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Articles of the day
1.08.2018
1.08.2018
1914 Germany declares war on Russia
The name "World War I" was established after the outbreak of World War II in 1939. Before that, the name “ Great War", in Russian Empire it was called the "Second Patriotic War", as well as informally (both before the revolution and after) - "German"; then in the USSR - "imperialist war", it is also called "forgotten".
Russia joined the First world war August 1, 1914. On this day, Germany declared war on Russia. The reason was the refusal of Russia to fulfill the conditions of the German ultimatum to cancel the general military mobilization. General mobilization was introduced in Russia in response to the fact that on July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia's ally, Serbia.
The population of Russia by the beginning of the First World War was 165 million people. It had the largest human resource, although the army was recruited only from the Orthodox population. The peacetime army reached 1 million 423 thousand people. With the announcement of mobilization, it grew to 3 million 268 thousand, which amounted to 114 infantry divisions (21 thousand in a division). In terms of training, the Russian army was significantly superior to other powers, and in terms of technical equipment it was inferior only to the German and Austrian armies.
Russia had no territorial claims to Germany, but it had its own interests in the Balkans and in the Black Sea straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Opponents of Russia, taking into account the heterogeneity of the population and fearing the potential of the empire, dreamed of its dismemberment. Germany was not averse to strengthening itself at the expense of the Polish provinces, the Baltic states and Ukraine, and Austria-Hungary was not averse to taking away Podolia and Volhynia from Russia.
On August 3, 1914, Germany declares war on France, accusing her of "organized attacks and aerial bombardments of Germany." On the same day, Germany demanded that Belgium let German troops pass through its territory and, in response to her refusal, declared war on her. On August 4, in response to the violation of Belgian neutrality, the British Empire declared war on Germany. On August 5, Montenegro declares war on Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire closes the Dardanelles Strait for free passage. On August 6, Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia, and Serbia and Montenegro on Germany. Italy, contrary to the obligations of the Triple Alliance, declares neutrality in the outbreak of the world war, but Turkey signs a treaty of friendship and alliance with Germany. So in August 1914, a world war began in Europe.
The war, which lasted from 1914 to 1918, in which 38 of the then 59 independent states were involved, began with one shot and ended with massive bloodshed, redrawing European borders and the disappearance of four empires.
World War I (1914 - 1918)
The Russian Empire collapsed. One of the goals of the war has been accomplished.
Chamberlain
The First World War lasted from August 1, 1914 to November 11, 1918. 38 states with a population of 62% of the world took part in it. This war was quite ambiguous and extremely contradictory described in modern history... I deliberately cited Chamberlain's words in the epigraph to once again emphasize this inconsistency. A prominent politician in England (Russia's ally in the war) says that one of the goals of the war has been achieved by overthrowing the autocracy in Russia!
The Balkan countries played an important role at the beginning of the war. They were not independent. Their policies (both foreign and domestic) were greatly influenced by England. Germany by that time had lost its influence in this region, although long time controlled Bulgaria.
- Entente. Russian Empire, France, Great Britain. The USA, Italy, Romania, Canada, Australia, New Zealand were allies.
- Triple Alliance. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire. Later they were joined by the Bulgarian kingdom, and the coalition became known as the "Quadruple Alliance".
The following large countries took part in the war: Austria-Hungary (July 27, 1914 - November 3, 1918), Germany (August 1, 1914 - November 11, 1918), Turkey (October 29, 1914 - October 30, 1918), Bulgaria (October 14, 1915 - 29 September 1918). Entente countries and allies: Russia (August 1, 1914 - March 3, 1918), France (August 3, 1914), Belgium (August 3, 1914), Great Britain (August 4, 1914), Italy (May 23, 1915), Romania (August 27, 1916) ...
One more important point. Initially, Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance. But after the outbreak of the First World War, the Italians declared neutrality.
Causes of the First World War
main reason the beginning of the First World War lies in the desire of the leading powers, primarily England, France and Austria-Hungary, to redistribute the world. The fact is that the colonial system collapsed by the beginning of the 20th century. The leading European countries, which for years prospered through the exploitation of colonies, now could not get resources just like that, taking them away from the Indians, Africans and South Americans. Now resources could only be won back from each other. Therefore, contradictions grew:
- Between England and Germany. England sought to prevent the strengthening of Germany's influence in the Balkans. Germany sought to gain a foothold in the Balkans and the Middle East, and also sought to deprive England of naval domination.
- Between Germany and France. France dreamed of regaining the lands of Alsace and Lorraine, which it had lost in the war of 1870-71. Also, France sought to seize the German Saar coal basin.
- Between Germany and Russia. Germany sought to take Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states away from Russia.
- Between Russia and Austria-Hungary. The contradictions arose because of the desire of both countries to influence the Balkans, as well as the desire of Russia to subjugate the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles.
The reason for the start of the war
The events in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) served as a pretext for the outbreak of the First World War. On June 28, 1914, Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand of the Young Bosnia movement, assassinated Archduke Frans Ferdinand. Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, so the murder had a huge resonance. This was the reason for Austria-Hungary to attack Serbia.
