The causes of World War I: alliances, militarism, empires and nationalism
Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet
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Cards A to D, all summaries in our words, written today. Card A (a museum's table of land forces in 1914, from Britannica): Germany 1,900,000; Russia 1,400,000; France 1,290,000; Austria-Hungary 450,000; Serbia 190,000; Belgium 186,000; Great Britain 120,000, all volunteers. Every other army on the table was raised by conscription. Card B (a history site's count of mobilized armies): At the start of the war Austria-Hungary mobilized 1.8 million; Germany had 2.4 million; France 1.9 million; Russia could send 3.4 million into the field; Britain had over 655,000 at home and 322,000 colonial troops in India. The site says its figures count mobilized armies, so they differ from the museum's table. Card C (a research encyclopedia on Britain): The total strength of the British army on August 1, 1914 was 735,000, of whom fewer than 248,000 were regulars. The encyclopedia notes that the 120,000 in the museum table counts something narrower. Card D (leaders and treaties): In August 1914 the military and political leadership of Germany concluded that war should be risked "now or never." France and Russia had allied in 1894; by 1907 Europe was split into the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) and the Triple Entente (France, Russia and Britain). Germany supported Austria-Hungary and Russia stood by Serbia. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 held Germany responsible for the war in its war guilt clause. Britain had guaranteed Belgium's neutrality since the Treaty of London of 1839.
Card A gives Germany's army as 1,900,000 and card B as 2.4 million. Ari asks why the two sources differ.
- Card B counts mobilized armies, so it counts more than the museum's table
- One source is simply wrong, since an army has a single true size
- Card B was drawn from wartime records, so its figure is more accurate
- Card A leaves out Germany's colonial troops, which card B includes
Card C gives Britain's army as 735,000, with fewer than 248,000 regulars. Card A gives 120,000. Bo asks what the museum's figure likely counts.
- Something narrower than the whole army, since it is below even the regulars
- The troops in India, since card B counts 322,000 there and card C does not
- The volunteers alone, since card A calls the British army a volunteer force
- A mistake to be corrected to 735,000, since card C is more recent
Card D says Germany's leaders concluded in August 1914 that war should be risked "now or never." Jun asks how a historian should treat that statement.
- As evidence that Germany had planned the war for years, since the phrase shows long planning
- As an Allied statement of 1919, since it appears beside the war guilt clause
- As evidence of what leaders concluded, to be checked against their records
- As evidence that Germany was weaker than Britain, since "now" means time was short
A student says conscription made war more likely. What do cards A and B show, Kira asks?
- Yes, since Germany, France and Russia had conscript armies and the war came
- No; they show large conscript armies, but not whether size made war more likely
- No, since Britain, which had no conscription, still went to war
- Yes, since conscription made armies grow faster in 1914 than in earlier years
Card D says the Treaty of Versailles held Germany responsible for the war. Luz asks what that shows about the causes of 1914.
- The winners' judgment in 1919, which is not a finding about how the war began
- That Germany alone caused the war, since a treaty states it in writing
- That the other powers were free of blame, since Germany alone was named
- That Germany's leaders agreed with it, since Germany signed the treaty in 1919
Card C says the table's 120,000 counts something narrower. Britain's army is also 655,000 plus 322,000 in India (card B) and 735,000 (card C). Which comparison with Germany is fair, Milo asks?
- Germany's 2.4 million with Britain's 655,000 plus 322,000, both from card B
- Germany's 2.4 million with Britain's 735,000, since both are totals for 1914
- Germany's 1,900,000 with Britain's 120,000, both from the same table in card A
- Germany's 1,900,000 with Britain's 735,000, since the table and card C agree on 1914
Card A gives Austria-Hungary 450,000, Serbia 190,000 and Russia 1,400,000. Noah asks what the numbers suggest about Austria-Hungary's war on Serbia.
- Serbia could not fight, since 190,000 is less than half of Austria-Hungary's 450,000
- Austria-Hungary was safe, since 450,000 is more than twice Serbia's 190,000
- Russia would win, since 1,400,000 is three times Austria-Hungary's army
- Austria-Hungary was larger than Serbia, but Serbia with Russia was larger still
Card A gives Belgium 186,000 and Germany 1,900,000. Pia asks what that shows about why Belgium mattered to Britain.
- Belgium was a threat to Germany, since it had an army of 186,000 on its border
- Belgium's army was small, so its safety rested on guarantees such as Britain's
- Belgium's army was small because the invasion in August 1914 had already reduced it
- Germany's army was about 5 times Belgium's, since the numbers are close
France and Russia allied in 1894, and by 1907 Europe was split in two blocs (card D). Ren asks what changed by 1914.
- The blocs formed in 1914, when the war began and the powers chose sides
- The blocs guaranteed that any war would become a world war
- Two armed blocs were set by 1907, so a crisis could draw in other states
- Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary formed the Triple Entente by 1907
Card D reports the German leaders' view of August 1914 and the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. Zee asks what the five years between them show.
- Germany's leaders knew in 1914 that a treaty would later blame them for the war
- A judgment of 1919 followed a different record, the leaders' view of 1914
- The statement and the treaty were two years apart, so the treaty answered it
- The treaty was written because of the statement Germany's leaders made in 1914