REVISION - The Origins of the First World War

Revision for Unit 1 Topic 1

Unit 1 International Relations: Conflict and Peace in the 20th Century Part 1: The Origins of the First World War 1. Key issue: Why were there two armed camps in Europe in 1914? a. Kaiser Wilhelm IIs aims in foreign policy: Weltpolitik, a place in the sun; German attitudes towards Great Britain; development of the German navy b. Development of the Triple Alliance, Entente Cordiale and Anglo-Russian Agreement; Triple Entente: Britains emergence from splendid isolation. c. The arms race military and naval: why did countries increase the size of their armed forces? The Anglo-German Naval Race d. Moroccan Crises 1905 and 1911 and their effects on the alliances e. Bosnian Crisis 190809 and its effects on the alliances. 2. Key issue: Why did war break out in 1914? a. Aims of Austria-Hungary and Serbia in the Balkans: the role of the Black Hand b. The assassination at Sarajevo: Gavrilo Princip; the response of Austria-Hungary; the ultimatum and Serbias response c. The events leading to war; the role of the alliances in 1914 d. The Schlieffen Plan and its impact on the outbreak of war; its part in bringing about Great Britains declaration of war on Germany e. Responsibility for the outbreak of war and the escalation of the conflict

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The Origins of the First World War This question is about causation, you are being asked about the reasons World War One broke out in 1914. The short answer to this question is; There were several causes which saw World War I break out in 1914. Tensions between the Great Powers increased between 1900-1914 over issues such as the growth of nationalism, the arms race, imperial rivalry, the alliance system and the Schlieffen Plan. These tensions boiled over with the assassination at Sarajevo which saw Europe slide into war.

Who were the Great Powers? What were the rivalries between the Great Powers? Did the Alliance System make war more likely or less likely? Why did Austria fear discontent within its own Empire? How important was the Arms Race in increasing tension up to 1914? How did international tension manifest itself between 1900 and 1914? Was any country more at fault than any other in causing the First World War? Why was Britain prepared to intervene in Morocco and support France, but would not back up Serbia and Russia?

Key Question -Why did war break out in 1914? The short answer is; Tension had been building between the Great Powers over a number of years. There were many separate disputes between the different countries. However these disputes had not led to war. It was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that was to be the spark that ignited the smouldering hostilities and led to the outbreak of the First World War. Two bullets fired in Sarajevo, Bosnia led to the death of over 10 million men in the Great War, 1914-1918.

Why did Austria want to punish Serbia in 1914? What motives did Russia have for mobilising in 1914? Was Austria right to blame Serbia for the events in Sarajevo? In 1919 Germany was blamed for starting the 1914-18 War. Was this fair? What were the motives of the great powers in going to war in 1914? What caused the war? What were the long and the short term causes of the war?

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Who were the Great Powers in 1900?
WHO WERE THE GREAT POWERS? Country Population Population Iron and in Empire Steel (millions) (millions) (Million tons per annum) 40 390 14m 63 139 40 50 35 15 63 13.7 5 3.25 2.5 0.5 Size of Army Warships Military Spending (millions per year) 711,000 2,200,000 1,200,000 1,250,000 810,000 750,000 122 85 25 46 26 36 50 60 67.5 40 2.25 10

Great Britian Germany Russia France AustriaHungary Italy

THINK Who was the most powerful country and why? Which country was everyone afraid of? Could the rankings of the Powers change in the future?

What were the concerns and fears of the Great Powers? Country Great Britain Strengths and Fears Leading industrial power Empire covered a quarter of the globe. Large navy to protect Empire Suspicious of other naval powers. Suspicious of threats to Empire France Austria-Hungary Industrial power growing rapidly Determined to build an Empire and a navy. Felt threatened or encircled by France and Russia Largest army and population in Europe Wanted to extend influence in the Balkans to gain a warm water port. Keen to protect other Slav people (Serbs) Defeated by Germany in 1871, lost Alsace-Lorraine, wanted to regain these provinces. Allied to Russia in 1894 Wanted to protect Empire in North Africa. Huge Empire of many different nationalities, many of whom wanted to be independent.

