World War I: Key Events, Peace Treaties, and Consequences
The War: A Turning Point in History
In July 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, blaming them for the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir in Sarajevo.
Phases of the War
Guerrilla Warfare (1914)
Germany implemented the Schlieffen Plan, rapidly advancing in the west and occupying northern France, while simultaneously attacking in the east to halt the Russian army.
A War of Position (1915-1916)
New weaponry stalled advances, leading to trench warfare and a stabilized front. Submarine attacks and concentrated battles (e.g., the German defeat at Verdun) aimed to wear down the enemy.
Critical Events (1917)
Two key events occurred this year: the victory of the Russian Revolution, resulting in Russia’s withdrawal from the war, and the United States’ entry into the conflict on the side of the Allies.
The End of the War (1918)
The Allies launched a victorious offensive, reinforced with weaponry and troops. Germany signed the armistice (truce or cease-fire) on November 11, 1918. Subsequent peace treaties with the defeated countries became known as the Paris Peace.
The Peace of Paris: Shaping a New World
In 1918, before the war’s end, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proposed a peace program called the Fourteen Points, aiming for a just peace that would ensure justice and respect among nations. After the war, the victorious powers (excluding Russia) met in Paris in 1919 to establish peace terms for the defeated countries. However, Wilson’s peace program was overshadowed by the individual interests of the winning nations and the desire for revenge against Germany.
The Peace of Paris (1919-1920) comprised five treaties:
- Treaty of Versailles with Germany.
- Treaty of Saint Germain with Austria, separating it from Hungary. Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were established.
- Treaty of Trianon with the newly independent Hungary.
- Treaty of Neuilly with Bulgaria.
- Treaty of Sevres with the Turkish Empire.
The conditions imposed on the defeated nations were harsh, involving territorial losses, disarmament, and significant reparations. This led to a sense of humiliation and a desire for revenge in Germany. The treaties reshaped the map of Europe.
Consequences of World War I
The main consequences of the First World War were:
- Significant loss of human lives, primarily young men who fought in the war, along with a high number of injured, disabled, and orphaned individuals.
- Social transformations, including the incorporation of women into the workforce in roles previously held by men. The middle class experienced impoverishment, and former combatants struggled to adjust to civilian life.
- Territorial modifications, such as the creation of new states like Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, as well as the return of territories like Alsace and Lorraine to France. Germany lost all its colonies.
- Economic disaster for Europe, marked by substantial material losses and indebtedness to countries like the United States. Europe lost its economic dominance, and the United States emerged as the world’s leading power.