Tijd Voor Geschiedenis in The Trenches
Tijd Voor Geschiedenis in The Trenches
In the trenches
3.1. In the trenches...
Learning goals
1919.
Tensions ran high between neighbouring countries France
and Germany. They fought on opposite sides of a war on two
occasions. Once before and once after 1900. During the first
of two big wars, which was then called the Great War, both
countries had been a part of a bigger picture. It wasn't until
WWII that the name of the Great War was changed to World
War I. Sources 2 and 3 prove that there was a great rivalry
between the two countries. After Germany defeated France
in 1871, the Germans decided to use the French palace in
Source 1 - Ratrace
Versailles to proclaim William I emperor of the German
German soldiers in WWI trenches
empire. The French chose the same location, the Hall of showing off their 'catch of the day'.
Mirrors, to serve as a backdrop for the humiliating moment
Click on the image to enlarge.
in 1919 when the Germans had to sign a peace treaty stating
France had defeated them during WWI.
1a World War I ('the Great War') is often also referred to as France's 'revenge'. Explain why that name
has also been given to the war.
1b Prove that the location in the paintings in sources 2 and 3 is actually the Hall of Mirrors.
1898 The Germans The German Reichstag decides to expand the war
pass the first fleet.
naval law.
1914,09 Battle of the The Germans are stopped at the river the Marne. A
Marne trench war ensues.
Watch
1916 Battle of the The British used tanks for the first time during the
Somme Battle of the Somme.
1917 Zimmermann Partly because of a telegram sent by a German
Telegram minister, the US joins the war against Germany.
2a A whole number of countries joined in with WWI, not just France and Germany. Which countries
can you find in the timeline?
2b Find an example of each of the following typical aspects in the time line.
fighting in the
two world wars june 1914 the cause of wwwl
the devastating
use of weapons 1914 battle of the marne
of mass
distruction that
caused and the
consequences
that use held
the roll of
modern a magazine
propaganda.
3.1.2 Video 'Joyeux Noël', In the trenches
Over the years a huge number of films about WWI have
been made. We're going to look at one film in particular
over the course of this chapter.
We'll be looking at a French film, made in 2005: 'Joyeux
Noël' (= Merry Christmas). The film is based on true
events. The makers of this film have created a story
around these events, because we can't know exactly
what happened. The film shows how the Scottish, the
French and the German soldiers experienced the war.
3a Explain why the French officer (lutenant Audebert) behaves and feels like he does before he talks
to his soldiers.
because he is stressed
3b Would you have prefered to be in or out of the trenches? Write your opinion down and use source 1
and the video excerpt to explain it.
Fast track
read and study the texts and the sources (including videos).
make a complete summary of this page with the help of assignment 4.
if necessary, add extra notes to your answers to assignment 4 to complete your summary.
discuss with your teacher which of the chosen activities you should do.
4 This paragraph gives us a look at te military side of WWI (1914-1918) but doesn't explain much
about how the Franco-German was fought between 1870-1871.
Use sources you've found yourself (the internet and books) to find out what the differences and
similarities were between the two wars. Use photos/paintings to further prove your point.
Chosen activities
Do you want to know more about World War I and the battles in the trenches? Talk to your teacher about
working on one of the chosen activities.
Revision Extra
Learning goals
3.2.1 Introduction
Five causes and one reason started WWI in 1914. You could
say that Europe was a powder keg in the early 1900s and
Kaiser, revanche,
that it was filled to the brim with causes. All that was
necessary to make it all explode was one fuse, a reason, the
colonial empire
light the powder keg. The five causes that filled Europe's
powder keg were:
The title of this text is written in three languages. Each of the three words belongs to each countries
nationalism. Explain.
1a Kaiser
emperor
1b Revanche
great brittain was proud and felt powerful because of the colonies and their navy
Typical aspect
2a Explain why source 1 fits with the typical aspect: ' the roll of modern Propaganda'.
Chosen activity
If you want to know more propaganda before and during World War I and want to make your own
propaganda poster, go to Chosen activity 6.3.
3aUse the text, the excerpt from Joyeux Noël and source 2.
