What you'll learn
Why the First World War broke out, how it was fought, and how it ended.
Causes
- Long-term tensions: alliances (Triple Entente vs Triple Alliance), militarism, imperialism and nationalism.
- The assassination of Franz Ferdinand (Sarajevo, 1914) triggered war.
- The Schlieffen Plan and its failure (Battle of the Marne).
The war
- Trench warfare and stalemate on the Western Front.
- Key battles: Verdun and the Somme (1916), Passchendaele (1917).
- New technology: machine guns, gas, tanks.
The end
- The USA joins (1917); the German Spring Offensive and Allied Hundred Days; Armistice on 11 November 1918.
Exam tips
- Support factor questions with specific detail (dates, battles).
- Explain how each cause contributed, not just what it was.
Common mistakes
- Blaming the war solely on the assassination.
- Vague answers with no named battles.