Causes of World War One

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  • Created by: Kirsten
  • Created on: 17-11-12 14:39

 Causes of World War One (own notes + BBC Bitesize notes)

Events

Key events 1899-1914

Event

Description

1. Boer War 1899-1902

Germany opposed Britain's attempt to defeat the Boers in South Africa.

2. First Moroccan crisis 1905-1906

Kaiser Wilhelm promised to support the sultan of Morocco against France's attempts to take over the country.

3. 'Daily Telegraph' article 1908

In a newspaper interview, Kaiser Wilhelm said the English were mad and the Germans hated them. This caused great offence in Britain.

4. Bosnia 1908

Austria annexed Bosnia in the Balkans. This annoyed Serbia, which wanted to take over the area. Russia wanted to help Serbia, but had to back down.

5. Dreadnought crisis 1909

Scared by the growing German navy, the British people demanded that the government build eight of the new Dreadnought battleships.

6. Agadir 1911

There was a revolution in Morocco, so France sent an army to take over. Kaiser Wilhelm sent the gunship 'Panther', but Britain and France forced him to back down.

7. Balkan Wars 1912-1913

Serbia and other countries in the Balkans conquered most of Turkey's land in Europe. Serbia became a powerful country, and said Austria-Hungary was its next target.

8. The assination of Franz Ferdinand 1914

The heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was shot by Gavrilo Princip, a young Serb terrorist, in Sarajevo in Bosnia.

 

France

In 1870 France had gone to war with Prussia (Germany) and had been badly defeated. Germany took two French provinces after the war,Alsace and Lorraine.

Ever after,the French hated Germany and wanted revenge.

France had built up alliances:

1894,the Dual Entente with Russia.

1904,the Entente Cordials with Britain.

1907,the Triple Entente (France, Russia and Britain).

The French Army had a military plan to attack Germany, it was called Plan 17 and it

meant that they would charge straight into Germany through the area of Champagne.

 

Britain

Britain had become very concemed about Germany since Kaiser Wilhelm II had succeeded to the throne in 1887 because:

Germany had begun to build up and empire in Africe and the Pacific

The German govemment had passed the Navy Laws In 1898 and 1900, saying that the German Navy would be built up to rival the Royal Navy.

After 1906 Britain and Germany started to by to build more ships than

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