1.1 The Origins of the First World War - Pearson · PDF file1.1 The Origins of the First World War ... safety by making defensive agreements with other countries. ... • Germany resented

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1.1 The Origins of the First World War

The world changed in 1871Up till 1871, Germany had not been a single country, but a collection of many tiny states. In 1871, however, Prussia – the biggest German state – defeated France in a war. Germany took the two French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine and the new German Empire was declared in the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

In the nineteenth century, international relations had been dominated by two forces – nationalism (the belief in ‘my nation, right or wrong’) and imperialism (the belief that nations had the right to conquer other lands and build up an empire).

The English – who genuinely believed that ‘Britannia ruled the waves’ – had an empire which covered a fi fth of the globe. The French, too, had a huge colonial empire, and yearned for revenge on Germany for Alsace-Lorraine. Russia ruled an Empire stretching across all of Asia.

Even so, these nineteenth century nations believed that they ought to co-operate to keep the peace, and the presence of huge areas of the globe which they could easily conquer (especially in Africa), gave them an alternative outlet for their ambitions.

Germany arrivesThe arrival of Germany onto the world stage destabilised international relations. The new Germany was an economic and military superpower and it frightened the other nations.

One way they responded was by forming alliances, seeking safety by making defensive agreements with other countries. The idea behind these alliances was that no one would dare to attack you because they knew it would involve war, not just with you, but with all your allies as well.

Agadir crisis

Anglo-Japanese naval agreement

Entente Cordiale

Triple Entente

First Moroccan crisis

Balkan Wars

Bosnia annexes by Austria Hungary

Tirpitz starts to increase the German navy

Wilhelm gives the Daily Telegraph

interview

France makes an alliance with Russia

Triple AllianceGermany becomes a single country

TIMELINE

1871 1882 1894 1898 1902 1904 1905 1907 1908 1911 1912-13

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles explicitly blamed Germany for causing the First World War, but during the 1920s, when Germany regained international respectability, the American historian Sydney Bradshaw Fay argued that no specifi c country or person was to blame. Fay identifi ed general forces – nationalism, imperialism, militarism and the alliances – which he said dragged the world inevitably into war ‘like mountain climbers tied to the same rope’.

Historians after the Second World War were less forgiving. The British historian A.J.P. Taylor blamed a German ‘bid for continental supremacy’ for bringing on the war, and, in the 1960s, the German historian Fritz Fischer argued that there was a ‘will to war’ amongst Germany’s leaders.

More recently, some historians have blamed Austria-Hungary, and others have blamed Russia. It is even possible to blame the British – who were openly hostile towards Germany.

HISTORIOGRApHy

The origins of the First World War 3

The second was militarism – not just building up your armies and navies to dissuade others from attacking you, but also the belief that a ‘military solution’ would solve the problem.

Tensions buildIn the years up to 1914, tensions increased.

• GermanyresentedBritain’snavyandempire.Inthe years after 1898 Germany built up a powerful navy to challenge Britain and give Germany – as Kaiser Wilhelm II said – ‘a place in the sun’.

• In1905,andagainin1911,FranceandGermanyclashed in Morocco. On both occasions, the alliance system worked and Germany was forced to back down.

• Agreaterworryhowever,wastheBalkans– the area of south-east Europe which had been conquered by the Turks. By 1878 the Turkish Empire had become too weak to keep control, and new Slav nation states – such as Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania – had seized independence.

• Austria-Hungary,whichitselfruledmanySlavpeoples, was terrified by the development in the region of independent Slav nations – especially Serbia.Austro-Hungariangeneralsregularlyasked to go to war.

Looking back, what seems remarkable is not that war broke out in 1914, but that it had not broken out sooner.Theyears1870–1914sawEuropestackingup resentments and tensions, like a fireworks manufacturer stuffing a rocket with gunpowder. By 1914, all that was needed was something which would ‘light the blue touch-paper’

Agadir crisis

Anglo-Japanese naval agreement

Entente Cordiale

Triple Entente

First Moroccan crisis

Balkan Wars

Bosnia annexes by Austria Hungary

Tirpitz starts to increase the German navy

Wilhelm gives the Daily Telegraph

interview

France makes an alliance with Russia

Triple AllianceGermany becomes a single country

TIMELINE

1871 1882 1894 1898 1902 1904 1905 1907 1908 1911 1912-13

This cartoon was drawn by a French artist.

The cartoon picks up the famous statement made by Wilhelm II in 1901 on what he wanted for Germany: ‘a place in the sun’.

It shows a haughty Wilhelm. He is dressed in military uniform, and is being cheered, photographed and painted. Wilhelm had a withered left arm from childhood, and the artist ridicules his physical appearance.

The meaning of the cartoon is that Wilhelm is a ridiculous, militaristic megalomaniac.

SOURCE A

How many different possible ‘causes of World War One’ can you find on this double-spread?

BE AN HISTORIAN!