The behavior of England is very important here, since Austria-Hungary on its own could not start a war, because this practically guaranteed a war in all of Europe. The British at the embassy level convinced Nicholas II that Russia should not leave Serbia without help in case of aggression. But then all (I emphasize this) the English press wrote that the Serbs are barbarians and Austria-Hungary should not leave the murder of the Archduke unpunished. That is, England did everything to prevent Austria-Hungary, Germany and Russia from evading the war.
Important nuances of the reason for war
In all textbooks we are told that the main and only reason for the outbreak of the First World War is the assassination of the Austrian Archduke. At the same time, they forget to say that the next day, June 29, another significant murder took place. The French politician Jean Jaures, who actively opposed the war and had great influence in France, was killed. A few weeks before the assassination of the Archduke, there was an attempt on the life of Rasputin, who, like Jaures, was an opponent of the war and had a great influence on Nicholas 2. I also want to note some facts from the fate of the main characters of those days:
- Gavrilo Principin. He died in prison in 1918 from tuberculosis.
- Russian Ambassador to Serbia - Hartley. In 1914 he died at the Austrian Embassy in Serbia, where he attended a reception.
- Colonel Apis, leader of the Black Hand. Shot in 1917.
- In 1917, Hartley's correspondence with Sozonov disappeared ( next ambassador Russia in Serbia).
All this indicates that there were a lot of black spots in the events of the days, which have not been revealed until now. And this is very important to understand.
England's role in starting the war
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 2 great powers in continental Europe: Germany and Russia. They did not want to openly fight against each other, since the forces were approximately equal. Therefore, in the "July crisis" of 1914, both sides took a wait-and-see attitude. English diplomacy came to the fore. She, through the press and secret diplomacy, conveyed to Germany the position - in case of war, England would remain neutral or take the side of Germany. By open diplomacy, Nicholas II received the opposite idea that in the event of the outbreak of war, England would side with Russia.
It should be clearly understood that one open statement by England that it will not allow war in Europe would be enough for neither Germany nor Russia to think about anything like that. Naturally, in such conditions, Austria-Hungary would not have dared to attack Serbia. But England, with all her diplomacy, pushed European countries to war.
Russia before the war
Before the First World War, Russia undertook an army reform. In 1907, the fleet was reformed, and in 1910 the land forces were reformed. The country has multiplied military spending, and the total army in peacetime was now 2 million people. In 1912, Russia adopted a new Charter of the Field Service. Today it is rightfully called the most perfect charter of its time, since it motivated soldiers and commanders to show personal initiative. An important point! The doctrine of the army of the Russian Empire was offensive.
Despite the fact that there were many positive changes, there were also very serious miscalculations. The main one is the underestimation of the role of artillery in the war. As the course of events of the First World War showed, it was a terrible mistake, which clearly showed that at the beginning of the 20th century, Russian generals were seriously behind the times. They lived in the past when the role of the cavalry was important. As a result, 75% of all losses of the First World War were inflicted by artillery! This is a sentence to the imperial generals.
It is important to note that Russia never completed preparations for war (at the proper level), and Germany completed it in 1914.
The ratio of forces and means before the war and after it
Artillery
Number of guns |
Of these, heavy weapons |
|
Austro-hungary |
||
Germany |
According to the data from the table, it can be seen that in heavy guns Germany and Austria-Hungary were many times superior to Russia and France. Therefore, the balance of forces was in favor of the first two countries. Moreover, the Germans, as usual, created an excellent war industry before the war, which produced 250,000 rounds daily. By comparison, Britain was producing 10,000 shells a month! As they say, feel the difference ...
Another example showing the importance of artillery is the fighting on the Dunajec Gorlice line (May 1915). In 4 hours, the German army fired 700,000 shells. For comparison, during the entire Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) Germany fired just over 800,000 shells. That is, in 4 hours a little less than in the entire war. The Germans clearly understood that heavy artillery would play a decisive role in the war.
Armament and military equipment
Production of weapons and equipment during the First World War (thousand units).
Shooting |
Artillery |
||
Great Britain |
|||
TRIPLE ALLIANCE |
|||
Germany |
|||
Austro-hungary |
|||
This table clearly shows the weakness of the Russian Empire in terms of equipping the army. In all the main indicators, Russia is much inferior to Germany, but also inferior to France and Great Britain. Largely because of this, the war turned out to be so difficult for our country.
Number of people (infantry)
The number of fighting infantry (millions).
At the start of the war |
By the end of the war |
Casualties |
|
Great Britain |
|||
TRIPLE ALLIANCE |
|||
Germany |
|||
Austro-hungary |
|||
The table shows that Great Britain made the smallest contribution, both in terms of belligerents and in terms of deaths, to the war. This is logical, since the British did not really participate in major battles. Another example from this table is indicative. We are told in all textbooks that Austria-Hungary, due to heavy losses, could not fight on its own, and she always needed the help of Germany. But pay attention to Austria-Hungary and France in the table. The numbers are identical! Just as Germany had to fight for Austria-Hungary, so Russia had to fight for France (it is no coincidence that the Russian army three times during the First World War saved Paris from surrender by its actions).
