Each group acts out in their role in 2s at the front. Text in CAPS is the country’s leader, the normal text their advisor. After finishing each section, the leader should go and stand with their allies, facing their opponents.
Teacher: It’s the 28th June 1914. Europe sits in a long, hot summer. The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Josef goes to the Town Hall in Sarajevo to do some important jobs. (Show short video clip)
- Austria-Hungary.
Our hero and future leader Archduke Franz Ferdinand has beenmurdered by a Serbianfrom the Black Hand gang.He just finished doing some important jobs in Sarajevo and they shot him and his wife.
THIS IS TERRIBLE. WHAT SHALL WE DO?
Declare war on Serbia!
BUT I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST SOME EXTREME MEN FROM SERBIA, NOT THE WHOLE COUNTRY. CAN WE REALLY DECLARE WAR ON THE WHOLE COUNTRY?
We don’t trust those terrible Serbians, and we want to start a war with it, as it has been causing us problems for some time.
HMM…IS IT SAFE? IT’S NOT GOING TO START A WORLD WAR OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IS IT?
We are a big country and Serbia is very small, so the war will not take long and is nobody else’s business.
SO DEFINITELY NO WORLD WAR THEN?
No chance (chuckles) hahaha
VERY WELL THEN. AS LONG AS IT’S ALL DONE WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AS I DON’T WANT IT TO SPOIL MY HOLIDAYS.
Of course
WEDECLARE WAR ON SERBIA!
- Russia.
Hi Sir, I just heard those crazy Austro-Hungarians are starting a war on Serbia.
SIR BEER? WHO’S THAT?
It’s a country in Europe Sir.
OH….THAT SERBIA. POOR OLD SERBIA WILL BE CRUSHED. HOHOHO. AH WELL CAN’T BE HELPED.
We have made a promise to help Serbia.
OH RIGHT. Oopsy.
We don’t really want a war though, especially not with a powerful country like Austro-Hungary.
ABSOLUTELY NOT! THAT’LL COMPLETELY MESS UP MY HOLIDAY PLANS. DEAR, DEAR! A PROMISE IS A PROMISE THOUGH, WHAT SHALL WE DO?
We have a huge army Sir, but it will take us weeks to get ready for war. We should tell everyone that we are going to protect Serbia, and hope that by the time all our soldiers are ready, Serbia will be defeated and it will all be over with.
BRILLIANT! WE DECLARE WAR ON AUSTRO-HUNGARY!
- Germany,
Hi Sir, wehave analliancewith Austria-Hungary by treaty. It turns out that the terrible Russians want to start a war with them, all because that silly Archduke Franz Ferdinand has been killed.
HURRAY! BRILLIANT NEWS!
Really? Why is that Sir?
BECAUSE A WAR IS WHAT WE DESPERATELY NEED!
How come?
WELL, THE GERMAN COUNTRY IS VERY NEW, AND THE PEOPLE ARE NOT USED TO LIVING IN ONE COUNTRY ALTOGETHER. THERE IS LOTS OF UNHAPPINESS AND ARGUMENTS AND MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY DON’T FEEL ‘GERMAN’. A WAR WILL UNITE US UNDER ONE FLAG FOREVER!
(sigh) I’ll phone the army then shall I, and tell them that….
…WE DECLARE WAR ON RUSSIA! QUICK WAR, THEN TIME FOR MY HOLIDAYS I THINK…
- France
Sir, I bring important information.
AH AT LAST, I’VE BEEN WONDERING WHERE THOSE STUPID TROUSERS ARE.
Sir, this isn’t about the trousers.
WELL WHY ON EARTH NOT? I TOLD YOU TO FIND THEM! I NEED THEM FOR MY HOLIDAY NEXT WEEK.
This is about something more important than your trousers Sir.
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE TROUSERS? YOU MEAN….MY FAVOURITE GREEN JUMPER? YOU FOUND IT AT LAST? FANTASTIC NEWS! HERE HAVE 10 FRANCS AS A REWARD.
Germany is at war with Russia.
RIGHT. (uncertainly) AND WHICH SIDE HAS THE STRONGER ARMY?
Probably Germany Sir…
OK WELL LET’S TELL OUR OLD FRIENDS THE GERMANS THAT…
(interrupts). Sir! Remember that we have an alliance with Russia, so must help them.
OH DEAR. ABSOLUTELY. TELL THE NEWSPAPERS THAT FRANCE DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY THEN.
- Belgium
Good afternoon my lord.