1.1a Why were there two armed camps in Europe in 1914?

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.

This comment was made by Kaiser Wilhelm to a Daily Telegraph reporter in 1908. The article was submitted to the German foreign office, who agreed that it could be published.

SOURCE B

Germany, Germany above everything,

Above everything in the world,

When it always stands together

For brotherly protection and defence

This song, Deutschlandlied, became popular in Germany after 1890.

SOURCE C

Looking at Sources B–D, construct an argument that Germany was to blame for the First World War.

VOICE yOuR OpINION!

Wilhelm II’s Weltpolitik‘Weltpolitik’ (literally ‘world politics’) is the term used to describe the foreign policy of Wilhelm II, who became the Kaiser of Germany in 1888.

The new nation of Germany was the strongest industrial country in Europe. Its army was the most powerful in the world. But – because it was a new country – it did not have an empire, and many Germans felt that it was undervalued by the other countries of Europe.

Weltpolitik envisaged a world where Germany received the respect its power deserved. Kaiser Wilhelm said that he wanted Germany to have ‘a place in the sun’, and his foreign policy was aggressive (see Source A on page 3).

One of Wilhelm’s aims was for Germany to grow into a huge trading nation, and as part of this he wanted an empire in Africa. To achieve this, he would need a strong navy – as strong as Britain’s navy. At that time, Britain’s empire covered a fifth of the globe, and these aims alarmed the British.

Meanwhile, in Germany, an organisation called the Pan-German League looked forward to the creation of ‘Mitteleuropa’ – a strong state comprising all of central Europe under the dominance of Germany, and including all the people of Germanic race.

Wilhelm’s aggressive foreign policy frightened many European countries, especially Britain, France and Russia. Britain’sfearswerenothelpedin1908whenWilhelmgavean interview to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, in which he declared that the English were ‘mad as March hares’ and admitted that the German people disliked Britain.

The Alliance System, 1900–14The Alliance System, which involved the Great Powers of Europe, is often seen as a major cause of the First World War. This was because of the build-up of tension between the Great Powers. As relations between rival countries worsened their allies would often support them, and so the tension would increase.

• In1882GermanyhadformedanalliancewithAustria-HungaryandItalyknownastheTripleAlliance.Underthis alliance these countries agreed to help one another if they were attacked by any other power.

• GermanyalsohadatreatywithRussia,butin1890Wilhelm let this lapse.


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• Soonafter,in1894,RussiamadeanalliancewithFrance,under which both countries agreed to help each other if Germany attacked them.

In the nineteenth century, Britain had tried to keep out of world politics and concentrate only on its Empire (this was called‘splendidisolation’).However,fearofGermany’sgrowingnavypulledBritainintothesystemofalliancesafter1900:

• In1902,BritainmadeanavalagreementwithJapan.• In1904BritainsignedtheEntenteCordiale(Friendly

Agreement) with France. The two countries agreed to be on good terms and not to quarrel over ownership of colonies.

• BritainalsoreachedafriendlyagreementwithRussia,in1907,andsotheEntenteCordialebecametheTripleEntente.

The Great Powers of Europe were now divided into two opposing alliances. At the time, no one thought that this might cause a war as the treatiesweredefensive.Countriesagreed to help one another only if they were attacked.

So how could they cause a war? One reason is that they were secret treaties, so the rival powers did not know that the alliances were defensive and feared that they were directed against them.

This led to each alliance trying to get the better of the other inaseriesofdisputesbetween1900and1914.

This had the effect of increasing the tension between the powers, strengthening the alliances and creating a situation in which one incident could lead to war.

This is exactly what happened when Archduke Franz FerdinandofAustria-Hungarywasassassinatedin1914.

The Great Powers were also involved in a race to build up their arms and navies. The effect was that the rival alliances grew stronger and more aggressive and this led to war in 1914.

The aim is security for the German Reich for all imaginable time. France must be so weakened as to make her revival as a great power impossible for all time. Russia must be pushed back as far as possible from Germany’s eastern frontier…

Furthermore: a commercial treaty which secures the French market for our exports and makes it possible to exclude British trade from France…

We must establish Germany’s economic dominance over Mitteleuropa…

The question of colonial acquisitions, where the first aim is the creation of a Central African colonial empire…

This list comes from a list of war-aims written by German chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg in September 1914.

SOURCE D

This map shows the Triple Alliance (in yellow) and the Triple Entente (in red).

It also shows, surrounded in brown, the countries which the Pan-German League wanted to be part of ‘Mitteleuropa’.


The build-up of armies, 1900–14The existence of large armies in Europe was another threat to peace. Military leaders argued that the only way to ensure peace was to have a strong enough army to prevent an invasion from another country. This view was supported by the manufacturers of arms who made vast profits from the arms race.

Apart from Britain all the Great Powers increased the size of their armies during this period (see diagram, right).

