WWI

 WWI 

 The First World War took place between 1914 and 1918. Its causes can be found from the end of the 19th century. For this reason this war is considered by some authors as an “announced war”. 

 5.1.- COLONIALISM AND NATIONALISM. Some of the causes.... 

 a.- The antagonism between colonial powers: One of the most important crisis took place in Morocco. Germany was the last power that started its colonial expansion, so Germany wanted to gain influence in this area by facing France and Great Britain. In the end, the war didn't explode, but the tension remained. 

 b.- Nationalism. France and Germany had fought a war in 1871. ( This war, won by Prussia, signals the beginning of Germany as a nation) During this war France lost two regions: Alsace and Lorena. Moreover the two powers wanted the leading role in European politics. Germany also faced Great Britain in order to achieve the control over the international trade and the oceanic routes used by this trade.

 c.- The situation in the Balkans. This area had been a hot spot since the 19th century. Different nationalities had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire: Greece, Serbia, Romania.... On the other hand we find the Austrian Empire, a group of different nations ruled by a Germanic minority. The Austrian Empire wanted to take control over the area but faced a problem with Serbia. This country supported the claims of the Serbian citizens who lived in the Austrian Empire. Too make things more complicated Russia supported Serbia. Two reasons for this: 1st.- Serbia was a Slavic country and Russia wanted to spread its influence among the Slavic nationalities. 2nd.- And more important. Russia needed desperately an exit for its fleet from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. This exit had to be the Dardanelles Strait. 

 5.2.- THE “WEAPONS RACE”. The hot situation made the powers spend an enormous amount of money on reinforcing their armies. This situation was known as the “ weapons race” or also the Armed Peace. At the same time all the important countries tried to consolidate alliances that would give them the needed support in case of war. In 1882 Germany, Austria and Italy signed the Triple Alliance ; on the other hand France, afraid of the German might signed an agreement with Russia and Great Britain: The Triple Entente.(1907) 

 5.3.- The War begins. On 28th of July 1914 the heir of the Austrian Empire Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo ( Bosnia). The assassination was committed by a Bosnian student related with the Serbian nationalists. Austria put the blame on Serbia and declared the war against this Balkan nation. Russia moved to defend Serbia and, after that, Germany ( Allied of Austria) declared war to Russia and France. In a few weeks all the powers were at war. Great Britain was the last power to join the war. The British government declared the war to Germany only after the German troops invaded Belgium ( A country allied with Great Britain). 

 6.- THE GREAT WAR. The First World War was known as “ The Great War”. The world had never seen such destruction and pain. 

 6.1.- Movements Phase. Germany attacked France following the Schlieffen Plan. The idea was attack France first, then, after the French defeat the German army would be able to focus on the war in the Eastern front against Russia. At the beginning the tactics worked, and in September 1914 the Germans were almost in Paris. But the French and British army could stop the German advance in the battle of the Marne. In the East the Germans also started well, but the Russian army counterattacked and reached the borders with the Austrian Empire. 

 6.2.- Trench warfare. When the armies lost their momentum the fronts got stopped. In the western front the trenches moved from Switzerland to the North Sea. Thousands of lives were needed only to conquer a few meters. The powers looked for new allies in order to unbalance the situation. In 1915 Italy joined France and Great Britain. Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire supported Germany and Austria.. In 1916 Germany launched an offensive in Verdun. The objective was breaking the French front, but the French troops resisted. The battle cost 1.8 million lives. 

 6.3.- 1917 a decisive year. In 1917 the Revolution triumphed in Russia. The new communist government wanted to focus on the internal problems of the country, so they signed the Brest-Litovskk peace with Germany. That was good news for Germany, now they could fight only in one front (the western front). But the situation was balanced with the intervention of the USA. In 1918 In the eastern front the allies defeated the Austrian Empire. Austria and the Ottoman Empire asked for peace. The war was over for them. A few months later the situation for Germany was worse every day, there were revolts among the troops and the industrial workers took the streets during several demonstrations. In this moment the Kaiser Wilhem II was afraid of a revolution in Germany similar to the one that had eliminated the Czar in Russia. The High Command suggested the Kaiser to ask for the peace. On 11th November 1918 the Armistice was signed The Kaiser escaped and Germany became a republic. Its Constitution was signed in Weimar so the republic was called the Republic of Weimar. The war was over