The First World War was one of the largest conflicts in human history. It saw over 30 countries fight across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in one of the deadliest wars of all time. The war lasted from 28th July 1914 to 11th November 1918 – four year, three months, and 14 days. But what actually made World War One so long? If so many people were dying and the fighting so horrific, how could the war go on for so many years. Let us explain…
1. Defensive Technology Prevented Military Breakthroughs
A first reason why World War One was so long was because there had been advances in defensive technologies that made it hard for attacking armies to breakthrough enemy lines.
Throughout the 19th Century and into the early 20th Century, the industrial revolution in many countries allowed for major advancements in military technology. Inventions such as the machine gun, barbed wire, concrete forts and emplacements, and poison gas all massively changed how wars were fought.
Many of the technologies first used in large scales during World War One allowed armies to defend fixed positions – such as trenches, effectively. However, it made defensive lines almost impossible to breakthrough. This inability for armies to successfully attack enemy lines was a key reason why World War One lasted so long. Essentially, defending had become much easier than attacking because of technology such as machine guns and barbed wire.
A major reason World War One lasted for so many years was because neither side was able to achieve a military victory. This was because defensive technology had become much more advanced.
2. Offensive Technology Was Not Advanced
A second reason why the World War One lasted for a long time was because armies lacked the technology they needed to attack the enemy effectively.
As we said, by the First World War defensive technology, such as machine guns, huge underground forts, poison gas and barbed wire, had become advanced enough to allow troops to defend positions with great effectiveness. However, throughout the war, all sides lacked the technology and tactics needed to attack and defeat fixed enemy positions. This was a key reason why the war lasted so long.
World War One saw hundreds of thousands of men march across no-man’s land to attack enemy trenches. Huge numbers were killed – mowed down by machine guns. Attacking armies simply lacked the equipment needed to protect their troops as they attacked.
A key reason World War One ended was because of advancements in offensive military technology. The development of the tank in September 1915, although it faced difficulties in the early years, was a key technological breakthrough that helped attacking armies. The creeping barrage – where artillery was accurate enough to fall in front of attacking soldiers, was also a key technological breakthrough.
World War One was so long because neither side could quickly develop the technology needed to attack and defeat the other side.
3. Countries Had The Resources To Fight For Many Years
A third reason why the World War One was so long was because countries had the resources to continue fighting.
Wars are massively expensive. Countries need significant financial resources to pay their armies and keep them supplied. Countries at war also need material resources in order to fight. In the First World War this included coal, oil, wood, ore, cotton, and leather – all of which were vital for the war efforts of all countries.
World War One lasted for many years because the countries involved were able to continue to get the resources they needed to fight. A major reason for Germany’s defeat was that it had less resources at its disposal than France, Britain, or the US. It was really only when one side ran out of the resources they needed to continue the war that it ended.
Access to resources is vital for a country at war. Maintaining financial stability is also key to funding the war effort. World War One lasted for many years because the countries involved had the resources and money to fight a long war.
4. Soldiers Had The Will To Continue Fighting
Another reason why World War One lasted so long was because soldiers were willing to continue fighting.
For a war to continue, the soldiers fighting on the frontline must believe in what they are fighting for. Although armies are hierarchical, no war could go continue for a long time if the people fighting didn’t, in some way, wish to continue fighting.
Russia entered World War One in 1914 on the side of Britain and France. However, it’s poor military performance and set-backs against the Germans, combined with economic hardships on the home-front, led to mutinies and rebellions by Russian soldiers. Following the Russian Revolution, the country sued for peace and exited the war in March 1918. This is a prime example of soldiers losing the will to fight. The fact that soldiers in Britain, France, Germany, Austro-Hungry and the US didn’t mutiny like the Russian’s shows they had a degree of willingness to continue the war.
World War One lasted for a long time because the majority of soldiers continued to be willing to fight.
5. Populations At Home Continued To Support The Conflict
Another reason why the First World War was so long was because populations on the home-fronts continued to support the war.
Wars can only continue with a degree of public support. Conflicts on the scale of the First World War need significant support at home as people’s lives are disrupted enormously. Not only were people conscripted into the armies in World War One, but jobs, food, transportation, housing, and industrial production all changed dramatically on the home front. These were necessary measures in order for countries to keep fighting. The war lasted for many years because people in countries across Europe were willing to put up with these measures.
Russia is example of a country becoming unwilling to fight in the First World War because the population at home lost support for the war. The economic crises that occurred in Russia during the war, and grew to its climax in 1917, combined with military setbacks and limited successes by the Russian army, meant the Russian people rose up in the Russian Revolutions of March and October 1917. This mass lack of support for the war resulted in Russia pulling out.
The First World War lasted for many years because people at home continued to believe in the war.
6. No Country Wanted To Give Up Land Or Pay Reparations By Surrendering
A further reason why World War One was so long was because none of the countries involved were willing to give up land or pay financial compensation by surrendering.
In the 19th Century, if you lost a war, you lost land. The borders of Europe had been in flux for centuries and many countries laid claims to other lands. If a country went to war, and lost, the winners would often carve up parts of their territory and give it to other nations that had claims to it. The First Would War lasted for many years because countries didn’t want to give up land when they lost.
As well as losing territory, countries that lost wars throughout the 19th century often had to pay reparations to the victorious nations. This remained the precedent at the time of the First World War. No country wanted to surrender and be forced to pay huge amounts in compensation, so they continued fighting. This is key reason why the war lasted so long.
When Germany did finally lose World War One, it lost significant territory and had to pay 269 billion dollars in today money in reparations – an enormous sum. The fear of this kept many countries fighting during the war and was a major reason why it lasted for many years.
7. As The War Went On, Surrendering Became More Difficult
A final reason why the First World War was so long was because, as the war went on, surrendering became more difficult.
The First World War was the bloodiest conflict in human history to date. The scale of death and destruction horrified people. However, as the war went on, there was a need to continuously feed more men into the frontlines and mobilise more resources, on all sides, to try and win the war. As this went on, surrendering or losing the war became more difficult. Essentially, no country wanted to admit defeat after making such enormous sacrifices.
Many people felt that admitting defeat in the First World War would negate the sacrifices people had made. No country was willing to surrender until it was completely clear they were unable to continue fighting. The scale of the loss of life, as well as the enormous number of people injured, and the huge amount of financial and material resources dedicated to the war effort, all meant surrendering became more difficult as the war progressed. This is a key factor in why World War One lasted so long.