Europe Plunges into War

The Western and Eastern Fronts

The Outbreak of War• July 28, 1914 – Austria Hungary declares war on

Serbia– alliance system begins

1. Russia mobilizes army (July 31)2. Germany asked Russia to cancel mobilization – or war

would begin3. Russia didn’t reply 4. Germany declared war on Russia (August 1)5. Knowing France would join Russia – Germany declares

war on France (August 3)

• What problem does Germany have now that they have declared war on Russia and France?

Declarations of War1914• July 28 Austria-Hungary declares war

on Serbia.• July 31 Russia announces full

mobilization.• August 1Germany declares war on

Russia.• August 3 Germany declares war on

France. • August 4 Germany invades Belgium,

Britain declares war on Germany• August 5 Montenegro on Austria

Hungary• August 6 Austria-Hungary declares

war on Russia Serbia declares war on Germany.

• August 9 Montenegro declares war on Germany.

• August 11 France declares war on Austria-Hungary.

• August 12 The United Kingdom declares war on Austria-Hungary.

• August 22 Austria-Hungary declares war on Belgium.

• August 23 Japan declares war on Germany.

• August 25 Japan declares war on Austria-Hungary.

• November 1 Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire.

• November 3 Montenegro declares war on the Ottoman Empire.

1915• May 23 Italy declares war on Austria-

Hungary.• October 14 Bulgaria declares war on

Serbia • October 15 The United Kingdom

declares war on Bulgaria. • October 16 France declares war on

Bulgaria.1916• August 27 Italy declares war on

Germany; Romania enters on the Allied side

1917• April 6 The United States declares war

on Germany.• December 7 The United States declares

war on Austria-Hungary.

Journal #13• “Serbia was right in wanting to expand,

Austria in wanting to survive. Germany was right in fearing isolation, Great Britain in fearing German power. Everyone was right. And everyone was wrong, for no one foresaw what war would mean, either in terms of costs or of consequences. All were sinners, all were sinned against.” - Joachim Remak

• Who was responsible for starting WWI?

1914-1915: Illusions and Stalemate

• Illusions fed enthusiasm for the war in 1914– Belief that the war would only last a few weeks

• Home by Christmas (historical trend in Europe, American Civil War overlooked)

– War could not last for more than a few months without destroying a nation’s economy

– Fatal Attraction to a “glorious adventure”– Redemption: national rebirth based on self-

sacrifice, heroism, and nobility

The Western FrontThe Schlieffen Plan• Called for Germany to quickly crush France

before Russia was fully ready• Plan had many faults:

– more resistance in Belgium; German advances delayed

– Russia mobilized faster– Britain met German forces in northern France– France attacked in the south

• Germany invaded France through Belgium (a neutral nation)

• Britain brought into war once Germany entered Belgium, Britain pledged to defend Belgium’s neutrality

• August 4, 1914 Britain declares war on Germany

• German offensive stalled in September with France and Britain taking stand along Marne River

• The First Battle of the Marne was perhaps the single most important event of the war – This ended hopes of quick victory for Germany – Ruined Schlieffen Plan– Germany was pushed back

• By fall 1914 Britain and France stabilized Germany along the western front

• Nov. 1914: neither side could deal final blow– settled down to trench warfare– for next 3 years: fighting only preserved stalemate

w/ many casualties

Stalemate

Nations Take Sides

Central Powers• Germany• Austria-Hungary• Bulgaria (joins later

11/1914)• Ottoman Empire (joins

later 10/1915)

Allied Powers (Allies)• Great Britain• France• Russia• Japan• Italy (1915)

Western Front Battles

• Verdun and Somme• Most costly battles of the war,

exemplified “war of Attrition”• Trench Warfare

Verdun (Feb–Dec 1916)

• Begun by Germany to end stalemate• Casualties – nearly a million (fairly equal on

both sides)• Result: Germany advanced about four miles

Somme (in northern France)July 1, 1916 – November 1916

• Begun by Allies to draw Germans out of Verdun

• Casualties (one of the bloodiest battles of war, ever): first day=20,000 British soldiers dead

• Result: Allies had gained five miles of bloody mud from the Germans at a cost of 600,000 men: 400,000 British Imperial, and 200,000 French casualties (BBC)