Tijd voor Geschiedenis

In the trenches
3.1. In the trenches...

Learning goals

The learning goals in this chapter are:

You can explain why the Franco-

German war led to World War I.

You can describe what the role of the

Hall of Mirrors was in both the Franco-
German war and the World War I.

You know which countries played a role

during World War I.

France and Germany, archenemies 1871-

3.1.1

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.

What happened between 1871 and 1914 to case another

(world) war so shortly after the first one? In this chapter we'll
be taking a look at the causes, the reasons, and the course
and consequences of this 'great' war.
 Source 2 - The Germans celebrate their
victory in Versailles
William I is proclaimed emperor of the
German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors in
Versailles, 1871.
Painting by Anton von Werner (1885).
Click on the image to enlarge and learn
more.
Source 3 - A German defeat in Versailles
The treaty of Versailles is signed in the Hall
of Mirrors in Versailles, 1919.
A painting by van William Orpen (1919).
Click on the image to enlarge and learn
more.

 Use the text, source 2 and source 3.

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.

because germany won in the one before that

1b Prove that the location in the paintings in sources 2 and 3 is actually the Hall of Mirrors.

there are a lot of mirrors

1871 The end of The German Empire is united in Versailles.

the Franco-
Prussian war.
1884- Berlin European countries 'divide' Africa.
1885 Conference.

1898 The Germans The German Reichstag decides to expand the war
pass the first fleet.
naval law.

1908 Austria- Many Bosnians want to be a part of Serbia.

Hungary
annexes
Bosnia

1914,06 The cause of Frans-Ferdinand, Austria-Hungaries successor to

WO I the throne, is murdered.

1914,09 Battle of the The Germans are stopped at the river the Marne. A
Marne trench war ensues.

Watch

this video to learn more about life in the trenches.

(3 min.)

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.

1918,03 Treaty of After the communist revolution, Russia makes

Brest-Litovsk peace with Germany.

1918,11 Armistice of The Germans surrender.

Compiègne

1919,06 Treaty of Germany is punished for WW I.

Versailles

2a A whole number of countries joined in with WWI, not just France and Germany. Which countries
can you find in the timeline?

austria-hungry, russia, bosnia, great brittain

 Typical aspects

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.

Click on the image to start this excerpt of the film. In this

excerpt we're going to be taken the trench war, straight
after the battle of the Marne. (5 min.)

3a Explain why the French officer (lutenant Audebert) behaves and feels like he does before he talks
to his soldiers.

because he is stressed

 Use the excerpt and source 1.

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.

in because then you are safer

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

Gap-fill summary Franco-Prussian war

Click here to make a gap-fill summary.
An animated history
Watch this animated video about the Franco-
Prussian war (6.30 min.).
In the next few paragraphs we'll be lookin at
WWI. Watch this video to understand more
about the Franco-Prussian war that preceded it.
3.2. Filling the powder keg, 1871-1914

Learning goals

The learning goals in this chapter are:

You can name and explain the five

causes that triggered World War I.

You can explain in which parts of Europe

there were tensions and why these
tensions existed.

You can explain why the foundation of

the German Empire led to the creation of
the Central powers and the Allied
forces.

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:

Nationalism (in Western Europe and in the Balkans)

Militarism and the arms races
Economic competition
Modern Western imperialism
Alliances

We'll be taking an in-depth look at these causes. The first

cause, nationalism will be spread out over two texts.
Thanks to the Franco-German war of 1870-1871 the most
powerful country in Europe became Germany. After crushing
France and starting the German Empire it was quite clear
that the Germans were not to be overlooked. German
nationalism got a boost thanks to their victory over France.
The Germans were proud of their country and had become
prouder yet after winning the war. They wanted to make
sure everyone knew how strong they were. The chancellor
(= prime minister = leader of the government) Otto von
Source 1 - A satirical map
Bismarck and 'der kaiser ' Wilhelm I were determined to
A map of Europe created by Fred W.
strengthen the countries position in the world. Rose in 1877.
France was not happy with this development and were Click on the image to enlarge.
insulted by Germany's rise in power. The French wanted to
dish out their revenge after being defeated in the 1870-1871
war. After being defeated in this war France had to hand
over a large piece of land that was adjacent (= attached) to “The Prussians borders do not
the German border, Alsace-Lorraine, 'Revanchism' became provide the support needed for the
an important part of French nationalism. development of the state. The issues
of our day and age cannot be solved
Great Britain watched the drama on the main land unfold with speeches and decisions made by
from a distance, but vowed to stay out of it. Great Britain the majority. They must be solved
was very proud of her strong navy and her huge 'colonial using iron and blood”.
empire ' that had colonies in America (The Carribean
Islands) and in Asia (India). Great Britain's main concern was
about what happened at sea. The song Rule, Britannia says
it all: 'Britannia rule the waves' and that was exactly the way Source 2 - Iron and blood
Taken from Otto von Bismarcks first
they liked it.
address as Prime Minister of Prussia
September 30th 1862.

