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B-Test History 6, December 2011.M. Joy

Study the documents below and answer the questions that follow.

Document One

HMS Dreadnought going to sea for the first time, 1906. Reference: Fisher Papers, FISR 15/6/3. Crown copyright.

For a hundred years after Nelson's victory at Trafalgar in 1805 Britain's navy was the largest and most powerful in the world. ... But as the twentieth century dawned, for the first time Britain's leading position was challenged, …. Britain had adopted a "Two-Power" standard in 1889 …. But it was clear that other countries, notably Germany, would soon start launching their own dreadnoughts.

Document Two

Telegram from the British representative in Munich (Vincent Corbett) to the foreign secretary, SIr Edward Grey, 13 January 1914.

Sir

The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s ..denunciation of the ‘organised insanity’ of modern armaments has excited intense interest in Germany … We had, I reminded (the Prime Ministers of Bavaria and Wurtemberg) for the last ten years been in favour of calling a halt in navalexpenditure…

The arrogant talk, (in the past) of so many keels (ships) to one, was not only absurd in itself, but by goading German pride was, I am confident, one of the most potent causes of the success of the German Naval League.

At a time when the Statesmen of England and Germany have done so much to bring about a more friendly feeling between the two countries, when not only the German taxpayer but the various Federal Governments are beginning to feel the pinch of increased taxation; … at a moment, therefore, which is the most favourable that has ever occurred for the development of an internal movement for the restriction of (naval and military) expenditure, it would be deeply regretted if …politicians or newspaper controversies in Great Britain should lead the Germansto believe that the British Government were wavering in their determination to maintain at all costs armaments adequate to the guarantee of the safety of our possessions and our trade…

No specifically hostile feeling to Great Britain exists, or has ever existed, in South Germany…

The ..papers that proclaim that the supporters of the government will stand no more taxation for armaments…only serve to encourage the (naval and military) class in this country (Germany)…that sees in the British Empire an opponent to German development with whom an armed struggle is sooner or later inevitable”.

Document Three

The German case
Germany's case for the defence rested on two main ideas: first, that the Serbian government was complicit in the murder of the heir to the Habsburg throne,Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914; and, second, that a general European war was ultimately provoked by Russia's unswerving support for Serbia and its subsequent decision to order a general mobilisation on 30 July.
The Allied case
The Allied argument emphasised that Austria-Hungary and Germany were the only two states looking for war in the summer of 1914. The Habsburg leadership, as the British foreign secretaryEdward Greynoted on 27 July, set itself intransigently on course for a conflict with Serbia - even though it ran the risk of drawing in Russia. The unequivocal support offered to Austria on 5 July 1914 byKaiser Wilhelm IIand the German ChancellorTheobald von Bethmann-Hollweggave the Habsburg monarchy the 'blank cheque' that it needed to proceed with military action against Serbia.

Source:

Document Four

The invasion of Belgium was considered an essential element of the German war plan, a very speedy defeat of all resistance in the first days seemed to be imperative.

"The most important thing was to conquer Liege as soon as possible. And then something happened which the Germans hadn't expected, namely, that the Belgians put up active resistance. Not very strong, but strong enough to slow down the march of the German armies considerably so. And, that was considered a disaster because all was dependent on a very speedy advance into France before the British Expeditionary Force might be in place. .

Wolfgang Mommson, University of Dusseldorf,

Questions (short answers to one mark questions!)15 – 20 minutes

1 When was the Dreadnought first launched, and for what purpose? 1

2 What was the threat to British naval power? 1

3 In Document Two, what is the ‘organised insanity’ of modern armaments? 1

4 In what way did Britain ‘goad’ Germany in the past? 1

5 Give one argument, from this document, for maintaining expenditure on the navy 1

6 In Document Three, identify TWO reasons EACH for the war, as given by the Allies, and by Germany.

4 X 1

7 What evidence is there, in Document Four, that Germany had been planning for war, before 1914? 1

Paragraph Question ONE

To what extent was EITHER Nationalism OR the System of Alliances OR Germany responsible for the outbreak of World War One? 10

Paragraph Question TWO

World War One is frequently described as ‘The Great War’ – the first “Total War”. Using evidence from your studies, explain how the war affected either the soldiers or civilians or European Society. 10

Total marks = 30 – divide your time accordingly!