Great War

The Great War

The Great War as it was known among contemporaries, lasted from 1914 to 1918. Today it is called the First World War, as nearly every country in the world was involved in it. The main war-waging parties were the Central Powers with Germany and Austria-Hungary on the one hand and the Triple Entente with Great Britain, France and Russia on the other hand. There were long and short term reasons for its outbreak, like the naval race between Britain and Germnay, the Morrocan Crisis and a strong belief in Social Darwinism among all nations. But the trigger for the final outbreak should be the shooting of the Austrian heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist in June 1914. This assassination caused Austria to declare war on Serbia. Germany as Austria's ally had to join the war, too as well as Russia on Serbia's side and with her France and Britain. While there was first enthusiasm on both sides, as all nations expected a short war, it soon turned out to be that they were fighting a war of attrition. The first „modern“ war as it was also called, brought about weapons of mass destruction, trench warfare, the use of poison gas and excessive, useless long battles, like the ones at Verdun or at the Somme. All in all over six million soldiers died; more than ever before. The outcome of the war was decided, when the USA entered the war on the side of the Triple Entente in 1917. Germany finally asked for an armistice in November 1918 and was forced to accept the Treaty of Versailles. After the end of the Great War the face of Europe should change forever, with the establishment of smaller nation states in Eastern Europe, the abolition of monarchy in Russia, Austria and Germany and more political power for women. Europe would never be the same as before 1914.

Sources:

Marwick, Arthur. War and Social Change in the Twentieth Century. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press LTD, 1974.

Maurer, Michael. Kleine Geschichte Englands. Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun., 2007.

[Manu1988]