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

getting back at some one or a group

 1c Colonial empire

great brittain was proud and felt powerful because of the colonies and their navy

 Use the text and source 1 en source 2.

Typical aspect

2a Explain why source 1 fits with the typical aspect: ' the roll of modern Propaganda'.

because it shows a opinion about politcs

2b Explain how what is said in source 2 is shown in source 1.

it shows the hate towards other countries

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.

Video 'Joyeux Noël', nationalism at school

3aUse the text, the excerpt from Joyeux Noël and source 2.
(The excerpt is about 1.5 min. long.)

You've seen an excerpt of the film 'Joyeux Noël' in

paragraph 1. Before the soldiers go to the trenches the film
starts with three schoolchildren from different countries
giving 'their' opinion about war.
Write an example of nationalism down for
Click on the image to start the video. each of the countries in the excerpt.

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

3.2.2 Nationalism in the Balkans

During the 19th century powershifts in the southeast of
Europe took place. The power the Turks had held over the
Balkans had diminished. 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. Many
countries, like Greece, Serbia and Romania became
independent. Countries surrounding the empire like Austria-
Hungary and Russia started mocking the empire and it
gained a nickname: 'the sick man of Europe'. Austria-
Source 3
Hungary came about when the emperor of Austria also
Turkey watched Austria-Hungary
became king of Hungary. This dual monarchy was situated (emperor Frans-Jozef on the left) and
around the Danube river. Because of this many people Bulgaria annex The Ottoman Empires
called it the Danube Monarchy. Austria-Hungary was one of territory.
the Ottoman empires neighbours. It tried to profit off the Drawing from Le Petit Journal, 18-10-
back of the weak Ottoman empire. Bosnia was added to 1908.
Austria-Hungary in 1908. This was controversial because
Click on the image to enlarge.
most of the population wanted to become a part of Serbia.
Austria-Hungary became a multinational state. A great
number of different cultures, languages and religions all
lived together in one state.

Big, strong Russia didn't trust the power Austria-Hungary

held. She tried to gain more influence by openly supporting
the Slavic nations call for independence. The nationalistic
outburst in these countries led to a number of Balkan wars.
These wars all took place in Southeast Europe. The fighting
didn't spread any further.
 Use the text.

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

 Use the text and source 3.

5a Why was the Ottoman Empire called the 'sick man of Europe' in the 1900s?

because it couldn't remain as a empire and the states wanted independence

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

because then they would be less powerfull

 Forbidden to say / Taboo
Can you make a new title for the text using your own words? You're forbidden to say the following words,
they're taboo.

5c Nationalism in the Balkans

proud
country
independent
Southeast Europe
Ottoman Empire

patriotism in the Balkans

Video excerpt: Sissi and nationalism

 Use the text and the video excerpt from part 2 of the trilogy Sissi. (until 2:13:07 minutes).
Empress Elisbeths (Sissi) life story is told in this film trilogy made in 1955-1957. In part 2 Sissi is getting prepared
for her coronation as queen of Hungary in 1867. This situation is not without its problems. Many Hungarian nobles
(led by count Gyula Andrassi, in the film Julia) try and resist their country being taken over by Austria. Sissi
organizes a state ball and invites the Hungarians to join them but hasn't told emperor Frans-Jozef or his mother.
Sissi and Frans-Jozef open the ball with a first dance.

6a Use an example from the excerpt to explain what nationalism is.

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.

In 1887 the British government tried to convince the people

of Great Britain to not buy anything produced in Germany.
Each product that came from Germany had to be stamped
'Made in Germany'. The government stated that buying
German produce could harm the British industry. At first,
this plan seemed to work but in time people discovered that
they preferred the German produce better and started
specifically buying products with 'Made in Germany' on
them.
Source 5 - Who reacts to whom?
The title of the drawing is “Votes and
Violence”. The cartoon in the bottom
right corner states that John Bull
(Great Britain) can only “Sit tight and
build battleships”.
A cartoon by Brit William K. Haselden
in The Daily Mirror, 7-11-1908.
Click on the image to enlarge.
  Use the text and source 4.