Germany

Russia

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Italy Serbia Fear of a large Serbian state on borders New country, aim to gain Great power status New country, formed in 1878. Plan to unite all slavs in one country

How did relations between the Great Powers develop between 1900 and 1914? What was Nationalism and how did it contribute to the tension in Europe? Nationalism is a strong feeling of support for your country, a sense of pride in the achievements of your country and its status in the world. It can involve sense of identity, of sharing a common past, a language, a culture and it provides an emotional bond between people. They will rally and unite behind symbols, flags, anthems, figures and characters that are said to share the same qualities.(Think of the Union Flag, the figure Britannia, the National Anthem, the British Bulldog) At the turn of the century nationalist feelings were strong in most European countries and there was a sense of competition between the Great Powers. These rivalries contributed to the arms race and the development of war plans. Another aspect of nationalism was the idea of a nation being a separate and independent group who should be able to govern themselves. Many national groups in Europe wanted to break away from their imperial rulers and set up their own independent country. This was especially true in the Austro-Hungarian Empire where different nationalities wanted to break away from the Empire and set up their own country. One such country that wanted to assert itself and unite all Slav people was Serbia and so was seen as a threat by Austria-Hungary Kaiser Wilhelm II and Weltpolitik (World policy) Kaiser Wilhelm II was determined that Germany would become an important player on the world stage. He wanted Germany to achieve a place in the sun, to win the respect of the world which he felt his country deserved. He was ambitious, he wanted Germany to become a great trading nation, to build an Empire and to build a strong navy. These ambitions alarmed Great Britain. Germany also had plans for Mitteleuropa, a German dominated central Europe, this frightened France and Russia. The Kaiser followed his policy aggressively and appeared to threaten the peace of Europe. There is a debate as to whether or not the Kaiser sought to dominate Europe and to replace Great Britain as the leading world power. It is also argued that the Kaiser felt threatened and encircled by the other powers in Europe and his policy was defensive rather than aggressive. .

THINK Was Germany to blame for the war? What can we learn from these sources about German responsibility for the outbreak of the war?

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Germanys foreign policy was based on a wish for growth. Sometimes it was friendly and based on reaching agreement. At other times it was aggressive. The final aim was always to expand German power and land. German historian, Fritz Fischer, writing in 1966.

Germany is a young and growing empire. She has a worldwide trade which is rapidly expanding, and to which patriotic Germans refuse to set any bounds. Germany must have a powerful fleet to protect that commerce and her many interests in even the most distant seas. Kaiser Wilhelm II in an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 1908. General von Moltke (Head of the German Army) said, I believe war is unavoidable; war sooner the better. The Kaiser supported this. Tirpitz (head of the German navy) said that the navy would prefer to see the postponement of the great fight for one and a half years. Notes made by German naval commander Karl von Muller who attended a war cabinet meeting in December 1912. I no longer have any doubt that Britain, Russia and France have agreed among themselves to wage war to destroy us. The encirclement of Germany has been achieved. Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1914, before the outbreak of war.

The Alliance System in Europe- Why was Europe divided into two armed camps? By 1907 the Alliance System divided Europe into two armed and hostile camps , the Triple Alliance ( Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) versus the Triple Entente (France, Russia and Great Britain), each scared of the other each hoping that there was safety in numbers. The origins of the alliance system were in the late nineteenth century and were supposed to prevent war. Germany devised a system of alliances to isolate France and to prevent a war of revenge against Germany over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine. By the turn of the century that system had collapsed and new rivalries emerged The Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1882. In this agreement each country committed themselves to supporting another if they were attacked. In 1894 France and Russia signed an agreement. They agreed to help each other if either was attacked by Germany. Britain realised that her policy of Splendid Isolation was dangerous, she could not risk being alone against either of the two alliances. The question was, which side should she join in with. Germany began building up her navy in 1898 and this pushed Britain towards an accommodation with France. In 1904 Britain abandoned Splendid Isolation and signed an agreement with France. This was the Entente Cordiale. This was not a military alliance but an agreement to be on friendly terms and to abandon their quarrels over colonies in Africa. In 1907 Britain signed a friendly agreement with Russia(Anglo-Russian Entente), to settle disputes in Asia. Britain, France and Russia were joined together in the Triple Entente.

