Dalziel High School
International Co-operation and Conflict:
1890s – 1920s
Homework Exercises
Standard Grade History:
General/Credit Level
Sarajevo 1914
General
1
Study the information in the sources. You must use at least one point
your own knowledge in your answers.
Source A is part of a speech made by Gavrilo Princip at his trial for the killing of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife on 28th June 1914.
I fired twice at Ferdinand from a distance of four or five paces. I tried to
commit suicide but some police officers seized and struck me. They took
me away covered in blood, to the police station. I am not a criminal, for I
destroyed a bad man. I thought I was right.
1.
Describe the assassinations at Sarajevo on 28th June 1914.
(KU 4 marks)
Source B is from a modern history textbook by Tony Howarth.
On 28th June 1914 the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz
Ferdinand and his wife were shot dead in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.
The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a Bosnian Serb who wanted Bosnian
independence from Austria. But Austria blamed Serbia and used the
murders as an excuse to smash Serb nationalism.
2.
Explain why the assassinations at Sarajevo led to the outbreak of the First World
War.
(KU 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 1]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 2 of 10
The Alliance System
General
2
Study the information in the sources. You must use at least one point
your own knowledge in your answers.
Source A describes Europe in 1914.
By 1914 the countries of Europe had formed themselves into two hostile
alliances. The system of alliances encouraged nations to be more
aggressive. This was because they knew they could rely on the help of
friends if there was war.
1.
Describe the alliance system in Europe in 1914.
(KU 4 marks)
Source B is about the system of alliances in Europe before the First World War.
The Alliance System caused Europe to be divided into two armed camps.
The new German Empire formed an alliance with Austria-Hungary. That
power bloc, stretching across Central Europe and later joined by Italy,
became known as the Triple Alliance. This scared the French and the
Russians. The Kaiser’s aggressive and threatening actions succeeded in
uniting Britain, France and Russia against Germany.
2.
What were the results of the alliances in Europe before the First World War?
(KU 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 2]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 3 of 10
International Tension
before 1914
General
3
Study the information in the sources. You should use your own
knowledge where appropriate.
Source A was written by Herbert Sulzbach in his diary on August 1st, 1914.
Our Glorious Kaiser has ordered general mobilisation of the army and the navy.
Try as I might, I can’t convey the splendid spirit and wild enthusiasm that has
come over us all. We have always felt that Russia was going to attack us and
now the idea that we are going to be able to defend ourselves gives us
unbelievable strength. Russia’s dirty intrigues are dragging us into this war; the
Kaiser warned the Russians as late as 30th July. I still can’t imagine what it’s
going to be like – putting the Russians, and hopefully the British Navy, in their
places.
1.
How useful is Source A as evidence of international tensions before the outbreak
of World War One?
(ES1 4 marks)
Source B is part of a speech made by David Lloyd George in 1914.
Have you heard the Kaiser’s speeches? They are full of the bluster of German
militarism, full of phrases like “mailed fist” and “shining armour”. There is the
same swagger and boastfulness running through every speech. He says “let us
trample the Russians who challenge the supremacy of Germany in Europe and
let us defeat Britain and take control of the seas! What will then be left? nothing will be left except Germany:- ‘Deutschland uber Alles’.”
2.
How far do Sources A and B disagree about the cause of World War One?
(ES2 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 3]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 4 of 10
The Schlieffen Plan
Credit
4
Von Schlieffen calculated that the Russian army would take six weeks to
assemble and he argued that during this lull Germany must crush
France.
1.
Describe Count von Schlieffen’s plan for winning a war against France and Russia
(KU 4 marks)
The Schlieffen Plan had been worked out to the very last detail.
2.
Why was the Schlieffen Plan such a failure?
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 4]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 5 of 10
(KU 4 marks)
Trench Warfare
Credit
5
We passed stretcher bearers with the many wounded and groups of tired
soldiers going to the rear. We would soon be in the attack on the German
front line.
1.
What methods of fighting were used on the Western Front in the First World
War?
(KU 4 marks)
Soldiers on the Western Front went through a range of emotions.
