Revision!
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Try to do everything at once
them first
Break down the topics into chunks. You
Only focus on topics that you like
will find a page on each topic, plus tasks or
past paper questions to complete
Leave everything til the last
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minute
up your revision
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Ask your teacher to mark past paper
questions or for advice if you are stuck
of confused.
How to use this booklet
1) Read each section of work. Highlight key points. Cover the page and
write down everything you can remember, then check against the
information.
2) Attempt the past paper question that follows
3) Get your answers marked by your teacher
4) Improve your answers
5) Revisit old work regularly
Causes of World War One
The alliance system
Splendid isolationism
German foreign policy- the Kaiser and Weltpolitik
The Naval/Arms Race
Moroccan Crisis 1905/6
The Bosnian Crisis 1908
Agadir Crisis 1911
The Black Hand gang and assassination
The Schlieffen plan
Reasons Britain entered the war
Tick
when
done
Causes of WW1
Unit 1 exam questions:
Unit 1
4 Mark Q- describe
Unit 1
6 Mark Q- source
evaluation
Remember to MOP
Make sure you include 3
points to describe what
the question asks you to. Message of the source
Read the question
carefully!!!
(don’t waste time describing
what you can see- no marks for
this)
Unit 1
10 Mark Q- knowledge
evaluation
Explain bullet point one
Explain bullet point two
(both need to be
detailed paragraphs)
Own knowledge
compared to the source
(there’s always
something that the
source doesn’t show or is
missing that you can
include!)
Compare and conclude,
explaining your decision
Purpose of the sourcewhy was it made? Is it
trying to persuade
someone at the time to
do or think something ?
Is it trying to justify their
actions? Is it lying or
exaggerating? If so,
why??
Don’t just say what
happened. You cannot
get more than 4/10
(40%- D grade) if you
only describe the two
points.
Explaining needs to say
how or why something
happened, or the results
of an event.
2
Causes of WW1
Alliances
From the late 1800s, the countries of Europe sought protection by forming alliances. At first, the
German leader Bismarck had kept Germany friendly with Russia. Kaiser Wilhelm overturned this, and
concentrated instead on the Dual Alliance of 1879 between Germany and Austria-Hungary - which
became the Triple Alliance when Italy joined in 1882.
Alarmed by this strong central bloc:
a. France in 1894 made an alliance with Russia, and
b. In 1904 France made an agreement with Britain called the Entente Cordiale (= ‘Friendly Relationship’
– not a formal alliance, but a promise to work together).
c. n 1902 Britain made a naval treaty with Japan to look after their interests in the Far East. This meant
that Britain could concentrate on what was happening in Europe.
d. After the first Moroccan Crisis in 1905/6 where Britain, France and Russia had stood together against
Germany, Britain made an entente with Russia, thus forming the Triple Entente in 1907 (France,
Russia, Great Britain). The Triple Entente was formed for defence against the growing threat
Therefore Europe was divided into two alliance blocs:
The Triple Entente alarmed Germany, which felt itself surrounded and encircled by the France-Russia
alliance. The countries of Europe thought that the alliance system would act as a deterrent to war; in fact it
tied the countries together so that, when one country went to war, the others felt themselves obliged to
follow.
In fact, the alliances made war more likely to happen and contributed to the outbreak of war in 1914
because….
 countries felt suspicious and threatened by each other (Germany in particular felt surrounded)
 they meant that some countries had no option but to declare war if one of their allies declared war
first (look at what happened in 1914)
 being in an alliance dragged countries into conflicts that had nothing to do with them (again, see
1914)
For more info look at : http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/
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Causes of WW1
Europe was divided into two armed camps
1870
In 1870 Germany became a united country. It had ambitions to become
a great power like Britain.
The Germans were worried that France might attack them to win back
Alsace and Lorraine which the Germans had recently won from France
in war.
1870
In 1870 France lost the territories of Alsace and Lorraine (both
rich industrial areas) to Germany and they feared more attacks
from Germany, so they built up its forces on its border with
Germany
Meanwhile, the vast Austrian Empire was in danger of falling apart.
