Goals and plans of the parties of the First World War. Russia in World War I

For Russia, the First World War turned into millions of dead, the collapse of the empire and the end of the monarchy. Until now, historians have no consensus on why the country entered into this large-scale conflict at all.

An unanswered warning

The motives that prompted the major European powers to start a large-scale war are obvious and, one way or another, are connected with their desire for geopolitical and economic hegemony on the continent. But what goals did Russia set for itself by getting involved in this military enterprise?

On the eve of the war, former Interior Minister Pyotr Durnovo, in an analytical note, warned Nicholas II about the danger of drawing the country into confrontation with Germany. Even a victory in this war, according to Durnovo, would not promise Russia anything of value, but in case of failure, the likelihood of a revolution increased: will be too demoralized to serve as a bulwark of law and order. Russia will be plunged into hopeless anarchy, the outcome of which cannot even be foreseen. As if a perspicacious politician was looking into the water.

How Nicholas II reacted to Durnovo's note is unknown. One thing is clear, the tsar was guided not by the arguments of reason, but by a patriotic impulse. However, it should be noted that Nicholas to the last hoped to stop the war. On July 29, 1914, he sent a telegram to the German Emperor Wilhelm II proposing "to refer the Austro-Serbian question to the Hague Conference." Wilhelm didn't answer. After that, Nicholas II declared: “My conscience is clear. I did everything to avoid war."

Patriotic rise

The official version of the reason for the start of hostilities by Russia is the fulfillment of allied obligations to Serbia. Indeed, Russia, according to the agreement, was supposed to provide military assistance to Serbia in the event of encroachments on the territorial integrity of the latter.

On July 28, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and on the same day began shelling Belgrade. Russia did not rush things, reacting only two days later - on July 31, when general mobilization was announced in the country. Germany, in an ultimatum form, demanded that Russia cancel the mobilization, but was refused.

On August 1, the German ambassador in St. Petersburg, Count Friedrich Pourtales, handed over a note declaring war to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov, after which, according to the minister's memoirs, he "went to the window and cried." On August 2, Nicholas II signed a manifesto on the beginning of the war.

Evgeny Sergeev, president of the Russian Association of World War I Historians, notes that Russia's decision to enter the war was also dictated by its "fear of losing prestige and influence in the Balkan countries." Serbia was not just an ally, but also an important strategic foothold in the Balkans.

Historian Boris Kolonitsky is convinced that when analyzing the reasons for the start of the war, one should not underestimate the importance of public opinion. According to him, there was "strong pressure from the street." The entourage of Nicholas II noted that the tsar in those days felt such unity with the people, which had not been in all the previous 20 years of his reign.

In the first days of the war, mass demonstrations in support of the Serbs took place on the streets of Russian cities, and there were also spontaneous pogroms of German offices and shops. Anti-German sentiment and patriotic euphoria turned out to be a factor that largely predetermined Russia's entry into the war.

Russian interests

American historian Sean McMeekin attributes the motives of World War I to the rivalry and territorial claims of Russia and Germany. This idea is supported by the French diplomat Maurice Palaiologos in the book "Tsarist Russia during the World War", citing the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Sazonov:
“My formula is simple, we must destroy German imperialism. We will achieve this only by a series of military victories; we have a long and very difficult war ahead of us. The Emperor has no illusions in this regard. But in order for the "Kaiserism" not to be restored again from its ruins, so that the Hohenzollerns can never again claim a world monarchy, great political changes must take place.

Boris Kolonitsky expresses the opinion that the goal of Russia was the unification of the Polish territories that are part of Austria-Hungary and Germany, as well as the need to establish control over the Bosphorus. A note addressed by Sazonov to the French and British ambassadors (M. Paleolog and J. Buchanan) confirms that on the eve of the expected attack of the allied forces on the Bosphorus, Russia hastened to "stake out" Constantinople and the Straits. In particular, it says the following: “The course of recent events leads Emperor Nicholas to the idea that the question of Constantinople and the straits must be finally resolved and in accordance with the centuries-old aspirations of Russia.”

The British historian Geoffrey Hosking writes about the same in his book The West’s View of Russia: “By the spring of 1915, Russian diplomats had finally reached an agreement with the governments of Great Britain and France that after the war, Constantinople and most of the straits would become the territory of Russia” .

To whom is war, and to whom is mother dear

It is no secret that the First World War was truly manna from heaven for bankers and industrialists. The Russian army, which was in the process of re-equipment, experienced a shortage of modern military equipment, weapons and ammunition. State factories could not fully provide the front with everything necessary, and private companies got down to business, selling their products at inflated prices.

In the monograph of the head of the Main Artillery Directorate (1914–1917), Lieutenant General A.A. Manikovsky "Combat Supply of the Russian Army in the World War" some figures are given for comparison. So, 76-mm shrapnel (a type of artillery shell) at a state-owned factory cost 9 rubles. 83 kopecks, and in private - 15 rubles. 32 kopecks, the prices for a 152-mm grenade were 42 rubles, respectively. and 70 rubles. The benefit for domestic entrepreneurs was obvious.

Western countries also took advantage of the difficult situation in the Russian military industry. The British government offered to supply Russia with 12 million shells at ultra-high prices and in extremely extended periods, thereby disrupting the offensive operations of the Russian army. Despite this, the proposal of the British side was accepted.

Historian I.V. Mayevsky notes that during the war, Russia “became more and more an object of foreign capital investment, extracting unheard-of profits. Instead of a 4-5% dividend received at home, foreign capitalists received in Russia from 20 to 30%!”

Researcher Alexander Shirokorad is sure that the pressure of Russian factory owners and bankers, closely associated with Anglo-French capital, ultimately influenced the ruling circles of Russia and contributed to the country's involvement in the war.

