WW1 History Revision Document:
Build up to the war:
 Causes for tension:
o Germany: Took Alsace and Lorraine from France in 1871, They wanted a Stronger
navy to create more overseas colonies.
o Great Britain: Believed in ‘splendid isolation’(not getting into politics), However
the German interest in imperialism threatened their Naval superiority, Joined
with France to form Entente Cordiale in 1904 and Russia joined in 1907 to form
the Triple Entente. Was the largest Empire in the world.
o Russia: Largest but least developed, concerned Germany would expand into
Russia and that A-H would take measures against Slavs in A-H. . Wanted to
expand into Manchuria for Ice free ports and also the Balkans, not overseas.
o France: Wanted Alsace and Lorraine back, also wanted protection from
Germany, Allied w Russia in 1892 for support against Germany. Had the 2nd
largest Empire, didn’t want to lose colonies, despite indo-china revolts straining
them, due to the embarrassment if they did lose them.
o Italy: New, Formed in 1861, joined the triple alliance in 1882 because they
wanted power.
o Austria-Hungary: Feared of many Serbs wanting independence and leaving to
Serbia. Russia supported the Serbians causing a rivalry between them and A-H.
Wanted to have control over the 11 nationalities within their borders but they
were struggling to have them under 1 empire. A move to force Czechs to use
German caused Riots.
 Arms race and getting ready for war:
o In 1898 and 1990 Germany passed the Navy laws so they built 16 battleships and
60 cruisers respectively. Then Admiral Tirpitz set up the Naval league to increase
interest in the navy.
o The British built the HMS Dreadnought in 1906 as a result and the Germans built
the Rheinland and both trained hundreds of sailors. The HMS Dreadnought was
able to carry 800 soldiers, travel at 22 knots, had thick armour, and had guns
which could fire from 32km away.
o Britain made the British Expeditionary Force(BEF) of 144k soldiers who could go
help France if War was declared.
o Schlieffen Plan: Made in December 1905 by Count Alfred Von Shlieffen
 Wanted to avoid war on 2 fronts
 Believed Russia would take 6 weeks to mobilise due to its size and poor
roads
 They’d attack France and Take Paris first then turn and face Russia
o Plan 17: Made in 1913 by General Joffre

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 Wanted to immediately make an all-out attack on Alsace-Lorraine
 They’d then cross the River Rhine and advance on Berlin
Tension in Morocco
o First Moroccan Crisis: 1905-1906
 France and Britain agreed to let France have Morocco as long as Britain
could have Egypt in 1904
 Kaiser Wilhelm II asked to have the same rights to Morocco as other
European countries and he didn’t want France to extend their power. He
agreed to back up Sultan Aziz in resisting France
 Britain didn’t want Germany to get a port in Morrocco.
 The Algeciras Conference 1906 lasted from 16 Jan to 7 April and was
attended by 12 European countries and the USA, They agreed let France
have controlling interest in Moroccan affairs but every country was free
to trade with them.
o Second Moroccan Crisis: 1911-1912
 In March 1911, Rebel tribes rose up against the Sultan and he asked for
help, Spain also helped, they claimed it was to protect Spanish and
French people in Morocco.
 Germany thought the revolt was staged by France so they could send to
troops to occupy Morocco and on July 1st of 1911, A German Gunboat
SMS Panther arrived in the port of Agadir. They said this was to protect
Germans.
 Then French sent more troops despite British persuasion to reduce
tension. Then Germany was hit by a financial crisis and ended
involvement in Morocco and signed the Treaty of Fez in November 1911,
where they agreed France could take Morocco and Germany could take
Congo, a French Colony
o These both embarrassed Germany and Strengthened the bond between Britain
and France but worsened tension.
Tension in the Balkans

o Countries were interested in increasing influence in the Balkan area by taking
advantage of the weakened Turkey. Russia wanted to help Serbs, A-H didn’t
want Serbia to prosper, Germany wanted to build rail to Iraq for oil.
o In 1908 the ‘Young Turks’ forced Turkeys leader Sultan Abdul Hamid, to restore
Turkey’s democratic constitution. In the chaos, A-H annexed Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Serbia claimed the 2 provinces had mainly Serbs so should be
Serbian, Russia supported Serbia and Germany supported A-H, The ruler of
Bulgaria crowned himself king and declared independence from Turkey.
o Then in the Balkan wars Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and Serbia joined in the
Balkan league to force turkey out of Europe.
o First Balkan War:
 October 1912 to May 1913
 After 50 days of fighting Turkey surrendered all their European land and
it was shared between the Balkan League in a conference in London
o Second Balkan War:
 June 1913 to August 1913
 King of Bulgaria wasn’t happy with how the land was divided and
attacked Serbia and Greece, Romania hated Bulgaria and Turkish Armies
came too hoping to gain back land. Bulgaria asked for an armistice and as
a result turkey gained some land and Serbia gained most of the land.
