Study Guides

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn about the First World War through the lens of its imperial dimension. They analyse the reasons for the outbreak of war and assess how it affected Britain at home and abroad.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how increased tension in Europe towards the end of the nineteenth century led to the formation of military alliances.

Key Notes

• The increasing influence of Germany in the early twentieth century caused anxiety in Britain.
• Germany signed a military alliance with Italy and Austria-Hungary in 1882, known as the Triple Alliance.
• By 1907, Britain had formed a military alliance with Russia and France, known as the Triple Entente.
• In the early twentieth century powers in Europe began building up their militaries, known as the 'arms race'.

Vocabulary To Learn

• alliance: an alliance is a relationship between two (or more) countries for a particular purpose
• arms race: an arms race is a competition between nations for military superiority and the development of weapons
• military: the military is anything related to the armed forces of a country
• Kaiser: Kaiser is the German word for emperor
• empire: an empire is a group of states or countries ruled over by a single country or monarch

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Everyone knew what was agreed by countries which had made alliances before the start of the war.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• The First World War in the colonies Study Guide
• The impact of WW1 on the British Homefront Study Guide
• The impact of WWI across the Empire Study Guide
• The outbreak of war in 1914 Study Guide
• The Western Front in WW1 Study Guide