Bleed at any cost

On the eve of the First World War, future adversaries, Russia and Germany, maintained close trade and economic ties. A third of Russian goods from total exports went to Germany, and a quarter of German goods went to the Russian market. German factories regularly fulfilled the defense orders of St. Petersburg. So, in 1913, two cruisers were laid down for Russia at the Shikhau shipyard - the Admiral Nevelsky and the Count Muravyov-Amursky.

However, in the summer of 1914, relations deteriorated sharply, and the former partners were already becoming enemies. For the historian Nikolai Starikov, everything is obvious here: Russia and Germany were simply played off. And did it, in his opinion, England. Researcher Alexander Samsonov also names a specific culprit - English Freemasonry.

Britain's goals become clear if one looks at the economic situation on the eve of the war. The total cost of British goods on the Russian market was almost 4 times lower than the cost of goods from Germany. In addition, German goods strongly pressed the British in other countries, including in the British dominions and colonies. The weakening of Germany for Great Britain was vital.

The surest way that English diplomacy has used more than once is war, and by proxy. An interesting fact: universal conscription in the United Kingdom was introduced only in January 1916 - 16 months after the start of the world conflict! England waited until Russia lost her strength. How can one not recall the slogan of British diplomacy: "Defend the interests of Britain to the last Russian." The first and main step in drawing Russia into the war was the Russo-British Convention of 1907. On the eve of the fateful agreement, the German Reich Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow wrote prophetically: “If the Russian Empire unites with Britain, this will mean the opening of a front directed against us, which will lead to a major international military conflict in the foreseeable future.” Will Germany emerge victorious from this catastrophe? Bulow thought. “Alas, most likely, Germany will be defeated, and everything will end in the triumph of the revolution.”

But Russia will be destined to pass this tragic path even earlier.

The First World War (1914-1918) is one of the longest, bloodiest and most significant in terms of consequences in the history of mankind. It went on for over four years. It was attended by 33 countries out of 59 that had state sovereignty at that time. The population of the warring countries was over 1.5 billion people, i.e. about 87% of all inhabitants of the Earth. A total of 73.5 million people were put under arms. Over 10 million were killed and 20 million wounded. Civilian casualties from epidemics, famine, cold and other wartime disasters also numbered in the tens of millions.

The First World War opened a new layer of Russia's national history, created the prerequisites for revolution, civil war, the building of socialism, and many decades of separation from Europe.

There are a lot of reasons why the First World War began, but various scholars and various records of those years tell us that the main reason is that at that time Europe was developing very rapidly. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were no territories left in the world that were not captured by the capitalist powers. Germany during this period bypassed all of Europe in terms of industrial production, and since Germany had very few colonies, it sought to capture them. By capturing them, Germany would have new markets. At that time, England and France had very large colonies, so the interests of these countries often clashed.

With its penetration into the Middle East, Germany created a threat to Russia's interests in the Black Sea basin. Austria-Hungary, acting in alliance with Germany, became a serious competitor to tsarist Russia in the struggle for influence in the Balkans.

The aggravation of foreign policy contradictions between the major countries led to the division of the world into two hostile camps and to the formation of two imperialist groupings: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Tripartite Agreement, or Entente (England, France, Russia).

The war between the major European powers was beneficial to the US imperialists, since this struggle created favorable conditions for the further development of American expansion, especially in Latin America and the Far East. American monopolies relied on the maximum benefit from Europe.

The beginning of the war

The immediate cause for the outbreak of hostilities was the assassination in Sarajevo of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. The Austrian-Hungarian government, with German approval, issued an ultimatum to Serbia, demanding freedom to interfere in Serbia's internal affairs. Despite the acceptance by Serbia of almost all conditions. Austria-Hungary declared war on July 28. Two days later, the Russian government, in response to the opening of hostilities by Austria-Hungary, announced a general mobilization. Germany used this as a pretext and launched a war against Russia on August 1, and against France on August 3. England declared war on Germany on 4 August. At the end of August, Japan came out on the side of the Entente, which decided to take advantage of the fact that Germany would be pinned down in the west and seize its colonies in the Far East. On October 30, 1914, Türkiye entered the war on the side of the Entente.

In 1914, Italy did not enter the war, declaring its neutrality. She began hostilities in May 1915 on the side of the Entente. In April 1917, the United States entered the war on the side of the Entente.

The hostilities that began in August 1914 unfolded in several theaters and continued until November 1918. According to the nature of the tasks being solved and the military-political results achieved, the First World War is usually divided into five campaigns, each of which includes several operations.

The goals of the powers in the war.

RUSSIA.

It cannot be argued that the officially proclaimed goal - the protection of the Slav brothers in the Balkans, was only a declaration. At the beginning of the 20th century, pan-Slavist sentiments in Russian society were strong and powerful. But the obvious imperialist goal of Russia was the capture of the Black Sea straits.

GERMANY.

After the success of the Franco-Prussian war, Germany increasingly increased its military potential. Its desire to become the No. 1 European power was obvious. Almost entirely, Germany's interests lay in the maximum weakening of France and Great Britain as world powers.

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

The "patchwork power", initially unviable, with the help of a victorious war, intended to take control of the south of Europe.

FRANCE.

The bitter lessons of defeat in the Franco-Prussian war demanded revenge. For decades, France has been preparing for a new clash with Germany, increasing military spending and armaments. By 1914, France, objectively, had sufficient potential to resist Germany. She intended to return Alsace and Lorraine, separated from France in 1871 following the war of 1870. At any cost, she sought to preserve her colonies, in particular, North Africa.

Serbia.

The newly formed state (full independence since 1878) sought to establish itself in the Balkans as the leader of the Slavic peoples of the peninsula. She planned to form Yugoslavia, including in it all the Slavs living in the south of Austria-Hungary.

