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The causes of the First World War

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (28 June 1914) by Gavrilo Princip; the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia; mobilisations; Germany's invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the war.

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  1. PDFThe causes of the First World War – History notes (Cambridge O Level)45.0 KB

Long-term causes

  • The alliance system: Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia).
  • Imperial rivalry, e.g. the Moroccan crises (1905 and 1911).
  • The naval race between Britain and Germany (Dreadnoughts).
  • Militarism and war plans (the Schlieffen Plan).
  • Nationalism and tensions in the Balkans (Bosnian crisis 1908; Balkan Wars 1912–13).

The short-term trigger

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo (28 June 1914) by Gavrilo Princip; the Austrian ultimatum to Serbia; mobilisations; Germany's invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the war.

Responsibility

Debates over German responsibility (Fischer thesis) versus shared responsibility.

Exam tip: Show how causes are linked – e.g. the alliance system turned a regional crisis into a general war.

Check yourself

  1. Which countries formed the Triple Entente?
  2. Why did Germany's invasion of Belgium bring Britain into the war?
  3. What was the Schlieffen Plan?
Show answers
  1. Britain, France and Russia.
  2. Britain had guaranteed Belgian neutrality (Treaty of London, 1839).
  3. Germany's plan to defeat France quickly through Belgium before turning to fight Russia.
Next topicThe peace settlements of 1919–1923

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