War and Peace in World History

War and Peace in World History

Although the awful labour that racked the world from 1914 to 1918 was battled mostly in Europe, it is correctly called the First World War. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries European forces had strove against over the globe; although, not ever had so numerous combatants and such tremendous assets been brought simultaneously in a lone conflict. Altogether twenty-seven countries became belligerents, extending the globe from Japan to Canada and from Argentina to South Africa to Australia. The Central Powers - German, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey - mobilized 21 million men. The Allies finally called 40 million men to arms, encompassing 12 million Russians. The two edges were more equally agreed than the figures would show, however. Since the Russian divisions were often badly equipped and ineffectively utilised, the Allies' apparent benefit was not so large as figures would indicate. In supplement, in the German armed detachment the Central Powers bragged superb generalship and discipline. Another benefit was that the Central Powers battled from a centered position and were adept to move armies rapidly and effectively to diverse fronts. (Owen 1946)

            The Allies had the benefits of larger assets of investment and raw materials. Britain sustained its naval dominance and could draw on its empire for support. In supplement, because Germany was competently blockaded, the United States, even though formally neutral for most of the conflict, assisted as a major source of provision for the Allies.  (Treadgold 1959) The warring countries went into assault in a assured mood. Each edge was sure of its power and sensed it had arranged carefully. Each nation's propaganda appliance consigned comforting notes of assured victory. All expected that the conflict would shortly be over, resolved in a couple of resolute battles. It was usually accepted that the conflict would be over by Christmas. All of the general staffs had been perfecting their conflict designs for years. The Germans knew that Allied naval supremacy would slash them off from needed sources abroad. They recognized that they were possibly enclosed and that they should hit a fast knockout assault to end the war. Following the plan devised by Chief of the General Staff Alfred von Schlieffen, the Germans aimed to impel the Belgians apart and propel quickly south into France. The design then called for the German forces to wheel west of Paris, outflank the French forces, and propel them in the direction of Alsace-Lorraine, where they would be contacted by another German army. Within six weeks, the French would be decimated, caught between the western mallet and the to the east anvil. Meanwhile, a little German force would be retaining the most likely slow-moving Russians on the eastern front, awaiting the appearance by the very good German rail scheme of the victorious western forces. The design almost worked. (Owen 1946)

            The Germans marched as asserted by the design until they got so close to Paris that they could glimpse the peak of the Eiffel ...