7 Militarism was embeded into day-to-day life in Germany. Prove this using source 4.

because they made painting about it

 Use the text and source 5.

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

Nationalism in the Balkans

that they protect their pride

German fleet regulations

became smaller than german

Arms race
all new possibilties with weapons were utilised as much as possible

3.2.4 Imperialism and alliances

Great Britain and France had laid a basis for a huge colonial
kingdom during the 18th century. They had taken ownership The days in which the Germans left
of important colonies in America and Asia. In approximately the world to be governed by its
1850 France and Great Britain set their sights on Africa. They neighbours and when others reserved
could use resources only found in the colonies, like rubber the sea and the heavens for
and cotton, for the industrialisation in their own countries. themselves are over.
They could also produce product that could be sold back to We believe it to be our most
people in the colonies (consumer market). Furthermore, important task to make sure our
having a colonial empire was good for a countries ships, our commerce and our industry
reputation. This is proof that Modern Western Imperialism get the chance to advance. We do not
and nationalism went well together. want to push anyone into the
After the unification of Germany in 1871, it got involved with shadows, but we want our own place
this 'arms race for Africa' When Wilhelm I died in 1888. He in the sun. We shall protect our rights
was succeeded by his son Frederik-Wilhelm, but within a and importance without being cruel
year of becoming emperor he died of throat cancer. In the but we will also not be weak.
'Year of the Three Emperors' as we know it today, Frederik- (Enthusiastic applause.)
Wilhelms son Wilhelm II become the new emperor of
Germany.
Source 6 - Somewhere in the sun
The new emperor had even bigger plans for Germany than
Minister, and later chancellor,
Wilhelm I and chancellor Bismarck. He adopted a Bernhard von Bülow in a speech
'Weltpolitik ': Germany simply had to become a global during the German Reichstag, 6-12-
power. This policy enhanced the nationalism, militarism and 1897.
modern-imperialism that had already found a place within
Germany.

To make sure that no conflicts, or worse wars, would arise

between the European countries trying to capture Africa,
the Berlin conference (1884-1885) was held. In this
conference a big map of Africa was hung up on a wall and
the different regions of Africa were divided between the
European countries. No one talked to the African people
living there and they weren't asked for their opinion on the
matter or asked for permission. Old borders between tribes
were overthrown and the habits of the inhabitants of Africa Source 7
The world's plunderers. It's English,
weren't taken into consideration at all.
you know“ From left to right:
Emperor Wilhelm II knew that England and France would Germany, Great Britain and Russia
get in his way of his 'Weltpolitik' plans and the role he each hold on to bags into which
wished to play in Europe. He decided to become allies with they're collecting colonies.
Austria-Hungary. England, that saw herself as a world A drawing by an American artist:
leader, felt threatened and decided to become allies with Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly, 20-6-
France. Russia soon followed. Russia wanted to make sure 1885.
that Austria-Hungary didn't become an ounce more Click on the image to enlarge.
powerful in the Balkans. During World War I the two
alliances would be called the central powers and the allies.
Europe had become a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
  Use the text and source 6.

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.

Fleet regulations and arms races

We shall protect our rights and importance without being cruel
but we will also not be weak.

Nationalism
We do not want to push anyone into the shadows, but we want
our own place in the sun.

 Use the text and source 7.

10a Use the source to explain that the Berlin Conference was necessary.

because otherwise these 3 countries would claim all the colonies

Typical aspect

10b Explain why source 7 fits with the typical aspect: ' the modern form of imperialism '

because it depicts modern imperialism

  Use the text.

11a Put the names of the most important countries in the alliances in the correct order.
Central powers Allies

great brittain austria-hungary

germany france
russia

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

12 Use examples to explain the title of this paragraph.

the arms race

increase of the fleets
colonies
alliances.

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:

further explaining a term from the text;

describing one specific part of the cartoon;
explaining how a certain country is depicted.

13a Nationalism (in Western Europe)

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.

13c Militarism and arms race

Source 10
Cartoon drawing of a map of Europe,
1914.
A German cartoon.
13d Economic competition

Source 11
Click on the source to enlarge.

13e Modern imperialism

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.
During assignment 9 you watched an excerpt of
a video. The whole video gives a good overview
of the causes for World War I. Use this
assignment to watch the whole video and
answer questions about it.
In this video you can take a look at the German
unification that Otto von Bismarck was
responsible for.(3:27 min.)
Learn more about the Dreadnoughts created by
Great Britain by watching this video.
3.3. The smoky, smoky trenches, 1914-1918

Learning goals

The learning goals in this chapter are:

You can explain what the reason was

that World War I took place.

