GCSE AQA History: Conflict and Tension, 1894–1918

Flashcards covering the causes, key campaigns, naval conflict, and conclusion of the First World War (1894–1918) for GCSE AQA History.

What was militarism before the First World War?

The belief that a country should build up its armed forces and be ready to use them, which led European powers to increase army sizes, weapons, and military planning.

What was the Anglo-German naval race?

A naval rivalry where Germany expanded its fleet under Admiral Tirpitz and Britain responded to protect its naval superiority by building more modern battleships, including HMS Dreadnought in 1906.

Which countries formed the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente before 1914?

The Triple Alliance consisted of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. The Triple Entente linked Britain, France, and Russia.

Was the Triple Entente originally a single unified military alliance?

No; Britain, France, and Russia had agreements and understandings, but they did not begin as one unified treaty requiring every member to enter every war.

How did the Moroccan Crises increase international tension?

In the First Moroccan Crisis (1905–06), Germany challenged French influence, but the Algeciras Conference supported France. In the Second Moroccan Crisis (1911), Germany sent the gunboat Panther to Agadir. These crises increased Anglo-French cooperation and distrust of Germany.

Why were the Balkans referred to as the 'powder keg of Europe'?

The Ottoman Empire was weakening, various peoples sought independence or territory, Serbia wanted to unite South Slavs, and Austria-Hungary feared Serbian nationalism could destabilise its multi-ethnic empire.

What occurred during the Bosnian Crisis of 1908?

Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina, which it had occupied since 1878. This angered Serbia because many Serbs lived there and humiliated Russia when it could not force Austria-Hungary to back down.

What was the significance of the Balkan Wars of 1912–13?

Balkan states fought the Ottoman Empire and then among themselves over territory; Serbia grew stronger, alarming Austria-Hungary and increasing regional tension.

What event took place on 28 June 1914?

Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist linked to a group associated with Serbian nationalism.

What was Germany's 'blank cheque' in early July 1914?

A promise by Germany of strong support to Austria-Hungary, even if action against Serbia led to war with Russia, encouraging Austria-Hungary to adopt a hard line.

When did Austria-Hungary issue its ultimatum and declare war on Serbia?

Austria-Hungary issued a strict ultimatum on 23 July 1914 and declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914 after Serbia did not fully accept all demands.

What was the Schlieffen Plan?

Germany's military plan to defeat France quickly by invading through Belgium, then transfer troops east to fight Russia, relying on slow Russian mobilisation and rapid French defeat.

Why did Britain enter the war on 4 August 1914?

Germany invaded neutral Belgium, whose neutrality Britain had agreed to protect under the 1839 Treaty of London. Britain also feared German control of the Channel coast and the European balance of power.

Why did the Schlieffen Plan fail?

Belgian resistance and British involvement slowed Germany; Russian mobilisation was faster than anticipated; German troops were stretched; and French and British forces stopped the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne.

What happened at the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914?

French and British forces halted the German advance towards Paris, forcing a German retreat and eliminating the chance of a quick German victory in the west.

What was the 'Race to the Sea'?

A series of operations after the Marne where both sides attempted to outflank each other northwards until the front line extended all the way to the North Sea without a decisive breakthrough.

Why did trench warfare and stalemate develop on the Western Front?

Defenders armed with machine guns, rifles, artillery, and barbed wire made attacks across open ground deadly; both sides dug trenches for protection, making the front line difficult to break through.

What were the typical features of trench systems?

Front-line, support, and reserve trenches; communication trenches; dugouts; machine-gun positions; barbed wire; and No Man's Land between opposing trenches.

Why did the Battle of the Somme (launched 1 July 1916) cause such high casualties?

The preliminary bombardment failed to destroy all German wire and defences; German troops survived in deep dugouts and met attacking Allied soldiers with heavy machine-gun fire across open ground.

What was the significance of the Battle of Verdun (1916)?

A long German offensive against the French fortress area of Verdun beginning in February 1916; France defended it at great cost, making it a symbol of French determination.

What conditions characterised the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Ypres) in 1917?

A British-led offensive in Flanders where heavy rain and continuous shelling turned the ground into deep mud, severely impeding movement and supply and resulting in heavy casualties for limited gains.

What were the primary Allied objectives for launching the Gallipoli campaign in 1915?

To open a sea route to Russia through the Dardanelles, knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war, capture Constantinople (Istanbul), and persuade other Balkan states to back the Allies.

Why did the Allied naval attack on the Dardanelles fail in March 1915?

Allied warships were blocked by naval mines, shore guns, and difficult conditions, leading to several ships being sunk or damaged and forcing a switch to a land invasion.

When did the Gallipoli landings take place, and which forces participated?

25 April 1915; British, French, and Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) troops landed at multiple points on the Gallipoli peninsula.

What role did Mustafa Kemal play during the Gallipoli campaign?

Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk) was an Ottoman commander who organised effective resistance, particularly around Chunuk Bair and the high ground overlooking the Allied landing sectors.

When did the evacuation of Gallipoli take place, and what was its outcome?

The evacuation took place in stages in December 1915 and January 1916; it was executed with relatively low losses, but the overall campaign failed to take the straits or knock out the Ottoman Empire.

What was the British naval blockade and what was its impact?

The Royal Navy restricted goods and supplies from reaching Germany by sea, weakening the German economy and military effort by causing worsening home front shortages over time.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Jutland (31 May–1 June 1916)?

Britain suffered greater losses in ships and sailors, but the German High Seas Fleet retreated to port and could not break British command of the sea or lift the blockade.

What was unrestricted submarine warfare?

A German naval strategy of using U-boats to sink merchant and passenger vessels in designated waters without warning in order to cut off British supplies.

Why did the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915 matter?

A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner, killing nearly 1,200 people, including 128 Americans, which inflamed anti-German sentiment across the United States.

What was the Zimmermann Telegram?

A secret German telegram intercepted by Britain in early 1917 proposing an alliance with Mexico if the United States entered the war, promising support to help Mexico regain lost territory.

When and why did the United States enter the First World War?

On 6 April 1917, after Germany resumed unrestricted submarine warfare against American shipping and public outrage erupted over the Zimmermann Telegram.

Why did the German Spring Offensive of 1918 fail?

German forces suffered heavy casualties and became exhausted, supply lines could not keep pace with initial advances, and the Allies mounted coordinated resistance before a decisive victory was achieved.

What was the significance of the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918?

It was an Allied breakthrough launching the Hundred Days Offensive; General Ludendorff described it as the 'black day of the German Army' due to the devastating blow to German morale.

What internal developments took place in Germany on 9 November 1918?

Faced with military defeat, domestic shortages, and revolution, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated, and Germany was proclaimed a republic.

When did the armistice take effect on the Western Front?

11 November 1918 at 11 a.m.

What is the key difference between an armistice and a peace treaty?

An armistice is an agreement to cease military hostilities, whereas a peace treaty formally determines the final legal and diplomatic terms of peace between the nations.

How should an 'Explain why' GCSE History question be structured?

Provide two distinct points; for each, explain how or why it contributed directly to the outcome, supporting each argument with specific evidence like dates, events, and named figures.