Comparing the Eastern and Western Fronts in WWI

World War I, was a global war that began in Europe and lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918. After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria in 1914, World War I began. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire (the Central Powers) fought the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Italy, Romania, Japan, and the United States (the Allied Powers) in this war.

The Central Powers were defeated at the end of the war. In terms of bloodshed, suffering, and damage, the war was nearly unprecedented. It brought down four great imperial powers Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey, and sparked the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. It had set the stage for World War II by destabilizing European Society. As we have briefly looked into World War 1 and the forces that participated in the war, now let us look into the war front meaning. 

The phrase “front” can have numerous connotations in a military context. A front can be the point of contact between two opposing troops, according to official US Department of Defense and NATO definitions. This front line could be a local or tactical front, or it could be a theatre-wide front. The Western Front in France and Belgium during World War I was an example of the latter. War front meaning can also refer to the enemy's direction or, in the absence of battle, the direction that a military force is facing. In contrast, the term "home front" is often used to describe situations in a war-torn country's civilian sector, particularly those involved in the manufacture of weapons.

This article will be comparing the eastern and western fronts in WWI. The article also describes in detail the role of both the western front and eastern front, along with it, the article helps in answering questions like where were the eastern and western fronts in WW1.

Eastern Front of World War I

Before comparing the eastern and western fronts in WWI we must understand the various aspects such as geography, propaganda, and the important battles of both the western front and eastern front. A comprehensive study of both fronts will help in a better understanding of questions like where were the eastern and western fronts in WW1 and comparing the eastern and western fronts in WW1?

The Eastern Front, also known as the Eastern Theater, was a World War I battleground that spanned the whole border between the Russian Empire and Romania on the one hand, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and the German Empire on the other. It spanned the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south, including most of Eastern Europe and extending into Central Europe. 

In 1910, Russian General Yuri Danilov devised "Plan 19," which called for the invasion of East Prussia by four armies. The idea was criticized because Austria-Hungary posed a greater threat than Germany. As a result, the Russians planned to send two armies to East Prussia and two armies to defend against Austro-Hungarian forces approaching from Galicia, rather than four armies.

The Imperial Russian Army launched an invasion of eastern Prussia in the northern region of the conflict in the early months of the war, only to be pushed back by the Germans after some initial success. At the same time, they successfully entered Galicia in the south, defeating Austro-Hungarian forces. The Germans failed to conquer Warsaw in Russian Poland.

By 1915, the German and Austro-Hungarian armies had advanced, inflicting enormous casualties on the Russians in Galicia and Poland, forcing them to retreat. Grand Duke Nicholas was deposed as commander-in-chief, and the Tsar himself took his place.

Meanwhile, in February 1917, Russia experienced a revolution (one of the several causes being the hardships of the war). Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, and a Russian Provisional Government was established, led by Georgy Lvov, who was later succeeded by Alexander Kerensky.

The Russian Republic continued to fight the war in a haphazard manner with Romania and the rest of the Entente. In October 1917, the Bolsheviks overthrew it.

Impact of the Eastern Front Battles

As we have learned about the eastern front battles and facts which will help in comparing the eastern and western fronts in WWI, let us look into the impacts of the eastern front to develop a more comprehensive understanding of world war I. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed on March 3, 1918, by the Bolshevik government, losing sovereignty of Ukraine, Galicia, Finland, the Baltic States, and the Caucasus. However, as numerous states and populations struggled for control, violence continued practically uninterrupted for the following four years.

Russia descended into civil war, with various political parties (including socialists) attempting to moderate or remove the Bolshevik state. In Ukraine, a three-way battle developed, with Russians battling Ukrainian nationalists and anarchists fighting both under Nestor Makhno (1888-1934). 

The Allies, by refusing to acknowledge the Bolshevik evacuation, added to the confusion and violence on the Eastern Front. The US dispatched 5,000 troops to Arkhangelsk (and another 8,000 to Siberia), while the British sent a Royal Navy squadron and a small British Empire land force to the Baltic. Small troop contingents were also contributed by Italy, Romania, Greece, and Serbia, while France provided financing for Russian forces battling the Bolsheviks. The Allies also wanted to deny the Germans access to Ukraine's and central Russia's huge resources.