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It can be argued that the Alliance system was supposed to maintain peace. A Balance of Power was achieved in Europe, both sides were too afraid to attack the other because neither side had an advantage over the other , and so this would maintain the peace The Entente was a friendly agreement not a military alliance, the countries were not tied together by military agreements, they did not have to fight for each other in the event of conflict. Germany feared encirclement, they were surrounded by what they thought were hostile countries(the Triple Entente), and so this increased tension. The Triple Alliance frightened the other powers who saw it as part of a German plan to take over Europe. The Alliances were defensive, they did not commit the signatories to fight an offensive war against other countries, they would only retaliate in the event of an attack by someone else. However the treaties were secret and the countries did not know the terms of the treaties and this just fuelled suspicion of each other and their intentions. A dispute between two countries in either power bloc could escalate and rag other countries into the conflict. The Entente Cordiale was strengthened over a period of time, Britain and France made plans to fight a joint war against Russia

How did the Arms Race add to the tension between the Great Powers? All the great powers of Europe raced each other to build the biggest and best armed forces. Every country, except Great Britain, had a conscript army. This meant that these countries had a large number of trained soldiers they could call up very quickly in the event of war. In 1914 the German army was the biggest and best in the world - but the Russian army was growing the fastest, and German generals were worried that, in a few years time, they would not be able to defeat Russia. At the same time Britain and Germany had an arms race to see who could build the biggest navy. Military spending snowballed, as one country increased spending another would follow suit, military spending doubled in the period 1900-1914. In 1914, including 'reservists' (trained men who could be called up), the Germans had an army of 8.5 million men, an the Russians had an army of 4.4 million. German was afraid that Russia's army would keep on expanding and believed that it would just roll across Europe and flatten all her enemies. This was the 'Russian steamroller'.and German generals were worried that, in a few years time, they would

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not be able to defeat Russia - in 1912, the German general von Moltke said: 'War the sooner the better' The huge German Army made other countries think that Germany wanted to rule the world. The Great Powers drew up war plans to use their weapons against each other and were confident that they would succeed. They were confident they would win.

The Naval Race The German Navy Law of 1900 planed to build many warships to challenge the British Navy. Britain saw this as a threat, the Royal Navy protected Britain from invasion, it protected Britain's far flung Empire and trade routes and her economy. Britain's navy had always been bigger than the combined navies of her two largest rivals (The Two Power Standard). This position was threatened by the building of the Dreadnought. This British built battleship made all other warships out of date. Whoever had the most Dreadnoughts would achieve naval superiority, in 1906 Britain and Germany became involved in a race to build the most Dreadnoughts Date Great Britain 1906 1 1907 3 1908 2 1909 2 1910 3 1911 5 1912 3 1913 7 1914 3 Total by 1914 29 Germany

4 3 1 3 2 3 1 17

In which year can Britain feel it has outpaced Germany in the naval race? The race saw relations between Britain and Germany deteriorate. It stirred up nationalist feelings in both countries and whipped up public hostility towards Germany. In 1908 the British public demanded that the government build 8 new Dreadnought warships to stop a German invasion - they shouted: 'We want 8 and we won't wait'. Public opinion saw Germany as a threat which was reinforced by events in Morocco in 1911. Britain believed that Germany was intent on world domination, they were seen to be building the biggest army and navy in Europe and so were a threat to the status quo and peace.