The table also shows that in fact the war was between Russia and Germany. Both countries lost 4.3 million people killed, while Britain, France and Austria-Hungary together lost 3.5 million. The numbers are eloquent. But it turned out that the countries that fought the most and made efforts in the war ended up with nothing. First, Russia signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, shameful for itself, having lost many lands. Then Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, essentially losing its independence.
The course of the war
Military events of 1914
On July 28, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. This entailed the involvement in the war of the countries of the Troitsvenny Alliance, on the one hand, and the Entente, on the other.
Russia entered World War I on August 1, 1914. Nikolai Nikolayevich Romanov (Nikolai's uncle 2) was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
In the first days of the outbreak of the war, St. Petersburg was renamed Petrograd. Since the war with Germany began, and the capital could not have the name of German origin - "burg".
Historical reference
German "Schlieffen Plan"
Germany was under the threat of war on two fronts: the East with Russia, the West with France. Then the German command developed the "Schlieffen plan", according to which Germany must defeat France in 40 days and then fight with Russia. Why 40 days? The Germans believed that this was exactly how much Russia would need to mobilize. Therefore, when Russia is mobilized, France will already be out of the game.
On August 2, 1914, Germany captured Luxembourg, on August 4, they invaded Belgium (a neutral country at that time), and by August 20, Germany reached the borders of France. The implementation of the Schlieffen plan began. Germany advanced deep into France, but on September 5 was stopped at the river Marne, where a battle took place, in which about 2 million people participated on both sides.
Northwestern Front of Russia in 1914
At the beginning of the war, Russia did something stupid that Germany could not possibly calculate. Nicholas 2 decided to enter the war without fully mobilizing the army. On August 4, Russian troops, under the command of Rennenkampf, launched an offensive in East Prussia (present-day Kaliningrad). Samsonov's army was equipped to help her. Initially, the troops operated successfully, and Germany was forced to retreat. As a result, part of the forces of the Western Front was transferred to the Eastern. The result - Germany repulsed the offensive of Russia in East Prussia (the troops acted disorganized and lacked resources), but as a result, the Schlieffen plan failed, and France could not be captured. So, Russia saved Paris, though by defeating its 1st and 2nd armies. After that, trench warfare began.
Southwestern Front of Russia
On the southwestern front in August-September, Russia undertook offensive operation to Galicia, which was occupied by the troops of Austria-Hungary. The Galician operation was more successful than the offensive in East Prussia. In this battle, Austria-Hungary suffered a catastrophic defeat. 400 thousand people killed, 100 thousand captured. For comparison, the Russian army lost 150 thousand people killed. After that, Austria-Hungary actually withdrew from the war, since it lost the ability to conduct independent actions. Austria was saved from complete defeat only by the help of Germany, which was forced to transfer additional divisions to Galicia.
The main results of the military campaign in 1914
- Germany failed to implement Schlieffen's plan for lightning war.
- No one has won a decisive advantage. The war turned into a trench war.
Map of military events 1914-15 years
Military events of 1915
In 1915, Germany decided to shift the main blow to the eastern front, directing all its forces to the war with Russia, which was the weakest country of the Entente, according to the Germans. It was a strategic plan developed by the commander of the Eastern Front, General von Hindenburg. Russia managed to thwart this plan only at the cost of colossal losses, but at the same time 1915 turned out to be simply terrible for the empire of Nicholas II.
Position on the northwestern front
From January to October, Germany led an active offensive, as a result of which Russia lost Poland, western Ukraine, part of the Baltic states, and western Belarus. Russia went into deep defense. The losses of the Russians were gigantic:
- Killed and wounded - 850 thousand people
- Captured - 900 thousand people
Russia did not capitulate, but the countries of the Triple Alliance were convinced that Russia would no longer be able to recover from the losses it had received.
The successes of Germany in this sector of the front led to the fact that on October 14, 1915, Bulgaria entered the First World War (on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary).
Position on the southwestern front
The Germans, together with Austria-Hungary, organized the Gorlitsky breakthrough in the spring of 1915, forcing the entire southwestern front of Russia to retreat. Galicia, which was captured in 1914, was completely lost. Germany was able to achieve this advantage thanks to the terrible mistakes of the Russian command, as well as a significant technical advantage. German superiority in technology reached:
- 2.5 times with machine guns.
- 4.5 times in light artillery.
- 40 times with heavy artillery.
It was not possible to withdraw Russia from the war, but the losses in this sector of the front were gigantic: 150 thousand killed, 700 thousand wounded, 900 thousand prisoners and 4 million refugees.
Position on the western front
"Everything is calm on the western front." This phrase can be used to describe the course of the war between Germany and France in 1915. There was a sluggish military action in which no one strove for the initiative. Germany was implementing plans in eastern Europe, while Britain and France calmly mobilized the economy and the army, preparing for further war. Nobody provided any help to Russia, although Nicholas II repeatedly appealed to France, first of all, so that she would move on to active actions on Western front... As usual, no one heard him ... By the way, this sluggish war on the western front for Germany is perfectly described by Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms.
