The Great War: Difference between revisions
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| conflict = The Great War
| image = TheGreatWarHeaderPhoto.jpg
| date = 5 May 1935
(3 years, 11 months, 1 week)
| place = Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania
| combatant1 = the [[
| combatant2 = the [[
| casualties1 = 8,830,000 combatant deaths </br> 7,930,000 civilian deaths
| casualties2 = 9,190,000 combatant deaths </br> 11,070,000 civilian deaths
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The '''Great War''' (French: ''La Grande Guerre''; Dutch: ''de Groote Oorlog''; Russian: ''Европейское кровопролитие''; [[Corean]]: 대거세함낙; German: ''Der Kontinentalkrieg''; Ottoman Turkish: بزرگ روسیه چنگ, ''Bozorg Rosja Tšeng''; Arabic: الحرب الأوروبية الكبرى; Portuguese: ''O Grande Choque Europeu''), also known as the '''Great European War''' and often abbreviated as '''GW,''' was a global war originating in Europe that began in the second trimester of 1935.
It was fought between the [[
== Context ==
===Rising anti-British & anti-Russian sentiment===
====Russo-Ottoman relations====
The [[Ottoman Empire]]
====Growing British influence in Europe====
Meanwhile
==== Faramundism in Austria and the German realms ====
[[File:Emmerich Stefanov.jpg|thumb|200x200px|[[Emmerich Stefanov]], Austrian Chancellor]]
The [[Glossary of terms#Neostabilism|neostabilists]] of Austria saw [[Glossary of terms#Faramundism|Faramundism]], or the ideology of German unification, as a threat to Austrian hegemony in Central Europe.
===Rise of authoritarianism & the Tripartite Coalition===
[[File:RTLCamille Laframboise.jpg|left|thumb|227x227px|Grand Marshal of France, [[Camille Laframboise]]]]
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[[File:RTL Russian bear at war 1935.jpg|alt=|thumb|312x312px|1935 map depicting Russia at war with the Ottoman and Corean Empires]]
The war officially started on May 5, 1935, when Ottoman Grand Vizier Oguen Oesstekin announced a Declaration of War against the Nationalist Republic of Russia. The timing of the declaration of war was strategic; it was declared once the Russians poured most of their efforts into the eastern [[Russo-Corean War]]. Ottoman forces landed on the Crimean peninsula within the same week and captured the cities of Ochakov, Kerch, and Yevpatoria at the end of the month.
Russian resistance was weak, especially considering that Russia was also at war with the separatist Turkestan, allied to the Ottomans.
==== Austrian occupation of Saxony (June 1935) ====
On June 7, 1935, Austrian troops
Not long after, by the next week, on July 1, 1935, British intelligence once again reported a large buildup of the Austrian military, this time on the Pomeranian border. This shifted the attitude of Britain towards Austria. On July 5, Britain declared a guarantee of Pomeranian independence, warning Austria of a war should they invade Pomerania.
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===== The invasion =====
[[File:Savoy and Piedmont client states.png|alt=|thumb|192x192px|Reorganization of Piedmont and Savoy (August 1935).]]
[[File:French soldiers in Savoy in August.jpg|thumb|
On July 5, 1935, France launched ''Opération Grosseille'' (on the same day the British announced their guarantee of Pomerania's independence), which aimed to restore order in Savoy and Piedmont. The French military entered Savoy and Piedmont on that week, and faced very little resistance. The Savoyard royal family fled to the Rhineland Republic while the Piedmontese royal family fled east to the Republic of Lombardy. New communard caretaker governments were set up. However, on August 12, 1935, Savoy and Piedmontese territory were reorganized into three communard republics: Arpitania, Piemont, and Lombardia (not to be confused with the neighboring Republic of Lombardy).
==== Great Britain and Portugal's entrance in the war (July 1935) ====
Great Britain's guarantee of Pomeranian independence on July 5, 1935, did very little to stop the buildup of Austrian troops on the Pomeranian border. To British Prime Minister Sir Benjamin Wallace Kaylock, this proved the Austrians' resolve and determination to invade the country. As a response, the British began stationing troops in Pomerania at the behest of King Otto of Pomerania on July 12. This angered Austrian Chancellor Emmerich Stefanov, who denounced it as another scheme by Great Britain to grow their influence on the continent. Queen Henrietta of Britain penned a letter to Austrian Empress Claudia Maddalena Hapsburg to defuse the situation, but it remains unclear whether the letter was ignored or had not reached her at all.
