World War I Was the largest war in human history at the time, which lasted for more than four years from the end of July 1914 to November 1918.
This time, the Sarajevo incident was the key to the war. World War I including I will summarize the flow of.
Situation just before World War I
The situation just before the war is described in the article "Background of World War I", so it's easy.
Austria and Russia have the same ambitions and have Slavs in Austria + Pan-Slavs wanting to expand into the Balkans Russia fuels the independence movement of the Balkans for this reason. .. .. So, the relationship with Austria is in the worst condition. Besides, Britain and Germany are colonial policy [3B policy And 3C policy】 In conflict.
By the way, Germany's 3B policy The German-Russia relations were also the worst because there was a plan to connect the railroad to the Balkan Peninsula.
Combining these multiple problems, the Balkan Peninsula is " European powder magazine . In order to gain an advantage over rivals in the problems faced by each country, countries with the same interests have formed alliances and cooperative relationships. This alliance / cooperation is Triple Alliance [Dokusai] and Triple Entente [English, French and Russian].
Anyway, the Balkan Peninsula was in a state where a big war could occur in which multiple powers collided with each other.
Sarajevo Incident (1914)
The Balkan Peninsula, which was in such a state of promptness, was a place where the danger was so high that the war called the Balkan War was angry twice before World War I.
This Serbia Is a country where many Slavic people live, Pan-Slavicism There are many people who have the idea of. Also, Pan-Germanism because he wanted to expand his power while the Ottoman Empire was weakening. Austria, which has the idea of advancing into the Balkan Peninsula, is only an obtrusive existence.
Sarajevo (wikipedia)
From "Archaduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie Hotek"
In the midst of these conflicts, Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo I was visiting Austria The successor to the throne is assassinated by a young Bosnian Serbian man.
Austria took the opportunity of this incident to Pan-Slavicism on the Balkan Peninsula. Declared war on July 28, a month later (despite no evidence of relevance to the Serbian government), with an ultimatum containing conditions that Serbia would never accept. I did.
Outbreak of World War
At the time of the Austrian declaration of war, there was some optimism that "a local war would be enough". .. ..
Russia , partly because of the intention to eradicate the grounds of Pan-Slavicism. Supports Serbia. Germany had a military alliance with Austria due to the emergence of Russia , Russia and Military Alliance [ Franco-Russian Alliance ] Was tied France Also participated in the war. .. .. And the scale of the war has become widespread.
German speculation
World War I in which the great powers participated. Germany at the heart of the Triple Alliance Is a major power of Triple Entente France / Russia It is almost sandwiched between land.
In the case of Russia, it is too wide to attack, so Germany decided to invade France first. The so-called Western Front It is a battle that leads to.
Germany thinks that there is no chance of winning if it is pinched and fights in two fronts, so it will pour 7/8 of its strength into the western battle, finish the battle in a short period of time, and then attack Russia [ Schlieffen Plan > ] I was hoping for.
However, Russia has no choice but to prepare her army and carry out a two-front operation earlier than Germany thinks, and it will be more difficult than expected.
Germany's invasion of Belgium and British participation
Belgium must pass through when Germany invades France is.
Germany demanded that Belgium allow troops to pass through the country, but refused, so it broke through the eastern border with Belgium and invaded. Belgium, a small country, was inferior in equipment and scale even if it resisted, and it was only affected by delaying Germany's schedule by two days, and most of the land was occupied, but some troops had to be left in Germany. Drive into a situation that you cannot get.
In addition, the supply was delayed due to the destruction of the railway in Belgium, and the German march was delayed more than planned. It contributed to the delay in Germany's invasion of France.
In fact, Belgium was a nation that had just become independent of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 19th century. European powers in ending the Revolution of Independence with Belgium and the Netherlands London Treaty It concludes (1839) and guarantees the neutrality of Belgium.
UK because of this London Treaty Decided to participate in the war.