You can distinguish between types of

causes, including motive and reason.

You can explain why World War I

became a trench war.

You can describe how life in the

trenches was.

3.3.1 The fuse and the chain reaction

Bosnia had been a province of Austria-Hungary since 1908.
Approximately 50% of the Bosnians didn't want to be a part
of the Danube Monarchy but wanted to join forces with the
Kingdom of Serbia. A great deal of the Bosnian population
had the same Slavic background and the language they
spoke was similar. They were also a part of the same
orthodox catholic church as their Serbian neighbours. But
the other 50% didn't want to join Serbia. These people were
Muslims and were afraid of being discriminated by the
Serbians.
When Franz-Ferdinand, the succesor to the Austria-
Hungarian throne, visited the Bosnian capital city of
Sarajevo on June 28th of 1914, he was assassinated by a 17-
year-old called Gavrilo Princip. Princip was a member of the
Bosnian-Serbian secret military society 'The Black Hand'.
Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia for the assassination and
demanded they apologize. When Serbia didn't apologize
quickly and politely enough the Danube Monarchy declared
war on Serbia. Serbia had already called in their Slavic ally
Russia and Tsar Nicolas II set the mobilization process in
action. This upset Germany, Austria-Hungary's ally.
Germany demanded Russia to stop mobilizing her army and
when Russia didn't comply with this demand Germany
declared war on Russia. At the same time Germany told
France, Russias ally, to stay out of it. France ignored
Germany's wish for them to stay neutral and Germany
declared war on France as well.
The next day the German army went through Belgium to get
to France. Great Britain, France's ally, got angry because
Germany had attacked a neutral country. On August 4th
1914 Great Britain declared war on Germany. World War I
was in full swing.
Domenica del Corriere, 12-7-1914.
One of the members of 'The Black
Hand' recalls the assassination.
“The road to the maneuvers was
shaped like the letter V, making a
sharp turn at the bridge over the River
Milgacka. Francis Ferdinand's car
could go fast enough until it reached
this spot but here it was forced to
slow down for the turn. Here Princip
had taken his stand. As the car came
abreast he stepped forward from the
curb, drew his automatic pistol from
his coat and fired two shots. The first
struck the wife of the Archduke,
Archduchess Sofia, in the abdomen.
She was an expectant mother. She
died instantly. The second bullet
struck the Archduke close to the heart.
He uttered only one word, 'Sofia' -- a
call to his stricken wife. Then his head
fell back and he collapsed. He died
almost instantly.”
Source 1 - 'The Black Hand' in action
Interview with Borijove Jevtic
New York World, 19-6-1924.
 “ The Archduke and his wife leave City
Hall. Count Harrach rides the running
board"As the car quickly reversed, a
thin stream of blood spurted from His
Highness's mouth onto my right
check. As I was pulling out my
handkerchief to wipe the blood away
from his mouth, the Duchess cried out
to him, 'In Heaven's name, what has
happened to you?' At that, she slid off
the seat and lay on the floor of the car,
with her face between his knees. I had
no idea that she too was hit and
thought she had simply fainted with
fright. Then I heard His Imperial
Highness say, 'Sopherl, Sopherl, don't
die. Stay alive for the children!' At
that, I seized the Archduke by the
collar of his uniform, to stop his head
dropping forward and asked him if he
was in great pain. He answered me
quite distinctly, 'It's nothing!' His face
began to twist somewhat but he went
on repeating, six or seven times, ever
more faintly as he gradually lost
consciousness, 'It's nothing!'”

Source 2 - 'It's nothing'

Franz von Harrach, the heir to the
thrones body guard, speaks to the
police. 29-6-1914.

 Use the text.

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?

because a part of it was moslim

Historical thinking skills

Causes and consequences: causes and reasons

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.

There are several types of causes:

People or groups of people have a motive to do something.

There can be several types of causes : political causes, economical causes, religious causes, etc.
Some causes are more important and other causes are less important.
Some causes have been around for a while ( indirect/structural causes) and some causes happened very
close to an event/development that has been set in motion (direct causes).
Reason: this is the most direct cause. It is often the 'straw that breaks the camel's back '. Most of the
time direct and indirect causes have been there all along but this reason is the last thing to put things
into motion.
Use these new skills when you make exercise 2.

