year 10, go straight to the revision material. year 11

Year 10, go straight to the revision material.

Year 11, make sure you read about the exam paper structure.

Answer Question 4 (Source Questions) , 2

parts, spend about 35 minutes on it.

This has three parts and is on a range of

sources.

THEN

Pick one question from questions 5 and 6

and answer all parts of it. Spend about 35

minutes on it.

In total, you will spend about 70

minutes on this section of the paper.

© Boardworks Ltd 2009 5 of 7

Why were alliances made before 1914?

The aim of forming alliances was to achieve collective

security – having alliances with other powerful countries

deterred your enemies from attacking you.

If a country started a war with one nation it would have

to fight all its allies as well.

Alliances were often made in reaction to national

rivalries – when one country felt threatened by another,

it often looked to secure friendships with other nations.

By 1900, Europe was full of national rivalries.


The creation of Germany in 1871 out of the many smaller Germanic states

had been opposed by France, resulting in the Franco-Prussian War of

1870–71.

The Germans invaded France

and forced the French to sign a

humiliating peace treaty.

This meant that France and Germany hated each other.

Why were alliances made before 1914?

The Ottoman (Turkish) Empire in Eastern Europe was crumbling. Russia

sought to take advantage of this to expand west into the Balkans. Austria-

Hungary wanted to prevent Russian expansion.

There were two main sources of national rivalries:


The Dual Alliance

The Dual Alliance was created in 1879, when

Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire signed

a treaty promising to help each other if either

nation was attacked by Russia.

They also promised ‘benevolent neutrality’ if one of

them was attacked by any other country. This

meant that if, for example, France attacked

Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would side

with Germany, but would not actually fight.

Both Germany and Austria-Hungary were worried about Russia

but for different reasons.

Flag of Imperial Germany

Flag of Austria-Hungary


The position of Germany and Austria-Hungary

Look at this map

showing threats

to Germany and

Austria.

Why do you think

the German and

Austro-Hungarian

Empires formed

an alliance?


The Triple Alliance

In 1882, Italy joined the alliance, now making it the

Triple Alliance.

Italy was a new nation and was looking

to take advantage of any European problems in the

Mediterranean or in the Balkans to increase its

territory.

With powerful friends like Germany

and Austria-Hungary, this would be

much easier.

However, despite joining the alliance, Italy was still

anxious to maintain good relations with Britain and

France.

Why do you think Italy was likely to switch to other European

alliances if the conditions were right?


The Franco-Russian Alliance

The other alliance that shaped European politics at

the turn of the century was the alliance between

Russia and France.

France and Russia were not natural allies. Russia

was ruled by an autocratic monarch (the Tsar)

whilst France was a democratic republic.

They were also geographically distant, being at

opposite ends of Europe.

However, they were brought together by their

mutual dislike of Germany

and Austria-Hungary.

Flag of Imperial Russia

Flag of France


The Franco-Russian Alliance

Who do you think was in the stronger position: the French

and Russians or the Germans, Austro-Hungarians and

Italians?

Russia and France first signed an entente in 1891 in which they promised to

consult each other in the event of a crisis in Europe.

In 1894, the French and Russians consolidated their relationship by signing an

alliance (a stronger agreement). Each promised military assistance if the other

was invaded.

The idea was to create a balance of power between the German-Austrian-

Italian alliance and the Russian-French alliance.


The Triple Entente

Where does Britain come in? Strangely, it didn’t at first. In the late 19th Century, Britain distanced

itself from European issues. There were several reasons for this:

Britain was an island and had the strongest navy in the world. There was

little chance of being invaded.

Britain was wealthy and highly industrialized. Its navy and empire gave it

a strong global trading position.

The British were mostly concerned with running their vast global empire.

These factors meant that the British did not feel

they needed allies.


What created the Triple Entente?

However, in the early years of the 20th Century,

Britain ended its isolation from European events

and became involved in the alliance system.

This was largely because of the growing power of Germany:

The Germans began trying to gain an empire of their own, which

they felt was necessary if Germany was to become a great world

power.

Germany supported the Boers who were fighting the British in

South Africa.

Growing German militarism – Germany started expanding its

armed forces, especially its navy.

Britain felt its naval supremacy and global empire were being

threatened.


The Triple Entente

In 1904, Britain signed an agreement with France. This was called the Entente

Cordiale. It was not a full alliance but it showed a warming of relations between

France and Britain.

In 1907 Britain signed another similar agreement with Russia. This was the Anglo-

Russian Entente.

These agreements between Britain, France and Russia created the Triple Entente.

The ententes did not have the same

weight as the alliance between

Germany and Austro-Hungary.