Plans for War The Alliance system meant that the various countries had drawn up plans for action in the event of war. FRANCE - Plan 17 involved a French attack on Germany through Alsace-Lorraine with her army of 2 million men. BRITAIN - a samll expeditionary force of 100,000 highly trained men (the BEF) would be sent to support France. The Royal Navy would blockade the German ports. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY - Plan R would see the invasion of both Russia and Serbia. RUSSIA - The huge Russian army of 3million men would sweep into Germany and AustriaHungary.

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GERMANY - THE SCHLIEFFEN PLAN had been devised so Germany could fight both France and Russia and win. Plan devised in 1905, aim to beat France quickly, then turn on Russia. 90% of the German army would attack France. It was expected that France would be defeated in six weeks, Russia would be slow to mobilise. The German army would move eastwards to fight the Russians. It expected Britain would not enter war.

Imperial Rivalries - The Moroccan Crises (1905 and 1911) and the Bosnian Crisis (1908) Germany appeared to be intent on challenging the Entente Cordiale. The first Moroccan Crisis, 1906-7 Britain and France had huge Empires, Germany wanted to acquire colonies of its own Kaiser Wilhelm II said that Germany wanted a place in the sun', by this he meant Germany should have an Empire to match that of Britain. France and Britain were afraid that Germany would try to gain these by force. Kaiser Wilhelm II first tried to interfere in Morocco, in North Africa .France already had colonies in North Africa, they controlled Algeria and Tunisia and wanted to extend into Morocco. The Kaiser wanted to halt French expansion and to test the Entente Cordiale(1904), to see how strong the agreement was and to end the threat of encirclement. In 1905 the Kaiser went to Tangiers, in Morocco and made a speech saying Morocco should remain free of foreign control. By this he meant France. France was furious at this interference, both Britain and France saw it as another attempt by Germany to gain an Empire in North Africa. An international conference was called at Algeciras in 1906 to settle the dispute. Britain and Russia supported France and the Kaiser was forced to back down. The International conference supported France, Germany was humiliated. Only Austria_Hungary supported Germany. The Algericas Conference convinced Germany that the other countries were 'ganging up' on it - from this moment, Germany started getting ready for war. In 1907 Britain and Russia made an agreement, this created the Triple Entente, Germany felt threatened by encirclement.

The Second Moroccan Crisis or the Agadir Crisis, 1911 France hoped to conquer Morocco and make it a colony. In 1911 there was a small rebellion in Morocco against the Sultan. The French helped the Sultan defeat the rebels and prepared to take over Morocco. Kaiser Wilhelm sent a gunboat to Agadir harbour, this was a challenge to the French. The Kaiser said the gunboat was there to protect the interests of German citizens in Morocco - although it is claimed that there was only one German in the country. There was an international crisis. Britain was afraid that Germany was trying to establish a naval base in Agadir which would threaten British trade routes. Britain threatened to go to war in support of France. The Chancellor, David Lloyd George said that Britain would rather fight than see her allies pushed around. The British navy prepared for war. Germany had to back down and in November 1911, Germany was forced to remove the gunship. Morocco became a French colony. Germany was humiliated again.

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France and Britain were furious because Germany had broken its promises at Algericas,1906. They had said they would not interfere in Morocco again Germany was humiliated again, the Kaiser was determined not to lose face next time. Wilhelm said: 'these events have shown the German people where its enemy is'. He blamed his humiliation on the British. Germany feared encirclement. Britain and France agreed to naval cooperation in the event of an attack by Germany. The Entente Cordiale was looking increasingly like a military agreement. The Kaiser had failed to break the threat of encirclement.

THINK How did the Moroccan Crisis influence British foreign policy? Do you think Lloyd George was prepared to go to war or was he bluffing? But if a situation were to be forced upon us in which peace could only be preserved by the surrender of the great position Britain has won by centuries of heroism and achievement, by allowing Britain to be treated where her interests were vitally affected as she were of no account in the cabinet of nations, then I say emphatically that peace at any price would be a humiliation intolerable for a great country like ours to endure. Lloyd George, Chancellor of the Exchequer, speaking about the Moroccan Crisis in 1911.

