World War I
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German soldiers were killed at the rate of one every 45 seconds, and French death rates were even higher. In the five months during which the battles of Verdun and the Somme were waged in 1916, nearly a million men died, an average of 6,600 every day, more than 277 every minute, nearly 5 every second. This was not exceptional. As Gilbert points out, the 20,000 British soldiers killed on the first day of the Somme are often recalled with horror, yet on average, a similar number of soldiers died during every four-day period of the entire war.<ref>Martin Gilbert.''The First World War: A Complete History'', 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc</ref> French casualties from the First World War were greater than United States casualties from every war that the US has ever taken part in.<ref>Which puts all claims of French cowardice to bed.</ref> Russia and Germany each suffered even greater casualties. | German soldiers were killed at the rate of one every 45 seconds, and French death rates were even higher. In the five months during which the battles of Verdun and the Somme were waged in 1916, nearly a million men died, an average of 6,600 every day, more than 277 every minute, nearly 5 every second. This was not exceptional. As Gilbert points out, the 20,000 British soldiers killed on the first day of the Somme are often recalled with horror, yet on average, a similar number of soldiers died during every four-day period of the entire war.<ref>Martin Gilbert.''The First World War: A Complete History'', 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc</ref> French casualties from the First World War were greater than United States casualties from every war that the US has ever taken part in.<ref>Which puts all claims of French cowardice to bed.</ref> Russia and Germany each suffered even greater casualties. | ||
| − | The maps and politics of the world following the war were a large part of its legacy. Several dynasties, notably the Royal House of Hohenzollern in Germany and the House of Romanov in Russia ceased, for all practical matters, to exist. | + | The maps and politics of the world following the war were a large part of its legacy. Several dynasties, notably the Royal House of Hohenzollern in Germany and the House of Romanov in Russia ceased, for all practical matters, to exist. The [[Soviet Union]] arose out of the war's ashes, as did the Weimar Republic in Germany, whose short-lived existence was followed by the [[Third Reich]]. The Austria-Hungarian empire split up into several different states, including Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia - with Italy that would pretty much lose the war if Austria-Hungary wouldn't be dissolved unjustifiably taking some important northern-Dalmatian ports ad islands along with one third of the Slovenian lands. The breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s led to a bloody war and "[[genocide|ethnic cleansing]]." |
The war also introduced or honed many different kinds of military technologies and tactics. During the American Civil War both sides experimented with trench warfare, however, during World War I it became the main method of fighting and the primary reason why there were so many casualties. Horse cavalry went out and was replaced by tanks and armored divisions. Machine guns came into widespread use on both sides. Air power, initially for reconnaissance, and later for crude bombing and air combat, was first utilized. Finally, both sides began experimenting with chemical attacks, often with chlorine or mustard gas. | The war also introduced or honed many different kinds of military technologies and tactics. During the American Civil War both sides experimented with trench warfare, however, during World War I it became the main method of fighting and the primary reason why there were so many casualties. Horse cavalry went out and was replaced by tanks and armored divisions. Machine guns came into widespread use on both sides. Air power, initially for reconnaissance, and later for crude bombing and air combat, was first utilized. Finally, both sides began experimenting with chemical attacks, often with chlorine or mustard gas. | ||
Revision as of 14:04, 7 February 2012
| What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! |
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“”"You see, Baldrick, in order to prevent war in Europe, two superblocks developed: us, the French and the Russians on one side, and the Germans and Austro-Hungary on the other. The idea was to have two vast opposing armies, each acting as the other's deterrent. That way there could never be a war."
"But, this is a sort of a war, isn't it, sir?" "Yes, that's right. You see, there was a tiny flaw in the plan." "What was that, sir?" "It was bollocks." |
| —Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson[1] |
The First World War, or World War I (known at the time, and still occasionally today, as "The Great War"), (1914–1918) [2] was so horrifying in terms of the casualties suffered, that an entire generation that had been raised to view war as a glorious and heroic endeavor came home (at least those who survived) with a deep understanding of the horrors of war. It was thought that the conflict proved once and for all that war was a futile exercise, and the war was often referred to as "the war to end all wars."