• In1913theFrenchraisedtheperiodofconscription (compulsory military service) from two years to three and the Russians raised theirs from three to three-and-a-half years. This meant that both countries would have more trained men.

• By1913theGermanarmywasverypowerfulandonlyRussia had more men in arms.

• Britainwastheonlypowerthathadnotintroducedconscription before 1914.

Though the Russian army was the largest it was badly equipped and much inferior to that of Germany. The Germans took pride in their armed forces and this was encouraged by the Kaiser who enjoyed being photographed in military uniform (see Source A on page 3).

General von Moltke said: I believe war is unavoidable; war the sooner the better. The Kaiser supported this. Tirpitz said that the navy would prefer to see the postponement of the great fight for one and a half years.

Notes made by the German Admiral Muller, who had attended a ‘naval war cabinet’ meeting with the Kaiser in December 1912.

Moltke was head of the army, Tirpitz was head of the navy.

SOURCE E

‘Don’t blame Germany. Britain and France were the aggressors – Germany was just defending itself.’ Are there ANY facts which support this opinion?

VOICE yOuR OpINION!

The build-up of armies, 1900–1914

Austria–Hungary

ItalyBritain

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The build-up of armies 1900–14

GermanyRussia

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1,400,000Remember, when working with sources, you agree or disagree with what they tell you in the same way you would do with a person. You base this on two things:

• firstly, it is true in fact

• secondly, do you trust the person telling you.

Whether you agree or disagree with a source is no different!

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The naval arms race, 1906–14As an island with a large overseas empire, Britain needed to have a powerful navy, particularly since the British army was very small. Britain had the largest navy in the world.

In 1898, however, Kaiser Wilhelm ordered Admiral Tirpitz to rapidly increase the German navy, so that it could challenge Britain’s. The British thought that it was an attempt to challenge Britain and its empire. These British fears were partly responsible for Britain entering into agreements with France and Russia.

The German navy became a real threat to Britain after 1906,whenbothsidesbeganbuildingDreadnoughts,anewbattleship that could easily destroy all of the older type battleships. Britain’s naval supremacy was in the older ships, sotheracewasontobuildthemostDreadnoughts.

Thenavalracereacheditspeakin1909.TheGermansrefusedtoagreeonthenumberofDreadnoughtstheywouldbuild.

The government in Britain had only planned to build four Dreadnoughtsin1909–10.ButmanypeopleinBritainbelieved that the German fleet build-up was aimed at challenging British naval superiority. Public pressure demanded the government spend more money building Dreadnoughts,undertheslogan‘wewanteightandwon’twait’. The government gave way and increased spending on the fleet to maintain Britain’s naval superiority over Germany.

The naval race did much to make the British resent and fear the Germans and lead Britain into better relations with France.However,thiswasnotthemaincauseofBritaingoingtowarin1914,asbythenBritainhadfarmoreDreadnoughtsthan the Germans.

This painting by William Lionel Wyllie shows ‘The First Battle Squadron of Dreadnoughts Steaming down the Channel’ in 1911.

Wyllie was a British artist and a sailor. What is this painting trying to show?

SOURCE F

Number of Dreadnoughts completed

Great Britain Germany

1907 1 –

1908 3 –

1909 3 4

1910 3 1

1911 4 6

1912 11 5

1913 2 1

1914 7 5

Total 34 22

SOURCE G

‘The nations of Europe thought they were avoiding war, but everything they did only brought war closer’. Do the facts support the thesis?

VOICE yOuR OpINION!

SOURCE F


Rivalry increasesBetween1905and1914theGreatPowerswereinvolvedinaseries of crises in Morocco (in North Africa) and the Balkans (Eastern Europe) which increased tension.

Events in Morocco, 1905–6In1905,onavisittoMorocco,KaiserWilhelmIIpromisedtosupport Morocco’s independence. This upset the French, who were interested in occupying Morocco as a colony. Wilhelm was also testing the strength of the new friendship between Britain and France.

InaconferenceheldatAlgecirasin1906BritainandRussiastood by France and it was agreed that Germany should have no say in Morocco.

This strengthened France’s alliance with Britain who shortly afterwards made a colonialagreementwithRussia,in1907,soforming the Triple Entente with France. The Germans sensed they were being surrounded and the Kaiser became even more resentful.

Morocco again – the Agadir crisis 1911In 1911 there was a rebellion against the Sultan of Morocco which was put down with French help. This was an opportunity for the French to take Morocco. They were prepared to grant compensation to countries such as Germany and Spain who were concerned by the French action. But the Germans sent a gunboat, the Panther to Agadir, a port on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, to challenge the French. The Kaiser hoped to force the French into giving Germany a share of Morocco.

The British feared that Germany was going to set up a naval base in Agadir to challenge Britain’s naval supremacy.

Germany’s aggressive action in Morocco seemed to confirm Britain’sworstfears:thatGermanywasaimingtodominateEurope.