The main result of 1915 was that Germany was unable to withdraw Russia from the war, although all forces were thrown into this. It became obvious that the First World War would drag on for a long time, since no one was able to gain an advantage or strategic initiative during 1.5 years of the war.
Military events of 1916
"Verdun meat grinder"
In February 1916, Germany launched a general offensive against France, with the aim of capturing Paris. For this, a campaign was carried out to Verdun, which covered the approaches to the French capital. The battle lasted until the end of 1916. During this time, 2 million people died, for which the battle was named "Verdun meat grinder". France resisted, but again thanks to the fact that Russia came to its rescue, which became more active on the southwestern front.
Events on the southwestern front in 1916
In May 1916, Russian troops launched an offensive that lasted 2 months. This offensive went down in history under the name "Brusilov Breakthrough". This name is due to the fact that the Russian army was commanded by General Brusilov. The breakthrough of the defense in Bukovina (from Lutsk to Chernivtsi) happened on June 5. The Russian army managed not only to break through the defenses, but also to advance into its depths in places up to 120 kilometers. The losses of the Germans and Austro-Hungarians were catastrophic. 1.5 million dead, wounded and prisoners. The offensive was stopped only by additional German divisions, which were hastily transferred here from Verdun (France) and from Italy.
This offensive of the Russian army was not without a fly in the ointment. The allies threw her up, as usual. On August 27, 1916, Romania entered the First World War on the side of the Entente. Germany very quickly defeated her. As a result, Romania lost the army, and Russia received an additional 2 thousand kilometers of the front.
Events on the Caucasian and Northwestern Fronts
Positional battles continued on the North-Western Front during the spring-autumn period. As for the Caucasian Front, here the main events lasted from the beginning of 1916 to April. During this time, 2 operations were carried out: Erzurmur and Trebizond. According to their results, Erzurum and Trebizond were conquered, respectively.
Outcome of 1916 in the First World War
- The strategic initiative went over to the side of the Entente.
- The French fortress of Verdun survived thanks to the offensive of the Russian army.
- Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente.
- Russia launched a powerful offensive - the Brusilov Breakthrough.
Military and political events 1917
The year 1917 in the First World War was marked by the fact that the war continued against the background of the revolutionary situation in Russia and Germany, as well as the deterioration of the economic situation of the countries. Let me give you an example of Russia. Over the 3 years of the war, prices for basic products have grown by an average of 4-4.5 times. Naturally, this caused discontent among the people. Add to this the heavy losses and the exhausting war - it is an excellent ground for revolutionaries. The situation is similar in Germany.
In 1917, the United States entered the First World War. The positions of the "Triple Alliance" are deteriorating. Germany with its allies cannot effectively fight on 2 fronts, as a result of which it goes on the defensive.
The end of the war for Russia
In the spring of 1917, Germany launched another offensive on the Western Front. Despite the events in Russia, Western countries demanded that the Provisional Government implement the agreements signed by the Empire and send troops on the offensive. As a result, on June 16, the Russian army launched an offensive in the Lvov region. Again, we saved the allies from major battles, but we ourselves were completely substituted.
The Russian army, exhausted by the war and losses, did not want to fight. The issues of provisions, uniforms and supplies during the war years have not been resolved. The army fought reluctantly, but moved forward. The Germans were forced to redeploy troops here, and Russia's allies in the Entente again isolated themselves, watching what would happen next. On July 6, Germany launched a counteroffensive. As a result, 150,000 Russian soldiers were killed. The army actually ceased to exist. The front fell apart. Russia could no longer fight, and this catastrophe was inevitable.
People demanded that Russia withdraw from the war. And this was one of their main demands on the Bolsheviks, who seized power in October 1917. Initially, at the 2nd congress of the party, the Bolsheviks signed the decree "On Peace", actually proclaiming Russia's withdrawal from the war, and on March 3, 1918, they signed the Brest Peace. The conditions of this world were as follows:
- Russia makes peace with Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey.
- Russia loses Poland, Ukraine, Finland, part of Belarus and the Baltic states.
- Russia yields to Turkey Batum, Kars and Ardahan.
As a result of its participation in the First World War, Russia lost: about 1 million square meters territory, lost about 1/4 of the population, 1/4 of arable land and 3/4 of the coal and metallurgical industries.
Historical reference
Events in the war in 1918
Germany got rid of the Eastern Front and the need to wage a war in two directions. As a result, in the spring and summer of 1918, she attempted an offensive on the Western Front, but this offensive had no success. Moreover, as it went on, it became obvious that Germany was squeezing the maximum out of herself, and that she needed a break in the war.
Autumn 1918
The decisive events in the First World War took place in the fall. The Entente countries, together with the United States, went on the offensive. The German army was completely driven out of France and Belgium. In October, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria signed a truce with the Entente, and Germany was left to fight alone. Her position was hopeless after the German allies in the Triple Alliance had effectively surrendered. This resulted in the same thing that happened in Russia - the revolution. On November 9, 1918, Emperor Wilhelm II was overthrown.