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On July 19, Austria formally declared war on Britain. Austrian troops advanced to Pomerania. Heavy fighting broke out on the outskirts of Berlin and the Pomeranian border. Eventually, the Austrians quickly overran the British and Pomeranian forces and entered the city of Berlin on July 22, 1935. After a fierce battle, the British were forced to retreat. This was a disaster and a colossal embarrassment for Prime Minister Kaylock's government.
Portugal, Britain's ally, also declared war against France and Austria. On the same day, Russia and Britain signed the
==== Entrance of minor nations ====
Throughout 1935-1936, various nations in Europe and Asia joined the war on either side. The Federation of [[Tussenland]] joined the war in 3 September 1935, after a Tussenlander ship, PWHS Potouwatomie, was allegedly sunk by French torpedoes (although this claim is widely contested). The Corean Empire joined on the side of the French and the Tripartite Coalition in October 1935, with the French promising the Coreans aid against the Russian and Japanese "invaders." Sicily joined the war in December 1935, after Austria and France promised them territory in Naples.
==== Battle of Suez (December 1935) ====
Due to a massive communication delay, a massive maritime traffic jam was created in the Suez canal, trapping British ships on the Mediterranean side of the canal. This proved to be easy pickings for the Ottomans. On December 14, 1935, a joint Franco-Ottoman naval force ambushed a fleet of British ships on the Mediterranean side of the canal. Twenty-five British ships were sunk. The battle was a decisive victory for France and the Ottoman Empire.
==== The War by Christmas, 1935 ====
By the end of 1935, the Tripartite Coalition was able to make significant gains in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
The Ottomans controlled the Suez Canal and parts of the Sultanate of Egypt, hampering the naval power of Britain and her allies. On the colonial front, France launched invasions into British territory, and was able to occupy Portuguese Guinea and parts of British East Africa. The French were also able to capture the island of Vandiemensland (part of French Australie) in Oceania.
[[File:THEGREATWAR1935.jpg|center|frameless|1048x1048px|The great war at the end of 1935. Full resolution [https://www.reddit.com/r/RosesTulipsAndLiberty/comments/t8u01z/the_great_war_december_1935/ here].]]
==== The Asian theatre ====
{{Main|Russo-Corean War}}
Some historians consider the precursor of the war in Asia, the [[Russo-Corean War]] (1932-1936), to be a part of the Great War. This was a punitive war fought by Russia against the expansionist [[Corea|Corean Empire]]. The Netherlands was allied to Corea and also fought in the conflict, but dropped out in 1935 after Great Britain entered an alliance with Russia. Near the end of the Russo-Corean War, Corea entered into an alliance with the Tripartite Coalition, but Corea eventually surrendered to Russia not long after, resulting in the dissolution of the Corean monarchy and the establishment of the Corean National Republic. The monarchy is in exile in [[Viet-Nam]].
==== Austro-Ottoman Invasion of Poland (September 1936) ====
By the late 19th to early 20th century, the hallmark tolerance of the Poland gradually waned. Economic stagnation and hardship caused tensions between the ethnic and religious groups in Poland, primarily the Germans in the north coast, the Ruthenians in the south, and the Jewish communities throughout Poland. The Germans of the north wanted to either have their own state, or be integrated to Pomerania; the Ruthenians wanted to secede from Poland; the Jews demanded more rights and a reversal of anti-Jewish policies enacted in Poland during the early 20th century.
When the [[Great War]] erupted, Poland officially declared neutrality. Austria and the Ottomans tried to coerce the Polish state into siding with the Tripartite Coalition, to allow them access through Polish territory. However, Poland steadfastly refused. As a response, Austria started supplying the German insurrectionists in the north with weapons and auxiliary support. In the south, there have been reports of Ottoman troops crossing Polish borders. The Polish Sejm accused the Tripartite Coalition of agitating for war, but this was denied by both Austria and the Ottoman Empire.