So Britain made a naval agree ment with France, promising to defend the north coast of France if it was attacked from the sea. The French took over Morocco, and the Kaiser was forcedtobackdown.Germanywasgiven100,000squaremilesoftheFrenchCongoincompensation,butthelandwasmostly swamp and jungle.

The Agadir crisis was a clear victory for France and the Entente. The Kaiser was determined not to be the loser in the next crisis.

This British cartoon was published in 1905.

Haselden was a patriotic British cartoonist. This cartoon shows Britain and France dancing the hornpipe (a sailors’ dance) to celebrate Germany’s defeat. Behind them in the harbour are the ships of the Royal Navy. Wilhelm – dressed like the villain in a pantomime, and with the German eagle on his hat – accepts that he is beaten, but vows to try again.

SOURCE H

SOURCE H


The Bosnian crisis, 1908–09In the Balkans in south-east Europe, the two empiresthere–Austria-HungaryandTurkey–wereweak, and the Slav peoples there (especially the new nation of Serbia) tried to take advantage of this to create new Slav nations.

TheAustro-Hungarianempirewasparticularlyworried by this growth of Slav nationalism. The Austro-Hungarianempireincludednofewerthan fifteen different nationalities. If the idea of nationalismcaughtoninAustria-HungarylikeithadintheBalkans,theAustro-Hungarianempirewouldfallapart.Austro-Hungarianpoliticiansandgenerals were, therefore, eager to destroy Serbia, and to destroy Serbian nationalism in the Balkans.

All this made the Balkans politically unstable and very dangerous.

Bosnia was a Slav state in the Balkans. Although part of the Turkish Empire, it had been administered by Austria-Hungarysince1878.In1908,therewasarevolutioninTurkey,andAustria-Hungarytooktheopportunity to annex Bosnia (take it into the Austro-Hungarianempire).

The annexation was opposed by Serbia, which had ambitions to include the Slavs of Bosnia within it. But Serbia was too small to do anything about it on its own, so it looked to Russia for support. Russia sympathizedwithSerbiabutbackedoffin1909when Germany made it clear that if Russia declared war on Austria, Germany would declare war on Russia.

Thecrisiswasimportantbecause:

• ItmadeAustria-HungaryfeelthatitcouldrelyonGerman support.

• Russiabackeddownin1909,butby1914ithadbuilt up its armies and was determined not to back down again when the next crisis came.

• SerbiahadtoacceptthelossofBosniabutnowlooked for an opportunity to get its own back on Austria-Hungary.

This helps explain why all three countries acted as theydidin1914(seepages22–23).ThesituationworsenedintheBalkanWarsof1912–13whenSerbia defeated the Turks and doubled in size. The SerbPrimeMinisterPasicsaid:‘thefirstroundiswon; now for the second round – against Austria’. Austria-Hungary’sfearsincreased.

Many of the events in this module involved conflict between Britain and Germany. Go through this topic and look through the factors that led to this conflict. Can you define them as social, economic and political causes?

GradeStudio

Using an encyclopaedia or the Internet, research:

1. The Algeciras Conference of 1906 and its consequences

2. The Pig War of 1906–1909.

BE AN HISTORIAN!

This cartoon by the British artist Leonard Raven-Hill, 1912, shows the great powers (left to right: Russia, Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary) trying to balance on the boiling Balkans pot.

Raven-Hill was political cartoonist for the British humorous magazine Punch. He was a great supporter of British imperialism. The message of the cartoon is that the troubles in the Balkans are destabilising international politics and threaten to plunge the great powers into war.

SOURCE I


1.1b Why did war break out in 1914?

28 June 19141905 5 July 23 July 28 July 30 July 1 August 3 August 4 August

TIMELINE

Russia announces mobilization

Germany declares war on France. German troops enter Belgium

Schlieffen Plan completed

Franz Ferdinand assassinated

Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia

Britain declares war on Germany

Germany declares war on Russia

Germany gives Austria Hungary the ‘blank cheque’

Austrian ultimatum to Serbia

’Lighting the blue touch paper’When Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, few people thought that it would cause a world war.

WhatwasdifferentaboutJune1914–differenttoalltheother crises that Europe had got through without a war – was that,thistime,Austria-HungarydecidedthatitHADtoact.TheAustro-HungariangovernmentconfirmedGermany’ssupport, issued a formal ultimatum and then – when the ultimatum was not met in full – declared war on the country they blamed for the atrocity. For this reason, some historians haveblamedAustria-Hungaryforstartingthewar;certainlythey ‘set the ball rolling’.

The Russians were bound to Serbia by treaty, and – what is more, as Serbia’s ally – did not want to let Serbia down as theyhaddonein1909.TsarNicholasknewthatRussiawasnot ready for war; Russia had humiliatingly lost a war with Japanin1905.Ironically,thisconvincedhimthatheHADtoact; he did not feel he could survive yet another humiliation. So he mobilised, sending his cousin Wilhelm a telegram asking him not to regard it as an act of war towards Germany.

