"Isms"
While the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is often noted as the beginning of World War I, there were many underlying factors. The assassination is simply the one event that sparked the fire that set off a world-wide catastrophe.
The first “ism” is known as imperialism, or a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. This helped fuel the fire that started the war because each country was trying to control their “manifest destiny.” Each believed that they had a right and a need to control everyone else. The main reason that they felt the need to do so is because their colonies helped to fund the mother country’s economy and provided foreign markets. In addition, the more countries you owned, the more powerful you were. And we all know that power was the most important thing at the time.
The second “ism” was militarism. Militarism is defined as a desire of believe of a government or people that a country should maintain strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests. In simpler terms, it’s building up one’s army. Before the war actually began, Germany had the largest army. Obviously other countries weren’t too happy with this and started trying to match their military power. France’s military power alone more than doubled in the time period from 1870-1914. Unfortunately, however, so did Germany’s. For these countries, it wasn't enough to simply talk about how powerful their armies were. They wanted to test it. To see, once and for all, who had the most powerful army. The assassination simply provided them with an excuse to do so.
The final “ism” to help fuel the war is known as nationalism, or pride in one’s country. Each country and the citizens within said country felt that theirs was the best. They had the best way of life, the best army, the best culture, the best everything. And of course, anyone who thought they country was better was wrong in their eyes. While nationalism may have helped lead to the war, one positive thing that came from it was the unification of Italy in 1861 and the unification of Germany ten years later, in 1871.
While there’s certainly nothing wrong with feeling pride in your country or wanting to prove to others that you’re powerful, the extent of which this happened in the years preceding the war was incredible. These three “isms” are the main reason that World War I began; the assassination simply provided the spark that lit the fire.
Timeline
1914
June 28: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated in the neighboring country of Sarajevo by Serbian Nationalist Gavrillo Princip.
July 28: Austria-Hungary declares was on Serbia.
August 1: Germany declares war on Russia.
August 3: Germany declares was on France.
August 4: United Kingdom declares war on Germany; Germany invades Belgium.
August 6: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia; Serbia declares war on Germany.
August 19: United States President Woodrow Wilson announces that the United States will remain neutral.
September 5: First Battle of Marne begins – Trench warfare is introduced.
1915
April 22: Second Battle of Ypres begins – Germans first use mustard gas.
May 7: Germany U-Boats (submarines) sink the British Ocean Lines, the RMS Lusitania.
1916
February 21: Battle of Verdun begins – Longest and bloodiest battle in war.
May 31: Battle of Jutland begins – Major naval battle.
July 1: Battle of Somme – Tanks first introduced in battle.
1917
January 19: Germany sends the Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico, urging them to join the war. Britain intercepts the message and gives it to the United States.
March 15: Russian Tsar Nicholas II abdicates.
April 6: United States declares war on Germany.
November 7: Bolsheviks successfully overthrow the Russian government.
December 17: Armistice, agreed upon with the new Russian government and the Central Powers, goes into effect
1918
January 8: United States President Woodrow Wilson announces his “Fourteen Points” to peace.
March 3: Treaty of Brest Litovsk is signed – Peace treaty between Russian and the Central Powers.
November 11: Germany signs armistice in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
1919
June 28: Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending WWI.
World War I: Battle of Argonne Forest
The Battle of Argonne Forest was actually part of a bigger attack, known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The offensive consisted of three attacks on the German Western Front. The British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) and the French would attack the Germans at Flanders, a region of Belgium. At the same time, the British Forces would attack at Cambrai in Northern France, and finally, the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) would meet the Germans at Argonne Forest.
The Battle of Argonne Forest, led by General John Pershing of the AEF, took place from September 26 to November 11, 1918. The valley was surrounded by a forest on one side, a river on the other, providing a defensive position for the German Army. Having just won another battle, Pershing was confident that his men would be victorious. Add that to the fact that more than half of the Germans fighting had not yet fought… America was pretty convinced the battle would be an easy win.
Following America’s barrage by more than 2,700 guns on the Germans, the first day of battle had commenced, the only thing remaining was to capture the Sedan, Ardennes, a French city that would harm the German railroads. Initially, this seemed to be no problem for the AEF to get done but when more German troops arrived, problems arose.
Five days after the fighting began, the battle as halted. During this period of grace, Pershing took the opportunity to replace some of his less experienced troops with more experienced troops, an operation that was plagued with traveling difficulties.