End of the First World War
On November 11, 1918, the First World War of 1914-1918 ended. Germany signed a complete surrender. It happened near Paris, in the Compiegne forest, at the Retonde station. The capitulation was accepted by the French Marshal Foch. The terms of the signed peace were as follows:
- Germany admits complete defeat in the war.
- The return of France to the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine to the borders of 1870, as well as the transfer of the Saar coal basin.
- Germany lost all of its colonial possessions, and also pledged to transfer 1/8 of its territory to its geographical neighbors.
- For 15 years, the Entente troops are on the left bank of the Rhine.
- By May 1, 1921, Germany had to pay the members of the Entente (Russia was not entitled to anything) 20 billion marks in gold, goods, securities, etc.
- For 30 years Germany has to pay reparations, and the amount of these reparations is set by the winners themselves and can increase them at any time during these 30 years.
- Germany was forbidden to have an army of more than 100 thousand people, and the army was obliged to be exclusively voluntary.
The conditions of "peace" were so humiliating for Germany that the country actually became a puppet. Therefore, many people of that time said that although the First World War ended, it ended not in peace, but in a truce for 30 years. So it ultimately happened ...
Results of the first world war
The First World War was fought on the territory of 14 states. It was attended by countries with total number population above 1 billion people (this is about 62% of the total population of the world at that time). In total, 74 million people were mobilized by the participating countries, of which 10 million were killed and another 20 million were injured.
As a result of the war political map Europe has changed significantly. Such independent states as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Albania appeared. Auto-Hungary split into Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Romania, Greece, France, Italy have increased their borders. Losers and losers in the territory were 5 countries: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and Russia.
World War I 1914-1918 map
TAKE PART IN THE FATE OF SERBIA
After the presentation of the Austrian ultimatum, the prince-regent of Serbia Alexander, sent an urgent telegram to the Russian emperor, in which, in particular, he wrote: “Among the conditions are those that will require changes in our legislation, and for this we need time. The deadline is too short. The Austro-Hungarian army is concentrating near our border and can attack us after the expiration of the term. We cannot defend ourselves. Therefore, we beg Your Majesty to help us as soon as possible. Your Majesty has given us so much evidence of his precious benevolence, and we firmly hope that this call will resonate in his Slavic and noble heart. I am the spokesman for the feelings of the Serbian people, who in these difficult times begs Your Majesty to take part in the fate of Serbia. "
Nicholas II inscribed on the text of the telegram: “A very modest and worthy telegram. What should I say to him? "
MAURICE PALEOLOGIST ABOUT NICHOLAS'S TERRITORIAL CLAIMS
- How, Your Majesty, do you imagine the general foundations of the world?
After a moment's thought, the emperor replies:
- The most important thing that we must establish is the destruction of German militarism, the end of the nightmare in which Germany has been keeping us for more than forty years. Every possibility of revenge must be taken away from the German people. If we let ourselves be pityed, it will new war after a little time. As for the exact conditions of peace, I hasten to tell you that I approve in advance everything that France and England deem it necessary to demand in their own interests.
- I am grateful to Your Majesty for this statement and I am confident on my part that the Government of the Republic will meet in the most sympathetic way the wishes of the Imperial Government
- This prompts me to tell you my whole idea. But I will only speak for myself personally, because I do not want to resolve such issues without listening to the advice of my ministers and generals.<…>
- This is how, approximately, I imagine the results that Russia has the right to expect from the war and without which my people would not understand the labors that I made them endure. Germany will have to agree to fix the borders in East Prussia. My general staff would like this correction to reach the banks of the Vistula; it seems excessive to me; I'll see. Poznan and, perhaps, part of Silesia will be necessary for the reconstruction of Poland. Galicia and the northern part of Bukovina will allow Russia to reach its natural limits - the Carpathians ... In Asia Minor, naturally, I will have to deal with the Armenians; it will be impossible, of course, to leave them under the Turkish yoke. Will I have to join Armenia? I will add it only at the special request of the Armenians. If not, I will arrange an independent government for them. Finally, I will have to ensure that my empire has an easy way out through the straits.
Since he pauses on these words, I ask him to explain himself. He continues:
- My thoughts are still far from settled. After all, the question is so important ... There are still two conclusions to which I always return. The first is that the Turks must be driven out of Europe; second, that Constantinople should henceforth become a neutral city, under international administration. It goes without saying that the Mohammedans would receive a full guarantee of respect for their shrines and graves. Northern Thrace, up to the Enos-Media line, would be annexed to Bulgaria. The rest, from this line to the coast of the sea, excluding the vicinity of Constantinople, would have been given to Russia.
Paleologue M. Tsarist Russia during the World War. M., 1991.
Georges Maurice Paleologue - French diplomat; in 1914 he was the French ambassador to St. Petersburg
THE HIGHEST MANIFESTO ON RUSSIA'S ENTRY INTO THE WAR
By the grace of God, We, Nicholas II,
Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia,
king of Poland, Grand Duke Finnish
and so on, and on, and on.