Trouble in the Balkans, 1908-9

The two Great Powers, Russia and Austria-Hungary were rivals in the Balkans, both countries wanted to make territorial gains there. Turkey was weak and corrupt - 'the sick man of Europe'. In 1908 there was a revolution in Turkey, and Austria-Hungary took advantage of this to annex (conquer) Bosnia. This annoyed Serbia - Bosnia was full of Serbs, and Serbia had hoped to take over Bosnia itself.. Serbia could not fight alone and so looked to Russia for help. Russia was angry that Austria-Hungary had made gains in the area and they demanded compensation. However Russia had to back down when it became clear that Germany would support Austria-Hungary in the event of war. Germany and Austria-Hungary pushed closer together, Alliances strengthened, Austria believed they had the support of Germany in any dispute in the Balkans. Kaiser Wilhelm II boasted that he had stood by Austria like a knight 'in shining armour'. Serbia had to accept the loss of Bosnia, but was looking for a chance of revenge on Austria-Hungary. Rivalry between Serbia, backed by Russia, and Austria-Hungary, backed by Germany, increased tension in the Balkans. Russia was angry at having to back down and vowed not to do so again. The Black Hand was formed in Serbia in 1911. The aim of this secret society was To realise the national ideal, the unification of all Serbs. This organisation prefers terrorist action to cultural activities; it will therefore remain secret. By 1914 it had 2500 members. In the 1912-13 Balkan Wars Serbia increased in size, it was seen as a threat by Austria-Hungary.

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War THINK How did the Bosnian Crisis of 1908 affect the attitudes and policies of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Serbia? Did it make war more likely or less likely? Why do you think Serbia signed the declaration below? Why do you think Austria-Hungary made Serbia sign it? Serbia recognises that the annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary has not affected its rights and consequently it will agree to the decisions of the powers. Serbia undertakes to renounce from now onwards the attitude of protest and opposition which it adopted with regard to the annexation since last autumn. It undertakes, moreover, to modify the direction of its policy with regard to Austria-Hungary and to live in future on good neighbourly terms with Austria-Hungary.
From a Declaration which the Serbian government was forced to sign by the AustroHungarian Government in March 1909, after Austria-Hungary had taken over Bosnia.

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Task 1 Why were there two armed camps in Europe? events/issues. Key Issue/Event Description Summarise the key

How did it increase tension/ How did it affect relations between the Great powers?

Weltpolitik

Triple Alliance

Triple Entente

Arms Race

Naval Race

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Moroccan Crisis, 1905

Bosnian Crisis, 1908

Moroccan Crisis, 1911

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Key Question -Why did war break out in 1914?
The Assassination in Sarajevo, June 28 1914. Tension had been growing between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Austria-Hungary saw Serbia as a threat to her own Empire, slav nationals living in Austria-Hungary threatened to join Serbia and create a powerful state on the border. Serbia was still angry about the annexation of Bosnia by Austria in 1908. On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand was inspecting Austrian troops at Sarajevo in Bosnia. To Serbia this was a provocation, there was a fear that these troops were not on exercise but preparing to launch an attack on Serbia. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was heir to the Austrian throne, he would inherit the title Emperor when the elderly Franz Josef died. There had been warnings that if he visited Bosnia he would be assassinated, he chose to ignore those warnings. He was accompanied by his wife, Sophie, it was their fourteenth wedding anniversary. It was another celebration as she was also expecting their fourth child. 28 June was also Serbia's National Day - the parade was a direct affront to Serbian nation. A terrorist group, the Black Hand intended to kill Franz Ferdinand, as part of their campaign to keep Serbia free from Austrian rule and of uniting all Serbians together. Six Bosnian Serbs lined up along the official route on Appel Quay to kill him. The gang bungled the attempt, some failed to take their chances, Cabrinovic threw a bomb but it missed the royal party. Angered by the attempt on his life the Archduke proposed to leave the city. His driver was not told of the change of plan and by chance the royal party in their open topped car came face to face with their assassin, Gavrilo Princip. He fired two shots into the car killing both the Archduke and his wife. The assassination provoked Austria to go to war with Serbia, which led to the slide to the First World War. 2. The assassination caused horror, but not an international crisis (the Kaiser went on holiday). 3. It was Austria which provoked the international crisis by sending Serbia an ultimatum on 23 July 1914 - it was THIS which started the sequence of events leading to the outbreak of war.