Some areas of the Empire were trying to become independent with the
support of Russia. Austria needed a strong ally
1879
Austria and Germany formed an alliance. They promised to help each
other if either country had to go to war
1882
Italy saw that it would benefit from joining Austria and
Germany, so in 1882 the Triple Alliance was formed.
1894
France formed an alliance with Russia. Russia had borders with
both Germany and Austria. France and Russia promised to help
each other if either of them was attacked.
1904
In the past France had always been Britain’s main rival. But Britain
had become increasingly worried about growing German power.
In 1904 Britain and France reached an agreement and patched up
their old rivalries with the Entente Cordiale.
1907
Britain and Russia reached a similar agreement following
cooperation during the Moroccan Crisis of 1905 and the Triple
Entente was formed
The British said that they had formed the Triple Entente to prevent Germany
taking over all of Europe.
Germany said that the Triple Entente had been formed to surround and
threaten Germany.
Splendid Isolation
Britain had stayed out of European treaties and
alliances for most of the 1800s. They continued this
policy into the 1900s until they became aware of
German ambitions to have an empire and a navy to
rival Britain’s. Britain made a naval agreement with
Japan in 1902 which was the beginning of the end for
their Splendid Isolation policy. This agreement allowed
Britain to concentrate on European affairs and they
made a friendly agreement (Entente Cordiale) with
France
soon after.
Tasks
This cartoon
shows John Bull
of Britain
standing alone
on their island,
becoming
surrounded by
German Uboats and ships
4
Causes of WW1
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In 1900 Britain’s foreign policy was known as ‘Splendid Isolation’. Describe the changes in Britain’s foreign policy in
the years 1900–1907. (4 marks)
:
The Entente Cordiale
This was an agreement between Britain and France, resolved a number of longstanding disputes over
colonies, and established an understanding between the two countries, but was NOT a promise of
defending each other and it was NOT an alliance.
France was keen to build a buffer against possible German aggression. Britain was willing to encourage cooperation between the two countries because Germany was beginning to expand her navy and compete
with Britain.
The Entente made Germany worried and they put the strength of the agreement to the test by provoking a
crisis in Morocco in 1905. Britain and France stood firm together. Russia also backed the Entente and the
agreement was extended to include Russia in 1907, making the Triple Entente. Germany were surrounded.
This eventually led to the use of the Schlieffen Plan by Germany in 1914.
These cartoons show Britain and France walking off together arm in arm, turning their back
on Germany. Below, British and French soldiers are shown kicking a football with the
Kaiser’s face on it.
5
Causes of WW1
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In 1904 and 1907 Britain made agreements with France and Russia. Describe the main features of the Entente
Cordiale and Britain’s agreement with Russia.
(4 marks)
:
6 mark exam Q (MOP)
10 mins
Remember to MOP:
Message
Own knowledge (always give
OTHER reasons or points)
Purpose of the source
Don’t waste time describing
what you can see
Source A gives the impression that the Entente Cordiale was directed against Germany.
Do you agree that this was the main reason why Britain and France made the Entente Cordiale?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your
knowledge.
6
Causes of WW1
CHECK!
Have you included both own knowledge and the purpose of the
source?
7
Causes of WW1
Kaiser Wilhelm II and Weltpolitik
Germany was massively powerful, with the most up-to-date industry in the world. Germany had become a united
country for the first time in 1870-1. At first, the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was careful not to annoy other
countries, but after 1890 the slightly-mad Kaiser Wilhelm II took over the government. He wanted Germany to be
the best country in the world. His foreign policy was called Weltpolitik, which means “world politics”.
The Kaiser’s aims in Weltpolitik
a)
b)
c)
d)
Determined to build a “place in the sun” for Germany. By this he meant an empire in Africa
Determined to build up the German navy
Challenge the Entente Cordiale by interfering in Morocco (see the Moroccan crises of 1905 and 1911)
Fully support ally Austria Hungary in keep their empire together in the Balkans
The Kaiser has been considered by historians and people at the time as being unstable.
He was jealous of Britain’s empire and navy and tried to build up both of these. This angered Britain because:
The Kaiser is like a balloon … if you don’t keep hold of the string, you’ll never know where he will be off to next.