(The excerpt is about 1.5 min. long.)
France
Great Britain
Germany
3b Use an argument from the excerpt (or source 2) to explain how Bismarck believed problems should
be tackled.
with aggresion
4a The Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary were both multinational states. Use two examples from
the text to prove this.
The Ottoman Empire couldn't stop the rise of nationalism in the countries in the empire and had to
respond to the calls for independence.
Austria-Hungary came about when the emperor of Austria also became king of Hungary
4b A statement:
“There will always be a nationalistic clash between the ruler of a country and the inhabitants of
said country. ”
When you take a look at Austria-Hungary, how can you see that this is true?
bosnia became part of it but the people wanted the country to become a part of serbia
5a Why was the Ottoman Empire called the 'sick man of Europe' in the 1900s?
5b The text states that one of the two areas Austria-Hungary annexed (according to the source) had
actually hoped for a different outcome. Explain
proud
country
independent
Southeast Europe
Ottoman Empire
6b A statement:
The Sissi film trilogy is based on true events, yet it is more of a romanticized version of events.
Find an example in the excerpt to prove this point.
3.2.3 Soldiers and factories
Countries created strong armies that proved how proud
they were of their country. Soldiers were honoured to serve
their country and important millitaristic ideas like obeying
orders and being powerful were glorified. Army officers were
placed in high regard and each countries army had a strong
position within parliament. The technological
advancements that had become possible during the
Industrial Revolution of the 19th century were used to full
capacity during this arms race.
Source 4 - Militarism in day-to-day
Germany also decided to try and compete with Great Britain life
DeWilly Stöwer, a German painter, is
at sea. In 1898 Germany passed its first naval law, this
mainly known for his painting of a
meant that their navy could be mondernized and expanded. sinking Titanic. His pictures of the new
The British marines didn't let Germany walk all over them German navy in the 1900s could be
and built a fast battleship with big cannons. They called collected by buying bars of Sollwerck
these ships Dreadnoughts. chocolate.
When it came to industry, each country battled to be the Click on the image to enlarge.
best. A stronger industry meant a wealthier country. Each
country also wanted to prove that they were the best in
making technological advancements and inventing new
ways of life. This economic rivalry brought communism and
the arms races close together.
7 Militarism was embeded into day-to-day life in Germany. Prove this using source 4.
8 The conclusion is the last image of source 5 has a lot of causes for World War I in it.
Look at each of the causes and explain how they fit with elements of source 5.
Nationalism in Western
Europe they protected their country
Arms race
all new possibilties with weapons were utilised as much as possible
9 Explain why source 6 is a good example of emperor Wilhelm II 'Weltpolitik' is the conclusion of all of
the developments in Europe at that time.
Do this by taking a quote from the source about the following matters.
Modern imperialism and fleet
regulations and when others reserved the sea and the heavens for
themselves are over.
Economic competition
We believe it to be our most important task to make sure our
ships, our commerce and our industry get the chance to
advance.
Nationalism
We do not want to push anyone into the shadows, but we want
our own place in the sun.
10a Use the source to explain that the Berlin Conference was necessary.
Typical aspect
10b Explain why source 7 fits with the typical aspect: ' the modern form of imperialism '
11a Put the names of the most important countries in the alliances in the correct order.
Central powers Allies
11b A statement:
"On the one hand, an alliance keeps a war at bay. On the other hand, if a war is fought alliances
make it much bigger."
Explain this statement.
because alliances make other countries scared to fight against an other country but is war actually takes
place a lot more countries have to join because it then instead of countru against country becomes alliance
against alliance
Fast track
read and study the texts and the sources (including videos).
make a complete summary of this page with the help of question 13. if necessary, add extra notes to
your answers to question 13 to complete your summary.
discuss with your teacher which of the chosen activities you should do.
*}
Below you'll find six cartoons of maps, just like source 1. The cartoons are all about the situation the
European countries found themselves in. You're going to explain each of the five (nationalism can be split
up into two parts) causes for WWI. You can pick one cause per cartoon.