THINK Why did Austria-Hungary want to go to war with Serbia? Do you think Serbia wanted to go to war with Austria-Hungary? Read the sources below. Why do you think Germany supported Austria-Hungary if Chancellor Bulow believes what he says? This is not the crime of a single fanatic; assassination represents Serbias declaration of war on Austria-Hungary. If we miss this occasion, Austria-Hungary will be faced with new demands of independence from South Slavs, Czechs, Russians, Rumanians and Italians living within Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary must wage war against Serbia for political reasons.

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Conrad von Hotzendorf, leader of the Austrian army, and supporter of war against Serbia, speaking in 1914., after the assassination of his friend, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Although the horrible murder was the work of a Serbian society with branches all over the country, many details prove that the Serbian government had neither instigated it nor desired it. The Serbs were exhausted by two wars. The most hotheaded among them might have paused at the thought of war with Austria-Hungary who was overwhelmingly superior to Serbia. From the memoirs of the German Chancellor, von Bulow

The Slide to War, 1914 1. Austria blamed Serbia for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, but did nothing for a month. They had an excuse to tackle the question of Serbia. They needed to be sure of German support, should Russia become involved. The assassins were all Bosnians and therefore under Austro-Hungarian rule. 2. The Austrians went to Germany for help - Kaiser Wilhelm promised to support them, whatever they did (the so-called 'blank cheque'). 3. The Austrians sent Serbia a ten-point ultimatum, they expected it to be rejected. The Serbians accepted every point but one. Austria invaded Serbia anyway, it had wanted an excuse to crush Serbia. 4. Russia mobilised its army to support Serbia; but this involved mobilising troops against Germany as well as Austria-Hungary. Germany warned it would enter the war if Germany did not halt mobilisation. 5. The Germans were scared by Russia's mobilisation - according to the Schlieffen Plan they had to fight France before Russia. So they invented an excuse and declared war on France anyway. 6. The German army went through Belgium, Britain entered the war.

Consequences of the July Crisis 1. The Austrian ultimatum was so harsh that they expected Serbia to reject it. By accepting every point but one, the Serbians turned the tables on Austria. The Kaiser thought that this would end the dispute, he said "Now there can be no object in going to war." 2. Germany's Schlieffen Plan was based on the idea that Germany would have to fight both France and Russia because of the alliance system. Germany believed they had 6 weeks to defeat France whilst Russia was still getting ready for war - now Russia was getting ready before Germany was at war with France!