On the 18th and 20th of September 1936, two explosions damaged parts of the Krakau railway, killing two Austrian servicemen. Three people were arrested, identified by Austria as "Polish nationalists." Although Poland denied any involvement in the attacks, the Austrians maintained that these were "acts of subversion carried out by the Polish state." On 26 September 1936, the Austrian Empire declared war on Poland. This was followed with the Ottomans also declaring war on Poland on the same day, and laid siege to Kiev.
The siege of Kiev lasted for four months, and ended in the city's capitulation to the Ottoman army. By June 1937, Poland had been fully occupied by Austrian and Ottoman forces. The royal dynasty of Poland willfully surrendered and collaborated with the Tripartite Coalition, earning the ire of the Tripartite Coalition.
==== Siege of Kiev (October 1936 - January 1937) ====
[[File:GW Kiev Aftermath.jpg|thumb|237x237px|Destruction from the Siege of Kiev]]
A pursuing Ottoman force under M.M. Hadschiolu (also known as Mehmed Mutar Pascha) advanced north from Crimea towards the city of Kiev. Taking Kiev was was one of the Ottomans' primary objectives in the second phase of the war. The administration of Kiev was immediately notified of the impending danger and began the construction of fortifications. There was a massive exodus of civilians to the north, but hundreds of thousands remained within the city. All able-bodied men and women were enlisted as militia to help defend the city. By 16 October 1936, the Ottomans besieged Kiev.
The Ottomans constantly shelled the city with artillery and air bombardments during the first two months of the siege. As weeks passed, the daily ration for civilians grew less and less. The citizens of Kiev spent Christmas in cold and hunger, but remained resolute and determined. However, by new years eve, supplies were running low, and without any route for the Cordial League to supply Kiev, there was little hope for them.
It soon became clear that no reinforcements were coming. On 11 January 1937, the city of Kiev capitulated to the Ottoman forces, ending the 278-day siege.
==== Peace in Central Asia (March 1937) ====
{{Main|Treaty of Akmolinsk (1937)}}
[[File:RTL Central Asia GW.png.png|thumb|Treaty of Akmolinsk (March 1937)]]
When it seemed like the Tripartite Coalition was unstoppable at this point, the Russians gained a major victory in Central Asia. After the Russians defeated Corea in the Russo-Corean War in 1936, the Russians shifted their focus towards fighting Turkestan in Central Asia.
Eventually, Orkhonist leaders also grew tired of the constant conflict and start to see Russian-style National-Republicanism as an alternative to Ottoman-brand Orkhonism (while hardline anti-Russian Orkhonists fell out of influence due to unrest from the local population). In 1937, Russia engaged in negotiation with the Orkhonist leaders once again, and peace was achieved in March 1937: with the establishment of the National Republics of [[Turkestan]] and [[Tadjikistan]], modeled after the Russian form of government.
==== Interception of the Franco-Swedish Telegraph (June 1937) ====
In June 1937, British intelligence intercepted a secret diplomatic communication between France and the Kingdom of [[Sweden]]. The diplomatic communication was sent to French ambassador to Sweden, Alexandre Mallet, instructing him to convince the Swedish state to join the Tripartite Coalition and pre-emptively attack Norway, which declared neutrality in the war but allied to Great Britain. This leaked communication solidified public opinion against the Tripartite Coalition. In August 1937, Norway joined the Cordial League and declared war against the Tripartite Coalition. Sweden remained neutral throughout the war.
==== The War in Africa ====
In North Africa, the French had launched the invasion of British Numidia (Northeastern Algeria) in February 1937. They had captured major ports, including the Venetian port of Annaba. In East Africa, the British East Africa colony capitulated to the invading French army in the same month and military rule was established. In two months (April 1936), a communard colonial government was established, and British East Africa was renamed Rouvuma, after the Ruvuma river.