An assessment by Chancellor Bismarck, who resigned in 1890 after disagreement with Wilhelm
He is no longer in control of himself when he is seized by rage. I regard the situation as highly dangerous and am at a
loss to know what to do [being with the Kaiser] is like sitting on a barrel of gunpowder.
Wilhelm’s friend and adviser Eulenberg, writing in the early 1900s after the Kaiser had just gone into one of his
frequent tempers
1) There wasn’t much land in Africa left as it had been colonised (taken over by European countries such as
France and Britain). Britain feared Germany might try to take or influence their colonies
2) Britain couldn’t understand why Germany was building up their navy so rapidly, they didn’t have an overseas
empire to protect or get to. Therefore Britain feared that Germany would use their new navy to challenge
them
Cartoons from Britain at the time
show how the British thought the
Kaiser wanted to dominate the
world
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Causes of WW1
6 mark exam Q (MOP)
10 mins
Remember to MOP:
Message
Own knowledge (always give
OTHER reasons or points)
Purpose of the source
Don’t waste time describing
what you can see
Study Source A.
Source A suggests a reason why Britain went to war against Germany in 1914.
Do you agree that this was the main reason why Britain went to war against Germany in 1914?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your
knowledge. (6 marks)
9
Causes of WW1
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
Describe the Kaiser’s aims in his Weltpolitik. (4 marks)
:
10
Causes of WW1
The Naval Arms Race
The Naval race between Germany and Great Britain between 1906 and 1914 created huge friction between
both nations and it is seen as one of the causes of World War One. In 1906, Britain launched the first
dreadnought – a ship that meant all others were redundant before its awesome fire power.
By 1914, Germany had 17 Dreadnought style ships and Britain had 29.
The competition during the naval race made both countries much more suspicious of each other. The
British couldn’t understand why the Germans were building a navy as they didn’t have an empire to
protect. They were worried the new, powerful German navy would challenge theirs. The British public were
also worried and put pressure on the government to make more ships. “We want 8 and we wont wait” was
their slogan.
All the countries apart from Britain also built up their armies and introduced conscription. This had the
effect of making countries ready, confident and able to fight should a conflict occur.
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
Before the outbreak of World War One, Britain and Germany were engaged in a naval race. Describe this Naval Race.
(4 marks)
:
11
Causes of WW1
Moroccan Crises 1905 and 1911
1905:
France hoped to conquer Morocco in Africa, and one of
the points of the Entente Cordiale (1904) was that the
British would help them. But in 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm
visited Morocco and promised to protect Morocco against
anyone who threatened it.
The French were upset by the German’s interference.
Part of Germany’s interference was to test the
relationship between France and Britain. In the end a
conference was held and Britain, France and Russia
stood together in saying Germany had no right to have
a say in Morocco’s affairs. This led to them signing the
Triple Entente and Germany felt humiliated and
!!Effects!!:

surrounded. Britain and France grew closer and more
worried about what Germany’s intentions were.
Germany humiliated and
annoyed, looking for an
opportunity to get their own
back

Britain and France strengthen
their relationship

Russia also supported Britain
and France and together the
Triple Entente was formed
Germany is deliberately preparing to destroy the
British Empire. We are all to be drilled and schooled
and uniformed by German officials. Britain alone
stands in the way of Germany's path to world power
and domination.
from an article in the Daily Mail newspaper, 1909
Second Moroccan Crisis- Agadir 1911
In 1911, there was a revolution in Morocco, and the French
sent in an army to put it down, then took over the country. In the middle of this, Kaiser Wilhelm sent the
gunboat called “Panther” to the Moroccan port of Agadir. This was seen as being German aggression and
almost an act of war. The French and British were furious - the British minister Lloyd George said that
'Britain's interests were vitally affected'. Fear of Germany's intentions increased. Germany was forced
to back down and remove the gunship, and after a conference was given only a small piece of jungle in
the Congo. This increased German resentment and anger. The Kaiser was determined not to be the
loser in the next crisis'- he would not back down if another event occurred.
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Causes of WW1
6 mark exam Q (MOP)
10 mins
Source A The front cover of a French magazine showing a German gunboat close to Agadir, Morocco, in
1911. The magazine said that the gunboat was a threat to the peace of Europe.
Source A shows that the Germans
had sent a gunboat to the
Moroccan port of Agadir in 1911.
