C2 | Why did WWI start? Flashcards
How many people were killed in the Great War?
Around 9 million people
What were the causes of the Great War?
Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination (MANIA)
What was militarism?
Countries spending more and more money on bigger and bigger armies to make sure that theirs were the best
Arms Race
A competition between countries for superiority in the development and build-up of weapons
Which countries were in the Triple Entente?
Britain, France, Russia
Which countries were in the Triple Alliance?
Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
What was nationalism?
Thinking that your nation is better than others
At the beginning of the 20th century, people started to take great pride in their countries
What was imperialism?
The desire to gain control of other nations and have a huge empire
Who was the Archduke Franz Ferdinand?
The heir to the kingdom of Austria-Hungary
In which year was Bosnia annexed by Austria-Hungary?
1908
Why were many Bosnians unhappy about being annexed by Austria-Hungary?
Many Bosnians wanted to join with their neighbours, Serbia, and many Serbians wanted Bosnia to join with them
What was the name of the group of Serbians who planned to assassinate the Archduke?
Black Hand (comprised of 6 assassins)
When did the Archduke arrive in the Bosnian city of Sarajevo?
28 June 1914
Why did the Archduke’s wife, Sophie come along?
It was their wedding anniversary
Why did the Archduke Franz Ferdinand visit Sarajevo?
To meet the Mayor
What happened when the Archduke’s car passed the Cumurja Bridge?
One of the Serbians threw a bomb at the royal couple but the bomb ended up beneath the car behind and blew up, injuring several people. The Archduke’s car sped off to the Town Hall
What happened at 11:00am before the Archduke went home?
As the car passed Schiller’s café, his driver was informed that he’d taken a wrong turn and he stopped to turn around. One of the Black Hand assassins was standing outside the café
Who was the assassin who assassinated the Archduke and his wife?
19-year-old Gavrilo Princip
How were the royal couple killed?
Ferdinand was hit in the throat and his wife Sophie was shot in the stomach
28 July 1914
Austria-Hungary blames Serbia for killing the Archduke and attacks Serbia
29 July 1914
Russia, which has promised to protect Serbia against attack, prepares its army to attack Austria-Hungary
1 August 1914
Germany hears Russian preparations for war and declares war on Russia
2 August 1914
Britain prepares its warships
3 August 1914
Germany is worried about the French army than about the Russians and decides to attack France first. Germany declares war on France, hoping to defeat the French quickly and later face the Russians
