To a certain extent, the mood of the street also influences the decisions of Nikolai Romanov. In conservative Russia, where there has long been an acute shortage of at least some news, almost any event meets with joy. In the cities of the Empire dominated by a patriotic attitude. Just a month later, with news of the first major casualties, this attitude will change to a deep despondency.
Germany declares war on France on August 3, 1914. The bases of the decision are partial mobilization in this country, as well as the air bombardments of Germany invented by Berlin. A day later, German troops invade Belgium, which refused to give an ultimatum to pass the German forces to the border with France. A real, full-scale war begins, to which, at its discretion, more and more new countries of the planet join. The Germans are extremely annoyed with the unexpected resistance of a small but proud country. Their artillery destroys everything in front of them. The behavior of the soldiers in the occupied territories even then resembles the actions of the Wehrmacht and the SS in the East during the Second World War. In total, 60,000 Belgian soldiers and as many civilians are killed in this massacre. Photo outskirts of Antwerp destroyed by shells, autumn 1914
Antagonistic blocks are formed. Entente Great Britain, French Republic, Russian Empire. The fourth alliance is the Germanic, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman empires, and, yes, the Bulgarian kingdom, recently liberated from the Ottoman yoke. The battle involved 38 independent states. The new trend in the organization of hostilities the massive use of machine guns. These rapid-fire, deadly, compact mechanisms capable of destroying soldiers in the tens and hundreds, within one minute. Even after the most brutal artillery preparation, in the trenches as many machine guns and fighters are searched as necessary to shoot the next platoon, company, battalion, regiment or division. Photography German machine-gunners bombard Russian soldiers forcing the Vistula, 1914
According to the allied German-Turkish treaty of August 2, 1914, on August 10 of the same year, the German cruisers Goeben and Breslau enter the Dardanelles. Almost immediately the army and fleet of the Ottomans fell under the control of the Germans. The Minister of War of Turkey, Ismail Enver, better known as Enver Pasha, literally of his own accord, in November of the same year, declares a holy war to the countries of the Entente. However, such a decisive act is consistent with the desires of the majority of Turks who are dissatisfied with the fact that earlier Britain and France have taken over the territory of the Great Porte. Russia, with which Turkey has 20 wars of various degrees of tension, also falls into the number of enemies. With the Germans, then not so ardent colonialists, the Turks formed cordial relations lasting for the time being. Photography German cruiser Goeben on the roads of Istanbul, 1914
From August 7, France invades Alsace and Lorraine, a former province lost during the Franco-German war of 187071. It was here that the French command expected to meet the main attack. However, by the end of August the French army could not withstand the counterattacks of the reserve German forces and retreated. Above all, these military units of the Republic are needed in the main sector of the enemys breakthrough in Belgium. Germanic armies sweep away everything in their path and clearly intend to take Paris in giant ticks
Germany succeeds primarily due to the large-scale use of heavy artillery. Neither France, nor Britain, nor Russia for some reason paid due attention to the development of this area of military affairs. Photography German 170 mm. gun fires in the vicinity of the river Marne
From August 17, at the request or at the insistence of the Allies, Russia will proceed to active hostilities in East Prussia. The offensive has initial success. In the battle of Gumbinnen (the current city of Gusev, Kaliningrad Region), the Germans lose 14,000 men, the advancing Russians 16,000. The German command issues an order to transfer 120,000 troops from the Western Front. What happened saves Paris and France, but Russia suffers a cruel defeat. The two advancing along divergent directions the Russian armies neglect reconnaissance, are partially surrounded and destroyed. The front stabilizes at the positions preceding the attack. In total for the East Prussian operation of 1914, the German troops lose 25,000 people killed, the Russians 42,000, and 100,000 prisoners
Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia on August 6. After a series of border battles, on August 18, the army of General Brusilov developed an offensive and in 6 days overcomes 90100 km. Reflecting several counterattacks, the Russian units make a dash through the Carpathians. The front stabilizes after contact with reinforcements from the German Empire. Austro-Hungarian troops lose 100,000 people killed, the same number of prisoners. Russias irretrievable loss 60,000 people, 40,000 prisoners. The number of light and medium guns per thousand soldiers in the Russian army is only slightly less than in the German one. As already mentioned, the situation with heavy artillery is much worse. Here the score is 10 to 1 in favor of the Germans. The countries participants of the conflict, develop their stocks of projectiles by the end of 1914. The weapon plants of the German Empire succeed in overcoming the shell hunger faster than the others. The photo shows a Russian artillery battery in Galicia, 1914.
Russian soldiers on a halt in Galicia. In this region, Russias presence is justified by getting rid of the genocide of the inhabitants of the region, once called Chervonnaya Rus. Even then, the actions of the Austro-Hungarians are similar to the punitive operations of the SS and Ukrainian collaborations in World War II. In total, in Galicia, before the arrival of the Russian troops, and after their departure, 60,000 Ruthenians were killed in the villages circled in red pencil on the map with mass executions. The surviving Austrians, Hungarians, Poles, are commanded to call themselves Ukrainians, and only Ukrainians. After the experienced shock, Galicia turns into its opposite, for a long time, if not forever, becomes an outpost of the forces hostile to Russia. So, in the fields of this region Russian soldiers feel the importance of their mission and fight well. Another thing is that for their heroism, the rank and file do not receive at least any material compensation. Pay attention to the song of time: Galician fields, performance by V. Ulin (listen) Галицийские поля, В. Улин, слушать
Japan hears the admonitions of the British government, and with considerable energy enters the war on the side of the Entente on August 23, 1914. An ultimatum ordering Germany to free Qingdaos naval base (not so far from the once Russian Port Arthur), Shandunsky Peninsula, and other Pacific colonies, the Kaiser government rejects with indignation. Japan carries out a methodical bombardment of a German base from large-caliber guns, as well as, for the first time in the world, bombardment from hydroplanes (a floating base is the first aircraft carrier similarity). The picture shows the flagship Suvo, a Japanese squadron blocking Qingdao, the former Victory seized in Port Arthur. The production ship of the Baltic plant (1900) looks quite impressive.