World War I: Causes, Phases, and Impact

Posted on Jan 21, 2025 in History

Causes of World War I

Colonial Conflicts: Disputes between European countries, exacerbated by the German Empire’s ambitions.
Arms Race: Nations prepared for future conflicts by manufacturing new weapons.
Nationalist Aspirations: People under imperial control sought self-determination, while empires aimed to maintain their status.
Balkan Wars (1912-1913): Conflicts between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Balkan nations.
Military Alliances:
- Triple Alliance (1882): German Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy (Central Powers).
- Triple Entente (1907): Russia, France, and Great Britain (Allied Powers).

The war began on the Western Front due to the Schlieffen Plan, in which Germany attacked France through Belgium and Luxembourg.

1914: Battle of the Marne; Ottoman Empire joins the war.
1916: Battle of Verdun; Battle of Tannenberg (Eastern Front); Battle of the Somme; Battle of Jutland (naval).
1917: The United States joins WWI due to the sinking of the Lusitania by Germany and the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany proposed that Mexico invade the United States.
1918: Russia withdraws from the war following the Russian Revolution and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. The armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. The Entente defeated the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and finally the Germans at the Second Battle of the Marne.

World War I was a new type of conflict involving new weapons and a vast number of people and territories.

National Army: Compulsory enlistment of the civilian population. Those who didn’t enlist were recruited to work in factories.
Refugee Movement: People feared looting and destruction by armies.
Women began working to produce munitions and provisions, leading to the suffragette movement.
Production of food and basic consumer goods slowed, leading to hunger.
Propaganda: Modern marketing techniques were used to maintain morale, encourage support for the war (both financially and through enlistment), foster patriotism, censor letters sent by soldiers, and suppress anti-war movements.

Autocratic Empire: The Tsar held absolute power, ruled by decree, was not subject to any constitution, and did not answer to a parliament.
Feudal System: Agriculture was the primary economic activity, with land controlled by the aristocracy. Feudalism persisted, and most of the population were peasants living in miserable conditions. A large industrial proletariat emerged, working in large factories with low wages as industrialization began.
Opposition to the Regime: Opposition first developed among the peasantry. Marxism spread among industrial workers. In 1898, the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was founded, led by Lenin. The party split into two factions: the Mensheviks (minority) and the Bolsheviks (majority and most radical), who favored a revolutionary path.
Impact of WWI: Russia entered WWI in 1914 but was unprepared for a long, arduous, and expensive war. Economic resources were devoted to the war effort, leading to famine in cities and unrest among workers, peasants, and soldiers. These factors contributed to Tsar Nicholas II’s unpopularity.

Ideas published by Lenin to establish a government of workers and peasants.