Responsibility for the Outbreak of The First World War 1914-1918 (Controversy 1) Flashcards

1
Q

Which article of the Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to accept responsibility for the First World War?

A

Article 231

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2
Q

When was the Schlieffen Plan devised?

A

1891-1905

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3
Q

What was the strategy of the Schlieffen Plan?

A

1)Avoid a war on two fronts 2)Gain victory on Western Front of France 3)Turn forces to defeat Eastern Front

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4
Q

What were the issues with the Schlieffen Plan?

A
  • Violated Belgian neutrality with Britain

- Expected the war to be over in 6 weeks

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5
Q

What were the names of the main theories concerning responsibility?

A
  • Escape Forwards Theory
  • Offensively Conducted Defensive War
  • Calculated Risk Theory
  • Fischer’s Theory
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6
Q

What was the David Lloyd George’s consensus on the responsibility in 1930’s?

A

All the Great Powers had “slithered over the brink into the boiling cauldron of fire”

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7
Q

What are the 3 key points to Fischer’s controversy?

‘A planned and executed war of aggression’

A

1) Germany caused war for world hegemony
2) Germany hoped the ‘Blank Cheque’ would result in general European war
3) Roots of German expansionism are found in social, political and economic tensions in Germany

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8
Q

What are the two key pieces of evidence Fischer uses in his theory?

A

*September programme - - *1912 War council meeting

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9
Q

What are the issues of using the ‘September programme’ as evidence?

A

Fischer relies on it existing before, in July 1914, but there’s no proof of this

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10
Q

Who was missing from the ‘War council’ and what does this mean?

A

Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg (he called it a ‘war council’) - undermines the theory that he was at the centre of a drive for war

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11
Q

What is the ‘Calculated risk’ theory?

A

1)Germany want to expand 2)Take a risk to suggest they will go to war if the Triple Entente don’t break 3)Don’t really want a war - BRINKMANSHIP

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12
Q

What is the ‘Offensively Conducted Defensive War’ theory?

A

Germany felt encircled due to political and geographical isolation and the threat of the Triple Entente

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13
Q

What is the ‘Escape Forwards’ theory?

A

War used to deal with internal pressures (Wehler + Primat der Innenpolitik). Germany still to blame but not as much as Fischer claims.

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14
Q

What happened in 1890?

A

Kaiser Wilhelm II denied the renewal of the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia

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15
Q

What happened in 1870 that led France to seek Revanche?

A

Germany took Alsace-Lorraine after the Franco-Prussian war

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16
Q

When did Kaiser Wilhelm II ascend to the throne?

A

1888

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17
Q

Who did Germany support in the Boer War in 1899-1902?

A

The Boers against Britain

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18
Q

Which President did Wilhelm send a congratulatory telegram to in 1896?

A

President Kruger of South Africa

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19
Q

In which year did the British offer an alliance to Germany and how did they respond?

A

1901

Britain must first agree not to enter into an agreement with the other European powers as they wanted expansion

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20
Q

When and how did Britain end its ‘splendid isolation’?

A

With an alliance with France in 1904

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21
Q

When did the naval arms race spark into life? What was it?

A

1906 - - When Britain launched the Battleship Dreadnought

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22
Q

Why was the Weltpolitik initiated?

A
  • Kaiser= place in the sun
  • German colonial and pan leagues wanted Germany to have greater power
  • Domestic Issues= galvanise the country
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23
Q

What territory did the Weltpolitik gain for Germany in 1897?

A

Port of Kiaochow in China

24
Q

Which year did Germany buy the Pacific Islands?

A

1898

25
Q

Which islands did Germany get from UK in 1899?

A

Eastern Samoan Islands

26
Q

What were two probelms with the Weltpolitik?

A

1) Too much money had been spent on the army and navy so it had to succeed
2) There was very little ‘free’ land for Germany to expland

27
Q

What happened in 1905-1906?

A

The First Moroccan crisis

28
Q

What were the French and German links to Tangir in Morocco?

A

French: In their sphere of influence
German: Held a number of German economic interests

29
Q

At which conference was Morocco declared in the French sphere and the subsequent strengthening of the Entente?

A

The Algeciras Conference

30
Q

When did France and Germany sign a treaty respecting thir interests in Morocco?

A

February 1909

31
Q

What happened in April 1911 leading to the Second Moroccan crisis?

A

Disturbances in Fez (town) led to French military intervention and Germany believed this undermined their treaty.

32
Q

Where did Germany send the German gunboat Panther?

A

To moor off the port of Agadir (in Morocco)

33
Q

What were the 2 main results of the second Moroccan crisis?

A

Germany gained 2 strips of the congo, while France gained full control of Morocco AND the relationship between France and Britain was stronger

34
Q

In which year was the Haldane Mission?

A

1912

35
Q

Who went to Germany from Britain in 1912 to improve relations?

A

Lord Haldane

36
Q

What did Britain demand of Germany in the Haldane Mission?

A

That Germany stop building their dreadnoughts in the arms race

37
Q

What was the German response to Britain in 1912?

A

Germany would agree to limit fleet expansion if the British agrees to neurality if a future European land war broke out: BREAKING the ENTENTE

38
Q

What happened in 1903 that led to an even more hostile relationship between the Serbs and Austrians?

A

A strongly pro-Russian dynasty came into power in Serbia

39
Q

In which year was the Pig War and how did it break out?

A

1906 and because a trade agreement was not renewed between the Austrians and Serbians

40
Q

Who was appointed in 1906 which made the real turning point?

A

Count Aerenthal as Austria-Hungary’s Foreign Minister

41
Q

What was Count Aerenthal’s plan to deal with the Serbs, which was then carried out in 1908?

A

To annex the regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina

42
Q

In Febraury 1909 what did Austria-Hungary make the Serbs and Russian government do?

A

Forced them to recognise the annexation of Bosnia Herzegovina and did so by threatening war on Serbia

43
Q

When was the First Balkans War?

A

1912

44
Q

When did the Kaiser call a council of his military advisors?

A

8 December 1912

45
Q

Who attacked the Ottomans in October 1912?

A

The Balkan League

46
Q

Which key territory did they invade?

A

Albania (Austria then demanded an independant Albania but his requests were ignored)

47
Q

By how much was the German army’s size increased in the Army Bill of June 1913?

A

170,000 troops

48
Q

Which treaty ended the First Balkans War?

A

The Treaty of London in 1913

49
Q

When was Archduke Franz Ferdinand shot?

A

28th June 1914 (Heir to Austrian throne)

50
Q

Who is thought to be his assassin?

A

Gavril Princip - a Serbian Nationalist (a memer of the Black Hand)

51
Q

What was the ‘Blank Cheque’?

A

The unconditional support and loyalty from Germany for Austria through financial and military aid

52
Q

Which Austrian diplomat travelled to Berlin for support in July 1914?

A

Count Hoyos

53
Q

What was Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg’s phrase for Germany’s actions?

A

‘A leap into the dark’ was taken by Germany

54
Q

What happened on 26th July 1914?

A

The British Foreign secretary proposed a conference to deal with the Austrio-Serb issue but Austri refused

55
Q

When did Austria declare war on Serbia? How?

A

28th July 1914 - - - They bombed Belgrade

56
Q

What happened on 1st August 1914?

A

France and Germany mobilised their troops for war

57
Q

Who created the Primat der Innenpolitik theory?

A

Hans Ulrich Wehler