World War One Sources Question
World War One Sources Question a) The main aim of the Schlieffen Plan was to win a war over France so that Germany could become the most powerful country in Europe. However if, as the Germans thought, France's ally Russia would come to help the French then the Germans would have to split up their army as Russia bordered Germany on one side and France the other therefore Germany would have to fight a war on two fronts. The Germans therefore thought up a plan that would enable them to fight only one country at a time. The plan was that Russia would take six to ten weeks to mobilise their army, after they had heard about the war, as Russia's railways and roads were quite backward and it would take time to assemble all their men from all over the country. This would give the Germans enough time to defeat France. The problem was how to defeat France in just six weeks when the French already had troops along the French/German border and behind the troops were heavily fortified towns. The Germans needed to launch a surprise attack on France if they were going to achieve their objective of winning a war over France. However, the French had not put up any defences on the French/Belgian border as Belgium was a neutral country and the French would not expect an attack from there. Part of the Schlieffen Plan, therefore, was to attack through Belgium and the Germans hoped that the
The causes of world war one
This is a map of Europe before 1914, as you can see the Austro-Hungarian Empire dominates what is now much of southern Germany and the Balkans. Germany is what we know presently as northern Germany and Poland. You may also have noticed that England, Scotland, Wales, and Eire made up the United Kingdom. Russia has a vast empire, a massive army (even though it is extremely poorly equipped, and trained). This was all changed by the First World War. The causes of world war one There are many reasons as to why the First World War actually took place, hardly any of them seem of great consequence when examined individually, however when examined together they do seem fairly major, but in my opinion don't merit a world war. Germany and France had a great rivalry after the wars of 1871 in which France lost the colonies of Alsange and Coraing to Prussia. France and it's people bitterly wand to have their revenge over Germany. Great Britain and Germany were also engaged in a hostile race to have the larger navy. This was heightened when Britain released a fleet of dreadnaughts which were the most lethal ships of warfare that the world had ever seen. The five major powers Great Britain At the start of the twentieth century Great Britain had the richest and largest empire in the world. Britain had the most trade and the largest navy on the planet. This had all happened under the
Why was the World War One not over by Christmas 1914?
Why was the World War One not over by Christmas 1914 James Miller In this essay I will write about why the First World War was not over by Chrismas 1914. I will talk about the Schlieffen Plan, how there was a stalemate, also about the trenches in the First World War. The reason why the First World War started was that Austria-Hungary's heir to the throne who was called Archduke Franz Ferdinand was going into Bosnia because Austria-Hungary had just recently concurred it. The Archduke was driving down a narrow road and this road got smaller and smaller and soon the driver had to stop because if he did not the car would scrape on the sides of the wall and when the driver did stop a Serbian shot him and his wife This was on the 28th of June 1914. A few days later Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and the capital Belgrade was shelled. Russia was the ally of Serbia and they began to prepare for war so the clock was ticking for the Germans and they had to put the Schlieffen Plan in to practice. The Schlieffen Plan was Germany's only plan for war. The idea was very simple and the Germans thought that it would work. The plan was that the Germans would declare war on Russia and the Russians would take six weeks to get their army ready. So the Germans thought that they had six weeks to go through Belgium to avoid the heavy French forces on the border of France and
Why did the British government make use of propaganda during world war one?
Why did the British government make use of propaganda during world war one? During the First World War propaganda was used to encourage the British public to think and act in a certain way. In particular the government attempted to gain support for the war and also increase recruitment to the army. They also aimed to raise the morale and keep spirits high on the home front finally; propaganda was used to create a hated of the enemy. These points will be explained with reference to the government posters, films, literature and censorship. The whole point of the propaganda was to get more and more people to sign up for the war this reason was important because of the casualties and the hardship suffered on the home front. The way the government did this was by displaying posters saying 'your country needs you' and a lot of people were patriotic so they would join up straight away Another way they would do this is displaying stories in newspapers which made German people look bad and British people want to hate them. They also displayed things that were not true or used censorship to show Britain is wining the war when they wasn't People who joined the war later found that out and may have wanted to leave but were not allowed to If they tried to run away they would be shot. If a man didn't join the army a woman would class him as a coward and men cared a lot about their
Ireland and World War 1
Ireland and World War 1 By 1912 different Irish groups were still fighting over the matter of Home Rule. Unionists, lead by Edward Carson and James Craig, wanted to stay loyal to Britain and remain under British rule, they said that if Home Rule did come about, that Ulster should be treated separately. John Redmond, leader of the Irish Nationalists, wanted some power given to Ireland but they said that they would still remain loyal to Britain and the monarchy. Padraig Pearse and the IRB (Irish Republican Brotherhood), who were Irish Republicans, wanted more than Home Rule, they wanted total separation from Britain and they wanted a free Ireland. In Westminster, Conservatives (supported by Unionists) and Liberals (supported by Nationalists) were fighting over the Third Home Rule Bill in 1912, Herbert Asquith (leader of the Liberals) who was Prime Minister at the time, was in favour of Home Rule because he needed the support of Redmond and the Home Rule Party or the IPP (Irish Parliamentary Party). But the Home Rule Bill was never passed because Conservatives took power (with Bonar Law) and they were opposed to Home Rule. With both, Unionists and Nationalists, having militant organisations (the UVF & Irish Volunteers), the race for arming was frantic in Larne and Howth. Ireland was heading towards a civil war between Ulster Unionists and Irish Nationalists/Republicans BUT
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of World War One in 1914?