Britain was not committed to giving

military assistance to either France or

Russia.


How can the alliances be seen to lead to war?

The alliance system on its own cannot be seen to have led to war, but the

network of alliances meant that a small incident was more likely to become a

large-scale conflict.

Any dispute involving more than one of the European powers was bound to

lead to a major war, as their allies would have to join in.

All it would take to spark a large European war would be an incident in some

remote area, say in the Balkans…

Image courtesy of The World

War I Document Archive.

http://www.gwpda.org/


The arms race

As one country built up its armed forces, what do you

think its rivals did?

Such militarism could only lead to increased

tensions in Europe, making war more likely.

It was not just at sea that increasing militarism was evident.

The major European powers had vast land armies (with the exception of

Britain and Italy). Between 1890 and 1913, military spending in Britain and

France increased by 100% and in Germany by 150%.


The arms race

1,500,000 Russia

760,000 Germany

480,000 Austria-Hungary

970,000 France

430,000 Britain

Army size in 1914 Country

On paper, which

alliance had more

soldiers?

Increased militarism was not just a matter of more soldiers. The early years of the

20th Century saw a surge of popular nationalism across Europe.

There were strong right-wing groups in Britain, Germany and France that

encouraged military spending and saw any diplomatic climb-down as a blow to the

pride of the nation.


A place in the sun

How might this lead to world conflict?

By 1914, Britain had the biggest empire in history, giving it vast wealth and global

power.

Germany wanted an empire too, but with much of the world already claimed and

many European nations vying for colonies in Africa and across the world,

Germany would have to fight to get one.

The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, also wanted Germany to

become a powerful force in world politics, able to influence and

command other countries as Britain and France did.

If Germany were to fulfil its imperial and global ambitions, it would need

to develop a strong military.


An arms race is when two

nations (or groups of nations) compete to develop

the best

military technology or the

largest armed forces.

The arms race

The ‘race’ is driven by fear that the

other country will establish military

superiority, and therefore become

dominant.

Images courtesy of The World




The naval arms race

Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany wanted Germany to have an empire of her own.

He was closely related to the British royal family and admired Britain’s empire

and powerful navy.

It was felt that in order to compete, Germany needed to develop its navy.

Which country do you think would feel most threatened if

Germany built up its navy?

In my view, Germany will, in the

coming century, rapidly drop

from her position as a great power

unless we begin to develop our maritime

interests energetically, systematically and

without delay. Admiral Tirpitz, 1895

Images courtesy of The World War I Document Archive.



The naval arms race

The Dreadnought worried

the Germans and fuelled

the developing arms race

between Germany and

Britain.

For a long time, Britannia had ruled the waves.

Britain had spent a great deal of time and money building a strong navy to protect its

trade routes and overseas empire. Britain did not want other nations rivalling its

dominance at sea.

In 1906, the Royal Navy launched HMS Dreadnought. It was a new style of

battleship that was faster and more heavily armoured than any previous warship.


The naval arms race

Germany decided that it too needed to build Dreadnought-style battleships. It

aimed to build them at the same rate as Britain or, if possible, faster.

From 1889 Britain had followed a policy of ensuring that its navy was at least as

big as its two nearest rivals combined. This policy was known as the “two power

standard.”

As Germany built Dreadnought-style ships to compete with Britain, Britain felt

obliged to build as many, or more, ships to stay ahead.

This created a naval arms race – a race to build

the most warships!


The naval arms race

It was not just the British and German governments that got involved in

the naval arms race.

Public opinion in both countries demanded

that they outstrip the other in producing ships.

Over one million Germans joined the German

Fleet Association – an organization that

promoted the navy and tried to persuade the

government to increase naval spending.

This caused the British public to become increasingly anti-

German and the German public to become increasingly anti-

British. Many people thought that a war between the two

countries would happen sooner or later.

Image courtesy of The World War I Document Archive.



The arms race

As one country built up its armed forces, what do you

think its rivals did?

Such militarism could only lead to increased

tensions in Europe, making war more likely.

It was not just at sea that increasing militarism was evident.

The major European powers had vast land armies (with the exception of

Britain and Italy). Between 1890 and 1913, military spending in Britain and

France increased by 100% and in Germany by 150%.


The arms race

1,500,000 Russia

760,000 Germany

480,000 Austria-Hungary

970,000 France

430,000 Britain

Army size in 1914 Country

On paper, which

alliance had more

soldiers?

Increased militarism was not just a matter of more soldiers. The early years of the

20th Century saw a surge of popular nationalism across Europe.

There were strong right-wing groups in Britain, Germany and France that

encouraged military spending and saw any diplomatic climb-down as a blow to the

pride of the nation.