When the battle commenced three days later the German Army had a new tenacity about them, advancing in yards on the first day alone. Then, on October 8th, the AEF began to change their strategy, instead focusing on stealing some of the German artillery. Unfortunately, this was very unsuccessful so a few days later, having nothing left to try, Pershing gave up command of the first US Army to Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett. Liggett urged his troops to keep moving forward which Pershing focused on forming the second US Army and positioning them alone the Meuse River, placing Lieutenant General Robert L. Bullard in command. With the new commanders, the US began to make some progress, capturing Malbrouck, Consenvoye, Côte Dame Marie, and Chatillon. With a new sense of pride and victory, the AEF were then able to achieve Pershing’s goals for day one.
After the Kreimhilde Line was captured, Liggett halted the fighting on order to reorganize his men. Once that was completed, Liggett called for an attack on Grandpré, Nova Scotia. After a ten day battle, the Germans were forced to retreat. On November 8th, with no where left to run, the German Army contacted General Ferdinand Foch about the possibility of an armistice, or peace treaty. Pershing, however, not interested in an armistice, feeling that the Germans should be made to surrender unconditionally, ordered his armies to attack the Germans without mercy. Three days later, the battle ended, the American Forces victorious.
While the Battle may have been considered a victory, the entire Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the biggest and bloodiest battle for the AEF. More than 26,000 of Pershing’s troops were killed, over 95,000 wounded. German losses were even more devastating, with 28,000 killed and more than 92,000 wounded.
The Battle of Argonne forest is known as a turning point in World War I. The breakthrough of the Germans on the Western Front helped to end their resistance, eventually leading to the end of World War I.
World War I: New Technologies
World War I was a sort of turning point for wars. During this time, there were several new “inventions” that made warfare more violent and more deadly. These technologies include trench warfare, artillery, poison gas, railways, air warfare, tanks, and submarines.
Trench warfare is one of the most impacting technologies to come out of the war. This new fighting technique was important in the sense that it helped decrease the amount of deaths and provided a new offensive and defensive fighting strategy. As opposed to simply standing in lines, in the middle of an open field, with an almost one hundred percent chance of getting shot, trench warfare allowed the soldiers to “hide” in a ditch, helping lower the chances of them getting shot or blown up. Trench warfare also led to the creation of the “pill box,” which could be used to deliver machine gun fire. Because trench warfare made it difficult for one side to advance past the other side’s lines, tunneling underneath their enemy’s lines became very common, especially in the First World War
Germany’s major contribution to the war was poison gas. Famous for their use of mustard gas in concentration camps later on, Germany first tested this deadly poison on their enemies during the war. Fed up with the deadlock that came from trench warfare, Germany hoped this gas would provide an end to it. And since Germany had one of the most advanced chemical industry in the world, coming up with such a gas was no problem for them. When first used, the Allied powers simply thought that the poison gas was a smoke screen; an attempt to hide attacking soldiers. The Allies simply marched on through it, intending to attack their enemy, and were instead met with devastating results. Later on, many other countries began using their own version of mustard gas and came up with defenses against it; they first used urine/water soaked rags and later, gas masks.
While there were no major inventions of artillery during the war, many improvements were made. For example, this war marks the first time in history when the weather could accurately be measured and taken into account when firing weapons either indirectly or over long distances. In addition, the wire-cutting No. 106 fuze was developed in order to explode when it came into contact with barbed wire. Other inventions/improvements include the first anti-aircraft guns, indirect counter-battery fire, and the creeping barrage. Throughout the course of the war, a good majority of the injuries and casualties were the result of artillery fire.
As with many wars, railways played a huge part in World War I. The most important impact of the railways was how fast troops and supplies could be moved. Unfortunately, the war itself caused a lot of damage to the tracks and trains themselves, thus slowing down the transportation until it was possible to build/rebuild the railway.
While air warfare was around long before World War I, many improvements were made at this time. For the first time, the planes were equipped with weapons, with the intention of shooting down enemy planes. In addition, Germany created the “Zeppelins,” airships used to bomb/raid military targets and trenches. In reaction to this, manned observation balloons came into warfare, flying high about trenches and other important places in order to warn troops of oncoming dangers.
In an attempt to end the stalemate created by trench warfare and avoid the possibility of unending war and ever escalating casualties, the British Inventions Committee was created to develop a more practical weapon. Tanks were created around 1917, terrifying the Germans, but breaking down often. After a few years, however, the tanks became more reliable and a better weapon. Because of the invention of tanks, mechanized warfare was launched and has become increasingly complicated since then.
Finally, the invention of underwater boats, now known as submarines, played a huge role in the war. Since the United Kingdom was so dependent on imports to fuel not only their war needs but also their growing population, Germany decided to use U-boats to attack the British merchant ships. The first time this occurred, in the First Battle of the Atlantic, was highly successful for Germany which encouraged them to improve the boats and continue using them.