Russian mobilisation threw the German army into a panic. Their war plan – the Schlieffen Plan – envisaged only a war against Russia and France. It assumed that Germany would have six full weeks to defeat France before Russia was ready; but now the Russians were preparing before war had been declared. So Germany took the gamble of a pre-emptive (first) strike, declared war on Russia and France, and attacked France as planned.

Britain entered the war last of all, because the Schlieffen Plan took the German army through Belgium.

We muddled into war… The nations slithered over the brink into the boiling cauldron of war without any trace of apprehension or dismay... not one of them wanted war; certainly not on this scale.

Statement from David Lloyd George’s War Memoirs, written in 1934. Lloyd George was a government minister in 1914, and became Prime Minister during the war.

SOURCE J


This cartoon – ‘A Chain of Friendship’ – appeared in the American newspaper the Brooklyn Eagle in July 1914. The caption read: “If Austria attacks Serbia, Russia will fall upon Austria, Germany upon Russia, and France and England upon Germany”.

The cartoon shows Austria – which is threatening Serbia – being threatened by Russia, which is being threatened by Germany, which is being threatened by Britain and France. In the event, things did not happen exactly as the cartoon predicted – Germany attacked France as well as Russia, and Britain entered the war to defend Belgium, not Russia.

SOURCE K

In 1969, in his book War by Timetable, the British historian A.J.P. Taylor argued that railway timetables caused the war. He argued that the plans for calling up millions of soldiers – in particular working out the train timetables involved – were so complicated, that once mobilization had begun they could not be altered to suit changing situations.

Thus the Germans HAD to implement the Schlieffen Plan – it was the only plan they had – even though they really wanted to confront Russia. Also, the German army HAD to go through Belgium, even though it brought Britain into the war. And when Kaiser Wilhelm tried to pause the German mobilisation to give Russia time to back down, his generals told him that he couldn’t; 11,000 trains were on the move, and war could not be stopped.

HISTORIOGRApHy

This spread presents the 1914 ‘slide to war’ as a timeline, as written text and as a cartoon. As an historian, what other useful ways could you present the events?

BE AN HISTORIAN!

The importance of an event depends primarily on the 3Rs:

1. How much did its Results affect the future?

2. How much do people still Remember it?

3. How Relevant was it to the issue you have been asked about?

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SOURCE K


The Black HandTheBlackHandwasaterroristgroup,formedin1911,which wanted to unite all the Serbs in the Balkans into a ‘GreaterSerbia’.ItwasledbyaSerbColonelcalledDragutinDimitrijevic(codename:‘Apis’).Itorganisedgroupsofbandits, and trained assassins (for example, the group tried to assassinatetheAustrianEmperorFranzJosefin1911).

In1914,theBlackHanddecidedtoassassinatetheArchdukeFranzFerdinand,theheirtothethroneofAustria-Hungary–to destabilisetheAustro-Hungarianempire,andtopublicisetheiroppositiontoBosniabeingpartofAustria-Hungary.Ironically, Franz Ferdinand was known to favour increased civilrightsforSlavs,andtheBlackHandfearedthatifhesucceeded it would weaken support for a Greater Serbia (SerbswouldbehappytostaypartofAustria-Hungary).

Assassination at SarajevoOn28June1914,FranzFerdinandvisitedtheBosniancapitalofSarajevo.TheBlackHandmadetwoattemptstokillhim.In the first, a bomb was thrown at the Archduke but he deflected it so that it fell behind the car, where it exploded and injured several people in the following car.

The Archduke cancelled the visit but insisted on visiting the injured in hospital. The driver of the royal car took a wrong turning. As he stopped to reverse, one of the assassins,GavriloPrincip,firedtwoshots:thefirstonehittheArchduke, the second hit his wife. The Archduke’s wife died immediately and he died on the way to hospital

Austria attacks SerbiaSuch a murder would normally have been a matter for the two countries involved alone.

But relations between the alliances of Great Powers were so strained in 1914 that it led to the outbreak of the First WorldWar.SomepoliticiansinAustria-Hungarysawtheassassination as an excuse for attacking Serbia and solving the problem of the Serbs within the Austrian Empire (see page 17).On23July,theAustriansissuedanultimatum to Serbia to comply with ten conditions, even though they had no proof that the Serbian government had anything to do with the assassination.

The Serb reply to the Austrian ultimatum indicated they did not want a war. They were prepared to accept help from Austria-HungaryingettingridofallthesocietiesinSerbiaengaged in propagandaagainstAustria-Hungary,butcouldnot accept one of the points because it involved delegates fromAustria-Hungarytakingpartintheinquiryagainstthoseinvolved in the murder of the Archduke and his wife.

This would mean the Serbian courts would be influenced by a foreign country, and this would be a threat to Serb independence. Although it did not accept this point, the

This artist’s impression of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was drawn in 1914 by Felix Schwormstaedt, illustrator for the German magazine Illustrite Zeitung.