2a In the previous text we looked at the five causes of WWI. Drag the types of causes/reasons to the
correct place.

Causes WWI Type of cause Event

that belongs to this cause
Nationalism

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.

nationalism, they could let that go

 Use the text and source 1 and source 2.

3a You could say that not only Franz-Ferdinand and his wife died during the assassination. One other
person also died. Explain.

because his wife was pregnant

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'

 Use the text and the video excerpt (8:25 min.).

4a

Why is the title of the video so fitting?

because the war that follewed changed a lot

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.

They took their chance in August of 1914. The German army

left for Belgium and planned to make a big detour before
arriving in the heart of France. But the Von Schlieffenplan
quickly went south. There were four reasons for this.
The Russian mobilization went much faster than Germany
had counted on and they needed to send a big amount of
their soldiers to the Eastern front before the month was
over. Belgium was a lot harder to take than the Germans
expected. The Germans had brought their cannons 'Big
Bertha' with them, but the Belgians put up a good fight. This
gives the British the chance to bring their soldiers to
Belgium and France through the harbour of Dunkirk. The
French army was also able to bring soldiers to the Northern
front to defend Paris. Parisian taxis drove up and down and
up and down to bring French soldiers to the front.
Because of these acts, the allies could retaliate in full
strength. During the Battle of the Marne , a river in Northern
France above Paris, in the first week September of 1914, the
German army couldn't move any further. They were stuck...
 Use the text and source 3.

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.

Russia mobilizes faster than expected. 

Belgium puts up a good fight. 

British soldiers arrive in Belgium fast. 

France quickly moves its soldiers. 

3.3.3 In the trenches
The soldiers and civilians in the countries that joined in with
the war were extremely enthusiastic about having a chance
to show off what their country was capable of. Each country
believed that they would beat the enemy within a matter of
months. That was not the case... The battles resulted in a
trench war. The soldiers dug several trenches on the
Eastern front in Russia, but most trenches were on the
Western front in Northern France and Belgium. The trench
war would last for four years.
Source 4
Both armies dug passageways that went on for miles and German soldiers during the
miles. The trenches were equipped with places to rest and mobilization on their way to the front.
sleep and shelters for the wounded. Behind the trenches The writing on the door says: 'free trip
to Paris through Liége.'
and far out of reach from enemy fire the armies used farms
and tents as makeshift hospitals. The front trench was often Click on the image to enlarge.
only removed 30 feet from the enemy. If necessary, the
enemy troops could talk to one another. .

After a few months life in the trenches became unbearable.

Rain and snow had turned the trenches into mud pools in
which rats, flees and lice lived a life of luxury. The soldiers
were under near constant fire. Each time one side tried to
take over the trenches of the other side they'd bombard
their enemy with all the artillery they could get their hands
on. The land between two trenches became no-mans-land.
The battlefields were barren and the only living thing able to
grow there was a poppy.

The soldiers didn't stand a chance outside of the trenches.

The machine guns both sides held mowed everyone who
tried to cross no-mans-land down. But still the generals
ordered the soldiers to cross over no-mans-land to try and
defeat the enemy. This was all in vain. For four long years
WWI was a static war. The soldiers stuck in the trenches
didn't budge one little bit.

Video excerpt 'Joyeux Noël', Going to war!

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.

Many soldiers became traumatized because of the war. They

saw their comrades die and rot away next to them, were
under constant attack, had to live in terrible circumstances
and there wasn't a moment when they were constantly
close to dying themselves. Soldiers said they were shell-
shocked but the governments didn't have time for
psychological drama and ignored these problems.

Every day more and more soldiers living in the trenches

wondered to themselves why the war had actually started
and if this was really all worth it. Those in command were
strict and cruel to soldiers who had become afraid and that
doubted of they even wanted to fight in the war anymore.
Hundreds of soldiers were executed for being a coward or a
deserter.

 Use the text.

7a Which four new weapons were introduced during the war?

 7b Also use source 5.
Use examples from source 5 to describe the consequences of a mustard gas attack.

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.