International crises

The alliance system, the arms race and increasing militarism in Europe

created a tense international climate in the years leading up to the First World

War.

This tension was worsened by a series of international crises that caused

major war scares.

Furious diplomacy averted conflict between the great powers, but the crises led

to increasing hostility and mistrust.

The Morocco Crisis of 1905

The Morocco Crisis of 1911

The Bosnian Crisis 1908

The Balkan Wars 1912–13


Morocco Crisis of 1905

As part of its alliance with France,

Great Britain recognized France’s

colonial claim to Morocco. In 1905,

France took advantage of this to

extend its influence in the country.

The Germans did not want

the French to gain control

over Morocco and were

upset that they had not been

consulted. Germany tried to

stir up an anti-French independence movement in Morocco.



The Kaiser visited the Moroccan port of Agadir and gave a

speech denouncing French influence, and encouraging

Moroccans to strive for independence.

The aim was to humiliate France and put strain on the alliance

between France and Britain.

A conference was held to discuss the matter.

Britain stood firm with France and rather

than breaking apart their alliance, the

crisis actually strengthened it.

Germany was forced to accept France’s

dominant influence in Morocco.

Image courtesy of The World War I Document Archive.




In 1911, a number of Moroccans started a rebellion calling for independence. The

Sultan of Morocco asked the French to step in and restore order.

The Germans were unhappy

that France was just being

allowed to gain another colony.

They sent a warship called

The Panther to Agadir.

They claimed this was to protect German businesses in Morocco, but the real

aim was to place pressure on the French. The Germans demanded that France

give them some other African territory in exchange for their acceptance of French

control of Morocco.



Lengthy talks followed between the Germans and French. Meanwhile, the

French and British made detailed plans for joint military action should the talks

fail.

The crisis was eventually resolved with the signing of the Treaty of Berlin. The

Germans accepted French control of Morocco in exchange for some territory in the

Middle Congo as compensation.

During this time it was reported that the

German fleet had sailed and was somewhere

in the North Sea. This led to a major war

scare. The Royal Navy was put on alert and

made fully battle-ready.


Trouble in the Balkans

In the early twentieth century, the

Balkans was a very unstable area

of Europe.

The area had traditionally been

controlled by the Ottoman

(Turkish) Empire.

However by the start of the twentieth century, the Ottoman Empire had weakened

to such an extent that dissatisfied ethnic groups in the Balkans, such as the

Serbs, were seeking independence.


Trouble in the Balkans

Independence movements in the Balkans were

encouraged by the Russians.

Many of the Slavic people in the Balkans saw Russia as

their natural ally against the Turks and the Austrians.

In 1908, the Austro-Hungarian Empire took control of an

area of the Balkans called Bosnia-Herzegovina which

contained a lot of Serbian Slavs. This angered both the

Serbs and the Russians.

War between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, supported by

Russia, seemed imminent.

Russian flag

Austro-Hungarian flag


The Bosnian Crisis of 1908

Has this made war in Europe

more or less likely?

With war seemingly close, it was only Germany’s support for Austria that

stopped a European war. The Russians were not prepared to take on both

Austria-Hungary and Germany at the same time.

However, the results were significant. The crisis sparked greater nationalism

in Serbia, and prompted Russia to start modernizing its armed forces.

The next time Russia got involved in the Balkans, it would not back down so

easily.


The Balkan Wars of 1912–13

The 1912–13 Balkan Wars were a series of

small-scale conflicts resulting from the

disintegration of the Ottoman (Turkish)

Empire.

Serbia wanted to use the power vacuum

left by the Ottomans to create a “Greater

Serbia”.

In the First Balkan War, a number of Balkan nations united (under Russian

influence) to form the Balkans League and managed to expel the Turks from the

region.

Austria-Hungary was afraid of Serbia becoming too powerful. They interfered at

the peace talks, resulting in Serbia gaining less territory than they thought they

deserved.



The Second Balkan War followed almost immediately when Serbia demanded

land from Bulgaria.

The Serbs managed to win a lot of territory for themselves and now became the

dominant power in the Balkans.



Which do you think was more important in raising tensions, the

Bosnian Crisis or the Balkan Wars?

Victory led to increasing Serbian nationalism.

This was directed especially against Austria-Hungary which was seen as

the main obstacle to the dream of a united Slavic nation.

In addition, Austria-Hungary became extremely worried about the growing

power of Serbia. They were determined to crush the Serbs at the next

opportunity.


The Balkans revisited

Austria-Hungary had annexed (taken

over) part of the Balkans called Bosnia

Herzegovina in 1908.