2.
Explain why the experiences of soldiers on the Western Front changed their
attitudes towards the war.
(KU 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 5]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 6 of 10
New Technology
General
6
Read the sources carefully and answer the questions which follow. You
should use your own knowledge where appropriate.
Source A is a photograph from the Imperial War Museum collection of a tank in action
in 1916.
1. How useful is Source A as evidence of the use of tanks in the First World War?
(ES1 4 marks)
Source B is from a modern history textbook.
The tank had a maximum speed of-on a good road- of about six
kilometres an hour. It was driven by caterpillar tracks, protected by steel
armour and could carry four machine guns. They were to be used against
entanglements of barbed wire. Tanks had a crew of eight who had to
face many problems.
2.
How far do Sources A and B agree about the tank?
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 7 of 10
(ES2 4 marks)
Source C was written in the memoirs of Lieutenant F. Mitchell who was in charge of a
tank in 1917.
The tank that went for the pill box got stuck in the mud. As it sank
deeper, it fired desperately. By chance, its six-pounder gun pointed
straight inside the pill box door and most of the German garrison of 60
men was killed by the tank’s fire. There were only 29 British casualties
instead of a thousand. The tank had shown its qualities.
3.
How fully does Source C describe the use of tanks in the First World War? You
should use your own knowledge and give reasons for your answer.
(ES4 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 6]
The Home Front
Credit
7
In both Britain and Germany, the years of war took their toll on the civilian
population.
(Note: for this answer you should write a short essay of several
paragraphs.)
1.
How far do you agree that during the First World War, the difficulty of food
supply was the most important problem faced by:
EITHER
(a) civilians in Britain?
OR
(b) civilians in Britain?
(KU 8 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 7]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 8 of 10
The Treaty of Versailles
Credit
8
Read the sources carefully and answer the questions which follow. You
should use your own knowledge where appropriate.
Source A was written by Sir Phillip Gibbs who was a British representative at the Peace
Conference.
It was a peace of vengeance. It was very unfair. The economic terms of
the treaty were mad. Germany had to pay for all the damage caused
during the war. The impossibility of getting all this money from a defeated
country was obvious even to the most ignorant schoolboy.
1.
Discuss the attitude of Sir Philip Gibbs towards the Treaty of Versailles.
(ES3 4 marks)
Source B is part of a speech by Lloyd George in July 1919.
The last time I spoke about the Treaty I called it a “stern but just treaty”. I
stick to that description. The terms are in many respects terrible to
impose on a country. Germany’s war debt is more than doubled in order
to pay reparations. However, in so far as territories have been taken
away from Germany, it is a restoration- they are all territories that ought
to belong to Germany.
2.
How far do Sources A and B disagree about the Treaty of Versailles?
(ES2 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 8]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 9 of 10
The League of Nations
General
9
Read the sources carefully and answer the questions which follow. You
should use your own knowledge where appropriate.
Source A describes the membership of the League of Nations when it began.
Forty-five states were founder-members of the League of Nations. These
were all either victorious or neutral in the First World War. The defeated
nations were not allowed to join immediately. As a result Germany,
Austria and Hungary saw the League as a club for their enemies. The
founders were frightened of the spread of Communism and the new
Soviet Union was also not invited to join.
1.
How fully does Source B explain the weakness of the League of Nations? You
should use your own knowledge and give reasons for your answer.
(ES4 4 marks)
Source B is from “The League of Nations” by historians Gibbons and Morican.
The League, handicapped as it was by the absence of major powers, did
achieve a measure of success during the Corfu crisis. The League had
been designed to deal with just such a dangerous problem as this. It had
acted fairly and promptly and it had condemned the violence of the
Italians towards the Greeks. But it had lost the initiative. The result was
that a great power had once again got away with using force against a
small power.
1.
Discuss the attitude of the authors of Source B towards the League of Nations.
(ES3 4 marks)
[END OF HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 9]
Standard Grade History: International Co-operation & Conflict, 1890’s - 1920’s
Homework: General / Credit Level
Page 10 of 10