Explain by:
Source 8
“Here we read ʻThe Revancheʼ.”
French advertisement from 1886.
13b Nationalism (in the Balkans)
Source 9
Angling in troubled waters.
A cartoon by Fred W. Rose from 1899.
Source 10
Cartoon drawing of a map of Europe,
1914.
A German cartoon.
13d Economic competition
Source 11
Click on the source to enlarge.
Source 12
Bismarck: “Lets divide this cake!”
A French drawing from 1885.
13f Alliances
Source 13
“Hark, hark; the dogs to bark!”
A drawing from 1914.
Revision Extra
Click here to make a gap-fill summary. In this video you can take a look at the German
unification that Otto von Bismarck was
During assignment 9 you watched an excerpt of responsible for.(3:27 min.)
a video. The whole video gives a good overview
of the causes for World War I. Use this Learn more about the Dreadnoughts created by
assignment to watch the whole video and Great Britain by watching this video.
answer questions about it.
3.3. The smoky, smoky trenches, 1914-1918
Learning goals
1a Which language did the members of 'the Black Hand' speak and which religion were they part of?
slavic, catholic
1b Which reason did Austria-Hungary use to try and convince people that Bosnia shouldn't be a part
of Serbia?
There isn't a single historical event or phenomenon that happens just like that. Nothing happens without a
cause or a reason, everything is linked. Some way or another, everything that happens is the effect of
something, and the cause of what happens next.
2a In the previous text we looked at the five causes of WWI. Drag the types of causes/reasons to the
correct place.
Militarism
Economic
competition
Modern Imperialism
Alliances
2b In the previous text we looked at the five causes of WWI. Franz-Ferdinands assassination is the
reason for WWI. Which of the five causes is closely linked to this event? Explain.
3a You could say that not only Franz-Ferdinand and his wife died during the assassination. One other
person also died. Explain.
3b The sources both talk of Franz-Ferdinand's last words. But there's a difference in what these
sources state. Use the sources to explain what you believe were his actual last words. Also, explain
which of the sources you find more reliable.
probably what the first source says because it the second source makes it a little bit nationalistc and if it is
story
3c You'll need to use the answers you gave in question 3b to answer this question. Why could this
person be a less reliable source?
because he was a follower of ferdinand and thus spoke positive about him, to positive
Video excerpt: 'A shot that changed the world'
4b If Franz-Ferdinand wouldn't have been shot, do you believe WWI would have taken place? Explain.
probably not because then they wouldn't have had a reason to start it
3.3.2 The Von Schlieffenplan is unsuccessful
German generals had been prepared for a war since 1900.
General Alfred von Schlieffen had devised a plan that could
work well for Germany. He knew that Germany would
probably end up in a two-front war because of the alliance
between Russia and France. One front in the west fighting
against France and one in the East fighting against Russia.
He wanted to prevent this from happening and decided that
they should conquer France very quickly and then move the
troops to the East to stop the Russian army. The The
Source 3 - The Von Schlieffenplan in
Schlieffen Plan assumed that the Russian army would take the West
at least a month to mobilize. This meant that they had one The Von Schlieffenplan in the West of
month to defeat France. It was important that Germany Europe. Yellow = French cities
made quick work of surrounding and defeating the French reinforced with forts.
army in one swift attack. Because their border with France Click on the image to enlarge.
had been heavily fortified there was no chance of them
getting to France through there. The Northern border with
Belgium wasn't as strong and so the Germans decided to go
through there.
5a Explain what the relationship is between the possibility of a two front war and the Von
Schlieffenplan.
that the von schlieffenplan would have reduce the possibility but it failed
5b Below you'll find the four causes why the Von Schlieffenplan wasn't a success. These causes can be
put in chronological order.
Drag them to put them in the correct order: start left with the first cause and finish right with the
last one.
6aUse the text, source 4 and this excerpt of the film Joyeux
Noël (3,5 min.).
In the last few chapters, we've already taken a look at
several excerpts from this movie 'Joyeux Noël'.
In this excerpt, two Scottish brothers and a German opera
couple learn that WWI has started.
