Hoorcollege 6 (18-4) The First World War
1918 was not a necessary outcome, it could have turned out otherwise.
Key Questions
- To what extent was the war accepted and this acceptance maintained?
- Why no earlier end to the war, by decisive breakthrough or negotiated peace?
- How and why did the war eventually end? Was allied victory a necessary outcome?
- Which consequences resulted from the war – for individuals, countries and Europe?
Beginning of the war
- Much war enthusiasm, but often the images are propaganda and staged to create enthusiasm.
- Working class people were often socialists, distressful of war and capitalism. Farmers were unhappy
to leave their farm and life behind to go to war.
- War was a defensive war, every country had the idea that they had to defend themselves.
Everywhere fear of a German invasion, made sense to think of the war as a defensive one.
- Strong socialist movements -> international solidarity, mass strikes could prevent a war from
happening. But it war clear that the socialists supported the war because of the defensive view.
- Patriotic outbursts; German names were abolished, basic development that very early on societies
think of themselves as involved in an all or nothing war.
- Cultural mobilization; creation of national cultures.
How was the war conducted?
- Last war had been mid-nineteenth century.
- Cavalry was still very important. Military very disastrous -> defensive weapons very strong (artillery
and machineguns) led to many losses in the first months of the war.
- Difficulties: feeding the troops, communicate between forces, telegraphs were often intercepted.
How cold you continue to fight when you know your army is less advanced than the other
one? How could you adapt to that?
- Digging and hiding in the trenches. Risk was still very high, but better in terms of casualty rates.
- Poison gas.
- New defensive weapons; gas mask.
- Cutting off lines of supplies.
- Technological innovations; use of airplanes and tanks.
War coalitions from 1915
- Italy was an important ally; they forced the Austrians and Germans to open up another front.
- Germans brought in the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria in 1915.
- Why wouldn’t these countries stay neutral? If you wanted to be a real power, you had to
participate.
- Italian elite made the decision and dragged the whole society in to the war.
- Mentality; maybe claim some new territories.
- Globalization of the war; colonies participated in the war too. Brought in people to fight the
war or to work (French), or fight the war in the colonies.
- Using all the resources -> total war.
1918 was not a necessary outcome, it could have turned out otherwise.
Key Questions
- To what extent was the war accepted and this acceptance maintained?
- Why no earlier end to the war, by decisive breakthrough or negotiated peace?
- How and why did the war eventually end? Was allied victory a necessary outcome?
- Which consequences resulted from the war – for individuals, countries and Europe?
Beginning of the war
- Much war enthusiasm, but often the images are propaganda and staged to create enthusiasm.
- Working class people were often socialists, distressful of war and capitalism. Farmers were unhappy
to leave their farm and life behind to go to war.
- War was a defensive war, every country had the idea that they had to defend themselves.
Everywhere fear of a German invasion, made sense to think of the war as a defensive one.
- Strong socialist movements -> international solidarity, mass strikes could prevent a war from
happening. But it war clear that the socialists supported the war because of the defensive view.
- Patriotic outbursts; German names were abolished, basic development that very early on societies
think of themselves as involved in an all or nothing war.
- Cultural mobilization; creation of national cultures.
How was the war conducted?
- Last war had been mid-nineteenth century.
- Cavalry was still very important. Military very disastrous -> defensive weapons very strong (artillery
and machineguns) led to many losses in the first months of the war.
- Difficulties: feeding the troops, communicate between forces, telegraphs were often intercepted.
How cold you continue to fight when you know your army is less advanced than the other
one? How could you adapt to that?
- Digging and hiding in the trenches. Risk was still very high, but better in terms of casualty rates.
- Poison gas.
- New defensive weapons; gas mask.
- Cutting off lines of supplies.
- Technological innovations; use of airplanes and tanks.
War coalitions from 1915
- Italy was an important ally; they forced the Austrians and Germans to open up another front.
- Germans brought in the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria in 1915.
- Why wouldn’t these countries stay neutral? If you wanted to be a real power, you had to
participate.
- Italian elite made the decision and dragged the whole society in to the war.
- Mentality; maybe claim some new territories.
- Globalization of the war; colonies participated in the war too. Brought in people to fight the
war or to work (French), or fight the war in the colonies.
- Using all the resources -> total war.
