Great Powers Flashcards
How many main rival nations where there in Europe
5 - Britain
France
Russia
Germany
Austria-HungaryHow powerful was Britain
Very, Britain ruled an empire of over one quarter of the worlds people, and owned rich industries.
What did Britain have because it was an island
It had a very strong navy to protect itself and it’s overseas colonies from invasion.
What did Britain follow in the 19th century
Britain had followed a policy of splendid isolation - it didn’t get involved in European politics
What was Britain’s navy and army like in 1914 approx
In 1900 Britain had 185 warships and 700 000 men in the army
What did france have like Britain
An overseas empire
What was france bitter about
The French were bitter about losing Alsace and Lorraine to Germany in the Anglo-Prussian war in 1871.
What was frances army and navy like in 1914 approx
Had 62 warships and 1 000 000 men in the army
Was russia wealthy
No russia was poor yet it was the biggest country in Europe.
Who ruled Russia
Tsar Nicholas II
Did russia have an overseas empire
No it had no overseas lands, but it wanted land in Europe and Asia with access to the sea.
What was Russia’s navy and army like in 1914 approx
30 warships and 1 200 000 men in the army
What was Austria Hungary
It was a Central European empire, made up of 10 different nationalities- many of whom wanted independence.
Who ruled Austria Hungary
Emperor Franz Joseph I
What was Austria Hungarys navy and army like in 1914 approx
28 warships and 800 000 men in the army
What did Germany have
Germany had a small empire ruled by kaiser Wilhelm II
What was the kaiser jealous of
The kaiser was jealous of Britain’s superior sea power and rich colonies.
What did the kaiser want to do
He wanted to increase German influence and wealth abroad
The kaiser described Germany’s small empire as its ‘place in the sun’ and was keen to expand it
Why were alliances formed
They were formed for security
What happened in 1879
The dual alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary
What happened in 1882
The triple alliance - when Italy joined the dual alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary
What did the triple alliance create
These alliances created a large group of allies in Central Europe - making both France and Russia nervous.
What happened in 1892
The Franco-Russian alliance against the triple alliance
What happened in 1904
The entente cordiale - between Britain and France , this was only a friendly agreement and not a military agreement
What happened in 1907
The Anglo-Russian entente - this completes the triple entente between Britain, France and Russia.
What weren’t the ententes
They were NOT military agreements- but they needed up involving the military because of the tensions between the triple alliance and the triple entente
What did the alliances and ententes actually do
They actually created even more tension between the major powers