Click on the image to start the video. In the film one reaction fits well with the text
In the film one reaction fits well with the text
and the soldiers in source 4. Whose reaction
is this? Explain.
6b Use source 4.
How do you know that the soldiers in this source are part of the Von Schlieffenplan?
6c The very first video in the first chapter shows us how the soldiers felt during the war. Are they still
as optimistic as they seem at the start of the war?
3.3.4 From bayonets to mustard gas
Many fights fought in the trenches were old-fashioned man-
on-man combat. The soldiers fought one another with
bayonets attached to their guns. But during WWI a number
of new weapons were invented and used for the first time.
The British, for example, used tanks to try and force their
way through. The Battle of the Somme in 1916 was one of
the first battles in which they used them. Approximately one
million soldiers died and neither the Allies or the Central
Powers won any ground. Poisonous gases, named mustard
Source 5
gas because of how they smelled, were used for the first
'Gassed' by John Singer Sargent
time too. But that didn't help either. The wind would often (1919) shows us what soldiers in the
turn and the mustard gas would blind the soldiers who used trenches must've looked like after
it in the first place. being attacked with poisonous gas.
Air planes were used in war for the first time ever during Click on the image to enlarge.
WWI but they were too small to actually do much harm.
Germans used submarines for the first time in military
history as well. The submarines shot at British merchant
ships that were sailing weapons and other war materials to
the front.
7c Explain why countries that were very militaristic didn't want to talk about the shell shock the
soldiers were experiencing.
Typical aspect
7d Explain why source 5 fits with the typical aspect ' the devastating use of weapons of mass
destruction that caused and the consequences that use held'.
Chosen activity
Do you want to know more about the weapons used during WWI?
Go to Chosen activity 6.1 to make your own drawings of the battle field at the Battle of the Somme.
To make illustrations to go with the diary of German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, 'Der Rote
Baron', go to Chosen activity 6.2.
8 Use the text and the excerpt from Joyeux Noël (13 min.).
The film 'Joyeux Noël' is well known for its depiction of one
of the most infamous events during WWI: Christmas Eve
1914. The German commanders have brought hundreds of
Christmas trees to the trenches. They've also permitted
opera singer Anna Sörensen to visit her husband Nikolaus
Sprink. The Scottish and French soldiers also try to
celebrate Christmas in their own way. Use moments from the excerpt to explain
why this was such a special moment during
Click on the image to start the video. WWI.
Fast track
read and study the texts and the sources (including videos).
make a complete summary of this page with the help of assignment 9.
if necessary, add extra notes to your answers to assignment 9 to complete your summary.
discuss with your teacher which of the chosen activities you should do.
We've collected four diary excerpt by famous authors. Use the quotes as inspiration for a short summary
about one of the texts in this chapter. Make sure to add enough information from the texts and sources.
9a Source 6. Use this to summarize 'The fuse and the chain reaction'.
Author Stefan Zweig was born in
Austria(-Hungary). He became
famous for his book 'The Royal
Game' and his historical biographies
of and Marie Antoinette. On the 28th
and 29th of June 1914 he wrote the
following in his diary:
Source 6
From: Stefan Zweig, The World of
Yesterday.
9b Source 7. Use this to summarize 'The Von Schlieffenplan is unsuccessful'.
Source 7
Free translation of: Stijn Streuvels,
In oorlogstijd. Het volledige dagboek
van de Eerste Wereldoorlog.
9c Source 8. Use this to summarize 'In the trenches'.
Source 8
John McCrae, 1915
9d Source 9. Use this to summarize 'From bayonets to mustard gas'.
Source 9
From Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth.
Revision
Learning goals
Source 2 - Zimmermann-telegram
A quote from the Zimmermann
telegram
1a Explain what the relationship is between the torpedoing of the Lusitania and the US' isolationism.
1b Use source 1 to explain that Ireland was already involved with WWI.
Use the text, source 2 and the video (6.30 min).
2a
Click on the image to start the video.
Which two plans does Germany talk about in the Zimmermann telegram?
2b Which two reasons did the Germans have for asking Mexico to work together?