After Rouvuma was established, French statesman Ignace Foquet was placed as the Lieutenant-General. Foquet was known to rule with a heavy hand. By June 1936, rumours of torture and execution of British African loyalists came out of Rouvouma, allegedly sanctioned by Foquet. This sparked outrage in the French colonies in East Africa, particularly in Kirignaga. In September 1936, the Parti Communard de Kirignaga (PCK), a homegrown communard party, filed a protest against the French East African Army’s activities in Rouvouma. They organized demonstrations in the capital of Kirignaga.
==== The War by July, 1937 ====
[[File:Tripartite Gains 1937.jpg|center|thumb|1061x1061px|The Peak of the Tripartite Coalition's territorial gains in July 1937. Art by u/JVFreitas. Full resolution on [https://www.reddit.com/r/RosesTulipsAndLiberty/comments/tz9lzr/the_great_war_conflict_by_the_end_of_july_1937/ Reddit].]]
After July 1937, the Tripartite Coalition struggled to keep their new territorial gains. In August 1937, Norway formally enters the war on the
==== French embassy to New Netherland & Mexico ====
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==== ''Operation Vendémiaire:'' The failed French-Austrian invasion of the Netherlands and Rhineland (September 1937) ====
[[File:RTL Louw Verduijn.jpg|thumb|257x257px|Admiral Louw Verduijn, instrumental in the defense of the Netherlands]]
After several significant losses in Africa and North Germany, Camille Laframboise of France and
France had hoped that the Netherlands would easily capitulate, considering that they recently [[Russo-Corean War|came out of a war in East Asia]], while also expecting Rhineland to respond poorly to coordinated Austrian attacks on their eastern border.
Things did not go according to plan, and the French made a rapid push into the Netherlands capturing Antwerp by the end of September. Forward-placed Dutch units inflicted heavy damage on the French attackers, providing significant resistance and preventing the French army from moving north. Instrumental to the defence was Dutch Louw Verduijn, who was a vehemently anti-French veteran of multiple wars, including the Corean expedition. As December came closer, the war came to a stalemate, with British reinforcements, Dutch firepower and heavy resistance the defenders were able to halt the French advance. In the Rhineland, the Austrians were able to capture Ertfurt and Goettingen, but were forced to retreat after a series of battles in the south and heavy fighting in the mountains. Key to this was the Battle of Alsfield where a combined Rhenish, Dutch and British force (8th Army) was able to push the Austrians back.
[[File:A hazy picture of Dutch soldiers somewhere around Busan.jpg|thumb|Dutch soldiers somewhere in the south during the winter of 1938, one of the coldest reported winters in European history]]
==== British Invasion of Tripolitania (February 1938) ====
[[File:BritishInNorthAfrica.jpg|thumb|234x234px|A British armored vehicle during the North African campaign]]
In February 1938, the Bey of Tunis, Hussein ibn Mahmud, entered into a secret pact with the British. This was known as the Convention of Tunis (1938), in which the Bey of Tunis agreed to rebel against the Ottomans and Britain to support and recognize their independence. In March 1938, the Cordial League, mainly led by the British, coordinated an invasion of Ottoman Tripolitania with the assistance of Tunisia. The first clash of British and Ottoman troops occurred on March 27, 1938, during the landing on the port of Zarzis. After two months of fighting, the British were able to take the capital of Tripolitania, Tripoly, and coerced the Karamanli dynasty of Tripolitania to surrender.
==== Illyrian entry to the war (March 1938) ====
During the Great War, the [[Illyria|Kingdom of Illyria]] (then known as the ''Tsardom of Illyria'') was initially neutral. The Austria and Ottoman Empires recognized Illyria's usefulness as a buffer state between them, and as such, tried to prevent Illyria from sliding towards the influence of the Cordial League. Britain, on the other hand, tried to coerce Illyria into joining, promising a vast territory should they win. However, the Tsar remained steadfastly neutral.
The Tsar began to harbor distrust towards the Tripartite Coalition when neutral Moldavia was attacked by the Ottomans. Furthermore, in the later years of the war, Moldavia annexed the principality of Wallachia. This proved the fragility of the sovereignty of the Balkan states. As a result, Illyria took up Britain's offer to join the Cordial League, in order to protect their sovereignty and to be recognized and seen as equals in the alliance. Podgorica was made the capital of Illyria during the Great War, and remained that way after the war.