o As a result of the wars Serbia doubled in size, Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina
wanted to go to Serbia, A-H was worried of Serbia and wanted to control them,
Bulgaria wanted revenge
Assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and leadup to WW1:
o On May 22nd 1911, 10 young Serbian army officers met in Belgrade, the capital of
Serbia to make a secret society which aimed to unite all Serbs. They were called
‘Unity or Death’ but had a black hand symbol so were known as the black hand.
o A-H believed it was time to do a show of strength in Bosnia so on June 28 th 1914,
Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie arrived in Sarajevo, they went in an open
topped car.
o The first Assasin couldn’t take his revolver fast enough, the second felt bad for
Sophie and stopped, the third missed their bomb. When they went to the town
hall, he shouted at the mayor and cancelled the visit. On the way back to the
station, the chauffeur took a wrong turn and stopped the car getting ready to
reverse. Gavrilo Princip was there and shot them both. He tried to commit
suicide, failed and was sentenced to 20 years in jail since he was to young to
hang.
o A-H sent a list of demands, for suppression of anit Austrian publications, arrest of
Serbian officials involved in the plot, and for Serbia to be involved in an enquiry
into the assassination. They didn’t allow A-H to send officials into Serbia for
ensuring all traces of the black hand was extinguished.
o On 28 July A-H declared war
o 29 July-Russia supported Serbia and mobilized
o 30 July and August 1- Kaiser wilhelm told Germany to stop mobilizing and they
disagreed so Germany declared War. And on the 2nd put the Shlieffen plan to
action
o 3 and 4th August- Britain tried to remain neutral but didn’t want Germany to
dominate, and used the 75 year old treaty of London between Belgium to give an
umtimatum for Germany to not invade Belgium. They were given till 4 th to reply
Germany invaded and there wasn’t a reply so Britan declared war.
o 5th of August: complete war between the Triple Entente and Alliance.
WW1: the majority of fighting
 Schlieffen Plan fails:
o British sent 80,000 men and 30,000 horses (The BEF) to French ports, over 1
million French soldiers gathered on the german Border ready to invade AlsaceLorraine. 3 german armies attacked, 1 for the BEF, and 2 for French land.
o The battle of Mons from 23-24 august 1914: the BEF slowed the german advance
for 48 hours before Britain had to retreat.
o French armies didn’t take Alsace-Lorrainne but did slow down German advance
by 2 weeks
o Russia Mobilised quickly and on 19 August, invaded East Germany so Germans
had to move from the western front to defend.
o The battle of Marne (5-11 september 1914) The german army couldn’t take Paris
so they went to the river Marne where they retreated from Alsace-Lorraine and
with the BEF beat Germany back 60 km to the river Aisne.
o Then trenches were dug and By December, the trenches went along the border
and there was stalemate on the western front.
o There was deadlock because:
 The location of German trenches were hard to attack
 The strength of sandbags, barbed wire, and machine guns
 Attacking weapons were ineffective, planes and tanks were the best but
they weren’t developed enough in 1914.
 Lots of shelling and rain and people moving made mud which made it
very tough to cross no mans land
 Lack of new tactics, most generals were trained in older types of warfare
not trench warfare so had a lack of experience.
 Life in trenches:
o Trench systems had front line trenches where fighting was done, Behind them
were communication, reserve and support trenches. This was where the kitchens
lavatories and field hospitals and battalion headquarters were.
o The top of the front line was protected by sandbags which protected from
bullets, and barbed wire was infront of sandbags to trap soldiers who made It
across no mans land, Soldiers would sleep shortly in dugouts and the trenches
where dug in a z pattern so enemies couldn’t shoot straight through the trench if
captured.
o Most of the time little was happening, often they did routine work like sentry
duty, trench repair, bringing supplies, night patrol. Night was when lots of the
fighting happened. Families could only write letters home but they were
censored
o Food was often bully beef, biscuits, bread, margarine and jam, tea and with
occasional cheese and bacon. Hot meals were only given when men were down
the line.
o Disease:
 Trench foot: Without being able to change clothes often, the mud built
up on peoples feet and the trench foot could go gangrenous and
amputation would be the only treatment. During the winter of 1914-1915
20,000 British soldiers were treated for trench foot.
 Pests: Most soldiers were infected with body lice, it was common for over
100 lice to be found on a single soldier. Trenches were swarmed with
rates which ate left over food and rotting bodies in no mans land, Flies
also carried disiease and multiplied in horse manure.
 Shell Shock: fear of death and death of friends affected many in the war,
Many couldn’t cope with the horrors, hands shook, eyes twitched. Many
deserted and those caught were put for the firing squad.
 New weapons:
o