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3. Britain went to war to protect Belgium because of the Treaty of Westminster, 1839. 'You would go to war because of a scrap of paper', asked the amazed Germans. Britain did not want a strong Germany controlling the west coast of Europe as this could mean her trade with Europe was cut off. It could also be used as a stepping stone to invasion. The Schlieffen Plan 1. The plan was devised by German army chief-of-staff Alfred von Schlieffen and took nine years to devise - 1897-1906. It was Germany's ONLY plan. 2. The Plan was designed on the beliefs that if war came, it would be a war on two fronts against France and Russia, and also that France was weak but Russia was slow. 3. The Schlieffen Plan did not allow for a situation like 1914 - where Russia was mobilising but France was not going to war with Germany. Germany was forced to invent a reason to declare war on France ( Where the Schlieffen Plan went wrong 1. In the end, it turned out to be full of mistakes ( Russia took only 10 days to mobilise, and it was the Russian army that was weak, not the French) The plan relied on speed, the Belgians and the BEF slowed it down. 2. The plan began to go wrong when Russia mobilised its army, but France did not. Germany was forced to invent a reason to declare war on France (3 August 1914).. 3. It made the German army to march too far, too fast, which tired them out and let the French army stop them. 4. It went through Belgium. This brought Britain into the war. The Belgians and British delayed the Germans at Mons and caused the Schlieffen Plan to fail. Britain did not enter the war because of the Entente Cordiale, the agreement with France. Britain could not allow a hostile country to control the north-east coast of Europe and hamper British trade with the continent. Britain therefore needed a popular cause to enter the war on the side of France. The invasion of Belgium gave Britain the reason to enter the war, Britain was supporting a neutral country and the sanctity of a treaty signed in 1839.

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Task 2 Why did war break out in 1914? Key Issue/Event

Relations between AustriaHungary and Serbia after 1908.

Summarise the key events/issues. How did it increase the likelihood of war?

Description

Black Hand

Assassination at Sarajevo

AustriaHungarys Ultimatum to Serbia

The July Crisis, 1914

The Schlieffen Plan

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Task 3 Who was most responsible for the outbreak of War in 1914? Country Great Britain Responsible because of..?

Germany

France

AustriaHungary

Serbia

Russia

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Which country was responsible for the following? Mobilising the army knowing it would provoke Germany. And mean the Schlieffen Plan is put into operation. For encouraging the Black Hand and terrorism. Planning for war as early as 1905, with the Schlieffen Plan. Building the Dreadnought and sparking an arms race. Rejecting the Ten Point Ultimatum. Providing Austria-Hungary with a Blank Cheque. Going to war over a treaty from 1839 to guarantee Belgian neutrality. Planning to dominate Europe. Invading a neutral country. Blaming Serbia for the assassination when the culprits were Bosnians, living under Austro-Hungarian rule. Aggressive action in Morocco in 1905 and 1911. Seizing the territory of Bosnia in 1908 Plan 17, a plan to attack deep into Germany and force surrender. Issuing an Ultimatum which would take away the independence of Serbia, and therefore was bound to be rejected. Owning the largest Empire in the world and jealously guarding it to prevent any change. Threatening to go to war in 1911 in support of France. Ignored warnings by Serbia that Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the target of assassins.

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Cartoonists and the First World War

Cartoon by the British artist, Tenniel, which appeared in Punch in 1890. Kaiser Wilhelm II is portrayed as a naughty child who will upset the balance of power in Europe and create problems for the other powers. The cartoonist is suggesting that his Weltpolitik and ambitions for Germany were a threat to the peace in Europe.
LEnfant Terrible
Chorus in the stern Dont go on like that or youll upset us all

This is a British cartoon showing the Kaiser trying to seize control of Europe. It is based on an advertising poster for Pears soap, which shows a crying baby trying to reach the soap. The Kaiser is shown as wild eyed with plans to dominate Europe. He is shown as a threat to Britain and Europe and suggesting he wont stop until he gets what he wants. This is a German cartoon from 1904 commenting on the Entente Cordiale. John Bull (Britain) and Marianne (France) are seen walking off together and sneering at Kaiser Wilhelm II. Britain has rejected the possibility of an alliance with Germany and gone off with France who looks triumphantly back at Germany. France is portrayed as a harlot. The Kaiser carries his sword suggesting the potential use of force in the future.

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War The cartoon is captioned Entente Cordiale and is by the British artist, WK Haselden. It appeared in July 1905. It shows Britain (John Bull) and France (Marianne) dancing together, while Kaiser Wilhelm II rues his failure to split the Entente Cordiale during the Moroccan Crisis of 1905. However he vows to try again and is still a threat to the two countries. The Royal Navy in the background suggests the Britain can be confident.

