WH 300 E World War I

Handout Two

Topic: Prewar Situation

NOTE: For a graphic presentation of the Causes of World War I use the hyperlink.

 OUTLINE:

 II. The Situation Before the War.

A.     Introduction.

B.     The Road to War.

C.     Use of Conscription.

D.     The Call to Arms.

E.      Britain and Her Army.

F.      The Firepower Revolution.

G.     War Plans.

H.     Cult of the Offensive.

I.        War as a Method of Solving Social and Political Problems.

 QUESTIONS:

 1. Lawrence Stone has developed an interesting model to explain social conflict. He breaks down the origins of wars, civil wars, and other social struggles into three categories. The first involves “preconditions,” the long-term stresses that make conflict possible. The second revolves around the concept of “precipitants,” those shorter-term tensions that make conflict probable. The final category is the “triggers,” those very near-term events that ensures the outbreak of war. How does model fit into the origins of World War I?

 2. How did all the belligerents view war? What did policymakers and the general public believe World War I would be like? How was war to be used to keep their populations in check. Explain.

3. How did the British Army change from the Boer War to the outbreak of World War I? What modifications did the British make to be more efficient on the battlefield?

 4. What were the technological changes evident in Europe on the eve of World War I? How did technology alter the nature of war?

 5. In the years immediately before World War I, war planners maintained a high visibility among policymakers.  Why did that happen? How important were railroad timetables? How did railroads influence policymakers? What danger existed for the European order by developing war plans without a fail-safe system? Explain.

 6. Who was Ivan Bloch? What did he do to warn Nicholas II of the dangers of total war? Was he both right and wrong concerning his analysis? Explain.

TERMS:

 Franco-Prussian War             Treaty of Frankfort               Dual Alliance

Triple Alliance                      Three Emperor’s League      Triple Entente

Reinsurance Treaty                Black Hand                           Gavrilo Princip

Conscription                          Ivan Block                             Grandmaison

Universal Military Service    Territorial Army                       Boer War

Lee-Enfield Rife                     BEF                                      Needle Gun

Hiram Maxim                         Plan XVII                             Schlieffen Plan

Furious Offensive                   Home Rule                           Social Question

Revolution of 1905                 Russo-Japanese War            Alfred Dreyfus

The Future of War