A sizeable part of the of Bosnian

population were Serbs. The Bosnian

Serbs were tired of their Austro-

Hungarian rulers – they wanted to live

in an independent Slavic state.

Many wanted to join with the neighbouring state of Serbia to

form a “Greater Serbia”.


The assassination

One such Bosnian Serb was Gavrilo

Princip, a student who had joined a

terrorist group called the Black Hand.

The Black Hand were committed

to the unification of Bosnia-Herzegovina with

Serbia.

They trained in Serbia using weapons supplied

by the Serb military intelligence chief (who was

also head of the terrorist group).

Who are the Black Hand likely to attack in order to achieve their aim

of unifying Bosnia and Serbia?





The assassination

Arch Duke Franz

Ferdinand

The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Arch

Duke Franz Ferdinand planned to visit the

Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, on the 28th June 1914.

As well as a chance to inspect troops in Bosnia,

the trip was also a gift for his wife, Sophie, to

celebrate their wedding anniversary.

Princip and other young members of the Black

Hand travelled to Sarajevo, intent on

assassinating the Arch Duke.





It is nothing

Franz Ferdinand,

his wife Sophie

and their children

“It is nothing,” said the Arch Duke as he lay dying.

At first it looked as though the assassination, though

shocking, really would result in nothing.

The German Kaiser, who was yachting at the time,

was unsure whether he even needed to cancel the

race he was attending!

At first no-one saw it as a spark to war. It was over a

month before Austria-Hungary declared war.

Why was the assassination important?





The consequences of the assassination

It took time for Austro-Hungarian officials to implicate the Serbian state in the

assassination.

The Germans sent assurances that they would support the Austro-Hungarians. This

promise is sometime referred to as the ‘blank cheque’ – the German government

said it would support Austria no matter what actions it decided to take over the

assassination.

The Emperor, Franz Joseph, and the

Austro-Hungarian government thought that

as long as Germany supported their attack

on Serbia, the Russians would not dare get

involved.





The consequences of the assassination

Three weeks after the assassination, Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an

ultimatum.

The Austrians held Serbia responsible for the assassination and demanding that

the Serb government round up anti-Austrian agitators.

The Austro-Hungarians knew that Serbia could not agree to the terms of the

ultimatum. The refusal of Serbia to grant the demands would provide Austria-

Hungary with the reason they wanted to declare war.

How important do you think the assassination was in starting

the First World War?


The road to war

In 1914, Europe was primed for war.

It was not only the politicians who were anticipating war – rearmament and

frequent war scares had caused European society to become increasingly

militaristic and nationalistic.

Each side had long prepared for war. They had written plans, books and

policies on what to do. These plans also played a part in the outbreak of large-

scale war in 1914.

Many people not only

expected war, but

welcomed it.





The Schlieffen Plan

It was an ambitious plan

designed to avoid Germany

having to fight a two-front war against France

and Russia.

The plan was to invade France

and capture Paris before the Russians could

mobilize.

German speed

slow Russian mobilization

Britain staying out of the war.

The most influential plan was that of Germany – the Schlieffen

Plan.

It relied on three things:


Britain’s position

Britain’s position in 1914 was complicated.

Despite having alliances with France and Russia,

Britain had made no firm promises to help them

in war.

However, Britain had promised to

protect the neutrality of Belgium

if she was ever attacked.

The Schlieffen Plan required the

German army to attack France through Belgium.

The German generals gambled that Britain would

not keep her promise to defend Belgium.

For a

scrap of

paper,

Great Britain is going to

make war?

Bethmann-Hollweg,

German Chancellor





The start of the war

The Schleiffen plan was supposed to win the war for Germany. However,

things did not go according to plan.

The French and Belgian forces offered stiff

resistance, helped by

the small, but effective British Expeditionary

Force (BEF). The Germans were not able to reach

Paris in the six weeks they had planned.

By 4th September 1914, the Germans

were in sight of Paris, but they were forced to turn back. The French had been

able to divert troops to defend their capital thanks to the French rail network.

The Germans were stopped at the Battle of the Marne

and Paris was saved.

The BEF





The Schleiffen Plan in reality

Why do you think von Moltke said this?

Whilst the German advance in the west was grinding slowly on, the Russian

army was mobilizing with surprising speed.

Germany had expected Russian mobilization to take 6 weeks. Russian forces

entered German territory on 17th August – just 16 days after Germany had

declared war.

The Schlieffen Plan had failed and a quick victory was now impossible. Both

sides in the west were forced to dig in. Soon, the war of mobility lead to a war in

the trenches.

The leader of the German military, Helmuth von

Moltke, on hearing of the Russian mobilization told

the Kaiser…

The war is lost!

year 10, go straight to the revision material. year 11

Documents