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Since WW1 is largely forgotten I did some reading up on it.
I'll write about some aspects that were not so familiar to me until I read up a bit.
Before WW1 Germany was developing fast and had higher GDP than England (the undisputed top super power of the time). They were also building fleet, at start Germany had 17 vs 29 English Dreadnought class battleships. Germany had to import food (about 60-65% self sufficient) and resources.
One of goals of Germany was to build Berlin Baghdad Railway through allied Ottoman empire and build a port in Persian gulf, to facilitate trade with colonies and gain oil. Railway was financed by German bank. Pro-Russian Serbia was standing in the way between Austro-Hungary and Ottomans. Russia was fomenting pan-Slavic movement in Austro-Hungary, demanding south-Slavic independance and Austro-Hungary was fanning Ukrainian nationalism towards Russians and promoting independent Ukraine idea.
Russia wanted to occupy Istanbul and expand from Caucasus towards today's Iraq. Russian troops were close to advancing on Mosul. Germans were blockaded by British fleet and had the Russians held out through 1917 and occupied Mosul, they would have strangled Germany. In Austro hungary for example street car tracks and bells were being melted into weapons.
Had the Russians occupied Istanbul, they would have controlled Black Sea completely, would have gained in Versailles treaty. Because the Bolsheviks - now considered traitors by Russia's mainstream politics - signed separate peace with Germans in 1917, Russia lost Finland, Baltics, Ukraine and southern Caucasus to central powers.
The British considered any expansion in Middle East or Mediterranean a threat to their dominance of India. In mid 19th century Russian destroyed Ottoman fleet and started to dominate Black Sea. Since British were afraid Russians would control Bospor straits and dominate black sea, they and the French attacked and occupied Crimea. Whoever controls Crimea, controls Black Sea and Ukraine Crimea was also the last bastion, from where the White Army left Russia in 1920's. So they would have neither the Germans nor Russians nor anyone else become too strong in this part. Another problem of Crimean war was that Austro Hungary didn't support Russia as they were planning to expand in the Balkans thus ending the Holy alliance.
This is why the allies were reluctant to send arms to White Army (who didn't recognize Brest Litovsk). For example the whites caputred Russia's 500 ton gold reserves and took them to Siberia. The allies would send arms through Vladivostok and shipments were very slow. In 1920 the Czech legion under command of French general took control of gold reserves train and handed the Russian white admiral Kolchak, who was leader of white government to provisional social revolutionary government in Irkutsk.
The Holy alliance between Austria, Prussia and Russia in 1815 has ensured peace for first half of 19th century and prevented major conflict until breakout of World War 1.
Another aspect was that Germany was prepared for war, they had lots of artillery pieces. Everyone else was also arming up. They believed that if they mobilized quickly before Russia would have, they would have been able to capture Paris and force peace on France (like they did in 1870).
Once that was not to pass, it became clear it was going to be a long protracted war for which no state of the time was prepared.
What really caused the defeat was economy. While fronts remained static, the internal pressure built to the point that countries started to fall apart. There was hunger in Germany, Austrian Å koda factories were running 16h work days making arms, there was massive social unrest in Russia, there were starvations among prisoners of war and refugees in Central powers. So once the economy was spent and social unrest overboiled the country was knocked out of war.
In Russia it was the generals and elite who forced czar to resign, hoping it would boost morale in February. After that councils were enacted through-out military units who could overrule orders from officers, remove officers, officers were forced to disarm and capital punishment was abolished on front lines. Once mutineering sailors wanted to disarm admiral Kolchak, the commander of Black Sea fleet, he threw his golden sword into sea, saying: Even the Japanese (in 1905) didn't take my weapons away when they captured me. After such destruction of vertical command in state, no one was able to put down the October revolution by Bolseviks. The civil war and red terror that followed caused more deaths than war itself.
The march to war has been very quick. A month has passed between assassination of Austria's heir apparent and declaration of war and during this time no one was able to make peace. Russian Czar was related to German Kaiser and they corresponded but were unable to make peace. The war has destroyed 4 empires and left Europe devastated.
Cocaine was in use. For example Germans gave Bolseviks money and cocaine. Austrian poet Georg Trakl was devastated working in field hospital unable to help 100's of wounded without any materials. After attempted suicide he was hospitalized, where he overdosed on cocaine.