Bulgaria.

She sought to establish herself in the Balkans as the leader of the Slavic peoples of the peninsula (as opposed to Serbia). She sought to return the territories lost during the Second Balkan War, as well as to acquire the territories that the country claimed following the results of the First Balkan War.

Poland.

Having no national state after the divisions of the Commonwealth, the Poles sought to gain independence and unite the Polish lands.

GREAT BRITAIN.

The “Mistress of the Seas” was not at all satisfied with the rapid growth of the German Navy, nor was it satisfied with the penetration of Germany into Africa. And in the first and in the second case - Germany grossly trampled on the interests of Great Britain.

Romania, Turkey and Italy had their own interests and goals, but they were regional in nature and were not commensurate with the goals of the Great Powers.

Military campaign in 1914.

The warring armies deployed in accordance with plans and calculations worked out in advance to concentrate under the protection of covering troops posted on the border and immediately began military operations. Comparing the deployments and immediate tasks of both sides, one has to note the particularly advantageous position of the German army in comparison with the troops of the Entente. The Germans had already won by their deployment a very important flank of the enemy, space and freedom for maneuver. The Entente started the war here in unfavorable conditions, forced to parry the blow and lose the initiative for a long time. In the east, Russia faced clashes with the secondary forces of Germany and with the main forces of Austria-Hungary.

The main theaters of operations in the 1914 campaign were the Western European and Eastern European military theaters. The main events in the Western European military theater in 1914 were the German invasion of Belgium, the Battle of the Border, the Battle of the Marne, the "Run to the Sea", and the Battle of Flanders. The main result of the 1914 campaign in this theater was the transition to a positional form of war.

Actions in the Eastern European military theater in 1914 included the East Prussian operation, the Battle of Galicia, the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation. Also important events of this stage of the First World War were the entry into the war of Turkey and the "cruiser war".

The first and main result of the 1914 campaign was the forced abandonment of war according to the old patterns: the struggle was foreseen to be long, using all the viability of the state and relying on its very existence. At the same time, there was a desire to increase the number of states participating in the struggle.

In the area of strategy for the 1914 campaign, there was a complete reversal of the ideas that formed the basis of the initial plans of both coalitions. In the field of tactics in the combat use of troops, the campaign of 1914 provided rich experience, which prompted on both sides its immediate consideration for combat competition in the subsequent development of military events. the 1914 campaign brought forward the need for large improvised formations during the war itself.

As a result of the 1914 campaign, none of the parties achieved their original goals. The German plan to defeat the enemy at lightning speed, first in the West and then in the East, failed.

Who won (for himself).

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Türkiye, Bulgaria - were defeated. France, Great Britain, Japan, Serbia, USA, Italy emerged victorious from the war. Russia, which did so much for the victory of the allies, was not among the victorious countries. It was torn apart by the fratricidal Civil War.

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Goals:

Reveal the causes, goals of the participants, the nature of the war; find out what role the military-technical potential of the warring countries played in the course of hostilities; name the main fronts and events.
Continue the formation of skills to compare various sources, analyze and draw independent conclusions, work with a historical map, correctly allocate time for working on assignments; Evaluate your work and the work of your peers.
To cultivate a sense of rejection of violent measures to solve problems, as well as a sense of pride in their ancestors.

Type of lesson: lesson learning a new topic.

During the classes

1. Motivational conversation. Slide 2: Vereshchagin. Apotheosis of war.

Tasks: What did the artist want to say with this picture? What is her main intention?

The word of the teacher: 100 years separate us from the sad day of August 1, 1914 - a period sufficient to appreciate the significance of what was happening then. Humanity has entered a new very difficult period of its development, a period of global tragedies. The First World War was the prologue to the upheavals of the twentieth century. In the events of 1914-1918. - the origins of many processes that determine the face of the modern world.

2. Formulation of the integrating goal.

As you work on the learning elements, you will to know:
What were the causes of the war, the goals and plans of the participants;
How the First World War was unleashed (i.e. reason);
What role did the military-technical potential of the warring countries play in the course of hostilities;
On what fronts did the main events of this war develop and how did it end.
You also have to develop skills you have and learn:
Compare various sources, analyze the material and draw conclusions;
Find alternative solutions to problems;
Work with a historical map;
Correctly allocate work time on tasks;
Evaluate your work and the work of your friends.

3. Updating knowledge on the topic “Russia and the world at the beginning of the 20th century.”

Input control. Let's try to name the main international contradictions that were determined by the beginning. XX century. What events testified to the intensification of the struggle for the redivision of the world?

1. Which region at the beginning of the 20th century. called the "powder magazine of Europe"? (Balkans)

2. The interests of which countries clashed on the Balkan Peninsula? (Russia, Austria-Hungary)

3. What military-political blocs were created in Europe? Their composition?

(Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy - 1882)
Entente (Russia, France, England - 1907)

4. What events testified to the intensification of the struggle for the redistribution of the already divided world? (imperialist wars: American-Spanish, Anglo-Boer, Russian-Japanese (1904-1905)

5. What was the German Schlieffen Plan? (lightning war, the defeat of France, and then Russia)

So, the world stood on the brink of a world war, an imperialist war. All he needed was a reason and he was found.

4. Explore a new topic (slide 3-4)

Plan:

Causes, reason, nature of the First World War.
Countries - participants and their goals.
The development of military equipment during the war.
The course of military operations.
Results of the war.

Important dates:

June 28, 1914 - the assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne Franz Ferdinand by G. Princip;

Summer 1916 - Brusilovsky breakthrough;

Lesson equipment:

Map “The First World War. 1914-1918.”