WHAT’S ALL THAT NOISE OUTSIDE? I CAN HARDLY ENJOY MY DELICIOUS BELGIAN CHOCOLATE WITH ALL THAT RACKET GOING ON!
Yes, unfortunately that noise is the Germans my lord.
BLOOMING TOURISTS. WISH THEY’D CLEAR OFF SOON.
I’m afraid they’re not tourists, they’re soldiers.
OH DEAR. HAVE YOU TOLD THE ARMY?
Well…..the good news is that army already knows my lord….
EXCELLENT WORK. HAVE SOME CHOCOLATE.
…the bad news is they’ve already been surrounded by Germans with guns.
WHY ON EARTH?...
Because they are attacking France, and Belgium is on the way.
OH DEAR. CALL BRITAIN ON THE NEW TELEPHONE PLEASE.
Really? Why’s that my lord? The British have already made it quite clear that they are in ‘splendid Isolation’ and don’t want to get involved in any other wars.
HA! NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT BELGIUM HAS AN OLD ALLIANCE FROM 75 YEARS AGO WITH BRITAIN.
Brilliant my lord, I’ll go and find the telephone number now.
- Britain.
Hello Sir,
WHAT IS IT OLD BEAN?
Belgium just called.
OH GOOD NEWS. MY SHIPMENT OF BELGIAN CHOCOLATE WILL HAVE ARRIVED.
Sorry sir, no chocolates. Just a reminder about an old alliance, and when are we….
YES, YES I KNOW.HE WANTED TO KNOW WHEN ARE WE JOINING THE WAR?
Yes.
HOPED THAT ALLIANCE HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN. OH WELL. IN THAT CASE, YOU’D BETTER ANNOUNCE THAT BRITAIN WILL JOIN THE WAR TOO.AND CANCEL MY HOLIDAY. ON SECOND THOUGHTS, JUST DELAY IT TILL CHRISTMAS, SHOULD BE ALL DONE BY THEN.
Very good Sir. Another cup of tea?
YES PLEASE…OH AND…I NEARLY FORGOT…SEND MESSAGES TO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, INDIA SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND. They’re all part of the Commonwealth, so they have to join in with this war too.
Oh dear…
OH DEAR INDEED
- Japan
Good afternoon my wonderful Emperor.
GOOD AFTERNOON
I have news from Europe.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD? WHAT NEWS FROM THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE OF INTEREST?
Britain is at war.
WHAT! SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE AVOIDING ALL WARS AT ALL COSTS! THAT’S WHAT THEY SPECIFICALLY TOLD US WHEN…WHEN …WHEN …
We made an alliance with them Sir?
YES! AND NOW WE HAVE TO JOIN THEM I SUPPOSE?
Yep.
OH DEAR…WHO ARE THEY FIGHTING?
Germany Sir.
VERY WELL… WE ARE AT WAR WITH GERMANY THEN.
(coughs) ahem…
YES?
and also Austro-Hungary.
OH NOW THIS IS JUST GETTING OUT OF HAND.
- (Optional) USA
Good afternoon President.
Nice, quiet day isn’t it? Nothing MORE WONDERFUL THAN A WORLD AT PEACE, IS THERE? NOTHING major happening. All is well with the world. Lovely and peaceful. Calm. Quiet.
Ermmmmm…..
I MIGHT WRITE SOME POETRY. NOW, LET’S SEE… BIRDS IN TREES. GENTLE BREEZE. Wonderful stuff.
Erm…yes. Sort of. Except for a couple of things.
SUCH AS…?
War.
Where war…I mean…war? Where?
Worldwide.
WORLDWIDE?
Worldwide
AS IN A WORLD WAR?
World war. A massive big war between everybody.
OH DEAR.
What will we do, Sir? Any orders?
THIS IS NOT OUR WAR. WE ARE STAYING NEUTRAL AND NOT BEING INVOLVED AT ALL.
Will that last forever Sir?
WELL OBVIOUSLY IT’S 1914 AND I CANNOT SEE THE FUTURE, BUT IF THIS WERE JUST A PLAY AND WE WERE ACTUALLY IN THE FUTURE, IT MIGHT BE WORTH MENTIONING THAT IN 1917, IN 3 YEARS TIME, WE WILL JOIN IN BECAUSE WE FINALLY GET FED UP OF GERMAN SUBMARINES SINKING OUR SHIPS. BUT THAT’S A LATER LESSON.
Very good Mr. President. By the way, your holiday brochures have arrived.
EXCELLENT, HAWAII IS LOVELY AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, I HEAR…