WWI Documents

How much did Great Britain, Russia, and France spend in 1890? In 1914?

1890: Great Britain spent around £35 million, Russia spent around £30 million, and France spent around £39 million 1914: Great Britain spent around £79 million, Russia spent around £90 million, and France spent around £59 million

The map shows the alliance arrangement in Europe in 1914. In what year did World War I begin?

1914

What is an anvil? What does von Billow mean when he says Germany will be "a hammer or an anvil"?

An anvil is a heavy block of steel with a flat, smooth surface that can be beaten with a hammer. Germany will either be the aggressor or the victim, the beater or the beaten, the winner or the loser.

If this map were your only evidence, how could you use it to describe one possible underlying cause of World War I?

Austria-Hungary and Serbia were fighting and Serbia and Russia sided together

Judging from the document, who is Germany likely to "hammer"?

France, England, and Russia are growing and gaining new colonies, resources, and wealth...they are expanding. They could want our(Germany's) lands next!

What countries made up the Triple Alliance? What countries made up the Triple Entente?

Germany Italy and Austria Hungary

Italy would switch sides in 1915. Whom did this hurt?

Germany and Austria-Hungary

Which nation spent the greatest percent on its navy? Why would it do that?

Great Britain spent the greatest amount on its navy because it is surrounded by water

In millions of British pounds, how much did Germany and Austria-Hungary spend in 1890? In 1914?

In 1890 Germany spent around £30 million and Austria Hungary spent around £10 million. In 1914 Germany spent around £110 million and Austria Hungary spent around £38 million

How can you use this document to make an argument that the arms build-up was a more important underlying cause than the network of alliances?

Militarism? Growing armies to keep safe or expand our nations.... Alliances? We need them due to the growth of the other European Nations... Imperialism? Look at the speech detailing concerns of Germany over the expanding empires of England, France and Russia

What is the "Crime of the Ages"?

The crime of the ages how all the countries turned on each other

Germany worried about one day having to fight a war on two fronts or two different borders. According to the map, was this fear justified?

They were being fought by Russia and France on both sides

One half-century earlier, the Englishman Charles Darwin introduced his idea of evolution, which was based on the idea of survival of the fittest. Do you think von Billow believed in this idea? Explain.

Von Bulow would have believed in this idea because what Darwin believed about animals is what von Bulow seemed to believe about nations.

How can the cartoon be used to describe the chain of events that led to war?

It leads to the alliances to have conflicts with the other countries and blaming each other

What does the hand in the upper left corner represent?

It represents America because America is un the west and the hand is coming from the West

What is the significance of the date of this cartoon? What is the name and nationality of the cartoonist? Explain their significance.

Its when Germany declared war on Russia

Why is von Billow worried about England, France, and Russia?

Because those countries have been acquiring military around the world

According to the cartoon, what was the underlying cause for war? Explain.

Blaming everything on each other

Is there evidence in the chart to support the thesis that an arms build-up (militarism) was an underlying cause of World War I? Explain.

Yes, because leading up to the years of WWI the number of funds going into the military increased.

How can an argument be made that an arms build-up might lead to peace? Explain.

You can argue that the countries might become afraid of fighting one another due to an increase in military funds