Tables 1-3 “Strength strength”, “Direct military spending”, “Armament”;

Technological map of the student on the topic “The First World War”.

Tutorials:

1) Artemov V.V., Lyubchenkov Yu.N. History for professions and specialties of technical, natural science, socio-economic profiles: a textbook for the beginning. and avg. prof. education: in 2 Ch., M., 2011.- Ch.2, paragraphs 69, 70.

2) Samygin P.S., Belikov K.S., Berezhnoy S.E. etc. History. Rostov n/a, 2008.

1. Background, causes, reason, nature of the First World War.

Tasks: After analyzing the scheme, ( slide 5) name the main international contradictions at the beginning of the century, the military blocs and the countries between which these contradictions developed. List the main reasons for the war.

write down the causes of the First World War and the name of the blocs and countries between which the war began.

Teacher's word:

1.1. The most important was exacerbation great power struggles, primarily England and Germany, on a global scale, the struggle for the redistribution of the world, including the redistribution of colonies, began.

1.2. The development of contradictions in certain regions, perceived by world leaders as "key points" in the struggle for spheres of influence.

reached a special urgency confrontation in the Balkans of Russia and its allies Serbia and Austria-Hungary together with allied Bulgaria. The explosive situation was aggravated by the fact that England, Germany, France and Italy also pursued their interests here. By 1914, having taken control of the Ottoman army, Germany had become the dominant military power in the Balkan region. Russia's desire to master the Black Sea straits was now blocked not only by England, but also by the German-Turkish military alliance.

The situation was not easy Middle East. On Far East the United States and Japan sought to spread their influence.

1.3. Played a huge role political and economic rivalry between Germany and France, fighting for the establishment of economic hegemony in Europe.

1.4. Domestic political tasks of Russia objectively contradicted the tendency to start hostilities.

Stolypin P.A. wrote: “We need peace, war in the coming years ... will be disastrous for Russia and for the dynasty. On the contrary, every year peace strengthens Russia not only from a military and naval point of view, but also from a financial and economic point of view.” But the king did not heed these words. Russia got involved in a world war.

2. Participating countries and their goals. The nature of the war.

Target: At this stage of work, you need to determine the goals of the participating countries, the reason and nature of the war.

Exercise 1.

Using the text of the textbook, name the goals of the participants.
Based on information about the goals of the participants in the war, determine the nature of the war. (Slide 6)
What events led to the war? (Slide 7)

Task 2.

At the beginning of a war, chance sometimes plays an important role. Even the English admiral Nelson said: "We must leave something to chance." The same point of view was held by Lloyd George, W. Churchill.

Think about how the elements of random and regular correlate at the beginning of the first world? What would have happened if the Sarajevo murder had not happened?

Task 3.

Think about whether it was possible to prevent a war at the beginning of the century (namely, a world war)? How, if the answer is yes? Why not if the answer is no?

Task 4.

Give examples of just and unjust wars known to you from the history course. Give a reasonable definition of the nature of the First World War (for each of the countries). Which country does not apply this definition to the actions of? Did the existence of such exceptions change the nature of the war?

Write in your notebook: The name of the military blocs, the goals of the participating countries (in the form of a diagram) and the nature of the First World War. ( slide 6)

Teacher's word:

Occasion. On June 15 (28 according to the new style) June 1914, the provocative military maneuvers of Austria-Hungary directed against Serbia were to begin. On this day in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, the Serb Gavrila principle was assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian emperor. Austria, accusing a Serbian nationalist organization of the murder, demanded the entry of troops into Serbia and the admission of investigators to its territory. On the advice of Russia, Serbia accepted the ultimatum, rejecting only the Austrian occupation, which was unacceptable to Serbian sovereignty. Despite Russia's appeal to Austria-Hungary and Germany, on July 15 (28) Austrian artillery began shelling the capital of Serbia - Belgrade.

Declaration of war. On July 17 (30) Russia announced a general mobilization, informing Berlin that these actions were not anti-German, but taking a tough stance against Austria-Hungary. Germany in the form of an ultimatum demanded the cessation of mobilization and, having received no answer, on July 19 ( August 1) 1914 declared war on Russia.

On August 2, France began mobilizing, declaring support for Russia. On August 3, Germany declared war on France and, bypassing the Maginot defensive line, launched an offensive through Belgium and Luxembourg. England entered the war on August 4, and Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia on August 6. The war engulfed all of Europe. On August 23, Japan joined the Entente, in 1915 - Italy, in 1916 - Romania, in 1917 - the USA. Turkey (1914) and Bulgaria (1915) became allies of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In total, 38 states of the world participated in the war.

3. Military-technical potential of the countries participating in the war.

Purpose: At this stage of the work, you have to find out: was Russia ready for war (compared to other countries). You must learn to draw conclusions by comparing the material of oral reports, textbook and comparative tables.

Exercise 1.

Analyze the data of tables 1-3. Draw conclusions about Russia's readiness for a long war.

Task 2.

S.Yu. Witte wrote, recalling the events of 1904-1905: “And it was not the Japanese who defeated Russia, not the Russian army, but our order, or, more correctly, our boyish management of 140 million people in recent years.”

Assessing the position of Russia in 1914, try to determine whether the experience of the Russo-Japanese War was taken into account? Why do you think?

Teacher's word: Preparing Russia for war.

