Alliances
Which three countries formed the Triple Entente
Britain, France, and Russia.
What is militarism?
The belief that a country should maintain powerful armed forces and be willing to use them to achieve national goals.
Which territories did France lose to Germany after the Franco-Prussian War?
Alsace-Lorraine
Who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
Princip
What was Germany’s “blank cheque”?
Germany’s promise to support Austria-Hungary against Serbia, even if this resulted in war with Russia.
Which countries formed the Dual Alliance
Germany and Austria-Hungary
Which British battleship transformed the naval arms race in 1906?
HMS Dreadnought
When did the two Moroccan Crises occur, and which two powers were mainly involved?
They occurred in 1905–06 and 1911. Germany challenged French influence in Morocco, while Britain generally supported France.
When and where was Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated?
Sarajevo on 28 June 1914.
When did Austria-Hungary send its ultimatum to Serbia, and how did Serbia respond?
The ultimatum was delivered on 23 July 1914. Serbia replied on 25 July, accepting most demands but rejecting or qualifying those that threatened its basic rights.
How did the alliance system help enlarging a regional conflict into a global one?
Germany supported Austria-Hungary, while Russia supported Serbia. Russia’s involvement brought in Germany and France. Germany’s invasion of Belgium then contributed to Britain entering the war.
How did the naval arms race increase tension before WWI?
Germany’s naval expansion appeared to threaten British naval supremacy. Britain responded by building more warships, increasing suspicion and encouraging closer British cooperation with France and Russia.
Why did Serbian nationalism threaten Austria-Hungary?
Serbian nationalists wanted to unite South Slavs, including those living inside Austria-Hungary. This threatened the empire’s territory and could encourage its different ethnic groups to demand independence.
How did the Bosnian Crisis of 1908–09 increase tension?
Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, angering Serbia and Russia. Russia was forced to back down when Germany supported Austria-Hungary, creating resentment and making Russia less willing to retreat in a future crisis.
Why did Germany’s blank cheque increase the likelihood of war?
It gave Austria-Hungary confidence to take strong action against Serbia. German support reduced Austria-Hungary’s willingness to compromise and encouraged it to risk Russian intervention.
Compare the unity of the Triple Alliance with that of the Triple Entente in 1914
The Triple Alliance was less united because Italy declared neutrality in 1914, arguing that Austria-Hungary had started an offensive war. The Triple Entente was not a single formal alliance, but France and Russia had a military alliance and Britain increasingly cooperated with them
Compare the importance of the naval arms race with the land arms race.
The naval race seriously damaged Anglo-German relations, but the land arms race had a more direct impact in 1914. Larger armies, railway timetables and rapid mobilization plans pressured governments to make quick decisions during the July Crisis.
Compare the importance of imperial rivalry with nationalism in causing WWI.
Imperial rivalry increased distrust, especially during the Moroccan Crises. However, nationalism was more directly connected to the outbreak because Serbian nationalism threatened Austria-Hungary and motivated the Sarajevo assassination.
Compare the impact of the Bosnian Crisis with that of the Balkan Wars of 1912–13.
Both increased Austro-Serbian hostility. The Bosnian Crisis humiliated Serbia and Russia, while the Balkan Wars strengthened and enlarged Serbia. The Balkan Wars therefore created a more immediate threat to Austria-Hungary.
Compare the significance of Russian mobilization with Germany’s war plan.
Russian mobilization on 30 July intensified German fears and led to German mobilization. However, Germany’s plan to attack France through Belgium widened the eastern crisis into a western war and helped bring Britain into the conflict.
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of a global war?
Alliances were important because they connected the major powers and allowed the crisis to spread. However, they did not automatically cause war. Government decisions, mobilization and Germany’s invasion of Belgium were more immediately responsible for turning the crisis into a general war.
Was militarism the most important long-term cause of WWI? Support your judgement with evidence.
Militarism was a major cause because military spending, the Anglo-German naval race, France’s Three-Year Law of 1913, and Germany’s army expansion encouraged fear and aggressive planning. Nevertheless, militarism became dangerous mainly when combined with Balkan nationalism and political decisions during the July Crisis.
“Nationalism was a more significant cause of WWI than imperialism.” How far do you agree?
Largely agree. Imperial disputes were usually settled without war, but nationalism destabilized the Balkans, intensified French resentment over Alsace-Lorraine and encouraged great-power competition. Serbian nationalism was also directly connected to the assassination that triggered the July Crisis.
Did the Sarajevo assassination make a European war inevitable?
No. It created a serious crisis, but war was not inevitable. Germany’s blank cheque, Austria-Hungary’s harsh ultimatum, Russian mobilization and Germany’s declarations of war transformed the assassination into a European conflict.
Which decision during the July Crisis was most important in causing a European war?
Germany’s blank cheque was arguably the most important because it encouraged Austria-Hungary to pursue war instead of compromise. However, Russian general mobilization and Germany’s decisions to declare war on Russia and France made a continent-wide war immediate.