Worldwar one 1914

World War One - 1914' is the first in a five-part series
covering the Great War. This episode covers the rival
alliances that dominated Europe in the build-up to war,
the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente, and the fatal
gunshots by Gavrilo Princip at Sarajevo that resulted
in the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the
throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Imperial rivalries, the system of alliances and
deep-seated animosities helped propel Europe into a
general war. However Woodrow Wilson, the US
President, ensured America stood apart from Europe's
conflict. In August 1914, Germany invaded France and
Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan. The tiny British
Expeditionary Force could only hold up the German
army for a few hours at the Battle of Mons, but later
joined the French in saving Paris at the Battle of the
Marne. The 'Race to the Sea' followed, leading to the
First Battle of Ypres, as both sides tried to outflank
each other to the north. Their failure led to a
stalemate, in which the devastating power of
machineguns and artillery forced infantry of both
sides to take cover in deep trenches.At sea, Britain's Royal Navy won the war's frst naval
battle at Heligoland Bight, and imposed a naval
blockade on Germany, preventing war supplies
(including, controversially, food) from reaching the
country by sea. HMS Pathfinder was soon sunk by a
German U-boat, revealing the potential of Germany's
submarines to overturn Britain's long-held naval
dominance.
On the Eastern Front, a Russian invasion of East
Prussia ended in disaster at the Battle of Tannenberg,
masterminded by German generals Paul von
Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. A second victory at
the Battle of Masurian Lakes sent the Russian army
into retreat. Austria-Hungary's invasion of Serbia
began badly, with defeat at the Battle of Cer. Things
went even worse on the Russian front, as Austria's
offensive against the Russians leads to heavy losses,
and forced Germany to come to the rescue, by
launching the Battle of Łódź.
In Africa, British, French and German colonial forces
clashed in British East Africa (Kenya), Togoland
(Togo), German South-West Africa (Namibia), and
German Kamerun (Cameroon). German Colonel Paul
von Lettow-Vorbek had notable success repelling the
British at the Battle of Tanga.
In the Pacific, Japan honoured its alliance with Britain
and seized the German naval base at Tsingtao in
China. Task forces from Australia and New Zealand
secured the German colonies of Samoa and New
Guinea. German Admiral von Spee's East Asia
Squadron won victory at the Battle of Coronel, off
Chile, before sailing into catastrophe at the Battle of
the Falkland Islands. In the Middle East, British troops
occupied Basra, securing access to Persian oil for
their fleet.
Winter 1914 saw the French launch their first major
offensive to break the trench stalemate of the
Western Front. But the First Battle of Champagne led
to heavy losses for no real gains. Ottoman operations
in the Caucasus Mountains also ended in disaster at
the Battle of Sarikamish. The war's first Christmas
was marked by games of football in No Man's Land on
the Western Front, but early hopes of a short war had
now been entirely quashed.
CORRECTION: 7.55- the map shows Cyprus as part of
the Ottoman Empire. Cyprus was part of the Ottoman
Empire from 1570 to 1914, but when the Ottoman
Empire joined the Central Powers in November 1914,
Cyprus was annexed by Britain.