Austria-Hungary’s invasion of Serbia, but interpretations of what this meant differed. Previously tested deployment plans had been replaced early in 1914, but never tested in exercises. Austro-Hungarian leaders believed Germany would cover its northern flank against Russia. Germany, however, envisioned Austria-Hungary directing the majority of its troops against Russia, while Germany dealt with France. This confusion forced the Austro-Hungarian Army to divide its forces between the Russian and Serbian fronts.

The Serbian army fought the Battle of Cer against the invading Austro-Hungarians, beginning on 12 August, occupying defensive positions on the south side of the Drina and Sava rivers. Over the next two weeks Austrian attacks were thrown back with heavy losses, which marked the first major Allied victory of the war and dashed Austro-Hungarian hopes of a swift victory. As a result, Austria had to keep sizeable forces on the Serbian front, weakening its efforts against Russia.

At the outbreak of the Weltkrieg, the German army (consisting in the West of seven field armies) executed a modified version of the Schlieffen Plan, designed to quickly attack France through neutral Belgium before turning southwards to encircle the French army on the German border. The plan called for the right flank of the German advance to converge on Paris and initially, the Germans were very successful, particularly in the Battle of the Frontiers (14–24 August). However, by the 12 September, the French with assistance from the British forces halted the German advance east of Paris at the First Battle of the Marne (5–12 September). The last days of this battle signified the end of mobile warfare in the west. The French offensive into Germany launched on 7 August with the Battle of Mülhausen had limited success. In the same month, the British navy successfully began their 3-year long blockade of the North Sea, cutting off Germany from vital supply and trade networks, and would be a major reason for Germany’s collapse later on.

In the east, only one Field Army defended East Prussia, and when Russia attacked in this region, it diverted German forces intended for the Western Front. Germany defeated Russia in a series of battles collectively known as the First Battle of Tannenberg (17 August – 2 September), but this diversion exacerbated problems of insufficient speed of advance from rail-heads not foreseen by the German General Staff. The Central Powers were thereby denied a quick victory and forced to fight a war on two fronts. The German army had fought its way into a good defensive position inside France, and had permanently incapacitated 230,000 more French and British troops than it had lost itself. Despite this, communications problems and questionable command decisions cost Germany the chance of obtaining an early victory.

Outside of Europe there was fighting in Africa and the Pacific, Togaland and all of Germany's Pacific territory (aside from a handful of holdouts in New Guinea ) were rapidly overrun.

## 1915

The Germans now decided to change their tactics, fighting defensively in the West, while trying to defeat Russia quickly by attacking. Meanwhile, the Allies aimed to break through on their respective fronts. Serbia came under increased pressure from the recently-reinforced Austrians, and Britain made preparations to attack Constantinople and seize control of the Bosporus. On the 22nd of April 1915, at the Second Battle of Ypres, the Germans (in violation of the Hague Convention) used chlorine gas for the first time on the Western Front. Algerian troops retreated when gassed and a six kilometre hole opened in the Allied lines.

The Germans quickly exploited the gap at Yrpes by capturing Kitcheners' Wood. Despite attacking on the Western Front, Britain and France made few gains, but suffered hundreds of thousands more casualties than their enemy. The Gallipoli landings also failed, resulting in the resignation of Winston Churchill from the British government. Meanwhile, the Central Powers achieved what appeared to be success in the East at first, gaining all of Poland, but it was at a staggering cost of tens of thousands of men dead. The Russian morale and determination was high, and for the first time the German people felt the exhaustion of war by the end of the year. Italy, lured by the possibility of gaining significant ports and cities joins the side of the Entente.

## 1916

Early in the year Germany aimed to grind French manpower down through a war of attrition, forcing them to defend the symbolic fortress of Verdun at horrific cost, while the Entente aimed to breakthrough on the Somme. In the East, the Germans planned to hold firm while different Russian armies planned attacks, ending in a de-facto German defeat, but both sides lost significant amounts of manpower and equipment. The First Battle of Jutland (Skagerack) was fought between the British and German fleets on May 31st, and concluded with both sides proclaiming victory. The initially successful Brusilov Offensive shattered the Austrian army, and on the Western Front, the Battle of the Somme began.