Army reorganization. In 1908-1913. A number of military reforms were carried out in Russia. The size of the army has grown, the service life has increased, the system of combat training has improved. The officer corps has changed: more than 2,000 senior officers have been fired, class restrictions on admission to officer schools have been abolished. As a result, the Russian army became equal in size to the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary. But its qualitative transformation by 1914 had not yet been completed.
Arms growth. Military spending increased over this period by 3.7 times, amounting to 40% of the country's budget.
Fleet. After the destruction of the Russian navy in the Russo-Japanese war, it began to revive again. Back in 1907, the “Small Shipbuilding Program” was adopted, and in 1912, the “Shipbuilding Program of the Baltic Fleet”. The construction of submarines began.
Modernized and weapons ground forces, but only in 1913 was the “Great Program to Strengthen the Army” adopted, during the implementation of which in 1914-1917. it was planned to increase and modernize artillery, strengthen engineering troops, create military aviation and road transport. By the beginning of the war, the program had just begun to be implemented. As a result, Russia lagged behind Germany in terms of military budget, armaments and artillery, which completed its military program in 1914.
Of particular danger was Russia's 2.5 times lagging behind Germany and Austria-Hungary in terms of railway capacity, leading to areas of future hostilities.
Diplomatic training. In 1914, a naval convention between Russia and England was prepared, signed after the start of the war. This completed the folding of the Entente as a military alliance of Russia, England and France.

The development of military equipment during the war. ( slide 8)

The appearance of tanks and new types of artillery.
On September 15, 1916, the British used tanks in battle for the first time. With the support of 18 tanks, the infantry was able to advance 2 km. Massive use of tanks - the battle of Cambrai on November 20-21, 1917, 378 tanks were involved.
Aviation development. (Slide 9)
The most famous aircraft were the German Fokker, the English Sopwith and the French Farman. In Russia, a heavy four-engine aircraft "Ilya Muromets" was built, lifting up to 800 kg of bombs and armed with 3-7 machine guns.
Chemical weapon.
In April 1915, near the city of Ypres in Belgium, the Germans released 180 tons of chlorine from cylinders. As a result of the attack, about 15 thousand people were injured, of which 5 thousand died. On April 12, 1917, mustard gas (mustard gas) was used by the Germans in the Ypres region. In total, about 1 million people were affected by poisonous substances during the war years.

military plans.

The leadership of Germany considered the summer of 1914 the most favorable moment for starting the war, since the Entente countries, especially Russia, were not ready for war. The German General Staff planned to defeat France with the help of a lightning war (blitzkrieg) and, together with Austria-Hungary, throw all their forces into the fight against Russia.

After the completion of the mobilization, Russia was counting on an offensive in the northwest towards Berlin and in the southwest towards Vienna. The tsar's uncle, Nikolai Nikolaevich, was appointed commander-in-chief.

Both sides expected to win the war within 3-4 months.

4. The course of hostilities.

Target: compare the main events on the Eastern and Western fronts

1. Working with the text of the textbook, write out in the table based battles of the war on the Eastern and Western fronts.

1 row - military campaigns of 1914. 2 row - 1915-1916. 3rd row - 1917-1918

Main events, battles

Date, year	Eastern front	Western Front
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918

Working with the wall map"World War I"

2. On which front did the main events of the war take place.

Student's message “Brusilovsky breakthrough” (slide 12.13)

3. What other fronts have been created? Name them.

Checking the work done “Main events, battles” (slide 10, 11, 15)

Additional material for the teacher.

1914 - year of missed opportunities. On August 4, 1914, German troops, violating the neutrality of Belgium, launched an offensive against France through its territory, bypassing the main grouping of French troops located on the French-German border. Instead of the planned 2-3 days, the German army advanced to the French-Belgian border for 15 days. During this time, England landed its troops on the continent.

In early September, German troops crossed the Marne River on the outskirts of Paris. On September 6, the counteroffensive of the Anglo-French troops began, and only on September 12 did the Germans manage to stop the enemy. The lightning strike on Paris was thwarted. started trench warfare- the parties did not have the strength to attack, but firmly held their positions.

After the defeat of the Anglo-French troops on the border of France and the rapid advance of the German troops to Paris, even before the completion of the mobilization, Russia began, at the request of France, an offensive in East Prussia and Galicia.

In East Prussia, advancing from the east - the 1st (under the command of P.K. Rennenkampf) and from the south - the 2nd (under the command of A.V. Samsonov) Russian armies at the end of August inflicted a number of defeats on a small German grouping. After the transfer of two corps from France and the involvement of reserve units, Germany, using the inconsistency of the actions of the Russian troops, surrounded and destroyed two corps of the 2nd army of Samsonov, who committed suicide. The 1st Army retreated.

The offensive in Galicia in August-September 1914 was more successful. The 8th Army (A.A. Brusilov) took Lvov and Galich, Russian troops besieged Przemysl, pushing the Austrians 300 km from the border beyond the river. San. It seemed that Austria-Hungary was defeated.

For the invasion of Germany, the Russian command, without consolidating success in the southwest, began the transfer of troops from Galicia to Poland, but in October the Austro-German armies launched a preemptive attack on Lodz and Warsaw. In the bloody battles in October-November, both sides suffered heavy losses (Russia - 2 million killed, wounded and captured, its enemy - 950 thousand), but did not fulfill their tasks.

The war with Turkey began on October 29 with an attack by German troops marching under the Turkish flag against Sevastopol, Odessa and the offensive of Turkish troops in the Caucasus. The Caucasian army pushed the enemy back to Erzrum, which facilitated the actions of Russia's allies on Mesopotamian front.

The results of the hostilities of 1914 consisted in the disruption of Schlieffen's blitzkrieg plan. Germany was forced to wage war on two fronts. For Russia, the first year of the war was a year of missed opportunities.

During the fighting, the superiority of the German army over the Russian army in artillery and ammunition supply was revealed, the weakness of the Austrian and Turkish armies was manifested.

Defeats of 1915 Germany decided to dedicate the company of 1915 to the defeat of the Russian troops. About 30 infantry and 9 cavalry divisions were transferred from France.

