World War 1
Intro to World War 1 (1914-1918)
- First global war centred in Europe, triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on 28 June 1914.
- Involved 2 major alliances: Allied Powers (Triple Entente) & Central Powers.
- Fought in 3 fronts: Western, Eastern & Balkan; introduced trench warfare, tanks, chemical weapons.
- Ended with Armistice (11 Nov 1918) & Treaty of Versailles (28 June 1919).
- Casualties: ≈ 1.5 crore (1 crore = 10 million) total; 70 lakh military deaths + 80 lakh civilian deaths.
Major Causes (M.A.I.N.)
| Cause | Description |
|---|---|
| Militarism | Arms race—Germany & Britain built navies; standing armies doubled 1890-1914. |
| Alliances | Triple Alliance (1882) vs Triple Entente (1907) divided Europe. |
| Imperialism | Scramble for colonies—Morocco crises (1905, 1911) heightened tensions. |
| Nationalism | Pan-Slavism & Serbian nationalism vs Austro-Hungarian dominance. |
Immediate Spark
- 28 June 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir to Austro-Hungarian throne) & wife Sophie assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip (member of Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist group).
Timeline at a Glance
| Year | Key Events |
|---|---|
| 1914 | 28 Jun – Assassination; 28 Jul – Austria declares war on Serbia; 4 Aug – Germany invades Belgium (Schlieffen Plan); 5 Sep–10 Sep – 1st Battle of Marne (trench war begins). |
| 1915 | 22 Apr – 1st poison-gas attack at 2nd Battle of Ypres; 7 May – Lusitania sunk; Italy joins Allies. |
| 1916 | Feb–Dec – Battle of Verdun (France vs Germany, ≈7 lakh casualties); Jul–Nov – Battle of the Somme (1 Jul – British lose 60,000 in 1 day). |
| 1917 | 6 Apr – USA enters war (unrestricted submarine warfare & Zimmermann Telegram); 7 Nov – Bolshevik Revolution – Russia exits war (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 3 Mar 1918). |
| 1918 | 21 Mar – Germany’s Spring Offensive; 8 Aug – Hundred Days Offensive (Allied push); 11 Nov – Armistice (11-11-11: 11 am, 11 Nov). |
| 1919 | 28 June – Treaty of Versailles signed (exactly 5 years after assassination). |
Principal Opponents
| Allied Powers (Entente) | Central Powers |
|---|---|
| Britain + Dominions (Canada, India, Australia…) | Germany (Kaiser Wilhelm II) |
| France (Third Republic) | Austria-Hungary (Emperor Franz Joseph → Charles I) |
| Russia (till 1917) | Ottoman Empire (Sultan Mehmed V → VI) |
| Italy (from 1915) | Bulgaria (from 1915) |
| USA (from 1917) | – |
War Technology & Firsts
| Innovation | Year / Fact |
|---|---|
| Tank | 1st used by British at Flers-Courcelette (Somme) 15 Sep 1916—Mk I “Little Willie”. |
| Chemical weapons | Chlorine gas 1915; later phosgene & mustard gas; 1.2 million gas casualties. |
| Barbed wire & machine guns | Caused huge stalemate on Western Front. |
| Air warfare | 1st fighter planes (Fokker Eindecker 1915); Red Baron (Manfred von Richthofen) scored 80 kills. |
| Convoy system | Introduced by Allies 1917 to beat U-boats. |
India & WW1
- 13 lakh Indian soldiers served; 74,000 killed; 11 Victoria Crosses.
- Fought in France, Belgium, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, East Africa.
- Imperial War Conference 1917 – India represented as separate signatory → step toward self-governance.
Important Personalities
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Archduke Franz Ferdinand | His death triggered war. |
| Kaiser Wilhelm II | German Emperor, abdicated 9 Nov 1918. |
| General Helmuth von Moltke | Modified Schlieffen Plan. |
| Field-Marshal Douglas Haig | British C-in-C Western Front (Somme). |
| Marshal Ferdinand Foch | Allied Supreme Commander 1918. |
| Woodrow Wilson | US President, 14-Point Plan, League of Nations. |
| David Lloyd George | British PM during 2nd half of war. |
| Mustafa Kemal Atatürk | Defended Gallipoli; later founded Turkey. |
Results & Treaties
| Treaty | Date / With | Key Clauses |
|---|---|---|
| Treaty of Versailles | 28 June 1919 – Germany | War-guilt clause (Article 231), Reparations (£6,600 million), Rhineland demilitarised, Army capped at 1 lakh, loss of 13% territory, 10% population, all colonies. |
| Saint-Germain | 1919 – Austria | Dissolved Austro-Hungarian Empire. |
| Trianon | 1920 – Hungary | 2/3 territory lost. |
| Sèvres / Lausanne | 1920/23 – Ottoman Empire → Turkey. |
Quick-Reference Tables
1. Deadliest Battles
| Battle | Year | Approx. Casualties |
|---|---|---|
| Brusilov Offensive | 1916 | 15 lakh |
| Battle of the Somme | 1916 | 12 lakh |
| Verdun | 1916 | 7 lakh |
| Passchendaele (3rd Ypres) | 1917 | 5 lakh |
2. War Expenditure & Casualties
| Country | Military Deaths | Total Casualties | % of Mobilised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 20 lakh | 70 lakh | 65% |
| Russia | 17 lakh | 90 lakh | 76% |
| France | 14 lakh | 66 lakh | 73% |
| British Empire | 9 lakh | 32 lakh | 36% |
| Austria-Hungary | 12 lakh | 70 lakh | 90% |
| USA | 1.16 lakh | 3.2 lakh | 8% |
One-Liner Revision Facts
- WW1 lasted 4 years, 3 months, 1 week.
- Germany & Austria-Hungary were the first to declare war (28 Jul 1914).
- Tanks were code-named “Water Tanks” to hide identity.
- Christmas Truce 1914 – soldiers played football in no-man’s-land.
- Zimmermann Telegram promised Mexico US territory if it sided with Germany.
- Article 231 – “War-Guilt” clause blamed Germany solely.
- League of Nations born 1920 (USA never joined).
- Ottoman Empire ended after 600 years; Turkey became republic 1923.
- Indian battalions won 6 battle honours including “Neuve-Chapelle”.
- 11 November observed as Remembrance / Poppy Day.
BETA