The Somme Offensive rapidly proved immensely costly, even with the first deployment of tanks in battle. The Battles of the Somme and Verdun cost roughly a million men for both sides, with little appreciable gain. 1916 also witnessed the fall of German Kamerun and German South West Africa, leaving Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck's forces in East Africa as the sole remaining German forces outside of Europe.

## 1917

Unable to keep the war going alongside a growing popularity of anti-monarchy, anti-Austro-Hungarian sentiments, Serbs in Illyria and occupied Serbia revolt in February. In a few days the revolt grows as Czechs, Romanians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, Poles and many other people participate in trying to gain independence from a war-torn Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Austrian army collapses, while the Hapsburgs surrender to the Entente and flee in exile, a huge defeat for the Central Powers. At the same time, buoyed by the collapse of Austria, French generals decide to take their chances and push the Germans out of the West with the so-called Alsace Offensive. Similarly to others, this offensive ends in huge casualties, but it is one of the bloodiest affairs of the Great War, ending with over 2 million soldiers dead by July. The Tsars are brought down in Russia the same month as the Republic of Russia is peacefully proclaimed. Without their major ally, the Germans try, in vain to push into Russian lands and force a surrender. The lines stay static, however, and by March the German Ruthenian Offensive ends with 400,000 casualties.

The Russians are able to reorganized and begin a final assault on German forces, finally pushing them out of occupied Poland. As the German front lines collapse, patriotic celebrations in Moscow break out over this victory, while the German Empire scrambles for support, on the verge of national starvation. Russian morale skyrockets, intending to humiliate the Germans and decimate their lands as further assaults throughout spring and summer only pushes the German front lines back, until even German cities like Danzig are threatened.

By July, all of Western Europe is decimated as the Alsace Offensive ends in success with the German army now pushed back into the Rhineland, while the Russians with their tenacity force a surrender of Danzig. Hearing this, the Kaiser feels the situation has completely spiraled beyond his control, and promptly fled to the Netherlands shortly after he surrendered the Empire to the full whims of the Entente. The Great War, in its entirety, had finally ended.

## Immediate aftermath

The Great War’s impact and legacy wouldn’t be felt immediately, but in later events that defined the 1920s and the 1930s, it can all arguably be traced back to the Great War. The German Empire fell apart and was subjected to the brutal Treaty of Versailles which stripped large portions of the Empire’s eastern provinces while the Entente aided in the creation of the German Republic. Further violence in Central Europe caused by the collapse of the Austrian Empire ended a few months later, in the summer of 1917. For the next two years, Europe peacefully rebuilt itself. Britain and America lended loans to France and Belgium to rebuild their societies, but in 1919 world peace was severely disrupted by the German Revolution and Cairo War.

The Cairo War was in part caused by the Great War, as anti-British violence swelled as a result of, what the Egyptians saw as “contributions that laid on deaf ears”, as Egypt contributed to the Great War, but Britain gave little compensations to the nation, fueling anti-British sentiment further. Meanwhile the German Civil War, which only happened as a result of the destruction the Great War brought resulted in a rebel victory, allowing modern syndicalism to rise in a devastated European continent.

## Lasting legacy

The Great War’s end would bring a temporary peace to Europe, as although there wouldn’t be another war like the World War, it became clear major European powers that participated in the war wouldn’t be able to deal with the death and destruction. Germany and part of the British Empire collapsed before 1920, while Russia and France would soon follow. Out of the frustration of the French army during the war grew syndicalism, which began to grow, until its successful revolution in France brought yet a another nation into the European syndicalist sphere of influence. While citizens of Russia initially supported the Republican Revolution, many non-Russian citizens grew angry at the new regime. With so much rebuilding to do, the Republic was unable to deal with the pressure all around them, and collapsed in 1925, though the republic survived until fully was killed by the coup of militarist general Lavr Kornilov.