International Relations WW1 Causes Questions
Q1 (20)
To what extent did the alliance system cause the First World War?
To most effectively understand the extent to which the alliance system caused the First
World War, it is necessary to consider firstly the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The
death of the heir to the Austrian throne on 28 th June 1914 was the spark that finally activated the
alliance system; it was not limited to an Austro-Serbian conflict because Germany had announced on
5th July that it would support Austria unconditionally in its so-called ‘blank cheque’. Russia,
possessing animosity towards Austria due to the alliance system, could not allow their rival’s
domination of the Balkans, and subsequently felt bound to mobilise the military districts of Odessa,
Kiev, Kazan and Moscow. The decision to change to full mobilisation on 30 th July automatically led to
a German reaction (thanks to the alliance system) in which an ultimatum was sent to Russia the next
day. When this expired, Germany declared war on Russia – it could be argued that this declaration
was a result only of the alliance system, since Germany had no territorial interests in the Balkans and
were only at war with Russia because their ally, Austria, was. Germany’s fast reaction to the
assassination of the Archduke was also motivated by the Franco-Russian Treaty of 1892, which
bound France to deploy 1.3 million men against Germany in the case they declare war on Russia.
Therefore, the Western Front of the First World War was also set up by the alliance system, as
France were now bound to enter the war as a result of the alliance system. Germany believed that
victory depended on defeating France before Russia had mobilised its forces (the Schlieffen Plan),
which led to the immediate advance of German troops through Belgium on 4 th August. Doing so had
wider consequences for making the Great War a ‘world’ war, since violating Belgium made British
intervention (and that of its plentiful colonies) inevitable. Together with the Treaty of London and
Britain’s role in the Triple Entente, its participation in the First World War was confirmed by
Germany’s act of aggression. This act of aggression all stemmed from the assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, which set up an uncontrollable chain of events thanks to the alliance system and
ultimately sparked the First World War.
However, if the start of the First World War is to be measured by Britain’s decision to enter
the conflict, then the cause of the First World War can be traced back to the Anglo-German rivalry of
the early 20th century, since this was what forced Britain to enter into alliances with France and
Russia. Germany had emerged as the greatest economic power in Europe, with its iron and steel
industries able to undercut rivals by selling at 40% below the current price. It had also developed the
world’s second largest merchant fleet, thus posing a threat to the British Empire’s near-monopoly of
international trade in key areas like China, Africa and the Pacific. What worried the British above all,
however, was the German plans to build a fleet of 60 battleships within 20 years; given the lack of
coastline in Germany, this suggested to Britain that its rival was making a direct challenge to the
Royal Navy’s supremacy of the seas, which could have seen the loss of essential colonial possessions.
Whilst this did not materialise, it caused considerable fear and resentment in Britain, as
demonstrated by the pressure applied by the Navy League, which pushed the government into
building 16 new battleships between 1909-11. The naval arms race between Britain and Germany
increased tensions between the two countries, creating an atmosphere which facilitated war in
1914. Britain’s ententes with France (1904) and Russia (1907) can be seen as direct consequences of
its rivalry with Germany, intended to act as defensive measures to protect its interests. In addition,
the arms race made Britain realise that it could not see another defeat of France by Germany, as
that would lead to German domination of the continent. Given the importance of British
Q1 (20)
To what extent did the alliance system cause the First World War?
To most effectively understand the extent to which the alliance system caused the First
World War, it is necessary to consider firstly the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The
death of the heir to the Austrian throne on 28 th June 1914 was the spark that finally activated the
alliance system; it was not limited to an Austro-Serbian conflict because Germany had announced on
5th July that it would support Austria unconditionally in its so-called ‘blank cheque’. Russia,
possessing animosity towards Austria due to the alliance system, could not allow their rival’s
domination of the Balkans, and subsequently felt bound to mobilise the military districts of Odessa,
Kiev, Kazan and Moscow. The decision to change to full mobilisation on 30 th July automatically led to
a German reaction (thanks to the alliance system) in which an ultimatum was sent to Russia the next
day. When this expired, Germany declared war on Russia – it could be argued that this declaration
was a result only of the alliance system, since Germany had no territorial interests in the Balkans and
were only at war with Russia because their ally, Austria, was. Germany’s fast reaction to the
assassination of the Archduke was also motivated by the Franco-Russian Treaty of 1892, which
bound France to deploy 1.3 million men against Germany in the case they declare war on Russia.
Therefore, the Western Front of the First World War was also set up by the alliance system, as
France were now bound to enter the war as a result of the alliance system. Germany believed that
victory depended on defeating France before Russia had mobilised its forces (the Schlieffen Plan),
which led to the immediate advance of German troops through Belgium on 4 th August. Doing so had
wider consequences for making the Great War a ‘world’ war, since violating Belgium made British
intervention (and that of its plentiful colonies) inevitable. Together with the Treaty of London and
Britain’s role in the Triple Entente, its participation in the First World War was confirmed by
Germany’s act of aggression. This act of aggression all stemmed from the assassination of Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, which set up an uncontrollable chain of events thanks to the alliance system and
ultimately sparked the First World War.
However, if the start of the First World War is to be measured by Britain’s decision to enter
the conflict, then the cause of the First World War can be traced back to the Anglo-German rivalry of
the early 20th century, since this was what forced Britain to enter into alliances with France and
Russia. Germany had emerged as the greatest economic power in Europe, with its iron and steel
industries able to undercut rivals by selling at 40% below the current price. It had also developed the
world’s second largest merchant fleet, thus posing a threat to the British Empire’s near-monopoly of
international trade in key areas like China, Africa and the Pacific. What worried the British above all,
however, was the German plans to build a fleet of 60 battleships within 20 years; given the lack of
coastline in Germany, this suggested to Britain that its rival was making a direct challenge to the
Royal Navy’s supremacy of the seas, which could have seen the loss of essential colonial possessions.
Whilst this did not materialise, it caused considerable fear and resentment in Britain, as
demonstrated by the pressure applied by the Navy League, which pushed the government into
building 16 new battleships between 1909-11. The naval arms race between Britain and Germany
increased tensions between the two countries, creating an atmosphere which facilitated war in
1914. Britain’s ententes with France (1904) and Russia (1907) can be seen as direct consequences of
its rivalry with Germany, intended to act as defensive measures to protect its interests. In addition,
the arms race made Britain realise that it could not see another defeat of France by Germany, as
that would lead to German domination of the continent. Given the importance of British