2c A statement:
“The Zimmerman telegram was the reason that the US joined in with WWI.
The causes had been present for a while.”
Explain.
3.4.2 No need to be scared of the Russian bear
The Russian army was having a hard time on the Eastern
front. The soldiers fought using outdated weapons and their
winter uniforms couldn't protect them from the freezing
winters in the trenches. It was a wonder that Russia wasn't
defeated by Germany faster. It was only because there were
millions of people living in Russia that they were able to
hold out for so long. Czar Nicholas II and his generals were
able to constantly send new soldiers to the fronts to replace
soldiers who had died. The war took its toll on day-to-day
Source 3 - Mars and his animals
life in Russia as well. Food and fuel, like coal for the
Lenin (on the right) says to Mars, the
fireplaces, were very scarce. There was also political unrest: goddess of war: "The bear shall ride
The czar held all the power and the people weren't given a you no more".
say. This led to the czar being overthrown in February 1917.
A drawing by P. de Jong 1918.
A temporary government took over but the Russian
Click on the image to enlarge.
communist party still wasn't satisfied. Their leader Lenin
promised 'peace, land, and bread'. His opinion of the
government reached factory workers, soldiers and farmers
and they seized power during Octoberrevolution. They
called themselves the Bolshevik. Lenin decided he wanted
to stop the war as soon as possible for a few reasons. He
wanted to stay in power, he wanted to keep his promises
and he wanted to put time and effort into his communistic
ideas. Within two months he had called for a truce with
Germany. In March 1918 they signed the Treaty of Brest-
Litovsk. Great Britain and France were not amused and
were upset that their ally had forsaken them. But Germanys
spirits were lifted. They had to focus on only one front now.
By this time American soldiers had joined in with the allied
forces.
3a Which three reasons did the Russians have for being unhappy in 1917.
3b How was Lenin able to reach the three different groups of people.
4a How do we know if the artist who made the source was for or against the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Take two examples from the source and explain.
4b Did the allies in Great Brittain and France agree with the artist? Don't use the source in your
explanation.
5 Why are the year 1914 written at the French soldiers' feet and the year 1918 written at the American
soldiers' feet? What does this all have to do with the Battle of the Marne?
6a Name three reasons why the German spring offensive in 1918 failed?
6b Why did the commanders (general Ludendorff and Hindenburg) called it a truce themselves?
6c What situation in the German cities promoted the resignation of the emperor and the request for
the armistice?
7b Did the American minister understand how Germany was feeling when the Treaty of Versailles had
been signed? Use the source to explain.
Typical aspect
7c Why does source 5 fit well with the typical aspect ' fighting in the two world wars '.
In this revision assignment you'll be making a timeline of the end of World War 1. help you make a good
summary of chapter 4 'The end of life in the trenches and the end of the war '. Use chapter 4 to fill in the
following schedule.
April 1917
October
1917
March
1918
July 1918
November
1918
June 1919
During this assignment you'll be looking at the front page of several Dutch newspapers that were released at the
end of World War 1. This assignment will also help you make a good summary of chapter 4 'The end of life in the
trenches and the end of the war'.
Getting started
1. Take a look at the text and the sources of chapter 4.
2. Use the schedule below to write down what the most important events were that led to the end of WW1.
3. Take a look at the front pages of the newspapers. For each article decide in which year it was released and
which event it covers.
4. Write the letter of the article on the correct place in the schedule.
5. Think like a journalist. Write a short article about the end of WW1. Use the webpage and front pages to do so.
Take a quote from three newspaper articles and make sure that these three quotes are in your article.
6. At the end of your article mention which event has impressed you most. Explain why.
A B C D E F
April 1917
March 1918
July 1918
November
1918
June 1919
9b Article
Fast track
read and study the texts and the sources (including videos).
make a complete summary of this page with the help of assignment 8.
if necessary, add extra notes to your answers to assignment 8 to complete your summary.
discuss with your teacher which of the chosen activities you should do.
10 Click here to create your own front page about the last few years of World War 1.
Chosen activity
Once you've talked to your teacher about the Chosen activities click on here to pick one. Here you can find
both texts with questions and creative assignments.
