What were the causes of WW1? Flashcards
What war happened in 1870 and finished in 1871?
The Franco-Prussian War
Why did the Franco-Prussian War happen?
- France felt threatened by the possible allegiance of Prussia and Spain
- France demanded that Wilhelm I withdraw any future support from Prince Leopold
- Wilhelm refused and sent a telegram
- Bismark edited the telegram to offend France as he wanted a war.
How much money did France have to give to Germany at the end of the war?
Five billion Francs (roughly four billion pounds).
What territory did France have to give to Germany?
Alsace-Lorraine.
Who was Kaiser Wilhelm I?
He was the Prussian Emperor and then the leader of the German Empire. He wanted all of Europe for himself.
Why was the navy so important to Britain?
- Half of the British Empire was halfway across the world (It was used to travel to the Empire)
- For protecting goods going in and out of Britain
- To stop other countries from blocking trade or communication routes
- To protect Britain
- To help the Army stop rebellions or other problems in the colonies
Which three countries were part of the Triple Entente? And when was it created
France, Britain and Russia. Created in 1907.
What did Britain create in response to the Russo-Japanese war?
The dreadnoughts.
Why was Europe a dangerous place by 1914?
Europe was divided into two big alliances, so a small feud connecting two countries in two different alliances would link to the rest of the alliance systems to get involved as well.
Who was Kaiser Wilhelm II?
Germany’s second emperor. He was the emperor when WWI started
How did the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand link to the start of World War I
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was murdered by members of the Black Hand, which was an association created by Serbs.
After his murder, Austria blamed Serbia for the assassination, and they declared war on them.
Russia were Serbia’s allies, so they prepared to go to war with Austria-Hungary.
However, Germany demanded Russia hold back from protecting Serbia.
Russia helped anyway, and Germany declared war on Russia, but first, they put their Schlieffen plan to action, which involved attacking Belgium first, to get to France and start a war with them and then go back to Russia and attack them.
Belgium was a neutral country, so Britain demanded Germany leave Belgium alone. They didn’t, so Britain declared war on Germany. While all this happened, Austria-Hungary declared war on Russia.
What was the Black Hand?
It was an association created by Serb officials, with the purpose of getting the independence of all Slavs, specifically in Bosnia, where there were many of them (Bosnia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). The methods they used to get this was by planning attacks, murders and other kinds of violence against Austria-Hungary.
Why did Britain feel the need to change its navy?
Its ships couldn’t sustain heavy damage. Kaiser Wilhelm II read about the importance of the navy, this would become a threat to Britain if it didn’t step up its game. Many of its ships wouldn’t do much damage and would be destroyed easily in battles. Britain needed tactical superiority and superior firepower. In the Russo-Japanese war (1905) Japan beat Russia even though they were a smaller country.
What did Britain create in response to the Russo-Japanese war?
The dreadnaughts.
MAIN stands for what?
Militarism. Alliance. Imperialism. Nationalism.
