Have You Always Wondered?

World War I Explained

World War I. The war to end all wars. World War I was the war to end all wars as the industrial modernizing world was catching up to the old European autocratic monarchies. This war was the last war that absolute monarchies would reign. This war was the last war that made empires stay alive. Before actually talking about the war, let's get into context about why the war got out of hand. The main reason the war got out of hand was because of the might of the nations, the scale of empires. The German, Russian, and British Empire showed their true wrath in the war to protect their allies. Many treaties did force or eventually made nations declare war for their allies. Or the history between a country and another country did force that country to declare war on that country. Now that we're finished let's talk about the Great War. The Great War started because of a guy named Franz Ferdinand a.k.a the Archduke of Austria-Hungary or the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ferdinand was the next heir to the Austrian throne (Austria-Hungary was diarchy which means a country has 2 rulers, so that meant the Austro-Hungarian Empire had an Austrian and a Hungarian Emperor), but before the Austrian Emperor died, something happened that sure has changed the entire world. Ferdinand was shot and killed. He and his wife. He was shot by an ethnic Serb living in Bosnia which was under control of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His name was Gavrilo Princip a 19 year old Serbian shot the archduke and his wife while they were in Sarajevo. So you must be asking "so what?". Well Ferdinand isn't like any other loving father close to royalty. Ferdinand put Austria-Hungary over everything, even his family. What Ferdinand did that prevented World War I from happening earlier was Russia. Ferdinand knew that the Russian Empire was growing quick, he knew that Austria-Hungary would definitely lose against the Russian Empire, so Ferdinand prevented any war between Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire, his greatest fear was declaring on Russia. So Ferdinand telling both emperors of Austria-Hungary not to declare war on the Russian Empire and then nothing will happen but he got shot. Since Princip was an ethnic Serb, the Austro-Hungarian Empire suspected that little Serbia was behind the assassination, supporting the assassination or directly behind the assassination. There were many claims that Austria-Hungary made that would support Serbia behind the killing. But back then the Balkan Peninsula was way different from the rest of Europe. Why? Because Empire. The Ottoman Empire has controlled the Balkans since 1453, and the Ottoman Empire lost the Balkans less than 20 years before the Great War started. Because how bad the Islamic Ottomans treated the mostly Christian Balkans it's pretty obvious the countries don't want to be invaded, EVER. Since no Ferdinand to prevent war with Russia, Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and the unaffiliated nation of Montenegro, shortly after Russia declares war on Austria-Hungary, the German Empire declares war on the Russian Empire, knowing that France will join Russia, the Germans declare war on France but then invaded neutral Belguim, which alerted the United Kingdom which forced the UK to join France against Germany and shortly after that the Ottoman Empire prevents Russia access to Black Sea so Russia declares war on the Ottoman Empire and shortly after that Bulgaria joins the Central Powers. Now the war begins. 1914. The German Empire declares war on France and then Germany invades neutral Belguim to get to France. Why? Because Prussia. In 1865. France was at war with the new German Empire, which was formed when Prussia united smaller German states to unify has Germany. So Germany easily invaded an undeveloped France which was under the dictatorship of Napoleon III. In the middle of the war Napoleon III resigned forcing Paris then later the rest of France surrendering. Everyone knows when a country loses a war they lose a war. So the German Empire annexed Alsace-Lorraine the pointy part of the French border. So afraid of a German invasion, France militarized their border with Germany. So invading Belguim would give Germany easy access to Paris because the French-Belgian border was undefended. Well what's the problem? Belgium is tiny and weak. They can't defend themselves. Well Belgium had one protective ally, Great Britain. Because Great Britain would do anything to protect Belgium, the tea drinking British declares war on Germany. Germany's plan wasn't France. It was Russia. The Germans knew that France would have trouble fighting less than 1 million German soldiers by themselves, and as said earlier, the Germans didn't expect Britain to join so a couple hundred thousand wouldn't easily invade France. So instead of easily knocking France out the war the Germans occupied a couple hundred miles of the French-Belgian border. But enough about France, but now about why most German troops attack Russia. Well for most of its history Russia has been a low level undeveloped country, it had size and manpower but it wasn't industrial until something changed. Russia was industrializing and is was industrializing quick. The Germans knew of they didn't stop Russia, their was no stopping them. So more than 2 million German soldiers in the Eastern front fighting against Russia helping their Austrian allies who has made 2 unsuccessful invasions of Serbia and Montenegro and was being heavily damaged in the Austro-Russian border with heavy offensives by Russia. And Russia making offensives in East Prussia, Germany. Then Germany makes an offensive into Poland. November the Ottoman Empire joins Central Powers. Then the British and Russians occupy Persia, to prevent Ottoman assists. The Ottomans make offensives in Georgia and Armenia. Then the Russians make offensives. In New Guinea, the German controlled North New Guinea almost immediately surrendered to the British. Also in November the Empire of Imperial Japan invades a German port on the Chinese coast and then the Empire of Imperial Japan invade islands in the Pacific which also belong to Germany. The British and French invade German Togoland in Africa. 1915. May 1915, the British invade German South Africa. Also in May the Kingdom of Italy declares war on the Central Powers and begins invading Trieste and South Tyrol. The British and French start invade Cameroon. In July German South Africa surrender to Great Britain. The Germans push the Russians out the Baltic States and Poland. The British invade Ottoman control Yemen and Qatar. Russia invades Kurdistan in the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria joins Central Powers. The Austro-Hungarians and Bulgarians invade Serbia and Montenegro. Forces in Serbia and Montenegro flee to Greece and Albania. 1916. Cameroon surrenders. The Ottoman Empire attempts to seize the Suez Canal. Portugal joins Allies. In September Romania joins Allies. The British invade Kuwait and Southern Iraq. The British and Portuguese invade German East Africa. 1917. Romania surrenders, Russia invades Romania which wasn't invaded by the Central Powers. In April the Americans join the Allies. Greece joins allies. November 17th the Austro-Hungarians invade Veneto, Italy.  November 26th German East Africa surrenders. December 16th, Russia falls in revolution. 1918. Germany occupies the Baltic States, Ukraine, and Belarus. The Ottoman Empire invades the undefended Russian invaded Kurdistan, north Turkey and Persia. The Ottomans invade, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Chechnya. Romania leaves Allies. Romania annexes Moldova and an area under it. The British invade Persia. 1918. The Greeks and Americans invade Bulgaria, Montenegro and Serbia. Bulgaria surrenders. The Americans and British invade the Ottoman controlled Middle East. Italy invades South Tyrol, Trieste and Istria. The French, British, and Americans liberate Belgium. The Austro-Hungarian Empire surrenders. November 10th Romania rejoins Allies. November 11th Germany signs Armistice Agreement with Allies. Ottomans lose, Syria and Lebanon to France, lose Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar to the UK, lost Yemen which became independent, and lost territory in Arabia to Naj'd. The Austro-Hungarian Empire loses well the Empire. The Germans loses land from Denmark, Lithuania, Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland, and lost Alsace-Lorraine to France. Bulgaria loses land to Romania. And Romania gained land from Hungary and Italy gained South Tyrol, Trieste, and Istria to Italy. The Germans also lose all their overseas colonies. World War I was just the beginning of the 20th Century more will be told soon.