WW1
WHAT CAUSED THE FIRST WORLD
WAR?
Focus points
• Did the Alliance System and global diplomacy make war more likely or less likely?
• How far did colonial problems create tensions between the Great Powers?
• Why were problems in the Balkans so difficult for the Great Powers to solve?
• How did the assassination of Franz Ferdinand lead to war?
Specified content
• The origins of the First World War, 1890–1914:
–the Alliance System and the European diplomatic system
–the 1902 Anglo–Japanese Alliance
–the arms race
–colonial rivalries
–developments in the Balkans
–the crisis of June
–July 1914 and the outbreak of war
The Alliance System and the
European Diplomatic System
Alliances formed two opposing blocs:
Alliance Members Purpose
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy Military support if attacked by two
Triple Alliance
(1882) or more powers
Not formal military alliances but
France, Russia (1894), Britain
Triple Entente diplomatic understandings to
(1907)
balance power
Impact:
Designed for defence, but created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion
Local disputes risked dragging in entire alliances
Made diplomacy rigid – reduced flexibility
How did the Alliance System turn a Balkan conflict into a global war?
Serbia vs Austria-Hungary (Balkan conflict)
Austria supported by Germany
Serbia supported by Russia
Germany declares war on Russia and France
Germany invades Belgium → Britain joins
Global war triggered by alliance obligations
2. The 1902 Anglo–Japanese
Alliance
📜 What was it?
Britain and Japan agreed to support each other if either was attacked in the Far East
Aimed to counter Russian expansion in Asia
💥 Why is this important for WWI origins?
Freed up British resources: Britain no longer had to protect colonies like
India and Singapore alone
Allowed Britain to concentrate its navy in Europe to face the growing German
naval threat
-Indirectly supported the naval arms race and strategic focus in Europe
3. The Arms Race
1890s–1914: Massive growth in military power
🔹 Germany:
Built a powerful army and navy
Launched the Tirpitz Plan to rival British naval supremacy
🔹 Britain:
Responded with the Dreadnought battleship (1906)
By 1914, a full-scale naval race with Germany
🔹 All powers:
Conscription and detailed war plans
Germany's Schlieffen Plan: quick defeat of France, then turn east to Russia
France’s Plan XVII: aggressive push into Alsace-Lorraine
Effects
War planning made mobilisation irreversible
Created paranoia and a belief that war was inevitable and even necessary
By 1914, Germany had 2.2 million soldiers;
Russia 1.2 million;
France 1 million;
Britain lagged behind with a small professional army.
Colonial Rivalries
Key Theatres:
🔹 Morocco (1905, 1911):Germany challenged French influence in Morocco
Algeciras Conference (1906): most powers backed France
1911: Agadir Crisis—Germany sent a gunboat, Britain sided with France
Effect: Strengthened Entente Cordiale, isolated Germany
🔹 Africa:
Britain, France, and Germany all scrambled for colonies
Often tense, but major war avoided due to compromise diplomacy
Impact:
Increased hostility and suspicion, especially towards Germany
Showed Germany’s aggression and willingness to test Entente unity
5. Developments in the
Balkans
🇷🇸 The Balkans: A boiling pot of nationalism and empires
🔹 1908 Bosnian Crisis:
Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina (previously under Ottoman control)
Serbia and Russia protested, but Germany backed Austria
Russia backed down, but vowed not to again
🔹 Balkan Wars (1912–1913):
Balkan League (Serbia, Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro) attacked Ottoman Empire
Serbia grew stronger, Austria more anxious
Serbia wanted access to the Adriatic; Austria blocked it
Effect:
Austria became more hostile towards Serbia
Serbia emboldened by Russian support
Ethnic tensions increased (especially Slavs under Austrian rule)
Serbia called Bosnia “our Serbia lost.”
6. The Crisis of June–July 1914 and the
Outbreak of War
The Spark: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
28 June 1914 in Sarajevo, Bosnia
Killer: Gavrilo Princip, member of Serbian nationalist group Black Hand
The July Crisis – Step by
Step:
Date Action
July 23 Austria sends ultimatum to Serbia (very harsh)
July 25 Serbia accepts most terms—but not all
July 28 Austria declares war on Serbia
July 30 Russia mobilises to defend Serbia
August 1 Germany declares war on Russia
August 3 Germany declares war on France
August 4 Germany invades Belgium → Britain declares war
Why diplomacy failed:
Mobilisation = escalation
Alliances pulled everyone in
Germany pushed Austria to act quickly ("blank cheque" support)
Austria’s reaction to the assassination was the trigger—but the war was made inevitable by
militarism, alliances, and poor communication.
Was the Alliance system the biggest reason
for the First World War break out in 1914?
Bosnia 1908, Balkan Wars, Serbian nationalism
📌 Paragraph 1: Alliance System Archduke’s murder gave Austria excuse to crush
Serbia
Increased mistrust, reduced flexibility
📌 Paragraph 4: Imperial Rivalries
Example: July Crisis → one event, many countries
pulled in Germany challenged France in Morocco
📌 Paragraph 2: Arms Race + War Plans Britain and France grew closer, isolating Germany
Military solutions preferred; mobilisations ✅ Conclusion:
triggered escalation
Yes, Long-term tensions from militarism and
Germany’s Schlieffen Plan and France’s Plan XVII alliances made war likely
📌 Paragraph 3: Balkans + Assassination Assassination = spark; deeper causes = fuel
Recall questions
What was the name of the alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy?
In which year was the Triple Entente completed?
Which country gave Austria a “blank cheque” of support in July 1914?
Which country promised to defend Belgium’s neutrality?
Who was assassinated on 28 June 1914?
What was the Schlieffen Plan?
Why was Austria-Hungary angry with Serbia in 1914?
Explain why Germany declared war on Russia in August 1914.
Why did Britain enter the war on 4 August 1914?
What role did Russia play in escalating the July Crisis?
Explain how the Alliance System increased tension in Europe before 1914. (6 marks)
Hint: Triple Alliance, Triple Entente, fear, military planning
‘The Alliance System was the main cause of the First World War.’ How far do you agree with
this statement? (10 marks)
Include other factors like nationalism, militarism, and the July Crisis.
How did the Alliance System contribute to the spread of the July Crisis into a wider war? (6
marks)
Focus on Austria, Germany, Russia, and Britain’s actions.
Why did Germany declare war on France in August 1914? (6 marks)
Include the alliance system, war plans, and French–Russian alliance.
•How far was the Alliance System responsible for the outbreak of the First World War?
•To what extent was nationalism the main cause of tension in Europe before 1914?
•How far was Germany to blame for the outbreak of the First World War?
•To what extent did the assassination at Sarajevo cause the First World War?
•How far was the First World War a result of misjudgements during the July Crisis of 1914?