Illyria cooperated and fought alongside the British during the war. After the war, they gained vast amounts of territory from the former Austrian and Ottoman Empires.
== Invasion of French ==
[[File:Rhineland soldiers around Nancy klein.jpg|thumb|Rhineland soldiers pushing forward into Nancy during the invasion of France. ]]
[[File:Rhinelanders 2 klein.jpg|thumb|A group of Rhineland soldiers walking past a destroyed French tank somewhere in eastern France. ]]
== Conclusion of the War ==
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== Aftermath ==
==== Russo-Ottoman Compromise of
[[File:Russo-Ottoman Compromise.png|thumb|238x238px|Russo-Rumelian Compromise of
Initially unknown to the rest of the Cordial League, the Russians had already made deals with the Ottoman Sultan after the capture of Constantinople back in June
==== Congress of Amsterdam ====
The Congress of Amsterdam was a larger conference held by the members of the Cordial League, to discuss the post-war fate of the Tripartite Coalition. The conference lasted from September 1938 to April 1939. The congress was slowed down due to conflicting interests between Russia and Britain. The pre-arranged secret Russo-Ottoman Compromise of
By the end of the congress, several new states were recognized or created within the former Austrian and Ottoman Empires, while France would be divided into four occupation zones: British, Portuguese, Dutch, and Rhenish. Illyria was also given their own occupation zone in the southern portions of the Austrian Empire, for their invaluable help in fighting Austria.
France would not be reunited until 1944 (five years
{{Gallery|File:TripartiteFate_Ottomans.png|[[Ottoman Empire]]|File:TripartiteFate_Austria.png|[[Austria]]|File:TripartiteFate_France.png|[[France]]|align=center|title=The Congress of Amsterdam (1939)}}
== Factions ==
{{Main|Factions of the Great War}}
== Legacy and impact ==
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==== The Post-War Nations of Europe ====
[[File:TripartiteFate Ottomans.png|thumb|Partition of the Ottoman Empire.]]
===== In the former Ottoman Empire =====
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** [[Tripolitania]]
** [[Jerusalem]]: An independent multi-religious state set up by the British with a constitution designed to balance the influence of the various religious groups.
[[File:TripartiteFate Austria.png|thumb|Partition of the Austrian Empire]]
===== In the former Austrian Empire =====
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** [[Galicia]]: A National Republic established as a homeland for Jews.
** [[Slovakia]]: A National Republic for ethnic Slovaks.
** [[Hungary|Magyaria]]: A
* '''British zone of occupation'''
** [[Austria]]: The Austrian monarchy was abolished, and a liberal democracy was established in Austria.
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==== Former French Colonies ====
* Cambodge: A British-backed monarchy.
* Niger: An Anglo-Portuguese Mandate after the war.
* Republic of Kirignaga-Loloue: After the French East African army invaded British East Africa (renamed ''Rovouma'' after the Ruvuma River), word of torture and the execution of African soldiers loyal to Britain disenfranchised the French colony of Kirignaga's people. These war crimes, perpetrated by Lieutenant-General Ignace Foquet and allegedly sanctioned by Governor General Thibault Chuquet sparked outrage. A local communard party (the ''Parti Communard de Kirignaga'' or PCK) began protesting in the capital of Kirignaga. The unrest developed into an uprising against French colonial rule, supported by Britain. After the Great War, Kirignaga merged with Loloue and was recognized as an independent state.
* French Borneo: French Borneo was ceded to the [[Netherlands]].
*Australie: The French were forced to recognize Australie's independence. Australie had already been pining for independence since the start of the 20th century.
==== Other Nations ====
* Poland: The monarchy of Poland, although at war with the Tripartite Coalition at first, willfully surrendered and collaborated with the Tripartite Coalition. After the war, Poland was divided by Russia as a punitive measure. The Ruthenian parts of Poland were ceded to Russia, and were incorporated in the Russian National Republic, while some of their western territory was ceded to the German states. Initially, the new Polish state was supposed to be landlocked, but Polish National Republicans protested this and were able to negotiate a Baltic coast. Post-war Poland was run by a National Republican government.
=== Technological ===
|