History WW1

• Schlieffen Plan


  Germany's plan to deal with the strategic problem of having to fight a 2 front war against Russia and France
• Schlieffen Plan


  1. Calculate that it would take Russia 6 weeks to mobilise

  2. Launch a swift, surprise attack on France through neutral Belgium

  3. Defeat France in less than 6 weeks

  4. Then face Russia with all German forces
• Schlieffen Plan


  • Relied on invading France through neutral Belgium to take them by surprise
  • Risked war with Britain due to 1839 Treaty of London protecting Belgian neutrality
• Kaiser Wilhelm dismissed the Treaty of London as 'a scrap of paper'
• First Moroccan Crisis (1905-1906)


  Germany opposed France's plans to take control of Morocco, leading to an international conference in Algeciras
• First Moroccan Crisis


  1. Kaiser visits Tangier to pledge support for Morocco's independence

  2. International conference in Algeciras agrees France will have special rights in Morocco

  3. Germany left humiliated as only Austria-Hungary supported them
• First Moroccan Crisis


  Strengthened Germany/Austria-Hungary relations but weakened Germany's position compared to Britain and France
• Second Moroccan Crisis (1911)

  Moroccan rebels attacked Fez, leading France to send troops to help the Sultan, which Germany opposed
• Second Moroccan Crisis


  1. Germany sends warship 'Panther' to Agadir

  2. Britain and France stand united against Germany, forcing them to back down

  3. France takes control of Morocco but Germany gains compensation in central Africa
• Second Moroccan Crisis


  • Increased anti-Anglo-French feeling in Germany, convinced them not to back down in future crises
  • Strengthened the military cooperation between Britain and France
• The Moroccan crises intensified the naval race between Britain and Germany
• The British government was worried about the impact on morale if they did not take action.
• Britain's allies, France and Russia, were also under attack by Germany.
• Britain had already begun building dreadnought battleships, so it made sense to continue with this plan.
• The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed in 1902 as part of Britain's strategy to counterbalance Russia's growing power in Asia.
• Germany had been building up its navy since 1890, with the aim of challenging Britain as the world's dominant sea power.
• By 1914, Germany had built 6 battleships and 5 battlecruisers, while Britain had built 7 battleships and 1 battlecruiser.
• The German fleet was smaller than the British one, but it was newer and more modern.
• Germany responded by increasing their navy budget and ordering more ships from Krupp.
• The German Navy Bill (September 1908) increased the size of the German fleet significantly.
• Germany saw Japan as an ally against Russia and wanted to improve relations with them.
• This led to an increase in tensions between Britain and Germany as both countries tried to outdo one another.
• In 1905, Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, which weakened Russian influence in East Asia.
• The Triple Entente (France, Russia, Great Britain) formed in response to German aggression towards Belgium and Luxembourg.
• In August 1914, Germany declared war on Russia, which led to an alliance between Britain and Russia against Germany.
• The Triple Alliance (Austria-Hungary, Italy, Germany) aimed to prevent any further expansion of Russian influence in Europe.
• On August 3rd, 1914, Britain declared war on Germany.
• In January 1913, Germany announced that they would be completing their naval programme ahead of schedule, which caused concern among other European powers.
• German leaders believed that a strong navy would give them greater bargaining power in negotiations with other European powers.
• In 1903, Germany announced that they would build a new class of warships called "dreadnoughts".
• This announcement led to an arms race between Germany and Britain, with both countries increasing their military spending.
• The German army invaded Belgium, leading to Britain declaring war on Germany.
• On June 28th, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Serbian nationalist group known as Black Hand.
• Britain's naval superiority over Germany was seen as crucial to maintaining its empire and protecting trade routes.
• In response, Britain passed the Naval Defence Act (April 1909), which allowed them to build two new dreadnoughts per year instead of just one.
• Dreadnoughts could outrun other battleships and destroy them at long range.
• Britain was concerned about German expansionism and feared that they would become too powerful.
• This led to a naval arms race between Britain and Germany, with both countries trying to outdo each other in terms of shipbuilding.
• Tirpitz's plan aimed to create a powerful battlefleet that could challenge the Royal Navy's dominance at sea.
• This led to a naval arms race between Britain and Germany, which would have serious consequences during World War One.