Possible interpretations of causes of WW1
See 'my revision notes' (Barbara Warnock- Hodder Education) Revision guide pg33
- Created by: KatyX97
- Created on: 20-05-16 07:37
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- Interpretations of reasons for outbreak of WW1
- War caused by German desire for European hegemony
- Wanted to become dominant power in Europe
- War Council
- September Programme
- Schlieffen Plan
- Before war, deliberately destabilised peace and sought confrontation with Entente powers
- Naval race with Britain
- Antagonism against France during Moroccan crises
- When crisis developed in summer 1914, German military and political elite sought to capitalise on it.
- Wanted to become dominant power in Europe
- Germany wanted to 'escape forwards'
- Government faced stalemate
- Growing power of SPD
- Tensions caused by Zabern Affair
- Budget deficit
- Conservative political and military elite sought war- strengthen own position
- National unity
- Distract attention from need of political system reform
- Government faced stalemate
- War caused by German fear of encirclement
- Schlieffen Plan
- G actions more defensive than aggressive
- Only hope of victory if France joined Russia against Germany
- Alliances between Russia, France and Britain
- G feared they would be crushed in the future: it faced an aggressive coalition
- Russian and French plans to expand armies
- G feared they would be crushed in the future: it faced an aggressive coalition
- Schlieffen Plan
- War was a 'calculated risk'
- Did not have long term plan for aggressive war, but took risk when opportunity arose.
- German military and political elite took chance to escalate conflict between Austria and Serbia- hoped would gain easy victories
- Better to have war sooner than later
- Before balance of power slipped away from them
- War was caused by tensions, rivalry and instability between European countries
- Many European countries contributed in destabilising peace before 1914
- Alliances and agreements created tensions and suspicions
- Number of countries joined arms race
- Problems in the Balkans: fallout from weakening of Ottoman power caused conflict
- European countries did not deliberately seek war
- David Lloyd George: 'slithered' almost accidentally towards war
- War caused by German desire for European hegemony
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