The First World War
(If you find any of the videos blocked then download the following video downloader, open the video in youtube then copy the URL to the 4K Video Downloader programme. If you are in boarding you can also use a mobile hotspot)
Watch the video, read the relevant text book chapter and look at the powerpoint to get a good overview of the causes of The First World War
1) Causes of War: Imperial Rivalry and Arms Race
In Christopher Clark's book 'Sleepwalkers: How Europe went to war in 1914' (highly recommended!) the title suggests the protagonists wandered almost blindly and unexpectedly to war. Could this be true of the greatest conflict that had been seen up to that point in history?
Read pages 9 - 12 (book pages) of the text book and consider what priorities each of the major European powers would have diplomatically.
Next, look at the Word document depicting the Kaiser as 'rocking the boat'. In what ways did he do this? With what purpose and with what success and effect? Use 'Years of Change' or any other research to complete notes and a diagram showing how these events pulled together or pushed apart the main European powers.
Complete the work on economic rivalry here...
Work through this task on Anglo-German Naval rivalry. How does this link to what we have already seen?
2) Causes of War: Alliances and War Plans
Look at this powerpoint about the Alliance systems created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Read page 14 of the text book too...Why DID the Kaiser abandon Bismark's diplomacy?Make sure you know the key alliances and can consider both why countries felt safer and also why they made war more likely.
Think back to the previous work and read pages 15 and 16 of the text book. Can you create a diagram to show the links between everything studied so far?
Despite the alliances, both Germany and France saw it as prudent to have plans should war come. Look at each of their plans and consider how they might actually contribute to war starting.
3) Causes of War: The Balkans
How could an out-of-the-way region of Europe be a major cause of the First World War? Is it the Balkans themselves or are they just an excuse for war? Look at this powerpoint and ensure you understand the effect the events in the Balkans had in bringing war closer. (Get a more detailed understanding from the textbook pages 17-20, 22, 23)
At this stage how might this section fit into an essay titled 'Analyse the causes of the First World War'. Write your own paragraph, then look at the example...
4) Causes of War: The July Crisis
At this point perhaps go back to the video at the top of this page and watch again (or for the first time!) It is important for you to consider how..and indeed if...the events of July 1914 constitute a major cause of war, or are just the spark, which if it had not occurred here, would have somewhere else. Be careful that the July Crisis is not simply the assassination and war....
This timeline should help you to be sure of the sequence of events.....
Work through this source investigation on the July Crisis (good practice for longer sources and IA / EE preparation!) The textbook pages 27-34 will help with some context. Look at the maps, what do they show about attitudes to other countries in 1914?
SO...Sleepwalkers? ....now you need to be able to turn this knowledge into essay form. For the essay 'Analyse the causes of the First World War' you already have one paragraph...Can you now plan and complete the essay? (45 minutes!!) (here is another sample paragraph for more ideas and a whole example essay, albeit with a different title).........Also remember you need historiography - try the 'dinner party' exercise
Have a look at the example essay that compares the origins of WW1 and WW2
5) Course of the war: Account for the defeat of the Central Powers / explain the outcome of one war?
Considering the outcome of the war with a focus on the reasons for the defeat of the Central Powers, first look at the timeline and maps....
Next, understand why the Schlieffen Plan failed...this might be a first main paragraph. Is there a perspective that could suggest Germany lost the war here?
Attrition - watch the two videos on Verdun and The Somme. How do these two battles tip the balance against Germany?
The Home Front - Did Germany lose the war behind the lines? Read the article and write your own review on one A4 page, discussing how important the you estimate the effect of the blockade for Germany losing the war. Read the document on Germany's allies and then write a precision paragraph to consider their impact of defeat...
1918 - Germany still believed they could win in 1918, why was this? Why didn't they? Watch this video first...
Use previous work and text book to note the changes in technology and tactics that help to explain both the German advance and their ultimate defeat.
Read the two articles on 1918 and write your own precision paragraph considering the explanation for the outcome in 1918...
Here is a summary of historians views on the reasons for defeat.....
Here is a basic essay on the defeat of the Central Powers, it has structure and some analysis but this could be extended along with further perspectives / historiography.....How would you improve it?