Local battles were fought on the Western Front. Italy went over to the side of the Entente. In autumn, the offensive of the Austro-German and Bulgarian troops began on Serbia. The Serbian army retreated to Albania after 2 months of fighting.
Southwestern Front (Russia). After some Russian successes in January-March (taking Przemysl, reaching the Carpathian Range, repelling German offensives in East Prussia), in April-May, the Austro-German troops, using massive artillery shelling, forced the Russian troops to retreat. But the front was not broken.
Western Front (Russia). Russia's weapons modernization programs were to be completed only by 1917, the accumulated ammunition was used up. In the summer, the German armies occupied Poland with Warsaw, part of Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia and went to Riga. By October, the front stopped, a long trench war began.
The results of the hostilities of 1915. The entire composition of the trained pre-war personnel army went out of order. Russia lost its western territories, but retained its main industrial and agricultural base. In August, Nicholas II took over the command, appointing an experienced general Alekseev M.V. chief of the General Staff.

1916 is a lost victory.

On February 21, 1916, the German command launched the Verdun operation on the Western Front. During fierce fighting, both sides suffered heavy losses, but the Germans could not break through the front.

At the insistent request of the Allies, in order to divert enemy forces from France, the Russian command developed an offensive plan, the main burden of which fell on the Russian Southwestern Front, commanded by General Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich.

Romania entered the war on the side of the Entente, but its actions were unsuccessful and Russia was forced to form its own Romanian front.

Russian troops Caucasian Front successfully carried out a number of operations, taking the cities of Erzrum and Trebizond.

As a result of the hostilities of 1916, the Anglo-French and Italian armies were saved from defeat. England and France promised Russia to transfer the Bosphorus and Dardanelles and Constantinople under its control.

Military operations in 1917-1918 The company of 1917 proceeded in conditions of growth in all countries of the revolutionary movement.

In February, a revolution broke out in Russia. The offensive of the Russian southwestern front ended in failure. After the October Revolution in Russia, the new government concluded a truce with the German coalition on December 2. Events in Russia thwarted the plans of the Entente to defeat Austria-Hungary. The United States entered the war on the side of the Entente.

In March, the German offensive began in France. At the end of May, the Germans struck north of the Rhine and reached the Marne River, being 70 km from Paris, but were stopped. The second Battle of Marne ended in failure for the Germans.

In August 1918, the Anglo-French armies went on the offensive and defeated the enemy. In September, the general offensive of the allies began along the entire front. On November 9, the monarchy was overthrown in Berlin. On November 11, 1918, the Entente concluded the Compiègne truce with Germany. Germany admitted its defeat in the war.

Student Message: (Slide 12-13)

A.A. Brusilov (1853-1926) was born in the family of a general. Graduated from the Corps of Pages. Member of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. For more than 15 years he served in the officer's cavalry school, starting as a riding instructor and ending as its chief. In 1906-12 he commanded various military formations. In 1912 he received the rank of general from the cavalry. From the beginning of the World War, he was appointed commander of the 8th Army, from March 1916 - commander-in-chief of the South-Western Front. Gained fame for the development and conduct of the offensive of the Russian army in the summer of 1916 - "Brusilov breakthrough". After the February Revolution - a supporter of the continuation of the war to a victorious end. In May 1917 he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. After being removed from this post in July 1917, he remained at the disposal of the Provisional Government. In 1920 he joined the Red Army.

Brusilovsky breakthrough. In May 1916, the troops of the Russian Southwestern Front under the command of General Brusilov broke through the Austrian positions, pushing the enemy back 120 km, the front was broken through for 340 km. Russian troops occupied Lutsk, Chernivtsi. The Brusilovsky breakthrough put Austria-Hungary on the brink of disaster. Germany transferred 11 divisions from the west, stopping the offensive at Verdun.

5. Results of the war.

Target: name the results of the war. Tasks:

1. Who won the war? At what conference were the results of the First World War summed up? (Slide 17)

2. write down the name of the peace treaties of the Entente countries with the countries of the Quadruple Alliance.

3. At what conference did the post-war peace settlement end? write down the name of the system of relations that has developed in the world after the end of the war.

June 28, 1919 after lengthy discussions on Paris Peace Conference was Treaty of Versailles signed Entente countries with Germany. (slide 17)

Post-war peace settlement completed Washington Conference(1921-1922). The United States managed to achieve the principle of “freedom of navigation”, weaken Great Britain as the number one maritime power, push Japan and achieve the approval of the “principle of equal opportunities” for all countries that signed the treaty.

The Versailles-Washington system, which reflected the interests of the victorious countries, lasted until World War II.

Slide 18 “General results of the First World War” - view.

Teacher's word: Let's look at one more picture of Vereshchagin "Requiem" (slide 19). Which lessons should endure humanity from such wars as the First World War? (all problems must be solved at the negotiating table, otherwise humanity will destroy itself).

Reflection:

Target: summing up, grades for the lesson.

Do test work:

1) Match the fronts and battles of the First World War:

A) Eastern Front

B) Western Front

1. Verdun meat grinder

2. Brusilovsky breakthrough

3. Battle of Galicia

4. gas attack near Ypres

2) The military-political bloc of the Entente was created:

a) in 1882; b) in 1889; c) in 1907; d) in 1914

3) Match the date and name of the battle:

1) Brusilovsky breakthrough

2) The defeat of the 2nd Russian army in East Prussia

3) Battle of Galicia

4) Brest Peace

5) The failure of the offensive of the Southwestern Front

4) The composition of the Quadruple Union included:

a) Russia b) Bulgaria c) Germany d) France

5) The Entente included:

a) Russia b) Austria-Hungary c) Germany d) England

6) Which region at the beginning of the 20th century. called the "powder magazine of Europe":

a) the Balkans; b) Middle East; c) Germany

7) Causes of World War I:

a) German plans to take over England;

b) the struggle of the largest countries for colonies and markets;

c) the desire of Russia and Austria-Hungary to establish itself in the Balkans.