This cartoon is about the second Moroccan Crisis in 1911. The Kaiser in pursuit of a place in the sun sends a gunboat, the Panther to Agadir to intimidate the French. The Kaiser is shown using an iron fist to smash the town of Agadir, it implies that the Kaiser was using excessive force. The Kaiser is shown as being aggressive in pursuit of his ambitions.

A cartoon by the British artist, Raven-Hill commenting on the Moroccan crisis in 1911. Germany is portrayed as Michael testing the strength of the Entente Cordiale and finding out that it is stronger than he thought. He is dressed as a military figure suggesting that Germany is prepared to use force. Germany tried on two occasions to break the Entente in the Moroccan Crises of 1905 and 1911. Germany feared encirclement, but only succeeded in pushing Britain and France closer together. On both occasions Britain sided with France against Germany.

Its rock! I thought it was going to be paper

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Cartoon by the British artist Raven Hill in 1912. The Great Powers, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and Austria-Hungary, are trying to stop events in the Balkans boiling over and threaten them all. The annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary in 1908 had threatened conflict between the powers. Now the Balkan Wars and the growth of Serbia was seen as a threat to peace in Europe. In 1914 it was events in the Balkans that sparked World War One.

If Austria attacks Serbia, Russia will fall upon Austria, Germany upon Russia, and France and England upon Germany.

The cartoon entitled A Chain of Friendship appeared in an American newspaper in July 1914. The view in America was that the alliance system would drag the Great powers into a war. However the Schlieffen Plan meant that Germany attacked both Russia and France and Britain entered the war to defend the neutrality of Belgium.

British cartoon by FH Townsend, 12 August 1914. It shows gallant little Belgium defying the German bully(Germany is represented by the figure Michael). The cartoon shows the British reasons for entering the war, to defend a weak country against an aggressive Germany. Belgium was a neutral country as represented by the No Thoroughfare on the gate. The cartoon aimed to rally support for Britains entry into the war.

Bravo Belgium

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REVISION - The Origins of the First World War Task 4 Which was the most important cause of World War One?
Cause Results- Who affected and how? Significance how big a part did it play in the outbreak of the war?

Nationalism

Arms build up

Alliance System

Imperial rivalries

Assassination

Sclieffen Plan

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Task 5 Match up the key words with the correct definition

Assassination Militarism Gun boat diplomacy Splendid Isolation Imperialism Dreadnought Weltpolitik Two Power Standard Neutral Encirclement Balance of Power Conscription Annex/Annexation Mobilisation Arms Race Nationalism Alliance Entente
Competition between nations to build up their military equipment and forces. Usually fuelled by fear of attack. One country takes over an area of land from another country.

Agreements between nations, may involve military support for each other. Killing of a public figure.

Believe that the peace of Europe would be maintained by the emergence of two power blocs. It was believed that no country would dare attack a rival because other countries may retaliate. Compulsory military service for men of a certain age and for a specified number of years. All countries in Europe, except for Britain followed this policy. A new warship launched in 1906 by Britain. It made all other warships obsolete. Fear in Germany that they were surrounded by hostile powers

An agreement between Britain and France to remain on friendly terms and to settle disputes over colonies. The sending of military vessels to threaten another power to concede to your demands, eg the Panther incident in 1911. Building up the power of a country by taking over other countries, notably Africa. Putting armies on alert and preparing for war.

Belief in the importance of the military and the use of warfare to secure objectives. Loyalty and support for your own country and whatever it does. Summed up by the slogan, My country, right or wrong. Will not take sides in any dispute, a policy adopted by Belgium in 1839 in the event of war in Europe. The policy followed by Britain in the nineteenth century of not becoming involved in any disputes in Europe and the avoidance of alliances. Belief that the Royal Navy should be the size of the next two largest navies combined, those of Russia and France, in order to provide security. Germanys foreign policy as pursued by Kaiser Wilhelm II, the aim to achieve a place in the sun.

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