1. The Causes of WW1: European Alliances
Learning Objectives:
To be able to name and describe the different alliances
To explain the relationships between the different European powers.
To evaluate how this could lead to war.

2. What do you think is the message of this cartoon?
Who can you see represented? How powerful do you think these countries are?
What do you think the intention of this cartoon is?
Why are the countries joining in?
When do you think this cartoon might have been published?
What do you think the name of the cartoon means?
What do you think the artists opinion of this situation is?
‘The Chain of Friendship’
Published in the American newspaper the Brooklyn Eagle

3. The Triple Alliance:
This alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy was signed in It was organised by Bismarck, the Chancellor of Germany. Germany had defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War of , and taken the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine from the French. This victory led to the unification of German states as one country, Germany, with the King of Prussia becoming Kaiser (Emperor). Bismarck realised that France would want revenge, so he made a series of alliances that isolated France. The Triple Alliance formed a central block of countries across Europe, separating France from Russia. It was a defensive alliance and all three powers promised to fight if they were attacked by any other two powers.

4. The Franco-Russian Alliance (also known as the Dual Alliance)
After its defeat by Prussia in 1870, France was forced to sign the Treaty of Frankfurt in 1871, in which it lost the provinces of Alsace and Lorrain to Germany and was forced to pay Germany a sum of 5 billion francs (£200 million) in war debts. The French hatred of Germany and their wish for revenge dominated their foreign policy in the years leading up to the First World War. However, they could not get revenge on their own. After Bismarck was dismissed by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890, France was able to sign an agreement with Russia in This was a strange alliance between the autocratic Tsar of Russia and the people’s republic of France. The Tsar would have preferred to ally with Germany, but the Kaiser was not interested. The fact that talks between Russia and France lasted for two years before an agreement was eventually signed in 1893 shows that they were reluctant allies. The alliance became much firmer when the French loaned money to the Russians for the development of railway projects. The terms of the alliance were defensive. Both powers agreed to join the other in war if either of them was attacked by Germany or Austria-Hungary. This alliance was a great success for France. It had emerged from isolation. Europe was divided into two armed camps and, in the event of a war, Germany was likely to have to face an attack on its western frontier from France and in the east from Russia. This meant Germany would have to divide its forces if war broke out.

5. The Entente Cordiale
Britain was becoming worried by the size of the German naval fleet. It was not strong enough to challenge Britain, but it could hold the balance of power in any war between Britain and France or Britain and Russia. So, in 1902 Britain put its navy on the ‘three-power standard’. This meant that it had to be as large as the next three largest fleets in the world combined. Germany had made it clear that it did not want to ally with either Britain or France, so Britain and France looked to sorting out the problems between them. In the two countries signed the Entente Cordiale (friendly agreement). In this, France allowed Britain to go ahead with reforms in Egypt and Britain promised not to oppose any French action in Morocco. The Entente Cordiale was an agreement, not an alliance. Britain had no intention of becoming involved in European affairs. Its colonial problems in Egypt had been solved, its ally Japan was defeating Russia in the Far East and its navy had reached the three power standard. Germany did not see it this way. It thought that Britain had abandoned isolation and joined France. Germany seemed intent on challenging the Entente Cordiale.

6. The Anglo-Russian Agreement
Russia and Britain had supported France at the Algeciras and France used its influence to improve relations between them. This led to the signing of an Anglo-Russian Agreement in 1907.
This was the solution to many overseas problems for Britain and Russia, especially in Persia and Tibet.
Britain now had agreements with France and Russia and this is often referred to as the Triple Entente but no such alliance existed. The Entente Cordiale and the Anglo-Russian agreement were solutions to empire problems between France and Britain and Britain and Russia. They were not military alliances.
The Triple Entente was not designed to surround Germany but unfortunately Germany saw it as part of a policy of encirclement being followed in Britain.

7. The Alliances
Using the information on the hand out, fill in your sheets before sticking them into your book. The result of both alliances: think about how different countries would have felt about the alliances and fill in the result.

8. On a clean page write the following:
Britain
Russia
Germany
France
Austria-Hungary
Italy

9. E.G. Originally rivals over land for empires (India)
Now make as many links between the different countries that you can including rivalries, fears, alliances, agreements and dates and names. Rivalries in red and Alliances in green
E.G. Originally rivals over land for empires (India)
Britain
Russia
E.G. signed the Anglo-Russian Agreement in 1907 solving the colonial problems
Germany
Austria-Hungary
France
Italy

10. Plenary – what is the result of all of these alliances?
Draw two triangles showing the different armed camps but explaining the difference between the alliances.