A People's History Of The First World War

Searching For Heroes

On more than one occasion, a student would ask "who were the good guys" in World War One? Its important that students learn that "good guys" and "bad guys" are not discreet categories in real life. The world is complicated, people are complicated, and to categorize people into such classifications can be dangerous.

But we all know what they mean. The answer I gave was not satisfactory, because even at their age, they sort of understand that concept. What they mean is why, unlike World War II, is there no easily identifiable aggressor? There's no fascist menace or unworthy cause like slavery. What they mean is "why can't I relate to this?"

The First World War is famously talked about as a tragedy. Of all the world conflicts, it's the one where there are no "heroes." No Waterloo, no fall of Richmond, no D-Day. 

At the time the world blamed Germany, but in the century since we've come to the realization that everyone involved shared the blame. It's more or less universally seen as a futile mass slaughter. A war with no higher purpose.

The Great Bourgeois War

Fundamentally the war was a conflict between the major capitalist powers, their allies, and their colonies. In the early 20th century, the accumulation of finance capital led to a division of the world into competing economic and military spheres. This built up so much that the need for infinite growth led to these spheres crashing into each other leading to conflict. 

Between 20 and 50 million people were killed. Less importantly, but notably, around a quarter of the world's industrial capital was destroyed. This redivided the world and helped to jumpstart the reinvestment of finance capital in the places that were torn by the war. Restoring profitability and driving the boom of the 1920s.

The war was also a war between the aristocracy and bourgeois. In multiple countries, the final advance of the bourgeois led to overthrow of monarchs across Europe and Asia. Beginning in 1911 in China and ending with the abdication of Habsburgs in Austria-Hungary, making the First World War was the "last bourgeois revolution."

The Proletarian Class War

Of the millions that died between 1914 and 1918, the vast majority were ordinary working people. Peasants, factory workers, shopkeepers, artisans, villagers, and other elements of the global working classes were conscripted into industrial armies (industry their toil had built) and sent to multiple battlefront to murder each other enmasse.

And it was global, people from every inhabited continent participated. Colonial populations were called upon often disproportionately to sacrifice for far-off rulers. Volunteers, adventurers, and mercenaries from even neutral countries, enlisted in belligerent armies, navies, and air forces and fought as well.

Conditions varied, but for myriad reasons this greatly accelerated a class consciousness. When millions of ordinary people saw themselves cynically sacrificed for people who only seemed to be getting wealthier and more comfortable. People on the home front were starving, while their rulers were having huge state dinners.

The war in this way, the conflict was also a war of the ruling class against the working class. The soldiers were tossed into the fire to feed the economic appetite of the bourgeoisie and also to help rulers maintain their aristocratic privileges. Then the most unlikely thing happened; the working class fought back.

Who Ended The War?

We're often led to believe that the war simply ended with an armistice. As if the generals, heads of state, and monarchs all just came together and ended hostilities. This is still a popular narrative, as it helps to resolve the senselessness of the war. But it simply isn't true.

In the summer of 1917, the French Army was on the verge of collapse. Almost half of infantry divisions were affected by mass operational disruptions. Soldiers would simply refuse to leave their positions in the trenches, opting only to defend from attack. Mass arrests and courts martial still wouldn't stem the tide of people refusing to fight. It was so bad that the new Chief of Staff, Marshal Petain was forced to negotiate and inform the troops an end to the massed wave attacks that were getting so many killed.

In the United States, in August 1917 conscription faced resistance. The Selective Service Act had been passed by congress authorizing the president to call up the draft, the first large scale draft in American history. Most famously, in Oklahoma a coalition of White, Black, Muskogee, and Seminole people resisted the draft in an uprising called the "Green Corn Rebellion." While this had little impact on the overall American war effort, it showed that the people weren't universally inclined for war.

In November 1917, infamously the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government of Russia. Earlier that year, in February, the bourgeois revolution that overthrew the Romanovs failed to end the war. This led to civil unrest and an increase in popularity for the Bolsheviks. Capturing this popular energy, they seized power and among their first action was to sign a separate peace with the Central Powers.

In 1918, a conscription crisis in Ireland put a noticeable strain on Britain's war effort. Increasingly the British found itself unable to effectively enforce Home Rule and conscription. By January 1919, Ireland was in open revolt, which would lead to them gaining their independence. 

In October of 1918, the German Navy issued its famous general order. They were to set sail for the North Sea to engage the Royal Navy directly. The sailors knew that was a suicide mission. Low on fuel and ammunition, the German Navy would have been cut to pieces. In Kiel on the 3rd of November, the sailors mutinied. They off-boarded the ships and confronted their officers. Revolutionary councils were quickly set up and by the 10th every monarch in Germany, including Kaiser Wilhem II, had abdicated. And the armistice was signed the next day.

This is a short sampling of the events that eventually ended the First World War. These events had a direct impact on military policy of the belligerent nations. All of them took into consideration these issues when they came together to sign the ceasefire and draft the final peace. 

The Rise Of Mass Politics

Advances of working class solidarity led to a very unique period in political history. World War I is rightly blamed for creating the political atmosphere that would give rise to fascism. But we forget that that atmosphere also gave rise to great radical politics as well.

The labor movement became increasingly assertive in the U.S. leading to such great strikes as the Battle of Blair Mountain. Coal miners in West Virginia fought against the mine owners and their thugs for better wages. This and many other actions over the next 20 years would eventually bring us things like the New Deal and the Great Compromise. 

In short, the "heroes" of the First World War was the working class. Through their desire to not be annihilated for the profit of a few aristocrats and capitalists and their unprecedented mass organizing. This is our history, and we have the working class to thank for ending the war.

Conclusion

This was a very brief overview of this subject. Obviously this subject is very complicated. I simplified it for the sake brevity, but encourage further analysis on the class basis of this and other historical events. I look forward to opening up this discussion. Solidarity forever!