At that time, Britain stated that World War I was a "war for the independence of a small country" and "a war to protect the freedom of the world from the tyranny of Germany", but behind it
>It is said that there was a purpose of the war, and battles will be held in various parts of Africa. Japan, which was an ally of the United Kingdom, is participating in the German colonial measures in the Asian and Pacific regions.
Serbian Campaign
World War I The original beginning of Austria And Serbia It's a battle. Therefore, in the early stages of the war, battles were naturally repeated between the two countries.
However, despite the difference in military power between the two countries and their superiority, Austria struggled. Serbia won the Battle of Cer in mid-August and the Battle of Kolubara from November to December, with surprising results that could be described as one of the madness of the battles of the 20th century.
The way the Austro-Hungarian empire fought at this time was quite disappointing with attacks on the general public, such as the killing of thousands of people and the looting and arson of villages.
Eventually, Serbia fought well, but in the winter, a plague called typhus spread and exhausted its power.
On the other hand, Serbia's unexpected good fight affects Italy's developments. Territory with Austria despite being an ally [ Italian irredentism ] Italy was watching from the problem Some neighborhoods have come to the opinion, "Why don't you participate in the war as an Allied side?"
Failure of the Western Front and transition to trench warfare
When France saw the impregnable fortresses of Liege, which were touted as impregnable during the invasion of Belgium, fell easily with a new German weapon, France was forced to change the policy of its battle plan against Germany.
On the other hand, Germany, partly due to the movement of Russia, sent a part of the troops to the western front to the east, and the Army Chief of Staff who thought about the Schlieffen Plan died, and the strategy of "strengthening the troops in northern France" A new staff member who was worried about was sending troops from the north to the south.
In addition, since the Navy began to focus on overseas expansion and began to fight for superiority with the Royal Navy, the defense budget was circulated there, and the Army could not be enhanced.
Against this background, Germany broke through the first match, but retreated and was defeated by the French army, which had strengthened its defense on the banks of the Marne River. This [ Battle of the Marne ] Has become a stalemate on the Western Front, shifting to trench warfare, and Germany's desire for a short-term decisive battle has been frustrated.
In this series of battles, war crimes were committed as in other areas. However, it is certain that there was a war crime. .. .. Propaganda by the United Kingdom and others Germany has been criticized by international public opinion because of its mixed truth.
Eastern Front
On the other hand, Eastern Front collides with Russia Speaking of. .. ..
Two weeks after the start of the war, Russia began invading East Prussia. It was a tough battle for Germany just because of the Schlieffen Plan's dedication to the Western Front. Units to defend the attack from Russia withdraw, and part of East Prussia is occupied by Russia.
Germany, which wanted to avoid being occupied, reinforces its troops on the Eastern Front, and at the end of August the two collide around Tannenberg in East Prussia.
Russia had more than twice the force difference as Germany, but the operation was out of control due to the interception of the radio contents. Despite the difference in troop strength, [ Battle of Tannenberg ] Then it ended in the victory of Germany.
Austria and Russia also collide in eastern Galicia (now eastern Ukraine). Here, when Russia won and placed it under occupation, it forced the local Ukrainians to become Russian, and Jews and Greek Catholics seemed to have a policy of persecution.
* As of 1900, the ethnic composition of Galicia is about 65% for Ukrainians, about 22% for Poles, and about 13% for Jews out of 4.8 million people.
Galicia was placed under Russian occupation until June 1915, when Austria regained it.
What is the reason for overturning the conventional concept of "war"?
World War I began in the above way, and the war broke out in a very wide area of Europe. .. ..
At that time, tank And aircraft , poisonous gas , Submarine Unprecedented murder weapons were introduced one after another, and the damage was greater than in previous wars. We will enter into an attrition warfare where all the ammunition prepared before the war will be used up.
Since the base of production was the general public, the target of the attack soon spread to the general public. In this way, human damage was unprecedented.