I'll write about some aspects that were not so familiar to me until I read up a bit.
Before WW1 Germany was developing fast and had higher GDP than England (the undisputed top super power of the time). They were also building fleet, at start Germany had 17 vs 29 English Dreadnought class battleships. Germany had to import food (about 60-65% self sufficient) and resources.
One of goals of Germany was to build Berlin Baghdad Railway through allied Ottoman empire and build a port in Persian gulf, to facilitate trade with colonies and gain oil. Railway was financed by German bank. Pro-Russian Serbia was standing in the way between Austro-Hungary and Ottomans. Russia was fomenting pan-Slavic movement in Austro-Hungary, demanding south-Slavic independance and Austro-Hungary was fanning Ukrainian nationalism towards Russians and promoting independent Ukraine idea.
Russia wanted to occupy Istanbul and expand from Caucasus towards today's Iraq. Russian troops were close to advancing on Mosul. Germans were blockaded by British fleet and had the Russians held out through 1917 and occupied Mosul, they would have strangled Germany. In Austro hungary for example street car tracks and bells were being melted into weapons.
Had the Russians occupied Istanbul, they would have controlled Black Sea completely, would have gained in Versailles treaty. Because the Bolsheviks - now considered traitors by Russia's mainstream politics - signed separate peace with Germans in 1917, Russia lost Finland, Baltics, Ukraine and southern Caucasus to central powers.
The British considered any expansion in Middle East or Mediterranean a threat to their dominance of India. In mid 19th century Russian destroyed Ottoman fleet and started to dominate Black Sea. Since British were afraid Russians would control Bospor straits and dominate black sea, they and the French attacked and occupied Crimea. Whoever controls Crimea, controls Black Sea and Ukraine Crimea was also the last bastion, from where the White Army left Russia in 1920's. So they would have neither the Germans nor Russians nor anyone else become too strong in this part. Another problem of Crimean war was that Austro Hungary didn't support Russia as they were planning to expand in the Balkans thus ending the Holy alliance.
This is why the allies were reluctant to send arms to White Army (who didn't recognize Brest Litovsk). For example the whites caputred Russia's 500 ton gold reserves and took them to Siberia. The allies would send arms through Vladivostok and shipments were very slow. In 1920 the Czech legion under command of French general took control of gold reserves train and handed the Russian white admiral Kolchak, who was leader of white government to provisional social revolutionary government in Irkutsk.
The Holy alliance between Austria, Prussia and Russia in 1815 has ensured peace for first half of 19th century and prevented major conflict until breakout of World War 1.
Another aspect was that Germany was prepared for war, they had lots of artillery pieces. Everyone else was also arming up. They believed that if they mobilized quickly before Russia would have, they would have been able to capture Paris and force peace on France (like they did in 1870).
Once that was not to pass, it became clear it was going to be a long protracted war for which no state of the time was prepared.
What really caused the defeat was economy. While fronts remained static, the internal pressure built to the point that countries started to fall apart. There was hunger in Germany, Austrian Å koda factories were running 16h work days making arms, there was massive social unrest in Russia, there were starvations among prisoners of war and refugees in Central powers. So once the economy was spent and social unrest overboiled the country was knocked out of war.
In Russia it was the generals and elite who forced czar to resign, hoping it would boost morale in February. After that councils were enacted through-out military units who could overrule orders from officers, remove officers, officers were forced to disarm and capital punishment was abolished on front lines. Once mutineering sailors wanted to disarm admiral Kolchak, the commander of Black Sea fleet, he threw his golden sword into sea, saying: Even the Japanese (in 1905) didn't take my weapons away when they captured me. After such destruction of vertical command in state, no one was able to put down the October revolution by Bolseviks. The civil war and red terror that followed caused more deaths than war itself.
The march to war has been very quick. A month has passed between assassination of Austria's heir apparent and declaration of war and during this time no one was able to make peace. Russian Czar was related to German Kaiser and they corresponded but were unable to make peace. The war has destroyed 4 empires and left Europe devastated.
Cocaine was in use. For example Germans gave Bolseviks money and cocaine. Austrian poet Georg Trakl was devastated working in field hospital unable to help 100's of wounded without any materials. After attempted suicide he was hospitalized, where he overdosed on cocaine.
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