Major events and effects of world war I
World war I was fought very violently. Machine guns, long-range artilleries, grenades, aeroplanes, armoured tanks, submarines and poisonous gas such as chlorine caused unbelievable casualties. The chlorine gas dissolves the lungs and kills in great agony. Armies fought in dreadful conditions such as the muddy trenches against the barbed wire fence. They would advance little through the no-man's land and soon had to retreat when 'enemies' attacked and advanced. Even the civilian population was not protected. Bombarding on cities killed many innocent people. As soldiers were killed and injured, older and younger men had to be dispatched. There wouldn't be any help easily available for the injured and killed.
In 1914 with appalling loss of life, Germany attacked Belgium and France but could not capture. In 1915 it captured the Polish capital of Warsaw. By 1916, it won many battles in European battlefronts. Italy joined the allies in the hope of territorial gains in may 1915. In 1917 Russian armies quitted the battlefields due to a revolution in their land. German attack on the US unarmed ships caused the United States to join Allies in 1917. With abundant support from the USA, the Allies began to make breakthroughs in 1918. Finally the central Powers surrendered in autumn 1918. German prisoners were captured and freed. German revolution declared it republic and its emperor fled to Holland. However, World War I was officially ended by an armistice signed in France on November 11 (at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of eleventh month).
Germany had to withdraw immediately from all occupied territories and surrendered all major weapons. Paris Peace Conference began on 18 January, 1919. Finally on June 28 1919, the treaty was signed with a proposal to institute the League of Nations. The treaty was designed by French Prime Minister Clemenceau, British Prime minister Lloyd George George and US President Woodrow Wilson. It, however, could not be fair and sowed seeds of another world war. The League of Nations was also doomed to fail.
After the defeat of Germany in world war I, the treaty was signed between the victorious allies and Germany on June 28, 1919 in the Palace of Versailles in France. No consultation was made with Germany. Still Germany was compelled to sign. According to this treaty, Germany was blamed solely for the destruction and it was made to pay for the loss. Germany lost 13% of it's land and 6 million people. It had to cede the following territories to different nations as specified.
- Alsace and Lorraine to France
- Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium
- North Schleswig to Denmark
- Posen and west Prussia to Poland
- Upper Silesia to Poland
- Saar and Danzig area to the League of Nations
- The city of Memel to Lithuania, a new Baltic state
- All overseas colonies to the league of Nations
Palace of Versailles
Restriction on Military
- German army was withdrawn from Rhineland; it was kept under Allied power for 15 years.
- Germany had to keep only 100,000 soldiers. New recruitment was restricted.
- Germany was not allowed to keep more than 24 warships.
- It was prohibited from manufacturing warships, tanks and aeroplanes.
Compensation
- Germany had to pay gold and other things worth 660 million pound for reparation.
- Coal production area of Saar was to be given to France for 15 years.