Revision Extra
Click here to make a gap-fill summary. Remembrance day is very important in the UK.
This website can give you more information
Use this schedule to put what you learned in this about remembrance day in the UK .
paragraph in a chronological overview.
Poppies: Weeping Window is an impressive piece
Watch these 2 episode of Crash Course History of art commemorating World War 1. Take a look
for a summary of the 'Great War' Video 1, Video 2 at the this video to learn more.
3.5. Gap-fill summary
How to:
1. In the trenches...
France and Germany, arch-enemies. 1871-1919
1 Germany and were each others enemies in two separate wars. One before and one after
. In 1871 Germany took to the stage in the palace of and brought the German to
life . In the French made the Germans sign a in that same . The French had
. In this chapter we'll be taking a look at the , the , and the course and
consequences of this ' ' war.
3 After winning from and creating an after the war in 1870-1871 nationalism rose in
Germany. Together Basmarck, the of Germany, and 'der ' Wilhelm I wanted to
make Germany stronger. France had to hand over to the Germans in 1871. The
French wanted and this became a big part of in France. Great Brittain was
proud of her and her .
Nationalism in the Balkans
4 The Empire in the southeast of Europe couldn't stop its people from becoming
any longer. People mockingly called it the man of Europe. Hungary
was one of the empires countries. In 1908 it took over . Russia didn't trust
the power -Hungary held. Both countries were very . This led to a number
of .
5 The ideas that came along with , like obiding orders and being powerful, were glorified.
The militaries of the various countries became very competitive and they started an . The
these militaries used became more and more powerful. In 1898 Germany passed their first
. This meant a modernization of their . It didn't take long before the British
built a fast battle ship with huge canons called the .
Germany became a very wealthy country thanks to the . Furthermore, each country
wanted to be the first to advance when it came to . This economic rivalry brought
and the close together.
6 In the 18th century Great Britain and had laid a base for a empire. They both
became interested in in 1850. They wanted to use the they found there to help
further their plans when it came to industrialization. They also wanted to sell produce in the colonies
(consumer market). Furthermore, having a empire was good for a countries .
and belong together.
It was only in 1871 that Germany got involved with this ' for Africa'. They did so after the
of Germany. The new emperor adopted a ' '. He believed
that Germany had to become a power. During the conference (1884-1885) the
European powers decided to divide the so as to stop conflicts between the various
countries. Germany became allies with -Hungary and England became allies with .
joined this alliance. These two were called the and the
.
3. The smokey, smokey trenches
To light a fuse
7 Bosnia had been a of -Hungary since 1908. Many Bosnians wanted to belong to
the Kingdom of because of their background, the Slavic and their
. When (the successor to the throne) was murdered by Gavrilo
in 1914, Austria-Hungary demanded that apologize to them. Serbia had already
made sure they would be supported by . Czar Nicholas II ordered his army to and
this upset . The ignored the Germans when they asked for France to stay a
party. Because of this Germany also declared against the French. The German army
marched through on their way to France and this act resulted in declaring war
against .
8 Because of the between France and , it looked like Germany was going to be
stuck in a . The was based on the idea that it would take a
while before the army would be . The German army decided to march through
to get to France.
The failed for four separate reasons:
In the trenches
9 Each and every country who joined in with the war was very . They believed that it
wouldn't last long and that they would beat the enemy in a number of months. It ended up going quite
differently. The war quickly turned into a on both the front in Russia and in
the front in Northern France and. It would last almost years. Both armies dug
that were kilometres long. The and the snow that fell during the war turned the
trenches muddy in which the would run around freely. Soldiers had to stay in the trenches
because when they left they didn't stand a against the enemies . No one
moved much during the and so no one actually had a chance of .
Bayonets and mustard gas
In 1917 the Germans declared an submarine war. They did this using a
. In this telegram Germany asked to wage against the US.
Following this declared war on . This happened in April of 1917.