References:

Artemov V.V. History for professions and specialties of technical, natural science, socio-economic profiles: a textbook for beginners and mediums. prof. education: in 2 hours. Part 2 / V.V. Artemov, Yu.N. Lyubchenkov. - M., 2011. - p.304.
Bazanov S. Brusilovsky breakthrough//History. Scientific and methodological journal for teachers of history and social science, 2012, No. 9, pp. 42-47.
History of Russia XX - XXI century. Grade 11: Lesson planning / Avt.-stat. T.A. Korneva. - Volgograd, 2005. - 268 p.
Samygin P.S., Belikov K.S., Berezhnoy S.E. etc. History. - Rostov n / a, 2008.
Tikhonova N. Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. // Story. Scientific and methodological journal for teachers of history and social studies. 2012. No. 9, p.32-37
Yastremsky A.N. Album of schemes for the course “National history”, Textbook, Electronic edition, M., 2008.

Application

Table 1.Armed Forces
(leading countries and their possessions)

Powers	In service (million people)	Share in the global population	In service per 1 thousand inhabitants (persons)
Austria-Hungary	0,4	6,6	7,6
Great Britain	0,2	3,3	4,4
German Empire	0,8	13,3	10,1
Italy	0,4	6,6	11,4
Russian empire	1,4	23,3	7,5
USA	0,2	3,3	2,0
France	0,7	11,6	17,5
World at large	6,0	100	3,2

Table 2.Direct military spending

States	Total (million rubles)	Per 1 inhabitant (rub.)	For 1 soldier (rub.)
Austria-Hungary	265	5,0	662
Great Britain	729	1,7	1822
German Empire	925	11,5	1156
Italy	283	6,7	566
Russian empire	826	4,5	590
USA	570	5,2	2850
France	568	7,1	710
World at large	5000	2,7	833

Table 3Armament

States	Artillery guns (thousand)	machine guns (thousand pieces)	shells (billion pieces)	airplanes (PC.)	Cars (thousand pieces)	navy (million tons displacement)	Rifles (million pieces)	ammo (billion pieces)
Austria-Hungary	4,0	2,0	3,0	65	1,8	0,3	1,5	0,3
Great Britain	2,0	2,0	7,0	272	1,2	1,9	0,8	0,8
German Empire	7,5	12,0	10,0	300	5,0	1,5	5,0	1,0
Italy	2,0	1,0	3,3	143	2,0	0,4	2,5	0,5
Russian empire	7,9	4,1	6,0	150	-	0,4	5,0	2,8
USA	1,0	1,5	1,0	-	-	0,9	0,5	0,5
France	4,8	5,0	6,0	560	8,0	0,5	3,4	1,3
World at large	35,0	35,0	40,0	1500	18,1	7,5	25,0	10,1

(Page 29)

1. What were the goals pursued by the powers in the First World War?

Answer: If Germany and Austria-Hungary intended to create a "new Europe" where the influence of England, France and Russia would be reduced to zero, then the members of the Entente expected to eliminate the German threat by dividing the territories of the members of the Triple Alliance into several states.

The plans of Wilhelm II included territorial conquests in the east of Europe and the Mediterranean, which could provide the Reich with living space and natural resources. The victory allowed Germany to establish control over the overseas colonies of England and France. In turn, the Vienna Cabinet sought to prevent the disintegration of the dualistic empire at the expense of military success, to strengthen its positions in the Balkans and in the Carpathians.

The main goal of the British government was to defeat its main competitor - Germany and restore the international prestige of the British Empire. The French ruling circles dreamed of the return of Alsace and Lorraine, the capture of the Rhine industrial zone and the elimination of German influence in the Middle East. Finally, Russia claimed territories with a Slavic population within Germany and Austria-Hungary. In addition, Tsar Nicholas II cherished plans to capture Constantinople (Istanbul) and turn the Black Sea into a "Russian lake".

The offensive of the Entente troops on the Western Front.

4. What is the contribution of Russia to the victory of the Entente?

Answer: Russia's military actions on the Eastern Front contributed to the fact that the forces of the Triple Alliance were forced to wage war on 2 fronts, which quickly depleted the enemy's forces. Also, successes during the hostilities with the troops of the Ottoman Empire cooled the military ardor of Turkey, which entered the war on the side of the Triple Alliance.

5. What is the state regulation of the military economy?

Answer: State regulation of the military economy - state regulation of the socio-economic sphere in order to ensure the front, providing the front with weapons, food and other necessary items.

6. What are the results of the First World War?

Answer: The First World War, which lasted more than four years, was the greatest disaster in the history of mankind. It involved 38 states (including the British dominions) with a population of 1.5 billion people (60% of the world's inhabitants). Military operations unfolded over an area of over 4 million square kilometers. More than 70 million people were under arms, of which 9.5 million were killed and more than 20 million were injured and maimed.

The prolonged stay of military personnel in the trenches and prisoner of war camps, the need and calamity of the population in the rear negatively affected the psyche of many people.

Many months of hostilities caused enormous material damage: thousands of cities and villages were turned into ruins, factories, roads, bridges, cultural monuments were destroyed.

As a result of the war, changes took place on the political map of the world. The Russian, Austro-Hungarian, German and Ottoman empires collapsed. New states emerged in Europe: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. The peoples of the colonial and dependent countries saw the prospect of liberation.

The First World War ushered in an era of unprecedented upheavals and revolutions. A new page in the history of the 20th century began.

1. Could the war have been avoided if Archduke Franz Ferdinand had not been killed? (p. 29)

Answer: The assassination of the Archduke was only a pretext for war. Germany was ready for war, so another reason would have been found for starting hostilities.