World War I: Volunteerism vs. Conscription
Conscription and volunteerism are two completely different things when it comes to wars. Conscription is basically a fancy way of saying “draft,” or a compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the military. In other words, forcing people to join the military. Volunteerism, on the other hand, is an open enlistment, allowing those who want to join, join and allowing those who do not want to join, not.
During World War I, many countries, including both the United Kingdom and Australia, turned to conscription, In the United Kingdom, conscription took place from 1916 to 1919, beginning when the British government passed the Military Service Act of 1916. This act stated that any man from the age of 18 to 41 were obligated to fight, unless they were widowed with children or ministers of a religion. Later on, more loopholes were added, exempting men who were involved in civilian work of national importance, domestic hardship, health, and conscientious objection. Before the world ended, married men were also exempt but the age limit was raised to 51. By 1919, conscription had ended.
While conscription in the United Kingdom may not have been too controversial, the same cannot be said for Australia. In 1916, conscription was proposed to the people but was rejected; 49% voting for conscription and 51% voting against. In 1917, the question was asked again, this time worded differently and was rejected by an even larger margin. Conscription cause the nation to become divided, with some saying that war altogether was immoral and forcing someone to fight was “unjust.” In the end, the country never succeeded in enforcing conscription in Australia.
The United States took a different approach than both of the previous countries, using a combination of both volunteerism and conscription. The government passed the Selective Service Act in 1916, basically outlining the number of troops they wanted to have in each branch of the military. If that number was not reached from volunteers, they would then turn to conscription. Because of this approach, the United States joined the war with huge numbers, helping the Allied Powers win.
The main difference between the volunteer army and conscription is the loyalty of those fighting. Volunteers will be more willing to fight and do what they are told while conscriptionists may be a bit more rebellious. Now that’s not to say that those who are drafted would ever do something to put their mission in jeopardy. In fact, they might be better off with draftees, who may be chosen on the basis of knowledge and experience and might be better fighters than the volunteers who, more often than not, were young men who simply wanted to fight.
When it comes to volunteerism vs. conscription, there is not one right or wrong way to go. Each way has its own positives and negatives, some ways working better for certain countries. In World War I, both ways worked just fine.
While the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is often noted as the beginning of World War I, there were many underlying factors. The assassination is simply the one event that sparked the fire that set off a world-wide catastrophe.
The first “ism” is known as imperialism, or a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. This helped fuel the fire that started the war because each country was trying to control their “manifest destiny.” Each believed that they had a right and a need to control everyone else. The main reason that they felt the need to do so is because their colonies helped to fund the mother country’s economy and provided foreign markets. In addition, the more countries you owned, the more powerful you were. And we all know that power was the most important thing at the time.
The second “ism” was militarism. Militarism is defined as a desire of believe of a government or people that a country should maintain strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests. In simpler terms, it’s building up one’s army. Before the war actually began, Germany had the largest army. Obviously other countries weren’t too happy with this and started trying to match their military power. France’s military power alone more than doubled in the time period from 1870-1914. Unfortunately, however, so did Germany’s. For these countries, it wasn't enough to simply talk about how powerful their armies were. They wanted to test it. To see, once and for all, who had the most powerful army. The assassination simply provided them with an excuse to do so.
The final “ism” to help fuel the war is known as nationalism, or pride in one’s country. Each country and the citizens within said country felt that theirs was the best. They had the best way of life, the best army, the best culture, the best everything. And of course, anyone who thought they country was better was wrong in their eyes. While nationalism may have helped lead to the war, one positive thing that came from it was the unification of Italy in 1861 and the unification of Germany ten years later, in 1871.
While there’s certainly nothing wrong with feeling pride in your country or wanting to prove to others that you’re powerful, the extent of which this happened in the years preceding the war was incredible. These three “isms” are the main reason that World War I began; the assassination simply provided the spark that lit the fire.
Timeline
1914
June 28: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated in the neighboring country of Sarajevo by Serbian Nationalist Gavrillo Princip.
July 28: Austria-Hungary declares was on Serbia.
August 1: Germany declares war on Russia.
August 3: Germany declares was on France.
August 4: United Kingdom declares war on Germany; Germany invades Belgium.
August 6: Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia; Serbia declares war on Germany.
August 19: United States President Woodrow Wilson announces that the United States will remain neutral.
September 5: First Battle of Marne begins – Trench warfare is introduced.
1915
April 22: Second Battle of Ypres begins – Germans first use mustard gas.
May 7: Germany U-Boats (submarines) sink the British Ocean Lines, the RMS Lusitania.