Video excerpt 'Joyeux Noël', Merry Christmas in the trenches

 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:

“And so it was that I suddenly

stopped reading when the music
broke off abruptly. I did not know
what piece the band was playing. I
noticed only that the music had
broken off. Instinctively I looked up
from my book. The crowd which
strolled through the trees as a single,
moving mass, also seemed to have
undergone a change; it, too, had
suddenly come to a halt. Something
must have happened. I got up and
saw that the musicians had left their
pavilion. This too was strange, for
the park concert usually lasted for an
hour or more. What could have
caused this brusque conclusion?
Coming closer I noticed that the
people had crowded excitedly
around the bandstand because of an
announcement which had evidently
just been put up. It was, as I soon
learned, the text of a telegram
announcing that His Imperial
Highness, the successor to the
crown, Franz-Ferdinand, and his
wife, who had gone to visit Bosnia,
had been assassinated there. ”

Source 6
From: Stefan Zweig, The World of
Yesterday.
9b Source 7. Use this to summarize 'The Von Schlieffenplan is unsuccessful'.

Stijn Streuvels, a Belgian author, is

well known for his books'De Oogst'
and ' De Vlaschaard'. This is a
translation of a page from his diary
on August 19th 1914:

“The news we hear from elsewhere in

the country becomes graver still.
What we first believed to be
impossible seems to be becoming
more likely and they who had the
biggest mouths seem to have
become silence. People are getting
used to what may come. We once
believed that our army would stop
the German force in Liège, but now
this seems to us a childish illusion.
Much is spoken about the help we
hope to receive from France and
Great Britain, but none of it is
certain. We have started sensing that
Liège shall be overrun by the enemy
and that we who live there shall
experience this war ourselves. When
I arrived home I found out that I have
been called upon to guard our city
tonight. This shall be the first night I
shall do my part for the effort!”

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'.

Canadian military doctor John

McCrae worked in the trenches and
laid his life down there too. He wrote
this poem in 1915 after a comrade
had died in the trenches:: In Flanders
Fields.

“ In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we
lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies
grow
In Flanders fields.”

Source 8
John McCrae, 1915
9d Source 9. Use this to summarize 'From bayonets to mustard gas'.

Vera Brittain worked as a nurse during WWI.

She wrote about her experiences during the
war in her most famous book 'Testament of
Youth'. This is an excerpt from a letter she
wrote to her mother.

“I wish those people who write so glibly

about this being a Holy War, and the orators
who talk so much about going on no matter
how long the War lasts and what it may
mean, could see a case of mustard gas in its
early stages — could see the poor things
burnt and blistered all over with great
mustard-coloured suppurating blisters, with
blind eyes — sometimes temporally,
sometimes permanently — all sticky and
stuck together, and always fighting for
breath, with voices a mere whisper, saying
that their throats are closing and they know
they will choke. The only thing one can say is
that such severe cases don't last long ; either
they die soon or else improve — usually the
former ; they certainly never reach England
in the state we have them here, and yet
people persist in saying that God made the
War, when there are such inventions of the
Devil about.”

Source 9
From Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth.
Revision

Gap fill summary

Click here to make a gap-fill summary..

Crash Course History

Watch this episode of Crash Course history for a
funny but insightful look at the start of WWI.
3.4. The end of life in the trenches and the end of the
war, 1917-1918

Learning goals

The learning goals in this chapter are:

You can explain why the United States

did not participate in World war I at
first, but decided to join in later on.

You can explain why Russia stopped

fighting in World War I.

You can explain why Germany had a

thirst for revenge after World War I.

3.4.1 A submarine, a telegram and the US

German submarines ('U-boats') torpedoed enemy ships. But
they didn't stop at warships. They also attacked cargo ships
and passenger ships carrying weapons and other war
materials. In May of 1915 the luxurious passenger ship the
RMS Lusitania was sunk. On board were weapons that were
being shipped from New York to Great Britain. Almost 1200
people, amongst them many Americans, died. People in the
US were livid but president Woodrow Wilson and his
government decided to not get caught up in the war. The US
Source 1 - Consequences of 'The
had decided to isolate itself from the affairs of other nations Lusitania'
and other nations didn't busy themselves with America. This It wasn't just in the US that people
is called isolationism. They Americans weren't fond of the were upset about the Lusitania being
militaristic and undemocratic Germans and supported the torpedoed. The Irish also wanted
allies by giving them loans and material to fight the war. But revenge. This poster was used to gain
when the Lusitania was taken down their anger at Germany troops “Join an Irish regiment, today.”
became more apparent.
The German government was afraid that the US could
decide to join in with the war after all and wanted to make
sure they couldn't. In 1917 the German ministers of foreign
affairs used the Zimmermann Telegram to announce an
unrestricted submarine war. They were planning on
torpedoing ships belonging to countries that weren't joining
in with the war. This meant they would start attacking
neutral countries like the US. In the telegram Germany also
asked Mexico to join them in attacking America. When the
Americans got their hands on the telegram enough was
enough. Wilson declared war on Germany. The allies had
now gained a powerful associate but it would take months
before the American army could truly join in with the battle.
 Gebruik de tekst en source 1.
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.
"We intend to start an unrestricted
submarine warfare on the first of
February. We shall endeavor in spite
of this to keep the United States of
America neutral. In the event of this
not succeeding, we make Mexico a
proposal of alliance on the following
basis: make war together, make peace
together, generous financial support
and an understanding on our part
that Mexico is to reconquer the lost
territory in Texas, New Mexico, and
Arizona.”
Source 2 - Zimmermann-telegram
A quote from the Zimmermann
telegram
  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.

