Lesson Plan
Grade and Subject
10th grade Modern World History
Standard
10.5.1: Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by leaders from all sides of the
Great War and the role of political and economical rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts,
domestic discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in mobilizing the civilian
population in support of “total war.”
Objective
Students will gain an understanding of causes of World War I by completing a graphic organizer,
poster and participating in a gallery walk. M.A.N.I.A.
Materials
Primary Sources:
1. Political cartoon depicting alliances
2. Political cartoon illustrating nationalistic ventures
3. Telegrams between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II, 1914
Secondary Sources
1. Chart representing military build up in Great Britain and Germany
2. Map of Europe
3. Map of Imperialism in Africa
4. Video explaining Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand
5. Excerpts explaining Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination.
6. Graphic organizer
7. Poster paper and markers
Warm-Up
Video: “Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand” After video, have a short discussion about
how many give this event sole credit for the causation of WWI, yet this event almost did not
happen. Come to a collective conclusion that this one event did not cause WWI, and that many
things added to the conflict that would become WWI.
Input
To facilitate the students learning of how many events led to World War I, primary and
secondary sources will be strategically distributed. These sources will help the students grasp
the main causes of WWI: Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism and Assassination. I
will break the class into five groups based on their sources. Questions will also be provided to
aide students in understanding their specific concept. After meeting with their groups the
students will begin to fill out their graphic organizer, and create a poster describing their concept.
Modeling
Students will complete their graphic organizer and poster, while I walk around to help clarify and
answer questions. Students will answer these questions to help demonstrate their understanding
of the topic.
Question to consider for your sources…
Militarism:
1. State in your own words what is militarism.
2. Why was the Industrial Revolution a support to military build-up?
3. What does the graph show between 1906-1914?
4. How did military build-up lead to WWI?
Alliances:
1. What is an alliance?
2. Why did nations in Europe make alliances with other nations?
3. Using the resources provided, split the map into the two alliances. (Use two different colors.)
4. According to your political cartoon, describe how these alliances played into the outbreak of
WWI?
Nationalism:
1. Define nationalism in your own words.
2. How is nationalism a driving force behind imperialism and militarism?
3. Explain how nationalism was a key factor in the road to WWI.
Imperialism:
1. Define imperialism.
2. Explain how imperialism was a source of conflict between the British, French, and German
nations.
3. In what way does imperialism lead to WWI?
Assassination:
1. In your own words, describe the events of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
2. Based on the letters provided, how did Austria-Hungary’s reaction of the assassination to
Serbia affect Germany and Russia? Which side is Russia and Germany sympathetic towards?
3. How did the assassination ignite WWI.
Check for Understanding
The poster and graphic organizers are both ways for me to check for understanding. To be sure,
I will ask the students to give me and head shake ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if they understand their tasks.
Guided Practice
After allowing the students to finish their posters, I will explain and direct a gallery walk. Here
students will move group to group learn the four other concepts that were integral to the cause of
WWI. One student will be left in each group to teach other students about their concept.
Through this activity, I will be able to asses the classes understanding of the causes for WWI.
Differentiation
Students needing support will be provided with a supplementary word bank to assist their
understanding of the sources. The sources themselves are short to allow for easier
understanding. Also the students will be broken into groups that will best facilitate their learning
and understanding of the concepts of the lesson.
Word Bank
____ Alliances
A. Feeling important or special.
____ Industry
B. An understanding between
people.
____ Imperialism
C. To change something.
____ Pride
D. Nations controlling small
nations.
____ M.A.N.I.A
E. Factories and businesses.
____ Revolution
F. Militarism, alliances,
nationalism, imperialism,
assassination
Accelerated students needing extensions will be provided with more analytical questions to
challenge them.
Closure
As a means for closure, I will pose this question “Which of the concepts of M.A.N.I.A. do you
thinks was the driving force or most important to the cause of WWI?” Students will answer this
question in a couple sentences explaining their reasoning. Their explanation will be their ticket
out of class. Along with this, students will submit their graphic organizers and their group
poster.
SOURCES:
Assassination in Sarajevo
Europe had reached its breaking point when on June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the
Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serbian nationalist belonging to an
organization known as the Black Hand (Narodna Obrana). Immediately following the assassination
Germany pledged its full support (blank check) to Austria-Hungary, pressuring them to declare war on
Serbia, while France strengthened its backing of Russia. Convinced that the Serbian government had
conspired against them, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an unacceptable ultimatum, to which Serbia
consented almost entirely.
Arms Race
The menace of the hostile division led to an arms race, another cause of World War I. Acknowledging that
Germany was the leader in military organization and efficiency, the great powers of Europe copied the
universal conscription, large reserves and detailed planning of the Prussian system. Technological and
organizational developments led to the formation of general staffs with precise plans for mobilization and
attack that often could not be reversed once they were begun. The German von Schlieffen Plan to attack
France before Russia in the event of war with Russia was one such complicated plan that drew more
countries into war than necessary.