We declare to all our loyal subjects:
Following its historical precepts, Russia, united in faith and blood with the Slavic peoples, never looked at their fate with indifference. With complete unanimity and special strength, the fraternal feelings of the Russian people for the Slavs in last days when Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with demands that were obviously unacceptable for the Sovereign State. Disdaining the compliant and peaceful response of the Serbian government, rejecting the benevolent mediation of Russia, Austria hastily launched an armed attack, opening the bombing of defenseless Belgrade.
Forced, due to the conditions created, to take the necessary precautions, We commanded to bring the army and navy to martial law, but, cherishing the blood and property of Our subjects, made every effort to achieve a peaceful outcome of the negotiations that had begun. Among friendly relations, Germany, allied with Austria, contrary to Our hopes for a century-long good neighborhood and not heeding Our assurance that the measures taken by no means have any goals hostile to it, began to seek their immediate cancellation and, having met a refusal in this demand, suddenly declared war on Russia.
Now it is no longer necessary to intercede only for the unjustly offended kindred country to Us, but to protect the honor, dignity, integrity of Russia and her position among the Great Powers.
We firmly believe that all our loyal subjects will stand up together and selflessly to defend the Russian Land.
In the terrible hour of trial, let internal strife be forgotten. May the unity of the Tsar with His people be strengthened even more, and may Russia repel, which has risen as one man, impudent against the onslaught of the enemy.
With deep faith in the righteousness of Our cause and humble hope in the Almighty Providence, We prayerfully call upon Holy Russia and our valiant troops God's blessing.
Given in St. Petersburg, on the twentieth day of July, in the year from the birth of Christ one thousand nine hundred and fourteenth, and our reign in the twentieth.
The original Imperial Majesty's own hand signed:
NIKOLAI
BAYONET AND FEATHER
Vladimir Mayakovsky
War is declared
“Evening! Evening! Evening!
Italy! Germany! Austria!"
And to the square, darkly outlined in black,
a stream of crimson blood spilled!
A coffee shop broke my face in blood
the beastly cry of the bagrim:
“Let us poison Rhine's games with the blood!
With thunders of cannonballs on the marble of Rome! "
From the sky, torn by bayonets,
the tears of the stars sifted like flour in a sieve,
and the soles of compressed pity squealed:
"Oh, let me in, let me in, let me in!"
Bronze generals on a faceted plinth
they prayed: "Unscrew, and we will go!"
The kisses of the farewell cavalry clattered,
and the infantry wanted a killer - victory.
The heaping city was born in a dream
the laughing voice of a cannon bass,
and red snow is falling from the west
juicy shreds of human meat.
The company swells near the square behind the company,
the veins on her forehead swell.
"Wait, checkers on silk cocoon
wipe, wipe in the boulevards of Vienna! "
The newspapermen were screaming: “Buy an evening one!
Italy! Germany! Austria!"
And from the night, darkly outlined by blackness,
crimson blood poured and poured a stream.
The beginning of the First World War. Military operations in 1914 on Ukrainian lands
1. The main reasons and reason for the outbreak of the First World War.On August 1, 1914, the First World War began. Its main reasons were economic and political contradictions between states. two military-political blocs:
The Entente(formed in 1904-1907; it included Russia, Great Britain and France);
Triple union(formed in 1882; it included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy).
The most acute contradictions over spheres of influence arose between Germany and Russia, Germany and Great Britain, Germany and France, the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires, as well as between states within these two military-political blocs.
By 1914, the contradictions between Germany and Russia became especially aggravated. The Russian Empire stood in the way of the implementation of Germany's expansionist plans to expand its geopolitical space. Germany's long-standing dreams of implementing "world politics" were canceled out by Russia's powerful potential. Germany sought to conquer Russia economically and weaken it politically and militarily. She planned to push Russia back to the East, limiting it to the borders of the former Moscow principality.
A typical form of implementation of Germany's aggressive policy was the plan Drang nach Osten- "Onslaught to the East", which provided for the seizure of foreign territories by armed means. Such territories, for example in the East, included Ukraine, Poland, Belarus and the Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire.
. On June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, he was mortally wounded by the Serb G. Princip from the secret organization Mlada Bosna. The Austrian government blamed Serbia for this murder and delivered an ultimatum to the Serbian government. It was not accepted by Serbia and became the reason for the declaration of war on Serbia by Austria-Hungary on July 28, 1914. Austria-Hungary was supported by Germany. The Russian Empire came out in defense of Serbia. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. France and Great Britain soon joined the war.
2. Plan "lightning war" . The First World War was fought on almost a dozen fronts in different parts of the world. However, the main fronts were the Western, where German troops led fighting against the British, French and Belgian troops, and the East, where Russian troops opposed the combined forces of the Austro-Hungarian and German armies. The human, raw material and food resources of the Entente significantly exceeded the resources of the Triple Alliance (or, as it was called otherwise, the Central Bloc), therefore the chances of Germany and Austria-Hungary to win the war on two fronts were insignificant.