12 The battle in the East wasn't going well for the army. Food and became scarce in the
. Furthermore, people were not happy when it came to the in Russia: the
was almighty and the didn't have a say. Their discontent grew and grew and the czar was
in . But the leader of Russia was still
unhappy. Their leader promised 'Peace, and bread'. After the ,
he took charge. They made peace with Germany in March of 1918 by signing the treaty of
. England and were unhappy that their had betrayed them, but
Germany saw a new chance. Instead of fighting in two place, they only had to fight in one!
The last of the trenches
13 By 1918 the German soldiers stationed in the were exhausted. When the soldiers
had arrived at the river the the Germans had to work harder than ever before. The German
rebelled against their . The spread like an oil stain and
reached the German . The resigned and fled to the . The new
German signed the armistice of in Novermber of 1918. Half a year later the
Treaty of was signed. In this Germany was for the war and
belonged to France once more. Germany also had to pay for all that was lost in the
war. The Germans were .
Test yourself
There were two periods in history marked by a lot of tension between the neighbouring countries France
and Germany. This ultimately led to two wars: the Franco-German War in the nineteenth century and World
War I in the twentieth century.
1870 - 1871
1914 - 1918
It is impossible to understand World War I if you know nothing about the Franco-German War (1870-1871).
2 A historian claims:
ʻThe First World War (the “Great War”) is also known as Germanyʼs “revenge”.ʼ
True
False
There were five causes and one reason for the start of World War I in 1914. You could say that the Europe of
1900 was a powder keg (of causes) that was about to explode. All it needed was something to light the fuse
(the reason).
3 Suppose you are writing a report about what caused World War I and are basing your research on
cartoons. You discover . Which paragraph fits best with the source?
Paragraph 1. Nationalism.
Paragraph 2. Militarism.
Paragraph 3. Economic competition.
Paragraph 4. Modern imperialism.
Paragraph 5. Alliances.
There were five causes and one reason for the start of World War I in 1914. You could say that the Europe of
1900 was a powder keg (of causes) that was about to explode. All it needed was something to light the fuse
(the reason).
4 refers to an event that happened just before the start of World War I: the Berlin Conference. Which
term is not related to this?
Weltpolitik
The Berlin Conference
Colonies
Kaiser Wilhelm I
No historical phenomenon, development or event simply materialises out of thin air. Neither are such
phenomena, developments or events ever completely isolated. Everything is, in one way or another, the
consequence of one or more events preceding it as well as the cause of one or more events following it.
Indirect
Direct
No historical phenomenon, development or event simply materialises out of thin air. Neither are such
phenomena, developments or events ever completely isolated. Everything is, in one way or another, the
consequence of one or more events preceding it as well as the cause of one or more events following it.
6 Look at again. Which two types of causes are linked to this event?
Political
Economic
Religious
Military
German generals had already started making plans in case war were to break out in Europe as early as
around 1900. General Alfred von Schlieffen knew that the alliance between France and Russia would
probably cause Germany to end up in a two-front war, in which they would have to fight France on one
front and Russia on the other at the same time. He wanted to prevent this.
People and soldiers in all the countries greeted the start of the First World War with enthusiasm. Finally,
they would have a chance to show the world how great their soldiers were! Every country thought they
would be able to beat their enemy in just a few months. In reality, things went quite differently. The battle
on the eastern front, in Russia, was extremely difficult. At the same time, a horrible trench war that would
last almost four years took place on the western front, in Belgium and the North of France.
8 Take a look at . To which military event during World War I is this source related?
9 An event:
In May 1915, the American passenger ship Lusitania was sunk by Germany because this ship also
carried arms on its voyage from New York to Great Britain.
Which type of foreign policy is typical of the way in which the USA responded to this event?
Isolationism
Taking part in World War I
At the start of World War I the Russian Czar Alexander II fought on the side of the Allied Forces. In December
1917, an armistice was concluded with the Central Powers and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed in
March 1918. How could it have come to this?
10 An event:
The Russian Czar Nicolas II was deposed in February 1917.
Which type of foreign policy is typical of the way in which Russia responded to this event?
Arms race When two or more people/countries compete to have the most powerful and the most weapons.