Armies and navies were greatly expanded. The standing armies of France and Germany doubled in size
between 1870 and 1914. Naval expansion was also extremely competitive, particularly between Germany
and Great Britain. By 1889, the British had established the principle that in order to maintain naval
superiority in the event of war they would have to have a navy two and a half times as large as the secondlargest navy. This motivated the British to launch the Dreadnought, invented by Admiral Sir John Fisher,
in 1906. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 had demonstrated how effective these battleships were.
As Britain increased their output of battleships, Germany correspondingly stepped up their naval
production, including the Dreadnought. Although efforts for worldwide disarmament were made at the
Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907, international rivalry caused the arms race to continue to feed on
itself.
Imperialism
Another factor which contributed to the increase in rivalry in Europe was imperialism. Great Britain,
Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial
Revolution. These countries competed for economic expansion in Africa. Although Britain and France
resolved their differences in Africa, several crises foreshadowing the war involved the clash of Germany
against Britain and France in North Africa. In the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was
alluring to Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia.
Nationalism
At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of
preserving the peace. Germany and Italy were left as divided states, but strong nationalist movements and
revolutions led to the unification of Italy in 1861 and that of Germany in 1871. Another result of the
Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was that France was left seething over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to
Germany, and Revanche was a major goal of the French. Nationalism posed a problem for AustriaHungary and the Balkans, areas comprised of many conflicting national groups. The ardent Panslavism of
Serbia and Russia's willingness to support its Slavic brother conflicted with Austria-Hungary's PanGermanism.
Bismarck and Alliances
World War I was caused in part by the two opposing alliances developed by Bismarckian diplomacy after
the Franco-Prussian War. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperor's
League in 1872, an alliance between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. When the French occupied
Tunisia, Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment towards France and created the Triple
Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria- Hungary in 1882. In exchange for Italy's agreement to stay
neutral if war broke out between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary would
protect Italy from France. Russia and Austria-Hungary grew suspicious of each other over conflicts in the
Balkans in 1887, but Bismarck repaired the damage to his alliances with a Reinsurance Treaty with
Russia, allowing both powers to stay neutral if the other was at war.
Collapse of Bismarckian Alliances
However, after Bismarck was fired by Kaiser William II in 1890, the traditional dislike of Slavs kept
Bismarck's successors from renewing the understanding with Russia. France took advantage of this
opportunity to get an ally, and the Franco- Russian Entente was formed in 1891, which became a formal
alliance in 1894. The Kruger telegram William II sent to congratulate the leader of the Boers for defeating
the British in 1896, his instructions to the German soldiers to behave like Huns in China during the Boxer
Rebellion, and particularly the large- scale navy he was building all contributed to British distrust of
Germany.
As a result, Britain and France overlooked all major imperialistic conflict between them and formed the
Entente Cordiale in 1904. Russia formed an Entente with Britain in 1907 after they had reached an
understanding with Britain's ally Japan and William II had further alienated Russia by supporting
Austrian ambitions in the Balkans. The Triple Entente, an informal coalition between Great Britain,
France and Russia, now countered the Triple Alliance. International tension was greatly increased by the
division of Europe into two armed camps.
http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/causes.htm
*This is a primary source for the Assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand*
Tsar to Kaiser
29 July 1914, 1 a.m.
Peter's Court Palais, 29 July 1914
Sa Majesté l'Empereur
Neues Palais
Am glad you are back. In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me. An ignoble war
has been declared to a weak country. The indignation 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.
Kaiser to Tsar
29 July 1914, 1.45 a.m. (this and the previous telegraph crossed)
28 July 1914
It is with the gravest concern that I hear of the impression which the
action of Austria against Serbia is creating in your country.
The unscrupulous agitation that has been going on in Serbia for years
has resulted in the outrageous crime, to which Archduke Francis
Ferdinand fell a victim. The spirit that led Serbians to murder their
own king and his wife still dominates the country.
You will doubtless agree with me that we both, you and me, have a
common interest as well as all Sovereigns to insist that all the persons
morally responsible for the dastardly murder should receive their deserved punishment. In
this case politics plays no part at all.
On the other hand, I fully understand how difficult it is for you and your Government to face
the drift of your public opinion. Therefore, with regard to the hearty and tender friendship
which binds us both from long ago with firm ties, I am exerting my utmost influence to
induce the Austrians to deal straightly to arrive to a satisfactory understanding with you. I
confidently hope that you will help me in my efforts to smooth over difficulties that may
still arise.
Your very sincere and devoted friend and cousin
Willy
Nationalism
Alliances
Imperialism
Military Build up