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The Conflict Begins
When the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot by Serb nationalists in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, there was no reason to suspect that within weeks Europe would be at war. The conflict could have been restricted to the Balkans, where it began, but the beginning of the First World War was inextricably tied up with old alliances. Serbia had strong links with Russia, and Austro-Hungary with Germany.
When each called on their allies for support, promises were honoured – at first a mere formality. But when Russia mobilised troops as Austro-Hungary bombarded Belgrade on the fateful 29 July, Germany felt it must react, declaring war on Russia on 1 August and then on Russia’s ally France. When Germany invaded Belgium, Britain entered the war, bound not only to protect Belgian integrity through a treaty of 1839, but also to honour the Entente Cordiale that linked Britain to France. Though Britain joined the war in Europe, it fought for the Empire – to protect interests overseas, Britain needed links with colonial neighbours France and Russia intact.
The Western Front
The main arena of Britain’s conflict in the First World War was the Western Front which, for many, is shorthand for trench warfare, immediately conjuring images of relentless bombardment, terrible living conditions and constant fear. Yet the trenches were designed to save lives. More than 400 miles of them ran from the Channel to the Swiss border, an inevitable consequence of the sheer power of mass-produced weaponry that gave equally-matched armies no alternative but to dig in.
The world of the trenches came to take on its own unique atmosphere; life for the infantry in their cramped and muddy confines was one of extremes – lengthy periods of discomfort and boredom, and short periods of intense and fearsome activity. Life was only made tolerable by a shared spirit of camaraderie and huge powers of endurance and, as the war continued to surge and stagnate, the trenches remained a dangerous place to be.
Changing Fortunes
Two giants continued in virtual stalemate on the Western Front, yet the Eastern Front was extremely active and, with the second revolution in the autumn of 1917, Russia withdrew from the war. There was a small window of opportunity for the Central Powers, for America joined the war in April 1917. The Germans had to make the most of their advantage before American troops arrived in numbers.
Armistice
The German ‘last push’ was initially dramatically successful until, poorly fed and under supplied, their troops came to a halt under the Allies’ superior firepower. They were pushed back in France and Italy, and on 29 September 1918 British troops breached the Hindenburg line – the last German fixed line of defence. On 1 October the German First Quartermaster-General, Erich Ludendorff, told his generals that Germany should seek an Armistice.
The terms imposed on the German delegates during the Armistice ‘negotiations’, beginning 8 November, were utterly ruthless and prefigured the harshness of the formal peace treaty that would follow in 1919 at Versailles. The blame for the war was placed squarely on Germany; the German nation was to be humiliated. In the light of the overwhelming strength of the Allied powers and the state of the German Army there was no other option but for the German representatives to agree and the Armistice was signed just after 5am on 11 November 1918.
The Guns Fall Silent
The news was greeted with mixed emotions. Fighting continued, and many prayed to escape the last bullets of the war. Shortly before the ceasefire, guns roared at many points along the Front, as Allied troops made a last demonstration. At 11am the bugles sounded ‘Stand Fast’ and a deathly silence reportedly followed. Perhaps many thought of friends they had lost, comrades who would not share the joy of peace. Celebrations would come however. From impromptu festivities in some of the trenches, to rejoicing at the gates and on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, Britain and her Allies marked their victory.
Back to Blighty
Repatriation began in earnest in December – men were to be paid, relieved of their kit and given passage home. Emotions were varied; the men were tired and sceptical, finding it difficult to imagine life beyond the war –thousands were treated for ‘shellshock’.
For many who survived, vivid memories endured. Some veterans who returned to the Western Front expressed their dismay that life had overtaken those killing fields where once they fought and watched friends and enemies die. Yet thousands still visit the trenches and white gravestones, hearing the footfalls of men who walked there so long ago. Every night, beneath the Menin Gate, the Last Post sounds in memory of those who laid down their lives.