Rather embarrassingly for God, it was one of those wars where everyone assumed He was on their side. No doubt this embarrasment and confusion was why it took four years and the deaths of tens of millions of His followers before he finally admitted that it was the Catholic/Protestant/Orthodox alliance that had been right, not the Protestant/Catholic/Muslim one. But the hideous slaughter of religious believers by religious believers stopped for a few hours on 25 December 1914 for a few hours, proving conclusively and once and for all that religion is a Good Thing.
Contents |
How the war progressed, in brief
The Russians were rushin' the Prussians;
The Prussians were crushin' the Russians.
The Balkans were balkin' and Turkey was squawkin'
Rasputin disputin' and Italy scootin'.
The Boches all bulled Bolshevikis;
The British were watching the sea.
But the good Lord I'm thankin'
The Yanks started yankin',
And yanked Kaiser Bill up a tree.[3]
How'd it get started?
The political map of Europe looked very different 100 years ago. There were far fewer countries than now - with most of Central and Eastern Europe controlled by large multi-ethnic empires. Many European countries - even small ones like the Netherlands and Belgium - had a colonial empire. Most of them were monarchies with constitutions that varied a lot in terms of how liberal they were, but all were fairly undemocratic by modern standards (France and Switzerland were the only republics; Portugal had just overthrown its king). Massive technological and industrial changes were sweeping the world, and political structures that had remained the same for most of the previous century were struggling to catch up.
There was no United Nations, but a standing informal convention was that major powers would come together in the event of an international crisis to negotiate a solution and avoid war (the so-called 'Concert of Europe'). This system was falling apart and as more and more flare-ups took place, it seemed that a major war would break loose soon.
The newly-formed German Empire had rocketed to the top of the continental economic and military league after it was set up in 1871. While Germany set about getting things that would prove it was a "proper" great power, like overseas colonies and a powerful navy, its neighbours and rivals - France and Russia - buddied up as a counter-balance. Germany's only friend was Austria-Hungary, a weird central European "dual monarchy" with two parliaments, two governments, two economies, well over a dozen nationalities, but one King/Emperor and one military. An equally ramshackle international Empire, the Ottomans (Turks) was steadily losing control of the Balkans, and Austria-Hungary wanted to become the new chief power in the region. This upset the Russians, who fancied themselves the "Big Brother" of the various Slav and Orthodox nationalities - particular Serbia.
Great Britain decided to side with France and Russia. The Germans and Austro-Hungarians attempted to coax Italy onto their side (unsuccessfully, as it turned out), and the Ottomans (more successfully) to shore up their own position. They adopted Bulgaria as well - normally an ally of Russia, the Bulgarians were cranky because Serbia had done well out of a recent war against them, and were looking for revenge.
Things went pear-shaped after the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, Franz-Ferdinand, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 28, 1914. The assassin was associated with Serbian military figures, and Austria-Hungary seized this opportunity to gain revenge and crush Serbia at the same time. They cooked up an ultimatum that the Serbs rejected. Russia couldn't stand to see its interests in the Balkans walked over, and decided to back Serbia. After checking to make sure the Germans were happy to support them, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia. Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary in response.
Both Austria-Hungary and Germany knew that the former couldn't win a war against Serbia and Russia on its own. Germany demanded that Russia stop mobilising against its ally; Russia refused, and the Germans declared war.
For some reason, Germany's plans for war with Russia involved attacking Belgium and France (which was considering not backing up Russia). In turn this provoked Great Britain. The German plans to knock out first France, then Russia in quick succession failed, and literally bogged down in trench warfare. As the war continued, the Central Powers brought Bulgaria and the Ottomans in against the Allies, while the Allies signed up Romania and Italy. After three bloody years of fighting, the Russian Empire collapsed, and the Bolshevik government that emerged made peace with Germany. Meanwhile, the United States, which had enough of Germany's policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, declared war on Germany, giving the exhausted Allies the manpower they needed to clinch a decision on points over the equally exhausted Central Powers.
There are three "schools" of history about why the war happened: the structuralists argue that the war was inevitable because of trends in German society, the 'Kaiser-led' school argue that the war was part of a plan mainly made by Kaiser Wilhelm II (this is also the 'official' view which comes from the Treaty of Versailles), and the 'military-led' school who say that the War was planned by the German military, who worked outside of the control of both the Kaiser and the German people.
