WW1

• 1892 - Franco-Russian alliance

  • France and Russia
  • protect eachother from germany
• 1904 - entente cordial

  • france and britain
  • germany was building their army and navy
• 1907 - triple entente

  • france, britain and russia
  • strengthen allies against germany
  • can fight on several boarders
• 1879 - dual alliance

  • germany and austria-hungary
  • natural allies (shared culture and history)
• 1882 - triple alliance

  • germany, austria-hungary and italy
  • military support (italy had a weak army)
  • encircled by the triple entente
• ARMS + NAVAL RACE

  - 1906-1914

  - competed for largest navy

  - britain and germany

  GERMANY:

  - Kaiser wanted largest army

  - highered taxes to pay for ships

  - increased spending 73%

  - larger army than britain and france

  - Rheinland

  BRITAIN

  - 1906 - dreadnought

  - super-dreadnought

  - Britain won (29 to 17 ships)
• splendid isolation was Britain’s position in the late 1880s - 1900s meaning it was isolated from alliances with other nations (they had a large empire so didn’t need any allies)
• Weltpolitik (world policy) was kaiser Wilhelm II’s desire to be a world power (jealous of britain)
• MOROCCAN CRISIS (1905-6)

  causes:

  • morocco had not been colonised, britain supported france to invade, kaiser was unhappy

  events:

  • kaiser wanted to test entente cordial

  consequences:

  • Algeciras conference
  • humiliated germany ( only austria-hungary gave support)
  • france didn't gain power but had control over police
• MOROCCAN CRISIS (1911)

  causes:

  • rebellion against sultan

  events:

  • france sent 20,000 troops to help put down the rebellion
  • kaiser accused france of invading morocco and sent powers
  • Britain prepared for war

  consequences:

  • Germany backed down
  • France took over
  • Germany humiliated and would not back down again
• BOSNIA CRISIS

  • Serbia wanted slavs to be one independent country
  • ottoman empire was separating
  • rebellion in Turkey
  • Austria-Hungary seized control of Bosnia
  • serbia was angry and asked Russia to take action on Austria-Hungary
  • Russia called a conference
  • Germany supported Austria-Hungary
  • Russia backed down because they were unprepared
• Who was Franz Ferdinand?

  Archduke of Austria-Hungary
• why was Franz Ferdinand assassinated?

  • Austria-Hungary took control of Bosnia
  • Bosnia wanted to be part of Serbia ( to unite Slavs )
  • Ferdinand visited Serbia on their day of independence- seen as offensive / a threat
  • black hand gang killed him because they wanted to free Bosnia from Austria-Hungary
• who were the black hang gang?

  a terrorist organisation in Bosnia who killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand as they wanted to be free from Austria-Hungary’s rule
• who killed Franz Ferdinand?

  Gavrilo Princip
• When was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand?

  24th June 1914
• who was the leader of the black hand gang? 


  Dragutin Dimitrijević (‘Apis)
• ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE

  • June 24th 1914
  • Ferdinand took a route in an open top limo lined with assassins
  • bomb was thrown but missed (hit car behind)
  • car stopped to change route
  • Archduke and wife Sophie were shot and killed
• 10 demands (demands given to serbia from austria-hungary after the assassination of archduke franz ferdinand)

  • suppress hate towards Austria-Hungary
  • dissolve Naronda Odbarana
  • elimate anti Austria-Hungary propaganda
  • remove officers in support of the propaganda
  • accept collaboration in government
  • musical proceeding against accessories of the plot
  • arrest Major Voija Tankonstich
  • prevent arms in serbia authorities
• COUNTDOWN TO WAR

  28 June - assassination

  July crisis - Austria-Hungary gave 10 demands to Serbia, they denied one

  28 July - Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia

  29 July - Germany helps Austria-Hungary allies

  30 July - Russia didn’t want war, but mobilised

  1 August - Germany declares war on Russia

  3 August - Germany declares war on France and invaded them through Belgium

  4 August - Britain declared war on Germany

  5 August - France declares war on Germany

  6 August - Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia
• SCHLEIFFEN PLAN

  plan:

  • 1905
  • German plan
  • designed to avoid fighting war on 2 fronts (Russia and France)
  • Germany would invade France through Belgium and quickly capture Paris (6 weeks)
  • once paris was captured, they would attack Russia

  result:

  • Russia mobilised faster than expensive ( 10 days instead of 40 )
  • Germany had to fight a war on two fronts
  • British became involved due to Belgium alliance
  • Belgium put more resistance than anticipated
  • Germany abandoned Paris
• Battle of Marne

  Germans are forced to retreat to the river marne and began to dug trenches
• How long did the stalemate last?