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of World War One in 1914? In the events after the end of WW1 much of the blame for the outbreak of the war fell on Germany and their aggression. However with hindsight we see that things were a lot more complex. The idea that many historians except nowadays that the alliance systems caused WW1, but none of them can agree to what extent they caused the war. Before the war began countries started to make bonds and promises between each other, this triggered a lot of factors that sparked the war. In 1914, when the First World War broke out, Europe was divided into two military alliance systems: the Triple Alliance including Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the Triple Entente that included Britain, France and Russia. The intent of the alliance system was primarily to provide mutual defence in order to maintain the power balance in Europe, but the nations eventually came to rely on it for aggressive purposes. Frictions between the groups had brought Europe to the verge of war several times after 1900, and were indirectly influential in generating a world war out of the Balkan conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. Although the alliance systems were intended to provide mutual defence, they encouraged war equally well by providing military support. In my opinion the most important alliance in the lead
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of World War One in 1914
To what extent was the alliance system responsible for the outbreak of World War One in 1914? In the Treaty of Versailles after World War One, the Triple Entente immediately placed blame on Germany's aggression and scheming tactics for the outbreak of war. However, over time, the causes behind the war began to become more obviously complex. One of the most commonly citied reasons is the alliance system. Prior to the war, the countries of Europe had formed complex alliances and, with their empirical statuses, this apparently created a chain that a single trigger (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand) would set into inevitable motion. But how important was the pre-1914 alliance system in causing World War One? Firstly, we must come to understand exactly what the alliance system comprised of. Indeed, many of these 'alliances' were not really alliances at all, but mutual agreements in relation to trade or colonial territories. One of the most prominent and important alliances was that of Russia to Serbia. Russia had promised to protect the Serbian people and their rights. Austria-Hungary had control over areas where Balkan people were prominent, conflicting Russian policy and ultimately leading to war. Another vital alliance was that of Austria-Hungary and Germany. In July, 1914, Germany had given a Carte Blanche to Austria-Hungary, promising unconditional support in
Why Did The First World War Break Out in 1914?
Why Did The First World War Break Out in 1914? The First World War was the most terrible war ever known due to the number of deaths that took place each day on the gory battlefields of the war. Altogether eight million soldiers lost their lives fighting in the trenches. The system of trenches stretched across Europe from the English Channel to Switzerland and soldiers faced their foe across a few hundred metres of churned up ground with barbed wire known as 'No Man's Land'. The grounds in and around the trenches were turned into a huge ocean of mud because of the rain and exploding bullets. It was impossible to attack the other side's trenches effectively because they were so greatly secured. Twenty million people were wounded and there was an extensive destruction, which ravaged cities and their civilian populations. The First World War lasted for four whole years and broke out in 1914 due to a number of reasons. The reasons that led the nations of Europe and later the world to go to war in 1914 are complex, and it is impossible to say the war started because of one single cause. There are a series of events, which derived in the early 19th century, which engulfed most of Europe by 4th August 1914. Some causes of the war were long-term whereas others were short term. One reason for the outbreak of the war in 1914 was the competition for colonies between the European
Base Details is a war poem written by Siegfried Sassoon in 1918. The year of 1918 was a crucial one in the First World War, and Base Details seeks to explore some of the bitterness and cruelty
Base Details Base Details is a war poem written by Siegfried Sassoon in 1918. The year of 1918 was a crucial one in the First World War, and Base Details seeks to explore some of the bitterness and cruelty of the war era, expressed from the point of view of a common soldier. The poem consists of a single stanza, with ten lines. The rhyme scheme is pretty straight forward and consistent, utilising a standard "A,B,A,B" format throughout the poem. The stylistic devices used are, however, quite distinct. Unlike many poems, metaphors don't seem to play a vital part - in fact, the poem doesn't have a single metaphor. Instead, there's quite an excessive use of subjective adjectives, which greatly helps setting the tone and message of the poem. Most notable is perhaps how the author chooses to purposely understate serious issues, in order to suggest patriotic and sympathetic feelings for the reader. An example of such an understatement would be line 7 which says: "Yes we've lost heavily in this last scrap." "Scrap" in this context means "battle". However, we'd normally see "scrap" used in context with normal, unimportant fights, and even used as another term for "junk" or "garbage". This implies that the 'major' who articulates this line is obviously understating and fails to acknowledge the consequences, dramatic events, and horrors of the particular battle, thus making the
In what ways were the lives of people at home affected by the Second World War?
In what ways were the lives of people at home affected by the Second World War? World War II (1939-1945) changed the lives of the British people. By analyzing various sources which range from eyewitness accounts, photographs, Government posters and newspaper accounts, I will be evaluating the extent of these effects. World War II started on the 3 September 1939. It affected many people around the world. Men from all over Great Britain signed up to join the army and everyone at home, ranging from women, old men and children, contributed to the war effort. One of the major effects of World War II was rationing. It begun in 1940, and was introduced so richer people did not buy all the food, and so it could be shared out equally. Bacon, sugar and butter were among the first foods to be rationed. The government set up a special department to deal with rationing called "The Ministry Of Food" and its main purpose was to help people not to waste food. This can be illustrated in source A1. It is a primary source, and is a pamphlet made by The Ministry Of Food. It informs people about the reasons why they should ration. These reasons were:- * Rationing prevents waste of food. * Rationing increases our war effort. * Rationing divides supplies equally. * Rationing prevents uncertainty. This source has both good points and bad points. It is very