Civil liberties
World War I saw a massive propaganda campaign (run by the grandaddy of PR, Edward Bernays) and an all-out government attack on civil liberties in the United States. The Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 made it illegal to speak out against the war in any significant way. Citizen groups carried out vigilante actions against those considered "un-American", and people were essentially forced to support the war vocally and financially by various "citizens groups" who could report others for disloyalty for not buying war bonds and giving other material support. Among those who were sent to jail for opposing the war and /or conscription were Eugene V. Debs (10 year sentence) and Emma Goldman (2 year sentence).[4]
Why was World War I such a big deal?
German soldiers were killed at the rate of one every 45 seconds, and French death rates were even higher. In the five months during which the battles of Verdun and the Somme were waged in 1916, nearly a million men died, an average of 6,600 every day, more than 277 every minute, nearly 5 every second. This was not exceptional. As Gilbert points out, the 20,000 British soldiers killed on the first day of the Somme are often recalled with horror, yet on average, a similar number of soldiers died during every four-day period of the entire war.[5] French casualties from the First World War were greater than United States casualties from every war that the US has ever taken part in.[6] Russia and Germany each suffered even greater casualties.
The maps and politics of the world following the war were a large part of its legacy. Several dynasties, notably the Royal House of Hohenzollern in Germany and the House of Romanov in Russia ceased, for all practical matters, to exist. The Soviet Union arose out of the war's ashes, as did the Weimar Republic in Germany, whose short-lived existence was followed by the Third Reich. The Austria-Hungarian empire split up into several different states, including Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia - with Italy that would pretty much lose the war if Austria-Hungary wouldn't be dissolved unjustifiably taking some important northern-Dalmatian ports ad islands along with one third of the Slovenian lands. The breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s led to a bloody war and "ethnic cleansing."
The war also introduced or honed many different kinds of military technologies and tactics. During the American Civil War both sides experimented with trench warfare, however, during World War I it became the main method of fighting and the primary reason why there were so many casualties. Horse cavalry went out and was replaced by tanks and armored divisions. Machine guns came into widespread use on both sides. Air power, initially for reconnaissance, and later for crude bombing and air combat, was first utilized. Finally, both sides began experimenting with chemical attacks, often with chlorine or mustard gas.
World War I in popular culture.
The years following the end of the war were marked by an almost unparalleled number of monuments being erected in both Europe and the United States to those who fought and those who died in the carnage. In America perhaps only the Civil War has produced more memorials than the First World War. One particular statue, The Doughboy by sculptor E.M. Viqueseney is believed to have over 200 castings through out the USA, though he claimed to have produced around 300 of them.[7]
The legendary football match said to have taken place in 1914 during a Christmas truce between German and British forces is one of the most iconic images of World War I,[8] and later used as the basis of the video for Paul McCartney's song, Pipes of Peace.[9]
The War remained alive through the Rock and Roll era in songs such as the Zombie's The Butcher's Tale (Western Front, 1914) and Passchendaele by Terry Vogel and Ragnar Kvaran.
The 1981 film Gallipoli, named after the campaign of the same name reminded many people (many did not need to be reminded) of the pointless waste of human life that accompanied much of the action in the war.
The main character in Charles Todd's series (1996–2008) of British village murder mysteries, Inspector Ian Rutledge, is a shell shocked veteran of the trenches, who is always accompanied (at least in his mind) by a Scottish soldier that he was compelled to execute.
The fourth and final series of the BBC One sitcom Blackadder was set in a trench during World War I. Though a comedy show, it featured many truths and poignant moments regarding life in the trenches.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0526712/quotes
- ↑ Willett, John, Art 7 Politics in the Weimar Period: The New Sobriety 1917-1933. Pantheon Press, New York, 1978
- ↑ http://www.firstworldwar.com/audio/yanksstartedyankin.htm
- ↑ Howard Zinn, Mike Konopacki and Paul Buhle, A People's History of American Empire, Metropolitan Books, New York, 2008
- ↑ Martin Gilbert.The First World War: A Complete History, 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc
- ↑ Which puts all claims of French cowardice to bed.
- ↑ http://doughboy_lamp.tripod.com/id8.html
- ↑ BBC News report on the Christmas Truce The actual scale and details of the football match remain unclear, and reports are prone to romanticization.
- ↑ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVK_mJrLbmY Paul McCartney's Pipes of Peace video at YouTube