GCSE History: Causes of the First World War 1894–1914

This material covers the causes of the First World War as studied in GCSE History conflict and tension options – for example the first part of AQA's 'Conflict and tension: The First World War, 1894–1918'. It explains how Europe divided into two armed camps and why the murder of an archduke in Sarajevo led to a general war within six weeks.

You revise the alliance system – the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy (1882), the Franco-Russian Alliance (1894), the Entente Cordiale (1904) and the Anglo-Russian Entente (1907) – and why each was formed. You look at Kaiser Wilhelm II's Weltpolitik and his demand for 'a place in the sun', and at the Anglo-German naval race after HMS Dreadnought was launched in 1906, alongside the wider arms race and military planning such as the Schlieffen Plan.

The international crises are covered one by one: the First Moroccan Crisis and the Algeciras Conference (1905–06), the Bosnian Crisis of 1908–09, the Agadir Crisis of 1911 and the Balkan Wars of 1912–13, with a focus on what each crisis did to relations between the great powers. You study Serbian nationalism, Russia's role as protector of the Slavs and the Black Hand, and why these made the Balkans the most dangerous region in Europe.

Finally, you work through the July Crisis step by step: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on 28 June 1914, Germany's 'blank cheque', Austria-Hungary's ultimatum and declaration of war on Serbia, Russian mobilisation, Germany's declarations of war on Russia and France, the invasion of Belgium and the 1839 Treaty of London, and Britain's declaration of war on 4 August 1914.

The quiz tests the alliances, crises and the order of events in 1914. The flashcards drill key terms. The written work asks for explanations and for a judgement on the relative importance of different causes, the question type examiners use most often for this topic, and one item uses a short public-domain remark by Sir Edward Grey. In the oral exam an examiner asks one question at a time and gives brief feedback at the end.

The material is revision practice written by Zestly and is not produced or reviewed by any exam board; check the details of your own specification with your teacher.

• Describe the formation of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente
• Explain how Weltpolitik and the naval race damaged Anglo-German relations
• Explain the significance of the Moroccan crises, the Bosnian Crisis and the Balkan Wars
• Explain why Serbian nationalism threatened Austria-Hungary and drew in Russia
• Put the events of the July Crisis in order and explain how a local conflict became a general war
• Judge the relative importance of the long-term and short-term causes of the war

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the DfE GCSE history subject content (wider world depth study) and part 1 of options such as AQA 'Conflict and tension: The First World War, 1894–1918'. Quotation: Sir Edward Grey (1862–1933), remark of 3 August 1914 as recorded in his memoirs Twenty-Five Years (1925), public domain.