 Use the text.

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.

 Use the text and source 3.

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.

3.4.3 Leaving the trenches

The German soldiers figthing in the western fronts were
exhausted by the spring of 1918. At this point, they'd been
fighting for 3,5 years. The generals tried one last time to
conquer the enemy trenches. The well-rested and freshly
armed American soldiers arrived just in time to help the
allied forces. In the summer the German army was stopped
once again at the river the Marne.

The Germans were stuck in even hotter weather by October

1918. Their supplies of weapons and food were wearing Source 4 - The winners of la Marne,
thin. The soldiers started a mutiny against their generals 1914 and 1918
“Honour and glory to all those that
and this spread deep into the cities where the civilians
have saved the freedom of the world.
joined them. The commanders had no choice, they had to De French and American soldiers.”
tell the emperor that he had to give up on the war. He
A French poster from 1918.
followed their advice, resigned and left on a freight train
Click on the image to enlarge.
stocked with valuable objects to the Netherlands. This
meant the end of the 50-year-old German empire.
The new German government signed the Armistice of
Compiègne on a train slightly North of Paris on November
11, 1918. The war was over but it would take another six
months before everything would be over and done with.
And that ends the cycle. The German Empire had been
started in 1871 in Versailles (and the empire had taken
Alsace-Lorraine) and in 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was
signed in the exact same location. Germany was found guilty
(and had to give Alsace-Lorraine back to France). Germany
also had to pay a huge sum of money to pay back what was
damaged in the war: the reparations. The Germans felt
humiliated and because of this they were out for revenge.
The American minister of foreign
affairs, Robert Lansing, had a clear
opinion on the Treaty of Versailles:
“It is useless to close our eyes to the
fact that the power to compel
obedience by the exercise of the
unlimited strength of 'The Five' is the
fundamental principle of the Treaty.
Justice is secondary. Might is primary.
The League will be the prey of greed
and intrigue; and the law of unanimity
in the council, which may offer a
restraint, will be broken or render the
organization powerless. It is called
upon to stamp as just what is unjust.
We have a treaty of peace, but it will
not bring permanent peace because it
is founded on the shifting sands of
self-interest.”

Source 5 - Robert Lansing about the

Treaty of Versailles
From: Robert Lansing, The peace
negotiations, a personal narrative

 Use the text and source 4.

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?

 Use the text and source 5.

7a Which three agreements were made in the Treaty of Versailles?

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.

8 Date Event Explanation

May 1915

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

9a Date Event Front page

May 1915

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.
Use this schedule to put what you learned in this
paragraph in a chronological overview.
Watch these 2 episode of Crash Course History
for a summary of the 'Great War' Video 1, Video 2
Remembrance day is very important in the UK.
This website can give you more information
about remembrance day in the UK .
Poppies: Weeping Window is an impressive piece
of art commemorating World War 1. Take a look
at the this video to learn more.
3.5. Gap-fill summary
How to:

First fill in the words without using the original page.

Once you've filled in everything you know, open the splitscreen to scroll through the original page.
Don't just fill something in! Every time you want to fill something in, think: 'Does this make sense?"
Once you're finished filling it in, explain the titles of each summary to someone (a classmate for instance).

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.

2. Filling a powder keg

2 There were five causes and one reason for World War One. The five causes are:

(in Western Europe and in the )

and the arms race
competition
Modern Western

Kaiser, revanche, colonial empire

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 .

Soldiers and factories

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.

Imperialism and alliances

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 .

When the Von Schlieffenplan failed

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:

1. The of the Russians happened than expected.

2. Belgium was a lot more than expected.
3. This gave the English the chance to bring to Belgium and .
4. France was able to move their fast.

The German army was stopped during the Battle of the .

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

10 English couldn't force a in this war. The newly invented ,

called also didn't make much headway. were used for the very first time
during this war, but they also didn't the war effort. was the first country to use a
in the war. Many soldiers became traumatized because of this war; they were
.