An unjust war has been declared on a weak country. The anger in Russia shared fully by me is enormous. I foresee that very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. To try and avoid such a calamity as a European war I beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.

Nicky.

This telegram was sent from Tsar Nicolas to his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm, on 29 July, the day before Russia announced mobilisation.

SOURCE L


Serbian government stressed it was prepared to refer the matter to an international court.

Serbia’s long-term aim was still to bring all the Slavs in the Austro-HungarianempireintoagreaterSerbia.However,in 1914 Serbia did not want war as it was recovering from theBalkanWarswhichhadbeenfoughtbetween1912and1913. The Serb government was not officially linked in any waytotheBlackHandGroup,whichwasresponsibleforthe assassination. Serbia could therefore see no reasons for Austria-Hungarytodeclarewaronitin1914.

Russia mobilizes against Austria-HungaryAlthough the Serbs had accepted the majority of the Austrian ultimatum,thewarpartyinAustria-HungarywasdeterminedtodealwithSerbiamilitarily.On28July,Austria-HungaryrejectedtheSerbreplyanddeclaredwar.The Austrian declaration of war on Serbia was the first step towards general war in 1914.

DuringtheBosniancrisisof1908–9,RussiahadletdownitsSlav allies in the Balkans, so the Tsar was determined not to fail Serbia again. The Russians checked that they had the supportofFrance,andon30Julytheymobilised their army and prepared for war.

Austria-Hungary,however,hadnotactedalone.On5JulyAustrian delegates had visited Germany to see where the Kaiser stood, and had been assured that Germany would support them. This has been called by historians the ‘blank cheque’–apromisetosupportAustria-Hungarywhatever the cost.

NowthatRussiawasmobilising,theAustro-Hungariansexpected Germany’s help. In addition, Germany argued that allowing your neighbour to mobilise against you was like lettinganenemyputaguntoyourhead.BytheendofJuly,the Germans had decided to go to war.

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 already been achieved.

This comment was made by Kaiser Wilhelm speaking in 1914 before the outbreak of war.

SOURCE M

‘Germany fuelled the tension; Austria-Hungary was the first to attack. But it was Tsar Nicholas of Russia who turned the crisis into a world war.’ Do you agree?

VOICE yOuR OpINION!

A Russian cartoon of 1914, showing Kaiser Wilhelm terrified by Russian forces mobilising towards him.

The Kaiser is shown as lying in bed, hiding under the sheets but unable to stop the Russian forces marching on. The message of the cartoon is that Germany is terrified by Russian mobilisation

SOURCE N

SOURCE N


Germany supports Austria-HungarySince the Franco-Russian Treaty of 1894, Germany had faced the problem of a war with France and Russia at the same time.

TheGermanHeadofGeneralStaffwasCountAlfredvonSchlieffen, and his answer to this ‘war on two fronts’ was to defeat France first before Russia was ready. Once the French were defeated, the Germans could then turn east and defeat Russia.In1905vonSchlieffen’splanwastodefeatFrancewithinsixweeksbyattackingthroughBelgium.Hebelievedthat it would take the Russians at least six weeks to be ready for war because of Russia’s size and the size of the country and its poor transport.

The plan depended on the right wing of the German forces attackingFrancethroughBelgiumandHolland,leavingwithonly a few troops left to hold the French attack on Germany in Alsace and Lorraine. The plan was changed in 1914 by GeneralMoltke:heonlyattackedthroughBelgiumandstrengthened the forces in Alsace and Lorraine at the expense of the right wing.

The Russian mobilisationinJuly1914threwtheGermansinto a panic. Their war plan depended on France and Russia declaring war at the same time, and on defeating France before Russia was ready to fight. Now Russia was getting ready to fight, and every day that passed was a day less to defeatFrance.WhentheGermanChancellorBethmann-HollwegaskedGeneralMoltke:‘IstheFatherlandindanger?’thereplywas:‘Yes’.

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Furthest German advance in 1914

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This diagram shows the Schlieffen Plan as it was planned and as it was carried out in 1914.

When you have to answer a question about an historical source, before you start to think about the actual question, spend a little time to SWIPE it, by thinking:

1. What does it say on the Surface?

2. Who wrote it (and how might that have affected what it says?)

3. Its underlying opinion – what is it Inferring?

4. Its Purpose – what was it trying to achieve?

5. When it was written and what Events were happening at that time (and how might that have affected what it says?)

GradeStudio


On1August1914,GermanysupporteditsallyAustria-Hungaryby declaring war on Russia, and, two days later, on France.

The Schlieffen Plan was critical in the outbreak of war because it was a plan of attack. Germany could not, like Russia, mobilise as a threat of – and a preparation for – war. When the German army mobilised, the fighting started. It is arguable that the Schlieffen Plan, more than any other individual thing, brought war.