1916
February 21: Battle of Verdun begins – Longest and bloodiest battle in war.
May 31: Battle of Jutland begins – Major naval battle.
July 1: Battle of Somme – Tanks first introduced in battle.
1917
January 19: Germany sends the Zimmerman Telegram to Mexico, urging them to join the war. Britain intercepts the message and gives it to the United States.
March 15: Russian Tsar Nicholas II abdicates.
April 6: United States declares war on Germany.
November 7: Bolsheviks successfully overthrow the Russian government.
December 17: Armistice, agreed upon with the new Russian government and the Central Powers, goes into effect
1918
January 8: United States President Woodrow Wilson announces his “Fourteen Points” to peace.
March 3: Treaty of Brest Litovsk is signed – Peace treaty between Russian and the Central Powers.
November 11: Germany signs armistice in France on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
1919
June 28: Treaty of Versailles is signed, officially ending WWI.
World War I: Battle of Argonne Forest
The Battle of Argonne Forest was actually part of a bigger attack, known as the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The offensive consisted of three attacks on the German Western Front. The British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) and the French would attack the Germans at Flanders, a region of Belgium. At the same time, the British Forces would attack at Cambrai in Northern France, and finally, the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) would meet the Germans at Argonne Forest.
The Battle of Argonne Forest, led by General John Pershing of the AEF, took place from September 26 to November 11, 1918. The valley was surrounded by a forest on one side, a river on the other, providing a defensive position for the German Army. Having just won another battle, Pershing was confident that his men would be victorious. Add that to the fact that more than half of the Germans fighting had not yet fought… America was pretty convinced the battle would be an easy win.
Following America’s barrage by more than 2,700 guns on the Germans, the first day of battle had commenced, the only thing remaining was to capture the Sedan, Ardennes, a French city that would harm the German railroads. Initially, this seemed to be no problem for the AEF to get done but when more German troops arrived, problems arose.
Five days after the fighting began, the battle as halted. During this period of grace, Pershing took the opportunity to replace some of his less experienced troops with more experienced troops, an operation that was plagued with traveling difficulties.
When the battle commenced three days later the German Army had a new tenacity about them, advancing in yards on the first day alone. Then, on October 8th, the AEF began to change their strategy, instead focusing on stealing some of the German artillery. Unfortunately, this was very unsuccessful so a few days later, having nothing left to try, Pershing gave up command of the first US Army to Lieutenant General Hunter Liggett. Liggett urged his troops to keep moving forward which Pershing focused on forming the second US Army and positioning them alone the Meuse River, placing Lieutenant General Robert L. Bullard in command. With the new commanders, the US began to make some progress, capturing Malbrouck, Consenvoye, Côte Dame Marie, and Chatillon. With a new sense of pride and victory, the AEF were then able to achieve Pershing’s goals for day one.
After the Kreimhilde Line was captured, Liggett halted the fighting on order to reorganize his men. Once that was completed, Liggett called for an attack on Grandpré, Nova Scotia. After a ten day battle, the Germans were forced to retreat. On November 8th, with no where left to run, the German Army contacted General Ferdinand Foch about the possibility of an armistice, or peace treaty. Pershing, however, not interested in an armistice, feeling that the Germans should be made to surrender unconditionally, ordered his armies to attack the Germans without mercy. Three days later, the battle ended, the American Forces victorious.
While the Battle may have been considered a victory, the entire Meuse-Argonne Offensive was the biggest and bloodiest battle for the AEF. More than 26,000 of Pershing’s troops were killed, over 95,000 wounded. German losses were even more devastating, with 28,000 killed and more than 92,000 wounded.
The Battle of Argonne forest is known as a turning point in World War I. The breakthrough of the Germans on the Western Front helped to end their resistance, eventually leading to the end of World War I.
World War I: New Technologies
World War I was a sort of turning point for wars. During this time, there were several new “inventions” that made warfare more violent and more deadly. These technologies include trench warfare, artillery, poison gas, railways, air warfare, tanks, and submarines.