Do you agree that this was the
main reason why Britain
supported France against
Germany in the years 1911 to
1914?
Remember to MOP:
Message
Own knowledge (always give
OTHER reasons or points)
Purpose of the source
Explain your answer by referring
to the purpose of the source, as
well as using its content and your
knowledge. (6 marks
Don’t waste time describing
what you can see
13
Causes of WW1
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In 1911 Germany sent a gunboat to the Moroccan port of Agadir. Describe the main events of the Second Moroccan
Crisis which took place in 1911. (4 marks)
:
GERMANY: ‘IT’S ROCK! I THOUGHT IT WAS
GOING TO BE PAPER.’
A cartoon called ‘Solid’ about the Entente Cordiale.
It appeared in Punch, a British
magazine, on 2 August 1911. This was during the
Agadir Crisis.
14
Causes of WW1
6 mark exam Q (MOP)
10 mins
Source A From a private letter sent by the German Chancellor in 1911 after the Moroccan (Agadir) Crisis.
“It was sent to a member of the German government who supported war. Had I allowed war to break
out, our fleet would have been destroyed by Britain. The German people would then have asked me why.
Why risk all this for Morocco or the Congo?”
Do you agree that the reasons given by the German Chancellor were the main reasons for Germany backing down in
the Moroccan (Agadir) Crisis, 1911?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well as using its content and your knowledge. (6
marks)
15
Causes of WW1
The Bosnian Crisis 1908
Meanwhile in Europe, the empire of Turkey had been in decline for a long time. In 1908 there was a
revolution in Turkey, and Austria-Hungary took advantage of this to annex (take over) the small Turkish
state of Bosnia.
Serbia was furious, because Bosnia included many Serbs whom it had hoped to rule. (This eventually led to
the assassination at Sarajevo and the outbreak of the First World War). Serbia asked their ally Russia to
help, and Russia called a European Conference, expecting support from France and Britain. However,
Britain and France did NOT support Russia, no conference took place, and Russia had to back down and
was humiliated - but Russia vowed not to back down again.
At the same time, Austria-Hungary had Germany’s support in the crisis so they knew they could count on
each other in the future. All the countries involved behaved in the same way as they did later in 1914 after
the assassination- it was basically a rehearsal for the outbreak of war.
The crisis was important because:
• It strengthened the relationship between Austria-Hungary and Germany
• Russia was determined not to back down again
• Serbia wanted revenge on Austria-Hungary
• Austria-Hungary was looking for a reason to crush Serbia and show its dominance in the area
• These points help to explain why these countries acted the way they did in 1914.
These cartoons show the area being torn apart by the big European powers and the Balkans as an area
of tension and potential conflict that might boil over if the leaders of Europe don’t keep a lid on it.
16
Causes of WW1
10 mark exam Q
20 mins
Which of these two was more responsible for causing WW1:
- the Moroccan Crises, 1905 and 1911 or
- the Bosnian Crisis, 1908–1909?
You must explain both bullet points
then conclude with your opinion and
reasons.
Remember to explain, not to describe or
waste too much time describing
Explain HOW each of the points
helped to cause WW1
You must refer to both causes when explaining your answer. (10 marks)
17
Causes of WW1
18
Causes of WW1
10 mark exam Q
20 mins
Which of these two bullet points had the greater effect on the development of the alliance system in Europe:
- the Moroccan Crises, 1905.1911
- the Bosnian Crisis, 1908.1909?
You must refer to both bullet points when explaining your answer. (10 marks)
You must explain both bullet points
then conclude with your opinion and
reasons.
Remember to explain, not to describe
or waste too much time describing
Explain HOW each of the points
helped to make the alliances
19
Causes of WW1
20
Causes of WW1
Assassination at Sarajevo, 1914
On 28 June 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb and member of the Black Hand gang, a terrorist group who
supported Bosnian and Serbian independence shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of
Austria-Hungary. The gang had attempted to kill him with grenades but had missed. After escaping
unharmed, the Archduke’s car took a wrong turn and it just so happened that Princip was in the right place
to be able to shoot and kill the Archduke and his wife. Princip was arrested, the Austro-Hungarians were
furious. Austria-Hungary was looking for a reason to crush Serbia and show its dominance in the area
and used this as a reason to issue a 10 point ultimatum to Serbia.