In Germany, the general plan of warfare was developed by the chief of staff A. von Schlieffen and was named plan for "lightning war". According to this plan, after the declaration of war on France and Russia, Germany was to defeat them one by one. At the beginning of hostilities, it was planned to defeat France and destroy her army with a strike delivered through Belgium to Paris, breaking through the defenses of French troops on the least protected sections of the French-Belgian border. Then it was planned to concentrate all forces against Russia and, in cooperation with the Austro-Hungarian army, defeat its troops and achieve its surrender.
3. Ukrainian lands as part of two empires. Back in 1795, as a result of the third partition of Poland, the territory of Ukraine was finally distributed between the Russian and Austrian (since 1867 - Austro-Hungarian) empires.
To the territory Russian Empire about 80% of Ukrainian lands were connected. At the beginning of the XX century. Ukrainian lands within Russia were included in nine provinces: Volyn, Podolsk, Poltava, Kiev, Yekaterinoslav, Kherson, Kharkov, Chernigov and Tavria (without Crimea). A significant part of the Ukrainians lived outside these provinces - on the Don and on the territory of the Kuban. The population of the border provinces - Kursk, Voronezh, Grodno, Minsk, was also mixed; the territory of ethnic Ukrainian lands captured by the Russian Empire covered 618 thousand square kilometers.
During the First World War, the Ukrainian lands became the object of territorial claims from the warring blocs - The Triple Alliance and the Entente (represented by Russia.)
The Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires sought to use the war to suppress the national liberation movement of the Ukrainian people. And the Ukrainians, divided between two empires, were forced to fight with each other: in Russian army there were about 4 million Ukrainians, and in the Austrian - 300 thousand.
4. Plans of the states of the Triple Alliance and the Entente in relation to Ukraine.
4.1. Germany.
but) Some political forces in Germany considered the option of entering the Ukrainian lands into the future, as they planned, "Great Germany" together with the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Austria-Hungary, Poland, the Baltic states, and the Slavic lands of the Balkan Peninsula. Ukraine was seen as a springboard for moving to the East and a potential colony from where it would be possible to draw agricultural products and natural resources.
b) Other political forces of this country saw the fate of Ukraine differently: they hoped for the construction of an independent Ukrainian state, which would weaken Russia and close her access to Europe.
4.2. Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary planned to capture Volhynia and Podillia. At the same time, she strove to strengthen her dominance in Galicia, Transcarpathia and Bukovina. The Austrian government also proclaimed the goal of its policy in the war to break away from Moscow and conquer other Ukrainian lands and create an independent Ukraine on them, which, in its opinion, should have weakened Moscow's influence on South-Eastern Europe.
5. The course of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine in 1914 The Russian Empire, which owned vast areas, could not yet recover from defeat in the war with Japan (1904-1905) and as a result, as well as technical and technological backwardness, sharply growing socio-economic problems in the country, political crisis in the upper echelons of power, was unable to provide effective protection of its territory, and above all the southwestern (Ukrainian) lands.
The troops of the Southwestern Front, located on the territory of Ukraine (as part of four armies), were stretched for 450 km - from Ivan-gorod to Kamenets-Podolsk. They were opposed by four Austro-Hungarian armies.
Military operations on the territory of Ukraine began in the first days of August 1914 on the territory of Galicia. On August 18, 1914, the successful offensive of General A. Brusilov's 8th Army began. From 23 August began Galician battle, which lasted until the end of September. More than 1.5 million people took part in it on both sides: 700 thousand Russian troops and 830 thousand Austro-Hungarian army. At the beginning of the battle, the military-operational situation for the Russian troops was unfavorable, but they soon managed to seize the initiative. The successful offensive of the troops of the two Russian armies under the command of generals Ruzsky and Brusilov culminated in the capture of Lvov on August 21, and the city of Galich on August 22. Developing the offensive, the troops of the Southwestern Front surrounded and blockaded the well-fortified fortress of Przemysl and by September 13 had reached a line 80 km from Krakow, but their further offensive was stopped.
After the end of the Battle of Galicia, Russian troops occupied the entire Eastern and a significant part of Western Galicia and almost all of Bukovina with the city of Chernivtsi. Austro-Hungarian troops suffered a crushing defeat: their losses amounted to 400 thousand people, including 100 thousand prisoners; during the fighting, Russian troops captured 400 guns. The plans of the German command to keep the entire Eastern Front with the forces of only the Austro-Hungarian army failed. The initial period of World War I ended generally victoriously for Russia.
During the military operations in the Western Ukrainian lands, the situation in the south worsened. She entered the war on the side of the Austro-German bloc Turkey. The German cruisers Goeben and Breslau entered the Black Sea through the Dardanelles. They together with Turkish Navy Having forced out the Anglo-French squadrons, on the night of October 16, 1914, they unexpectedly shelled Sevastopol, Odessa, Feodosia and Novorossiysk. For Russia, another one was formed - the Caucasian Front.