2. Which front was decisive at each stage of the First World War? Justify your answer. (p. 29)

Both fronts mattered as they ruined Germany's plans for a blitzkrieg.

The Eastern front, since the German waxes launched a mobile war here during this period, pushing the front line further to the East, gradually inflicting crushing blows on the Russian army. However, the successes were not long in coming - the Brusilovsky breakthrough, as a result of which the enemy was thrown back to the Carpathian Mountains.

The Western Front, since the February Revolution had already taken place in Russia, after which demands were put forward for the withdrawal of Russia from the war. And on the Western Front at that time, Germany was making its last attempts to defeat the Entente.

Western front - the offensive of the Entente troops and the surrender of Germany and its allies.

3. What is the role of propaganda in creating an atmosphere of patriotic enthusiasm? (p. 29)

Answer: Propaganda unites the population of the country against a common enemy. Helps to strengthen the patriotic feelings of a person and the desire to protect his family, loved ones.

4. What are the reasons for the victory of the Entente in the war? Could the Entente have won without the participation of the United States? (p. 29)

Answer: Depletion of Germany's resources and US aid. The Entente could have won without the help of the United States, since back in 1917 Germany offered peace negotiations to the Entente.

Documents (p. 30)

What was the psychological effect of the gas attack of the German troops near Ypres?

Answer: There was a panic among the soldiers, since they had not encountered such a thing before.

How do you think the Russian retreat in the summer of 1915 affected the course of the First World War? (p. 30)

Answer: actions on the Eastern Front during this period helped the Entente countries to rebuild their economies for the needs of the war. During the retreat, the German troops suffered significant losses. However, the spirit of the Russian army was broken.

What measures were top-priority for the Entente in the process of cessation of hostilities? How was it envisaged to limit the military activity of Germany? (p. 31)

Answer: Evacuation of German troops from occupied countries. The transfer of part of the weapons to the Entente countries.

Limitation of Germany's military activity - the return of German troops to Germany, the reduction of armament of German troops.

The plans of the participants in the war did not sufficiently take into account the increased role of economic and moral factors and were designed to conduct combat operations only at the expense of mobilization reserves accumulated in peacetime. It was believed that the war would be short-lived. The transfer of the war economy to the needs of wartime was not envisaged.

The general staffs of the imperialist states spent many years working out plans for war.

Common to all plans was that they expressed the predatory aspirations of individual powers, as well as individual warring coalitions; at the same time, they expressed sharp contradictions between individual imperialist predators within coalitions, each of which sought to place more of the military burden on its allies and seize more wealth in the mutual division of booty.

Essence of the German Plan(the Schlieffen plan) consisted in striving to hit the opponents sequentially: first, it was supposed to strike at France and defeat its army, and then transfer the main forces to the East and defeat Russia. In both cases, a bet was made on a short-term war.

In order to bypass and encircle the French army, it was planned to carry out a flank maneuver through Belgium, bypassing the main forces of the French army from the north. The auxiliary group was supposed to play the role of a barrier against a possible offensive by the French army. In the East, at the beginning of the war, it was planned to deploy one army with the task of covering East Prussia from a possible invasion of Russian troops. Active operations against Russia at that time were to be carried out by Austro-Hungarian troops. The main flaw of the German plan was to overestimate their own forces and underestimate the forces of the enemy.

On Austro-Hungarian war plan the German General Staff, which sought to use the Austro-Hungarian troops to pin down the Russian armies during the period of Germany's attack on France, had a strong influence. In view of this, the Austro-Hungarian General Staff was forced to plan simultaneous active operations against Russia, Serbia and Montenegro. It was planned to deliver the main blow from Galicia to the east and northeast. The Austro-Hungarian plan was built in isolation from the real consideration of their economic and moral possibilities. This clearly showed the influence of the German military school - underestimation of the enemy and overestimation of their own forces. The availability of forces and means did not correspond to the tasks set.

French war plan was offensive, but it was of a waiting nature, since the initial actions of the French troops were made dependent on the actions of the German troops. Only the Lorraine grouping, consisting of two armies, received an active offensive mission. The central grouping of troops as part of one army was assigned the role of a link between the Belgian and Lorraine groupings. The Belgian grouping as part of one army was supposed to act depending on the behavior of the enemy.

In the event of the Germans violating the neutrality of Belgium and advancing through its territory, this army should be ready to attack in a northeast direction, otherwise it would have to attack in an easterly direction.

Essence of the English plan was reduced to a promise to send an expeditionary army consisting of seven divisions to France. The British ruling circles hoped to shift the main burden of the war on land to Russia and France. England considered its main task to ensure dominance at sea.

Russian war plan was developed in the conditions of economic and political dependence of tsarist Russia on Anglo-French capital. England and France, presenting enslaving loans to the tsarist autocracy, imposed heavy military obligations on Russia, which the general staff had to take into account when developing a war plan. The interests of the autocracy demanded the main attack on Austria-Hungary. However, due to its dependence on England and France, Russia had to conduct offensive operations against Germany in order to divert its forces from the west and weaken the blows of German troops on the French army. The desire to satisfy the interested parties led to the decision to attack simultaneously against both opponents. The Northwestern Front was supposed to encircle and destroy the 8th German Army and capture East Prussia, the Southwestern Front was tasked with encircling and defeating the Austro-Hungarian troops stationed in Galicia.

By the beginning of hostilities in the Western European theater of operations against France and Belgium, Germany deployed 86 infantry and 10 cavalry divisions (1.6 million people and 5,000 guns). These forces were opposed by 85 infantry and 12 cavalry divisions of the Franco-Anglo-Belgian troops (1.6 million people, 4640 guns).