On 3 August 1914 the Germans launched the Schlieffen Plan and attacked France from the north through Belgium.

Britain enters the warThe British government was not keen to join the war. At first the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, said Britain would remain neutral unless Germany attacked the north coast of France. And even after Germany declared war on Russia,theBritishcabinetstatedon2Augustthattheywouldonly go to war if the neutrality of Belgium was violated.

When the Germans invaded Belgium, however, Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August.

Why did Britain enter the war? It was partly because the neutrality of Belgium had been guaranteed by Britain in 1839. Treaties that had been agreed had to be kept. The invasion of Belgium by Germany was against international law. Also, Britain wanted to prevent the coastline opposite Britain from falling into the hands of a possible enemy. Belgium and the north coast of France could be used to launch an attack on Britain.

But there were other reasons that brought Britain into the war. Britain also wanted to prevent Germany from becoming too strong in Europe, and did not want the whole of Europe to fall under the control of one power. Another important factor was public opinion. People in Britain overwhelmingly supported Belgium and wanted war; the invasion of Belgium ensured that Britain was united in going to war.

‘A peaceable, sensible mass of 500 million Europeans was hounded by a few dozen incapable leaders into a war which in no way was destined or inevitable.’ Do you agree?

VOICE yOuR OpINION!

This cartoon, from the British humorous magazine Punch, was published in August 1914.

The cartoon caricatures Germany as a grumpy old man, sausages hanging from his pocket, taking a cudgel to a young boy. Belgium is symbolised as a young boy, armed only with a stick, but nevertheless determined to defend his right of way. The caption sums up the British support for Belgium at the time.

Do you agree with this interpretation of Britain’s reasons for going to war in 1914?

SOURCE p

A photograph of British people lining up to join the British army fighting in France.

The outbreak of war was immensely popular in all the countries of Europe.

SOURCE OSOURCE O

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16

Preparation – ‘describe’ 1. For each of the events in the panel on the right, read

the textbook and write a short paragraph describing it in general terms.

2. For each, using the textbook, an encyclopaedia or the internet, fi nd out two ‘extra details’ – you could GO DEEPER, fi nding out about some aspect in more detail, or you could GO BROADER, putting the event in its wider context.

3. Write up ONE event as a ‘Describe’ essay of three paragraphs.

Preparation – ‘why’ 1. Working in a small group, for each of the questions in the panel on the

left, think of TWO reasons why it happened.

Preparation – ‘how’ 1. Working as a whole class, for each of the issues, think of TWO ways

‘how’ the factor on the left worked to create the situation on the right.

• The Triple Alliance• The Triple Entente• Kaiser Wilhelm’s foreign policy• The Moroccan crises of 1905 and 1911• The Bosnian Crisis of 1908• The military arms race• The naval arms race• Austria-Hungary’s aims in the Balkans• The Black Hand• Serbia’s aims in the Balkans• The assassination at Sarajevo• The events of 28 June to 4 August 1914• The Schlieffen Plan

Why...did Britain fear Germany?did Austria-Hungary fear Serbia?did Germany intervene in Morocco?did Princip assassinate Franz Ferdinand?did Russia mobilise?did German troops invade Belgium?

did Germany resent Britain?did Russia support Serbia?did Austria-Hungary annex Bosnia?did Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia?did Germany declare war on Russia? did Britain enter the war?

HOW did this…• The system of alliances…• The naval arms race…• The Moroccan crises, 1906 and 1911…• The Bosnian crisis of 1908…• The assassination of Franz Ferdinand…• Alliances…• The Schlieffen Plan…• Austria-Hungary…• Russia…• Germany…

cause this?greater international tensionhostility between Germany and Britaintension between Germany and Francetension between Russia and Austria-Hungarythe First World Warthe slide to war, 28 June to 4 August 1914the outbreak of fi ghting in Augustthe First World Warthe First World Warthe First World War

Examiner’s verdict

Source H (see page 8) suggests that Wilhelm II was responsible for the Moroccan crisis of 1905. Do you agree with the interpretation that Wilhelm II was the main cause of the crisis?

Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your own knowledge. (6)

Source H shows Britain and France – backed by the British navy, stopping Wilhelm’s schemes in Morocco. Wilhelm – dressed like the villain in a pantomime – accepts that he is beaten, but vows to try again. The cartoon blames Wilhelm, and makes out that he is wickedly trying to take more power.

Looking at the provenance, I see that the cartoonist is Haselden, a patriotic British cartoonist. He drew the cartoon in 1905, so it is topical, but – being British – he would have been biased, and this makes his interpretation unreliable. A German cartoonist would have interpreted the incident in a very different way.

Haselden makes Britain seem jolly and nice; a German cartoonist would have shown him as a greedy bully who already owned a fi fth of the world. Similarly, Haselden shows Wilhelm as a troublemaker; a German cartoonist might have shown him as a noble hero trying to secure a place in the sun for Germany and her traders.