Trench warfare is one of the most impacting technologies to come out of the war. This new fighting technique was important in the sense that it helped decrease the amount of deaths and provided a new offensive and defensive fighting strategy. As opposed to simply standing in lines, in the middle of an open field, with an almost one hundred percent chance of getting shot, trench warfare allowed the soldiers to “hide” in a ditch, helping lower the chances of them getting shot or blown up. Trench warfare also led to the creation of the “pill box,” which could be used to deliver machine gun fire. Because trench warfare made it difficult for one side to advance past the other side’s lines, tunneling underneath their enemy’s lines became very common, especially in the First World War
Germany’s major contribution to the war was poison gas. Famous for their use of mustard gas in concentration camps later on, Germany first tested this deadly poison on their enemies during the war. Fed up with the deadlock that came from trench warfare, Germany hoped this gas would provide an end to it. And since Germany had one of the most advanced chemical industry in the world, coming up with such a gas was no problem for them. When first used, the Allied powers simply thought that the poison gas was a smoke screen; an attempt to hide attacking soldiers. The Allies simply marched on through it, intending to attack their enemy, and were instead met with devastating results. Later on, many other countries began using their own version of mustard gas and came up with defenses against it; they first used urine/water soaked rags and later, gas masks.
While there were no major inventions of artillery during the war, many improvements were made. For example, this war marks the first time in history when the weather could accurately be measured and taken into account when firing weapons either indirectly or over long distances. In addition, the wire-cutting No. 106 fuze was developed in order to explode when it came into contact with barbed wire. Other inventions/improvements include the first anti-aircraft guns, indirect counter-battery fire, and the creeping barrage. Throughout the course of the war, a good majority of the injuries and casualties were the result of artillery fire.
As with many wars, railways played a huge part in World War I. The most important impact of the railways was how fast troops and supplies could be moved. Unfortunately, the war itself caused a lot of damage to the tracks and trains themselves, thus slowing down the transportation until it was possible to build/rebuild the railway.
While air warfare was around long before World War I, many improvements were made at this time. For the first time, the planes were equipped with weapons, with the intention of shooting down enemy planes. In addition, Germany created the “Zeppelins,” airships used to bomb/raid military targets and trenches. In reaction to this, manned observation balloons came into warfare, flying high about trenches and other important places in order to warn troops of oncoming dangers.
In an attempt to end the stalemate created by trench warfare and avoid the possibility of unending war and ever escalating casualties, the British Inventions Committee was created to develop a more practical weapon. Tanks were created around 1917, terrifying the Germans, but breaking down often. After a few years, however, the tanks became more reliable and a better weapon. Because of the invention of tanks, mechanized warfare was launched and has become increasingly complicated since then.
Finally, the invention of underwater boats, now known as submarines, played a huge role in the war. Since the United Kingdom was so dependent on imports to fuel not only their war needs but also their growing population, Germany decided to use U-boats to attack the British merchant ships. The first time this occurred, in the First Battle of the Atlantic, was highly successful for Germany which encouraged them to improve the boats and continue using them.
World War I: Volunteerism vs. Conscription
Conscription and volunteerism are two completely different things when it comes to wars. Conscription is basically a fancy way of saying “draft,” or a compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the military. In other words, forcing people to join the military. Volunteerism, on the other hand, is an open enlistment, allowing those who want to join, join and allowing those who do not want to join, not.
During World War I, many countries, including both the United Kingdom and Australia, turned to conscription, In the United Kingdom, conscription took place from 1916 to 1919, beginning when the British government passed the Military Service Act of 1916. This act stated that any man from the age of 18 to 41 were obligated to fight, unless they were widowed with children or ministers of a religion. Later on, more loopholes were added, exempting men who were involved in civilian work of national importance, domestic hardship, health, and conscientious objection. Before the world ended, married men were also exempt but the age limit was raised to 51. By 1919, conscription had ended.
While conscription in the United Kingdom may not have been too controversial, the same cannot be said for Australia. In 1916, conscription was proposed to the people but was rejected; 49% voting for conscription and 51% voting against. In 1917, the question was asked again, this time worded differently and was rejected by an even larger margin. Conscription cause the nation to become divided, with some saying that war altogether was immoral and forcing someone to fight was “unjust.” In the end, the country never succeeded in enforcing conscription in Australia.
The United States took a different approach than both of the previous countries, using a combination of both volunteerism and conscription. The government passed the Selective Service Act in 1916, basically outlining the number of troops they wanted to have in each branch of the military. If that number was not reached from volunteers, they would then turn to conscription. Because of this approach, the United States joined the war with huge numbers, helping the Allied Powers win.
The main difference between the volunteer army and conscription is the loyalty of those fighting. Volunteers will be more willing to fight and do what they are told while conscriptionists may be a bit more rebellious. Now that’s not to say that those who are drafted would ever do something to put their mission in jeopardy. In fact, they might be better off with draftees, who may be chosen on the basis of knowledge and experience and might be better fighters than the volunteers who, more often than not, were young men who simply wanted to fight.
When it comes to volunteerism vs. conscription, there is not one right or wrong way to go. Each way has its own positives and negatives, some ways working better for certain countries. In World War I, both ways worked just fine.