In January 1916, when Germany's commitment to the Eastern Front was at its peak, fifty-five infantry divisions and nine cavalry divisions were fighting Russia. There were still twenty-seven German infantry divisions deployed in the East as late as November 1918, when the war came to an end. On the Eastern Front, about 1.5 million German soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured.

Even though these figures represent just about a quarter of the German forces deployed and the corresponding proportion of casualties, they are noteworthy. German deployments were also significant in terms of timing and kind.

The Western Front

Let us look in detail at the western front of WW1 so that we can develop a sound understanding for comparing the eastern and western fronts in WWI. 

The Western Front, a 400-mile tract of terrain that runs through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea, was the pivotal battleground during WWI. The Central Powers or the Entente, whichever side triumphed, would be able to claim victory for their respective alliances.

During World War I, the Western Front was the most important battleground. Following the commencement of the war in August 1914, the German Army invaded Luxembourg and Belgium, then took military control of key industrial sectors in France. With the Battle of the Marne, the German assault was halted.

In 1915 and 1917 the western front saw many wars. Massive artillery bombardments and massed infantry advances were used in the attacks. During attacks and counter-attacks, entrenchments, machine gun emplacements, barbed wire, and artillery frequently caused serious casualties, and no significant advances were made.

The Battle of Verdun in 1916, with a total of 700,000 losses, the Battle of the Somme in 1916, with over a million casualties, and the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, with 487,000 casualties, were among the most costly of these offensives.

Both sides used modern military technologies, including poison gas, aircraft, and tanks, to break the trench warfare standstill on the Western Front. The resumption of mobility in 1918 was due to the deployment of superior tactics and the cumulative weakening of the troops in the west.

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which concluded the Central Powers' struggle on the Eastern Front against Russia and Romania, enabled the German spring assault of 1918. The German soldiers advanced approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west using brief, furious "hurricane" bombardments and infiltration tactics, the farthest advance by either side since 1914, yet the outcome was inconclusive. During the Hundred Days Offensive of 1918, the relentless advance of the Allied armies prompted a dramatic collapse of the German armies, convincing German commanders that defeat was certain. The German government surrendered on November 11, 1918, and the Treaty of Versailles resolved the conditions of the peace in 1919.

Impact of the Wars on the Western Front

Since we have studied both the western front and eastern front and the eastern front battles and facts, let us look into the impact of the western front war in terms of causality and expense of the war.

Thousands of men were maimed or died as a result of the combat in the trenches of the Western Front. The tremendous loss of life had a long-term impact on public perceptions of war, leading to Allied reluctance to pursue a strong approach toward Adolf Hitler later on. Nearly, 62,000 Belgian civilians, 107,000 British civilians, and 300,000 French civilians died as a result of the war. There were 16,829 civilians killed in the UK. Belgium lost 30,000 civilians, while France lost 40,000. (including 3,000 merchant sailors).

In 1919, Germany was bankrupt, with its citizens living in a state of semi-starvation and no trade with the rest of the world. The Rhine cities of Cologne, Koblenz, and Mainz were seized by the Allies, with restoration contingent on payment of reparations. The Western Front was the pivotal battleground of the First World War. Despite Germany's victories in the Balkans and on the Eastern Front, the war's end was ultimately determined by its inability to overcome the Allied powers fighting in France and Flanders. There was a lot of dispute regarding "how" to fight the war on the Western Front throughout the war.

The Entente powers alternated between slow, methodical engagements that forced the enemy back over time and massive, "general offensives" that aimed to gain major strategic successes in a matter of days rather than months. The Germans also tried a variety of policies, including outright attrition (Verdun) and aiming for major strategic successes in the field (the Ludendorff Offensives of 1918). At the end of the day, it was a combination that worked.

It can be said that comparing the eastern and western fronts in WWI is achieved through the comprehensive study of both the western front and eastern front. We have also discussed where the eastern and western fronts were in WW1 and their important battles.