Mobilization in WWI: Russia, Germany, Britain

Germany

A.    The German Army

1.Germany had 65 million inhabitants in 1914. By July 1914  the German Army comprised of 840 000 men and spent 60 million on the military

2.Conscription was present in various forms in Germany throughout the nineteenth century.

a.       Compulsory service of three years for all men was issued after William I came to power in 1861

b.      Germany conscripted 20% of its population by the end of the war

B.     Naval Race

1.Germany’s naval goal was to establish a 3:2 ratio of ships with the Royal Navy

2.The Naval Laws of 1900 directly challenged the Royal Navy. 

a.       Germany navy nearly doubled: 38 battle ships, 20 armoured cruisers and 38 light cruisers, 2 fleet flagships, 4 squadrons of 8 battleships each, and 4 battleships in reserve.

3. First German Dreadnaught, SMS Nassau, was built in 1908 in response to the British Dreadnaught of 1906.

4. At the outbreak of war, Germany had 13 Dreadnaughts and 5 battle cruisers in the High Sea Fleet (compared to Germany's 21 Dreadnaughts and 4  battle cruisers in the Grand Fleet)

C.     War Plans

1. Schlieffen Plan 1905

2. Moltke’s Adjusted Plan 1911

D.    Cause for mobilization

1.Weltpolitik; increasing global strength of Germany by improving German navy and colonial expansion – dominated foreign policy

2.Tensions with Britain: Kruger Telegram 1896; British Alliances ‘encircle’ Germany; First Moroccan Crisis in 1905 and  Second Moroccan (Agadir) Crisis in 1911

3.Strengthen relations with Austria-Hungary: Bosnian Crisis 1908; Balkan Wars 1912-3; July 5 1914; ‘blank cheque’ issued to Austria-Hungary

E.     Impact of mobilization

1.Naval race provoked Britain to join war

2.Unify German people

    II.            Russia

A.    The Russian Army

1.Prewar Russia had a population of 130 million. It had a potential pool of 25 million men to draw from.

2.From 1914-7, Russia spent on average 24% of its national income each year on war.

3.Russia conscripted 10% of its population by 1917

4.In 1914 Russia had 1.4 million men in the army and 8 358 field guns. On full mobilization, its army numbered 5.3 million.

5.On July 25 1914 Nicolas II agreed to the partial mobilization of 1.1 million men. On July 30 1914 Russia initiated full mobilization.

B.     War Plans

1. If Germany attacked France, Russia would attack East Prussia. The plan envisioned 42 mobilized infantry divisions by the 15th day and 78 by the 35 day of mobilization. 

C.     Naval Race

1.The Russian fleet was still recovering from the Russo-Japan War.

2.At the outbreak of, the Russian fleets comprised of the following:

a.        Baltic Fleet: 5 pre-dreadnaughts, 6 armoured cruisers, 4 protected cruisers, 21 destroyers, 48 torpedo boats, 7 gun boats, 15 submarines

b.       Black Sea Fleet: 5 pre-dreadnaughts, 1 coast-defence ship, 2 protected cruisers, 4 destroyers, 24 torpedo boats, 5 gunboats, 7 submarines

D.    Cause for mobilization

1.Growing tensions with Austria-Hungary

a.       Initial treaty with Germany and Austria-Hungary, The Dreikaiserbund (1873) contained vague terms and solely obtained Bismarck’s goal of isolating France

b.      The Bosnian Crisis 1908

c.       Balkan Wars 1912-3

d.      Response to Austria-Hungary’s Ultimatum

E.     Impact of mobilization

1.First to mobilize, provoking German mobilization

 III.            Britain

A.    The British Army

1.The British Army was comprised of 750 000 soldiers in August 1914.

2.Expansion of the British Army includes: over 5 million Regulars by 1918; 500 000 Territorial Forces by 1916; 2 466 716 volunteers joined between the outbreak of war and December 1915

3.In May 1916 the Military Service Act conscripted 2 504 183 from January 1916 onwards

B.     Naval Race

1.Fisher introduced the HMS Dreadnaught in 1906.

2.At the outbreak of war, Britain had 21 Dreadnaughts and 4 battle cruisers, plus another 5 in other locations, in the Grand Fleet (compared to Germany's 13 Dreadnaughts and 5 battle cruisers in the High Sea Fleet)

C.     War Plans

1. Britain did not have universal service so plans were based on mobilization. Troops would be transported by French railroads to a concentration area on the left flank of the French near Maubege on the 21st day after mobilization

D.    Cause for mobilization

1.Tensions with Germany: Kruger Telegram 1896;  Second Moroccan (Agadir) Crisis 1911

2.Formed Alliances: Anglo-Japanese Alliance 1902; Entente Cordiale 1904; Anglo-Russian Entente 1907; Triple Entente 1907

3.Naval race against Germany

4.Belgium invaded by Germany on Aug 3 1914, violating agreement treaty of 1839

E.     Impact of mobilization

1.Naval race triggered technology advancement; ex) HMS Dreadnought

2.Never regained its pre-war international financial predominance due to gross money borrowing from the United States