World War One

THE GREAT WAR

Dublin OConnel Street 2
The Easter Rising in Ireland on Easter Monday 24 April 1916. Causes and the preparation of the Irish Easter Rising Read more
erste Granaten schlagen ein 1
The largest naval battle in history, which took place at Jutland on May 31 to June 1, 1916. Naval forces, Read more
HMS Dreadnought in WoWs
Revolutionary British battleship HMS Dreadnought: The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 showed the world the need for a radical change in Read more
Somme brit infattack2 1
The battle of the machine-guns on the Somme from July 1 to November 18, 1916. The battlefield and forces, the Read more
3d model Sopwith Camel F1
Sopwith Camel - famous British fighter plane of World War One. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and 3d model. Sopwith Read more
FE2b 1
British two-seater fighter Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 from World War One. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and model. Royal Aircraft Read more
Portugal Army 1
The Army of Portugal in World War One 1916-1918. Uniforms, strength and organization of the Portuguese Army in Europe and Read more
Mark I Thiepval Sep1916
British heavy Infantry Tank Mark I of World War One and first tank in history. History, development, service, specifications, pictures Read more
Ariska rifle Meiji 38
Japanese infantry rifle Type 38 Ariska from 1897 to World War II. History, development, service, specifications and pictures. Ariska rifle Read more
Model Airco DH2
British first true single-seat fighting scout Airco de Havilland 2. History, development, service, specifications, statistics, pictures, and model. Airco DH2 Read more
Caudron G model 1
French Caudron G series of two-seater reconnaissance bombers of World War One. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and model. Caudron Read more
Browning model 1919A4
Browning M1917 and Browning M1919 machine guns. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and 3d-model of Colt-Browning M1895, Browning M1917, M1917A1, Read more
Browning Automatic Rifle BAR M1918A2
BAR
BAR - Browning Automatic Rifle, US light machine gun or assault rifle from both World Wars. History, development, service, specifications, Read more
Uniforms Greek Army World War One
The Army of Greece and its uniforms in World War One. In February 1821, the Greeks' decisive revolt against the Read more
German uniforms World War One
The uniforms of the Germany Army in World War One from 1914 to 1918. Uniforms of the infantry 1914/15 and Read more
Schneider tank
French Schneider assault tank Char d'Assaut (CA) of World War One. History, development, service, specifications, pictures and 3D model. Char Read more
Belgium 1914 1
Uniforms, strength, organization of the Army of Belgium from 1914 to 1918 in World War One. The Belgian Army in Read more
Browning HP-35
Browning Automatic Pistol Model 1900, 1903, 1910 and Browning HP. History, development, specifications, statistics and pictures. The Belgian Fabrique Nationale Read more
Vickers Gun
British Vickers machine-gun from both World Wars. History, development, service, specifications and pictures of the heavy Vickers gun. Vickers Gun Read more
Webley Revolver 1WK en
British revolvers of both World Wars: Webley .455in, Fosbery, Webley .38in Mk 4, Enfield No.2. History, development, specifications, statistics and Read more

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
Sarajevo No other political assassination in modern history has had such momentous conse­quences of the shooting of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent to the Habsburg empire, in Sarajevo, the capital of the tur­bulent provinces of Bosnia-Herzegovina, more than 100 years ago – on 28th June 1914.
The Sarajevo murder was an incident which, under more normal international circumstances, could not have provoked such historical upheavals.

But in the early summer of 1914 relations between the great European powers were so tense that the killing of the archduke by a Bosnian student, named Gavrilo Princip, led to the outbreak of World War One through a series of quick and irreversible steps – the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia on 23rd July, her declaration of war on 28th July, Russian mobilization, Ger­many’s declaration of war on Russia on 1st August, and on France on 3rd August, and Great Britain’s declaration of war against Germany on 4th August.

The great powers had been elaborating plans for mobilizing mass armies ever since the Franco-German war of 1870-71. As usual, men prepared for the last military conflict instead of for the next one. The general staffs all assumed that the coming struggle would be decided by the first engagements on the frontiers, as had happened in 1870, and each general staff aimed to get its blow in first. Yet they were all terrified that the other side might beat them to it. Each one of them attributed to others a speed and flexibility which they knew they did not possess themselves. The deterrent of the overwhelming blow put the generals in a panic instead of giving them security. Such is the usual way with deterrents.
The strategies for mobilization were all according to detailed train time-tables, accurately determined through the years. As soon as the alert received, millions of reservists would arrive at their barracks. Thousands of trains would be put together and would pro­ceed every single day to their designated targets. The time-tables were strict and might not be modified without several weeks of planning. Casino Games explained.
Germany and France both had just one strategy for mobilization – both equally moved, needless to say, versus the opponent. Russia and Austria-Hungary got different strategies: the Russian either for general mobilization versus simultaneously against Germany and Austria-Hun­gary or for partial mobilization versus Austria-Hungary only; the Austrians against Serbia, Italy, or Russia. If one of these strategies did start to run, it would make the change to a different strategy im­possible. The time-tables could hardly be modified immediately.
This is the way to one of the deadliest conflicts in history. This scale of human loss had never been seen before – more than 14 million soldiers and civilians were killed, and a further 21 million troops were wounded during the four years of stagnant trench warfare and in failed attacks.
It was also the first time that many of the military technologies we now take for granted were employed, including heavy bombers and tanks. Yet even these were overshadowed by more established weapons such as machine-guns and artillery, the most lethal weapon of all.
The armistice in 1918 also signaled the end of the existing Europe; the conflict had caused the death of three powers: the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Russian – and saw the appearance of the U.S.A. as a major worldwide power. Nevertheless, the peace negotiations inserted the fundamentals for the outbreak of WW2.
The Diary will become a chronological history – day by day – of the conflict from the opening shots at Sarajevo in June 1914 to the armistice in November 1918. All the major war theaters are covered, as is the fighting in the air and at sea.

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