Britain and the First World War Y8

• Triple Entente


  Germany is surrounded on 2 fronts
• Even though the Entente isn't a military arrangement, Germany felt threatened
• Schlieffen Plan


  1. Attack Russia first

  2. Walk over Belgium to attack France
• Triple Entente

  Britain, France, Russia
• Alliance


  Germany, Austro-Hungary, Italy
• One of the most important factors of World War 1 was the alliance system
• The 'spark' that ignited World War One took place

  28th June 1914
• The Anglo-French alliance was supported before the 'spark'
• Black Hand gang


  Group of assassins
• The target was Archduke Ferdinand
• Archduke Ferdinand


  He was in Sarajevo to win over the people
• The day was significant for the Serbians as it was the best and most important day of the calendar
• Colonel Appi told the Black Hand group of assassins about the Archduke's visit and route
• The first assassin missed his chance to kill the Archduke
• What the second assassin did

  1. Threw the grenade to the car of the target but it bounced off

  2. Drank cyanide and jumped into a river
• The Archduke went to the Town Hall after the failed assassination attempts
• The Archduke was planning to continue the tour after the reception
• The driver took a wrong turn
• The assassin was there


  The driver tried to reverse but couldn't, gunshots were fired, and Sophie was shot in the stomach and the Archduke was shot in the neck
• Gavrilo Princip killed the Archduke
• Sophie (the Archduke's wife) and the Archduke Ferdinand were killed
• The world was completely shocked by the reaction
• Austria-Hungary found out who was behind the assassination attempt because the dealer told them everything
• Belgium was neutral at the start of World War 1
• Belgium helped Britain by slowing down Germany as they made an agreement to remain neutral in 1837
• Schlieffen Plan


  • It was quicker than expected
  • Russia only took time to mobilise its forces
  • Trench warfare was impossible
  • Germany underestimated Belgium's resistance
• The Battle of the Marne prevented the Germans from reaching Paris
• Belgium only had 150,000 men but managed to slow down Germany to help France
• Belgians fought back strongly against Germany
• The Battle of the Somme was meant to end the German attack on Verdun and act as a distraction
• At the start, the British and Commonwealth armies fired shells to wear down the Germans
• The German army had time to prepare in response to the attack
• There were 57,000 allied casualties/deaths on the first day of the Battle of the Somme
• The Battle of the Somme lasted 5 months
• At the end of the Battle of the Somme, 1,000,000 from all sides had been injured/killed
• Empire


  The land outside the border controlled by a nation
• Nationalism


  A pride in your nation, the wish to control your country
• Imperialism


  The desire to build up an Empire to expand a nation
• Colony


  The land empires are made of
• Alliance


  Where 2 or more countries are friends and promise to support one another