Modern Colonizing African and Asian countries during the second half of the nineteenth century.
Imperialism
Revanchism A view the French had after losing the war of 1870 - 1871. They wanted revenge on the German Empire.
The Germans took Alsace-Lorraine back from the French and became an empire.
The Ottoman A name for Turkey and the other pieces of land that belonged to Turkey between the fourteenth and the twentieth century.
Empire When the Ottoman Empire was at its most powerful it reached from Eastern Eruope, through Western Asia and into Northern Africa.
Danube monarchy A name of Austria-Hungary (between 1867 and 1918).
The Dabune can be found in both of these countries. Austria was an empire and Hungary was a kingdom. The emperor of Austria was also
the king of Hungary. This is called a Dual Monarchy.
Multinational A country in which multiple groups of people live together. These groups of people have their own history, culture, language and habits.
state If a certain type of people feel like theyʼve been wronged by the government, they could cause trouble for the whole country. The
Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary were two multinational states in the 19th century.
Naval law (1898) A law that forced Germany to expand and modernize their warfleet (1898).
The Naval law was supposed to make sure that the German war fleet would become as big as or bigger than Great Britainʼs war fleet.
Weltpolitik The foreign policy Wilhelm II adopted in 1900. The goal was to give Germany a bigger role by acquiring a big number of colonies.
ʻWeltpolitikʼ is the reason for the naval laws and why Germany became a modern-imperialistic country.
Berlin conference A meeting between Western European countries and the United States in which they divided Africa (1884-1885).
(1884-1885)
Central powers An alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire during the first World War.
Italy was also a part of this alliance before the war, but in 1915 they switched sides and joined the Allies.
The allies The countries that worked together against Germany during the first world war.
The United States joined this alliances in 1917. These countries all worked together during World War II as well.
Von German military strategy: they wanted to beat France in the West and then take the army to Russia.
Schlieffenplan The goal of the Von Schlieffenplan was to prevent a two front war from forming.
Battle of the A battle between the German army and the allies. It resulted in a win for the allies.
Marne The battle of the river Marne (Northern France, September 1914) meant that the Von Schlieffenplan had failed. It marked the start of the
Trench war.
Trench war A war in which both parties laid in trenches across from one another.
The soldiers didnʼt stand a chance outside of the trenches. The enemy constantly fired at anyone not in a trench. Neither party was able to
conquer any land and everyone stayed in the exact same space for years.
Battle of the A big battle in which millions of soldiers died. The first tanks were used in this battle but unfortunately it didn't help the war effort at all.
Somme The battle took place by the Somme river in Northern France between June and November of 1916.
Shellshock A psychiatric illness resulting from injury to the nerves during combat.
ʻShellʼ means grenade. Most people didnʼt understand what had happened to shellshocked soldiers. They were often carted off to psychiatric
wards.
4. The end of life in the trenches and the end of the war
RMS Lusitania A ship that was torpedoed by the Germans. Causing the US to play a role in WWI after all (1915).
Isolationism Foreign policy used by the US to try and stay out of European problems.
Because of this the US was able to stay out of WWI for a long time.
Unrestricted The German submarines attacked each and every ship, even those of countries who were not a part of the alliance.
submarine The US felt threatened because of this. It was one of the reasons the US joined WWII.
warfare
Zimmermann A secret German telegram asking Mexico to attack the US and the announcement of the unrestricted submarine warfare (1917).
Telegram The Zimmermann Telegram was the cause of the US joining the Allies in with WWI.
Russian A political party led by Lenin. Their goal was equality for everyone. To them this meant that labourers and farmers would become the most
communist powerful people.
party
Armistice of An armistice between the Alliance and the Central Powers that ended WWI (November 1918).
Compiègne This treaty was signed in a train cart in a woods close to Compiègne, that lies to the North of Paris.
Treaty of The peace treaty signed after WWI (June 1919) by the alliance and Germany.
Versailles This treaty contained several restraints for Germany. They felt humiliated.
Reparation The money that the Treaty of Versailles ordered Germany to pay to the allied forces.
payments