This started the sequence of events which led to World War One
 On 23 July 1914, an ultimatum was sent to Serbia from Austria-Hungary with ten demands about
punishing those responsible the murder of the Archduke. Germany promised to support AustriaHungary. The Serbians could not accept one of the demands.
 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28th July 1914
 The Serbians had support from Russia, who began to mobilise (get ready) their troops on 30th July
 Germany declared war on Russia on 1st August and put the Schlieffen Plan into action. This meant
they had to declare war on France 3rd August.
 To attack France, Germany then violated Belgium's neutrality and this brought the British into the
war.
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In 1911 the Black Hand was formed in Serbia. By 1914 it had around 2 500 members. Describe the part
played by the Black Hand in the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914. (4 marks)
:
21
Causes of WW1
6 mark exam Q (MOP)
10 mins
Source A suggests a reason why Austria-Hungary should declare war
on Serbia in 1914.
“This is not the crime of a single extremist: the assassination
represents Serbia’s declaration of war on Austria-Hungary. AustriaHungary must go to war against Serbia”.
Do you agree that this was the main reason Austria-Hungary went to
war against Serbia in 1914?
Explain your answer by referring to the purpose of the source, as well
as using its content and your knowledge. (6 marks)
Remember to MOP:
Message
Own knowledge (always give
OTHER reasons or points)
Purpose of the source
Don’t waste time describing
what you can see or copying
22
Causes of WW1
This is a different question to the previous 4 mark Q.
Make sure you read the question carefully each time
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In June 1914 Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand, assassinated Franz Ferdinand, the Archduke of
Austria-Hungary at Sarajevo.
Describe how this assassination led to the outbreak of the First World War. (4 marks)
:
23
Causes of WW1
The Schlieffen Plan
Germany had been preparing for war long before 1914. In fact, Germany had started drawing up a plan for
war - the Schlieffen Plan - in 1897. It took nine years to finalise, but it was based on the theory that
Germany would be at war with France and Russia at the same time because they were allies. It did not
prepare for many of the events that occurred in July and August 1914. It was based on the belief that, if the
country went to war, Germany would be faced with a war on two fronts with France and Russia.
This map shows the war faced by Germany on two fronts
The Plan:
Send the German army to France, invade and defeat France and take Paris within 6 weeks while Russia
was still mobilising (getting troops ready)
Turn the army back east and attack Russia with the full force of the German army.
Mistakes:
The plan assumed that France was weak and could be beaten quickly, and that Russia was much stronger,
but would take longer to mobilise its army.
The plan began to go wrong on 30 July 1914, when Russia mobilised its army, but France did not. Germany
was forced to invent a reason to declare war on France (3 August 1914). To get to France, the Germans
went through neutral Belgium. Things got worse when Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914
because, in the Treaty of London 1839, Britain had promised to defend Belgium’s neutrality.
The Schlieffen Plan
-
Made Germany attack France for no real reason and brought the French into the war
-
Made Germany go through neutral Belgium, bringing Britain into the war
Why did Britain get involved?
1) To protect the neutrality of Belgium under the terms of the Treaty of London
2) To defend the sanctity of treaties
3) To defend their ally France, particularly the northern coast of France, from which Germany could
have launched an attack on Britain
4) To protect their naval interests and their empire
24
Causes of WW1
4 mark exam Q (describe 3 clear points)
5 mins
In August 1914 Germany declared war on Russia.
Describe the Schlieffen Plan which Germany used at the start of the First World War.(4 marks)
:
More 10 mark Qs to plan and practice
Which was the more important reason for Britain joining the war against Germany in
1914:
the Entente Cordiale, 1904
the use of the Schlieffen Plan in 1914?
You must refer to both reasons when explaining your answer. (10 marks)
Which of the following was the greater cause of the outbreak of the First World War:
Austria-Hungary’s ultimatum to Serbia
the Schlieffen Plan?
You must refer to both reasons when explaining your answer. (10 marks)
25