At the end of 1914, active hostilities ceased, both on the Western and Eastern fronts, and there was a lull. The stage has begun positional war, which testified to the collapse of the German plan for "lightning war". A large role in the failure of this plan was played by the Russian army, which with its active actions diverted significant enemy forces to the Eastern Front. Entente forced countries Quadruple union(The quadruple alliance was formed after Italy went over to the side of the Entente in 1915 and Turkey and Bulgaria joined the Austro-German bloc) to fight on two fronts, but she also did not achieve victory.
The Day of Remembrance of Russian soldiers who died in the First World War of 1914-1918 is celebrated annually on August 1 in accordance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of December 30, 2012 "On Amendments to Article 1.1 Federal law"On the days of military glory and memorable dates in Russia".
This memorable date installed in order to perpetuate the memory and reflect the merits of the Russian soldiers who died during the First World War.
The First World War of 1914-1918 was the first military conflict on a global scale, in which 38 of the 59 independent states that existed at that time were involved.
The main reason for the war was the contradictions between the two coalitions of European powers - the Entente (Russia, England and France) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy), caused by the aggravation of the struggle for the redistribution of already divided colonies, spheres of influence and sales markets. Starting in Europe, where the main events took place, it gradually acquired a global character, also covering the Far and Middle East, Africa, the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Indian oceans.
The reason for the First World War was the murder by Serbian nationalists on June 28, 1914 in the city of Sarajevo (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Austria-Hungary, under pressure from Germany, presented the Serbs with obviously unacceptable conditions for resolving the conflict that had arisen, and after the Austro-Hungarian ultimatum was rejected, on July 28, declared war on Serbia.
Fulfilling its allied obligations to Serbia, Russia began a general mobilization on July 30. The next day, Germany, in an ultimatum, demanded that Russia stop mobilizing. The ultimatum was left unanswered, and on August 1 Germany declared war on Russia.
Then Germany declared war on France and Great Britain against Germany.
Having created an advantage in the forces on the Western Front, Germany occupied Luxembourg and Belgium and began a rapid advance in northern France towards Paris. But the offensive of Russian troops in East Prussia forced Germany to withdraw part of the troops from the Western Front.
In August - September 1914, Russian troops defeated the Austro-Hungarian troops in Galicia, in late 1914 - early 1915 - Turkish troops in the Transcaucasus.
In 1915, the forces of the Central Powers, conducting a strategic defense on the Western Front, forced the Russian troops to leave Galicia, Poland, part of the Baltic States, and defeated Serbia.
In 1916, after an unsuccessful attempt by German troops to break through the Allied defenses in the Verdun region (France), the strategic initiative passed to the Entente. In addition, the heavy defeat inflicted on the Austro-German troops in May - July 1916 in Galicia actually predetermined the collapse of Germany's main ally, Austria-Hungary. In the Caucasian theater, the initiative continued to be retained by the Russian army.
The collapse of the Russian army that began after the February Revolution of 1917 allowed Germany and its allies to intensify their actions on other fronts, which did not change the situation as a whole.
After the conclusion of a separate Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Russia on March 3, 1918, the German command launched a massive offensive on the Western Front. The Entente troops (France, Great Britain, Serbia, later Japan, Italy, Romania, the USA, etc.; there were 34 states in total, including Russia), having eliminated the results of the German breakthrough, went on the offensive, which ended in the defeat of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria).
The losses of Russia in the First World War amounted to over two million killed at the fronts and over three million prisoners, the loss of the civilian population of the Russian Empire.
For the burials of Russian soldiers who fell during the First World War in February 1915 on the lands of the old manor park of the village of Vsekhsvyatskoye near Moscow (now the territory of the Sokol district of Moscow), the All-Russian Bratskoye cemetery was opened and a chapel was consecrated.
Until the middle of 1920, burials at the Bratsk cemetery were carried out almost daily. Not far from the cemetery, it was planned to create an architectural ensemble of a memorial church and the All-Russian Museum of the First World War and open a shelter for war victims, but these plans were interrupted by the 1917 revolution.
In the Soviet Union, the events of the First World War were forgotten for a long time, and in the 1930s there was a cemetery.
In 1994, by a decree of the Moscow government, the territory of the former Bratsk cemetery was declared a monument of history and culture and placed under state protection. On the site of the central part of the Bratsk cemetery, the Memorial Park Complex of the Heroes of the First World War was created. In 1990-2004, various monuments and a chapel were erected on its territory.
On May 6, 2014, a commemorative tombstone for the sisters of mercy who died during the First World War was unveiled here.
In total, 18 thousand soldiers and officers were buried in the fraternal cemetery, who died in Moscow hospitals from wounds received in the First World War. In April 2016, the ashes of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, were reburied in a chapel on the territory of the complex.
Monuments to the heroes of the First World War were erected in Kaliningrad, Lipetsk and Pskov. In the city of Gusev, Kaliningrad region, two monuments have been unveiled - "Bayonet attack" and "In memory of the forgotten war that changed the course of history."
In December 2014, monuments to the heroes of the First World War were also erected in Saransk and Tula.
In August 2016, a monument to the Fallen and Dead of Wounds during the First World War was unveiled in Kirov.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources