Causes of WWI - Alliances Flashcards
Which countries were in the Triple Entente?
Britain, France and Russia
Which countries were in the Triple Alliance?
Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
What is the Triple Alliance also known as?
The Central Powers
Why was France wary of the German threat?
Germany had invaded France in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870-71
Who won the Franco-Prussian War (between France and Germany) in 1870-71?
Germany
What did Germany take from France in 1871?
Alsace-Lorraine - a rich industrial area
Who did France ally with in 1893?
Russia
Who did France sign the Entente Cordiale with?
Britain
When was the Entente Cordiale signed?
1904
What is meant by Entente Coridale?
Friendly relations
Historically, were Britain and France allies or enemies?
Enemies
Why, if Britain and France were historically enemies, did they sign the Entente Cordiale?
They were worried about the growing German threat - so promised to support one another
When did Britain and Russia sign an agreement to make it the Triple Entente?
1907
What is meant by an alliance?
A friendly relationship between two countries. In this context, a promise to defend each other if attacked
When did Germany become a nation?
1871
What state was the Austrian Empire in by the late nineteenth century?
It was struggling - lots of parts of the empire wanted their independence
What did Austria need?
A strong ally
When did Germany and Austria form an alliance?
1879
What did Germany and Austria’s alliance mean?
That they would go to war for each other
Why did Italy join the alliance with Germany and Austria?
It saw it would benefit
When did Germany and Austria form an alliance with Italy?
In 1882
Why did Britain argue the Triple Entente was necessary?
To prevent Germany taking over all of Europe
Why did Germany hate the Triple Entente?
Germany believed it had been formed to surround - or encircle - Germany.
In 1907, what did The Times write about the alliance system?
That the two groups would “check ambition and outbreaks of race hatred” (i.e. it would prevent war)
Why was the alliance system a problem?
It meant if two countries went to war, their allies could quickly get dragged in and the size of the war could dramatically increase
Where is the Balkans?
In south-eastern Europe
What was the ethnic mix of the Balkans?
Very diverse - there were lots of different ethnic groups e.g. Serbs, Bosnians, Albanians, Croats etc.
Who wanted influence in the Balkans?
The Great Powers: Russia, Austria-Hungary and the Ottomon (Turkish) empire
Were Serbia and Russia officially allies in 1914?
No
What had Russia promised Serbia?
That it would support it if attacked
Why did Russia give support to Serbia?
Russia did not want Austria taking over Serbia and increasing their influence in the Balkans