When I look at the content of the source, I see that it is generally true. In a conference at Algeciras in 1906 Britain and Russia stood by France and it was agreed that Germany should have no say in Morocco.

Other facts support the cartoon’s interpretation. Britain and France dancing together refers to the Entente Cordiale of 1904. Showing Wilhelm saying: ‘a time will come’ is a prophecy of the Agadir crisis of 1911.

However, some things about the cartoon are not true. It is NOT true that Wilhelm was the villain of the crisis –France was trying to take over Morocco, and Wilhelm tried to defend Morocco’s independence. And it is NOT true that Britain’s navy undisputedly ruled the waves – in 1898, Wilhelm ordered Tirpitz to increase the German navy, so that it could challenge Britain’s.

The cartoon is not a correct interpretation of the crisis – it is a British interpretation, produced to give only facts that would reassure the British public that the French alliance and the Royal Navy would protect Britain against Germany.

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This earns no marks,

but defi nes what

you believe the

interpretation is – in

case you get it wrong.

Describes

the cartoon’s

interpretation

Refers to the

cartoon’s

provenance

Explains how

the provenance

has affected

the cartoon’s

interpretation

of the event

Refers to the

cartoon’s

content

Compares

the cartoon’s

content in

detail to the

actual facts,

seeing whether

it is true or false

TWO ideas, using the

PROVENANCE

This gets 1 mark.

TWO ideas,

developing the

explanation.

This earns up to

another 2 marks.

CONTENT statement

+ fact

This gets 1 mark.

Develops ideas FOR

and AGAINST for

interpretation.

This earns up to

another 2 marks.

(By explaining

both content and

provenance, I can

reach a low ‘A’.)

Conclusion,

assessing

the cartoon’s

interpretation

Notice how I refer to

the purpose of the

source.

In 1898, Wilhelm ordered Tirpitz to increase the German navy. After 1906 both sides began building Dreadnoughts; 1907-1914 Britain built 19, Germany 13. The race reached its peak in 1909, when Germans refused to agree how many Dreadnoughts to build and public pressure in Britain demanded: ‘we want eight and won’t wait’.

The Naval Race helped bring Britain into the war. As an island with an empire, Britain needed a bigger navy, particularly since the British army was very small. The British believed the German fl eet build-up was aimed at challenging British superiority and the empire; the naval race made the British resent and fear the Germans. These British fears caused Britain to make a naval agreement with Japan (1902), and join the Dual Entente with France (1904).

The naval race was not the main cause of Britain going to war in 1914, by which time Britain had won the race. The alliances with Japan and France came BEFORE the naval race, not because of it. Also, the height of the naval race came in 1909, long before the war, without causing a war.

The Schlieffen plan (1905) was Germany’s answer to a ‘war on two fronts’. It was to defeat France in the 6 weeks it would take Russia to mobilise. The right wing of the German forces would attack France through Belgium and Holland, leaving only a few troops to hold the French attack on Germany in Alsace and Lorraine.

The Schlieffen Plan brought Britain into the war on 4 August because the neutrality of Belgium had been guaranteed by Britain in 1839. Also, Britain wanted to prevent the coastline opposite Britain from falling into the hands of a possible enemy. Belgium and the north coast of France could be used to launch an attack on Britain.

But other reasons brought Britain into the war, which reduces the importance of the Schlieffen Plan. Britain also did not want the whole of Europe to fall under the control of one power. Also, public opinion in Britain overwhelmingly supported Belgium and was united supporting going to war.


Which was the more important reason for Great Britain entering World War I:

• The Naval Race with Germany, 1906-1914;

• The Schlieffen Plan?

You must refer to both reasons when explaining your answer. (10)

• an opening

statement

• TWO ‘extra details’

This paragraph is

worth 1 mark.

TWO ideas

If done properly,

this will earn 1-2

additional marks

• notice how I

prove it was that

important by using

facts.

This will earn 1-2

additional marks

• an opening

statement

• TWO ‘extra details’

This paragraph is

worth 1 mark.

• TWO ideas

• Now I have

explained BOTH, I

have secured a ‘C’.

Describes the

Naval Race

Explains how it

caused tension/

and confl ict

Assesses how

important this

was

Describes the

Schlieffen Plan

Explains how it

caused tension/

and confl ict

• Assessing the

importance of

BOTH reasons

secures a grade ‘A’.

Assess how

important this

was

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57 1918

GradeStudio

However, the Schlieffen Plan was more important. The Naval Race created underlying tensions, but still in 1914 the British government did not want war. Even after Germany declared war, the British stated on 2 August that they would only go to war if the neutrality of Belgium was violated. And the invasion of Belgium caused Britain to declare war.


• to get to ‘A*’

I have made

a judgement,

explained my idea

and included a fact.

Conclusion

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Documents

1.1 The Origins of the First World War - Pearson · PDF file1.1 The Origins of the First World War ... safety by making defensive agreements with other countries. ... • Germany resented