4. The end of life in the trenches and the end of the

war
A submarine, a telegram and the US

11 In 1915, the German the . The United States were

but president Woodroow decided to not get caught up in the . The USA decided to
themselves. They believed this to be the best thing for their country. But because of the
attack of the more and more Americans wanted to take a stand against .

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.

Out with the Russian bear

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.

This time, it was not just about armies fighting one

another. The fighting was ʻonlyʼ one aspect of
something much bigger: the total effort of the entire
population of the countries that were at war. The
economy, and particularly the manufacturing industry,
were deployed entirely for the war, for the production
of weapons and ammunition. The consequences of the
war were felt in every corner of society. It demanded
everything from the countries at war, there was no
escaping its influence. The state pierced far into the
lives of citizens, at the expense of their personal
freedom. The war enveloped everything.ʼ

Source 1 - The Total War

1 Take a look at . To which time period does this source refer?

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

This claim is:

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).

Source 1 - A French cartoon from the 1890s showing

Emperor Wilhelm II putting his knife into China while
the Russian Czar, Great Britainʼs Queen Victoria,
Marianne (the symbol of France) and Japan look on
with contempt.

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.

ʻThe days when Germans granted one neighbour the

earth, the other the sea, keeping the heavens for
themselves, those days are over. We see it as our
foremost task to promote and maintain the interests of
our shipping, trade, and manufacturing industries. In
short: we donʼt want to push anyone into the shade,
but we want our place in the sun. We shall protect our
rights and interests without unnecessary force, but
also without weakness. (Ecstatic applause.)

Source 1 - A place in the sun. Minister Bernhard von

Bülow (who would later become chancellor) giving a
speech before the German Reichstag, 6 December
1897.

5 Take a look at . What type of cause is related to this event?

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.

7 Which of the two statements below is right?

I The Schlieffen Plan was based on Russiaʼs fast mobilisation.

II The Schlieffen Plan intended to prevent a two-front war.

Both are right

Both are wrong
I is right, II is wrong
I is wrong, II is right

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.

Source 1 - A restored taxi from World War I, Musée de

lʼArmée, Paris.

8 Take a look at . To which military event during World War I is this source related?

The Schlieffen Plan

Two-front war
The Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Somme
 Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States from 1913-1921, declared war on Germany in April of 1917.
Up until then, the USA pursued a policy called isolationism, in which they would not interfere with what
was happening in Europe, and vice-versa. How could it have come to this?

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?

War with Germany

Peace with Germany

Key concepts In the trenches

2. Filling the powder keg
Nationalism Love for one's country or people.
Being proud of your country/people. For people that are ruled by another country/people nationalism often goes hand in hand with the
desire for independence and for self-governance.
From the Latin verb nasci, 'to be born'.

Militarism When a state believes it to be important to have a huge military.

Militarism means, for example:
Loving weapons, uniforms, flags and honours;
Things like having order, being obedient and powerful are important;
That the army should be able to influence the government of a country (army officers in high ranking positions in the government, a lot of
money spent on weapons, etc.)

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

Alliance A 'promise to be friendsʼ between countries.

Also called a pact.
Countries that made such a pact promised that they would support one another during wartimes.

Chancellor of Leader of the German government.

Germany Also called Prime minister.

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.

Colony An area that has been taken over by another country.

A country or piece of land (usually on the other side of the world, like America, Asia or Africa) that has been taken over by a country (often
European) and is then governed by said country.

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.

3. The smokey, smokey trenches

Two-front war A war in which fighting takes place in two separate fronts.
A front is the location on which is being fought. During WWI Germany fought against France and Great Britain on the Western front and
against Russia on the Eastern front.

Mobilisation Preparing for war.

Getting a country ready to fight in a war: soldiers, weapons and other necessary materials are brought to strategic places. Mobilising is a huge
operation in which everything in a country is used to get ready for an incoming war.

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

October Revolution in Russia in October 1917. The communists seized power.

revolution A revolution is a fast paced and drastic change. The communists got rid of the government that had taken over from the Tsar in the
February revolution (February 1917. The two revolutions, or just the October revolution, are called the ʻRussian Revolutionʼ.)

Treaty of Brest- Treaty signed by Germany and Russia in 1918.

Litovsk When this treaty was signed (March of 1918) the allies lost their Russian friend. The Eastern front that the Central Powers had been
fighting, disappeared. Brest-Litovsk is a place close to the border of Russia and Poland.

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