First World War

• Militarism


  The building up of armies and navies, fuelling capacity for war
• Alliances


  Pacts made by countries to support each other if war broke out

  designed to deter a war from starting
• Triple Alliance


  Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy

  they were encircled but the triple entente
• Triple entente 


  Great Britain, France, Russia
• Arms race


  European countries prioritising military spending to build up their armies
• Naval race


  Britain had a large navy to protect its empire

  kaiser Wilhelmina wanted to create a strong German army

  British launched the dreadnought (new battleship) in 1906
• Brinkmanship


  To pursue a dangerous policy to the limits of safety especially in politics
• Schlieffen plan


  Germany felt threatened by France and russia

  they created a plan in 1905 to attack and defeat France before turning to deal with Russia
• Imperialism


  Desire to build an army
• European empires


  Britain: largest empire in the world

  France: second largest empire

  Russia: no ever seas empire but wanted to expand into the Balkans

  Austria Hungary: largest empire in central Europe

  Germany: had the third largest oversea empire. The kaiser was keen to expand it
• Why did the want empires

  Access raw materials

  build power and wealth
• Kaiser Wilhelmina II


  King of Germany in First World War and before
• Moroccan crisis


  1905 - Germany Chloe edged France’s power over Morocco. Resolved through the Algeciras conference in 1906

  1911 - Germany sent a warship the panther to Morocco in response to more German troops there. Germany eventually backed down.
• Scramble for Africa


  The invasion and colonisation of Africa by European countries
• Algeciras conference


  Ended the first Moroccan crisis; strength of the bond between Great Britain and France; left Germany feeling humiliated
• Nationalism 


  Belief in the superiority of your country
• Balkans


  Region in south Eastern Europe
• Ottoman Empire 


  Old empire based in turkey losing control of the balkans
• Serbs

  • A regional identity for people from Serbia and around the balkans
  • Serbia wanted to create a bigger country uniting all serbs
  • The black hand were a terrorist group fighting for Serbian independence
• Austria - Hungary declare war on sebia

  • A-H took control of Bosnia in the Balkans
  • archduke franz ferdinand heir to the Austo - Hungarian empire was murdered by gravillo princip member of the black hand 3) Austria-Hungary gave Serbia an ultimatum
• How did alliamces get involved

  • Germany gave Austria a black cheque (offer of support )
  • russia wanted to protect Serbia
  • france and Britain dragged into war through alliances
• War of attrition 


  A long conflict where each side seeks to gradually wear down the other
• Conscription


  Compulsory military service
• Pals battalions


  Men from the same village, sports team, et cetera encouraged to join the army together
• Often forgotten armies


  Time used to describe soldiers from around the world who fought in World War I, but have not always been remembered in the same way as others
• Douglas Haig


  Filled Marshall who planned and led the battle of some often called the butcher of somme
• The battle was success

  • British troops did relieve the pressure on a French troops
  • German troops were pushed back
  • Britain use tanks for the first time
• The battle was failure

  • He plan did not work; his tactics were seen as outdated even at the time
  • 57,000 British troops were injured on the first day of the battle - including 19,000 killed
  • Close to 400,000 British troops killed over the 141 days of battle