Paper 2
Causes, Practices and Effects of World War
One in Europe
Causes of WW1 .................................................................................................... 2
Practices of WW1 (1914-1918) .............................................................................. 13
Effects of WW1 ................................................................................................. 20
, Causes of WW1
Long Term Causes of WW1
Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
➔ A short war between France and Prussia which aimed to prevent Spain and Prussia
from combining
o This would encircle France
➔ France lost, and the Treaty of Frankfurt ended the war
o The Treaty aimed to cripple France economically
▪ Prussia took Alsace-Lorraine
▪ Reparation payments (5000 million marks)
▪ Parts of France were occupied by the Prussian army
o The Treaty also aimed to humiliated France
▪ The King of Prussia was proclaimed the German Emperor in the Hall of
Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles
➔ This led to hostility between France and Germany and a strong desire for revenge
Alliances
➔ Germany was a new state with the ability to become a significant, economic,
military, and imperial power
o But they were new, compared to the other European powers
➔ Germany underwent a peaceful foreign policy under the control of Otto von
Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I
o Bismarck aimed to create alliances that would protect Germany from attack
and allow them to grow
▪ He also aimed to:
• Keep France isolated
• Stay allied with Russia
• Prevent the possibility of a two-front wat
Bismarck’s Alliances
Dreikaiserbund 1873 Germany, Austria- - Keep France
Hungary, and isolated
Russia - Dissolved in
1879 over
disputes in the
Balkans
The Dual Alliance 1879 Germany, Austria- - Both countries
Hungary would assist
each other if
, attacked by
Russia
- Limited the
possibility of
war
Three Emperors 1881 Germany, Austria- - Second try of
Alliance Hungary, and the
Russia Dreikaiserbund
- Russia felt
isolated and
reformed an
alliance with
Germany
- All countries
agreed to
remain neutral
if attacked by
another
country
- Fell apart in
1885 over
issues in the
Balkans
The Triple Alliance 1882 Germany, Austria- - Would lend
Hungary, and Italy each other
military
assistance if
any of them
was attacked
by another
power
The Reinsurance 1887 Germany and - Remain
Treaty Russia friendly after
Russia and
Austria-
Hungary fell
apart
- Germany would
fail to renew
this under
Wilhelm the
II’s rule
creation of the
Franco-Russian
Alliance
, Weltpolitik
➔ The aggressive foreign policy
➔ In 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm the II came to the throne, and Bismarck was replaced by
Leo von Caprivi
▪ Bismarck’s had work went to pieces,
▪ Alliances which needed confirmation (such as the
reinsurance treaty) were not adhered to
• France was no longer isolated, and Germany began to
make several enemies
➔ Weltpolitik
▪ Aimed to make Germany a strong colonial power with a large empire
▪ As well as expand the navy and military
▪ This would also distract the Germans from domestic issues
➔ Britain
▪ At this point in time Britain followed a policy of ‘splendid isolation’
• Where they remained isolated
▪ They did not want conflicts go get in the way of international trade, and
Germany threatened this with their naval plans
▪ Treaties
Even More Alliances
Franco-Russian 1894 France, Russia - Promised to
Alliance aid each
other if any
other power
attacked, as
well as the
promise to
mobilise if
any other
immediate
power
mobilised
- Mutual
support in
political
issues
- This alliance
ended
Bismarck’s
system
Anglo-Japanese 1902 Britain and Japan - Britain had an
Alliance ally in the Far
Causes, Practices and Effects of World War
One in Europe
Causes of WW1 .................................................................................................... 2
Practices of WW1 (1914-1918) .............................................................................. 13
Effects of WW1 ................................................................................................. 20
, Causes of WW1
Long Term Causes of WW1
Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
➔ A short war between France and Prussia which aimed to prevent Spain and Prussia
from combining
o This would encircle France
➔ France lost, and the Treaty of Frankfurt ended the war
o The Treaty aimed to cripple France economically
▪ Prussia took Alsace-Lorraine
▪ Reparation payments (5000 million marks)
▪ Parts of France were occupied by the Prussian army
o The Treaty also aimed to humiliated France
▪ The King of Prussia was proclaimed the German Emperor in the Hall of
Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles
➔ This led to hostility between France and Germany and a strong desire for revenge
Alliances
➔ Germany was a new state with the ability to become a significant, economic,
military, and imperial power
o But they were new, compared to the other European powers
➔ Germany underwent a peaceful foreign policy under the control of Otto von
Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm I
o Bismarck aimed to create alliances that would protect Germany from attack
and allow them to grow
▪ He also aimed to:
• Keep France isolated
• Stay allied with Russia
• Prevent the possibility of a two-front wat
Bismarck’s Alliances
Dreikaiserbund 1873 Germany, Austria- - Keep France
Hungary, and isolated
Russia - Dissolved in
1879 over
disputes in the
Balkans
The Dual Alliance 1879 Germany, Austria- - Both countries
Hungary would assist
each other if
, attacked by
Russia
- Limited the
possibility of
war
Three Emperors 1881 Germany, Austria- - Second try of
Alliance Hungary, and the
Russia Dreikaiserbund
- Russia felt
isolated and
reformed an
alliance with
Germany
- All countries
agreed to
remain neutral
if attacked by
another
country
- Fell apart in
1885 over
issues in the
Balkans
The Triple Alliance 1882 Germany, Austria- - Would lend
Hungary, and Italy each other
military
assistance if
any of them
was attacked
by another
power
The Reinsurance 1887 Germany and - Remain
Treaty Russia friendly after
Russia and
Austria-
Hungary fell
apart
- Germany would
fail to renew
this under
Wilhelm the
II’s rule
creation of the
Franco-Russian
Alliance
, Weltpolitik
➔ The aggressive foreign policy
➔ In 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm the II came to the throne, and Bismarck was replaced by
Leo von Caprivi
▪ Bismarck’s had work went to pieces,
▪ Alliances which needed confirmation (such as the
reinsurance treaty) were not adhered to
• France was no longer isolated, and Germany began to
make several enemies
➔ Weltpolitik
▪ Aimed to make Germany a strong colonial power with a large empire
▪ As well as expand the navy and military
▪ This would also distract the Germans from domestic issues
➔ Britain
▪ At this point in time Britain followed a policy of ‘splendid isolation’
• Where they remained isolated
▪ They did not want conflicts go get in the way of international trade, and
Germany threatened this with their naval plans
▪ Treaties
Even More Alliances
Franco-Russian 1894 France, Russia - Promised to
Alliance aid each
other if any
other power
attacked, as
well as the
promise to
mobilise if
any other
immediate
power
mobilised
- Mutual
support in
political
issues
- This alliance
ended
Bismarck’s
system
Anglo-Japanese 1902 Britain and Japan - Britain had an
Alliance ally in the Far