  3 years
• Trenches

  • prevent from gunfire
  • attempt to outflank forced them to keep digging trenches
  • 400 miles
  • Switz alps to English Channel
• What was life like in the trenches?

  where: 4 days frontline, 4 support trench, 8 reserve trench, time in nearby town

  what: rest, on guard, repairing trenches

  hygiene: live, rats, dirt, cramps, no toilets

  food: basic (biscuits and bread)

  luxuries (bacon, jam, rum)

  illness: Pneumonia, tuberculosis, shell shock, diarrhoea

  luxuries: 12 million packages a week
• what weapons were used in trenches?

  machine guns, bombs / shells, tanks, barbed wire, gas
• trench warfare

  • surprise attacks
  • artillery bombardment
  • barbed wire
  • creeping barrage
  • war of attrition
  • tanks
• VERDUN

  • February - December 1916
  • 300 days

  plan:

  • Germany wanted to ‘ bleed france white ‘
  • Verdun was significant to France
  • war of attrition - France would surrender

  events:

  • Germany fired two million shells in one day
  • outnumbered france 5:1
  • France retreated by Verdun
  • Britain launched attacks on Somme and Russia on the eastern front to distract

  consequences:

  • Verdun destroyed but power was not taken
  • stalemate
  • 315,000 French deaths
  • 280,000 German deaths
• SOMME

  • July - November 1916
  • 142 days
  • bloodiest battle
  • Britain learnt how to fight a modern world
  • untrained volunteers used

  events:

  • Britain fired 1.5 million shells on Germany
  • troops were sent over the top
  • failed - British troops killed

  consequences:

  • Germany was weakened
  • 57,000 casualties first day
  • Allies leaders criticised - ‘Lions led by donkeys’
  • lowered British morale (pals battalion)
  • 620,000 allied deaths
  • 500,000 German deaths
• PASSCHENDAELE

  • July - November 1917
  • 3rd battle of Ypres
  • worst weather- soldiers downed in mud
  • 400,000 british deaths
  • 300,000 german deaths
• In February 1915, Britain opened a new front on Turkey during World War I
• Causes of the Gallipoli campaign:

  • Turkey attacked Russia
  • Britain and France assisted Russia
  • Britain and France aimed to secure the Dardanelles to aid Russian trade and break the stalemate
• Events of the Gallipoli campaign:

  • Plan to sail up Dardanelles, destroy Turkish forts, and force surrender
  • Turkish planted mines, leading to British ships retreating
  • Britain sent 70,000 land soldiers instead of the planned 150,000
  • ANZAC troops took over 3 out of 5 beaches, with casualties on 2 beaches
• What was the Lusitania?

  British passenger ship sunk by German U-boats in May 1915, 1000 passengers, 128 were Americans (american anger to germany increased)
• RUSSIAN REVOLUTION

  • Tsar was blamed for bad leadership
  • 1916- 1 million Russians dead, 3million Russians injured
  • 1917- revolution
  • November 1917- Lenin and Bolsheviks overthrew government
  • treaty of Bresk-Livotsk (war ended)
• what was the impact of Russia leaving the war?

  harsh Russian punishment, Germany received land, no more war on two front, allies lost soldiers
• Why did America join the war?

  • Anti-German (German sank battle and passenger ships)
  • Zimmerman telegram discovered (German and Mexico plan to take over Germany)
  • April 1917- declared war
• When did America declare war on Germany?

  April 1917
• what was the impact of America joining the war?

  rich, lost of supplies, USA troops balanced Russian loss, lowered German morale

  by 1918- 1 million USA troops
• SPRING OFFENSIVE

  plan:

  • German launched several attacks on the Britain and France front line
  • Artillery bombardment (1 million shells, 5 hours)
  • storm troopers
  • mustard gas