Lesson Plan

Grade and Subject

10th grade Modern World History

Standard

10.5.1: Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by leaders from all sides of the

Great War and the role of political and economical rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts,

domestic discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in mobilizing the civilian

population in support of “total war.”

Objective

Students will gain an understanding of causes of World War I by completing a graphic organizer,

poster and participating in a gallery walk. M.A.N.I.A.

Materials

Primary Sources:

1. Political cartoon depicting alliances

2. Political cartoon illustrating nationalistic ventures

3. Telegrams between Kaiser Wilhelm II and Tsar Nicholas II, 1914

Secondary Sources

1. Chart representing military build up in Great Britain and Germany

2. Map of Europe

3. Map of Imperialism in Africa

4. Video explaining Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand

5. Excerpts explaining Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism, Assassination.

6. Graphic organizer

7. Poster paper and markers

Warm-Up

Video: “Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand” After video, have a short discussion about

how many give this event sole credit for the causation of WWI, yet this event almost did not

happen. Come to a collective conclusion that this one event did not cause WWI, and that many

things added to the conflict that would become WWI.

Input

To facilitate the students learning of how many events led to World War I, primary and

secondary sources will be strategically distributed. These sources will help the students grasp

the main causes of WWI: Militarism, Alliances, Nationalism, Imperialism and Assassination. I

will break the class into five groups based on their sources. Questions will also be provided to

aide students in understanding their specific concept. After meeting with their groups the

students will begin to fill out their graphic organizer, and create a poster describing their concept.

Modeling

Students will complete their graphic organizer and poster, while I walk around to help clarify and

answer questions. Students will answer these questions to help demonstrate their understanding

of the topic.

Question to consider for your sources… Militarism: 1. State in your own words what is militarism. 2. Why was the Industrial Revolution a support to military build-up? 3. What does the graph show between 1906-1914? 4. How did military build-up lead to WWI? Alliances: 1. What is an alliance? 2. Why did nations in Europe make alliances with other nations? 3. Using the resources provided, split the map into the two alliances. (Use two different colors.) 4. According to your political cartoon, describe how these alliances played into the outbreak of

WWI? Nationalism: 1. Define nationalism in your own words. 2. How is nationalism a driving force behind imperialism and militarism? 3. Explain how nationalism was a key factor in the road to WWI. Imperialism: 1. Define imperialism. 2. Explain how imperialism was a source of conflict between the British, French, and German

nations.

3. In what way does imperialism lead to WWI? Assassination: 1. In your own words, describe the events of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. 2. Based on the letters provided, how did Austria-Hungary’s reaction of the assassination to

Serbia affect Germany and Russia? Which side is Russia and Germany sympathetic towards? 3. How did the assassination ignite WWI.

Check for Understanding

The poster and graphic organizers are both ways for me to check for understanding. To be sure,

I will ask the students to give me and head shake ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if they understand their tasks.

Guided Practice

After allowing the students to finish their posters, I will explain and direct a gallery walk. Here

students will move group to group learn the four other concepts that were integral to the cause of

WWI. One student will be left in each group to teach other students about their concept.

Through this activity, I will be able to asses the classes understanding of the causes for WWI.

Differentiation

Students needing support will be provided with a supplementary word bank to assist their

understanding of the sources. The sources themselves are short to allow for easier

understanding. Also the students will be broken into groups that will best facilitate their learning

and understanding of the concepts of the lesson. Word Bank

____ Alliances A. Feeling important or special. ____ Industry B. An understanding between

people. ____ Imperialism C. To change something. ____ Pride D. Nations controlling small

nations. ____ M.A.N.I.A E. Factories and businesses. ____ Revolution F. Militarism, alliances,

nationalism, imperialism, assassination

Accelerated students needing extensions will be provided with more analytical questions to

challenge them.

Closure

As a means for closure, I will pose this question “Which of the concepts of M.A.N.I.A. do you

thinks was the driving force or most important to the cause of WWI?” Students will answer this

question in a couple sentences explaining their reasoning. Their explanation will be their ticket

out of class. Along with this, students will submit their graphic organizers and their group

poster.

SOURCES: Assassination in Sarajevo

Europe had reached its breaking point when on June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the

Austria-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serbian nationalist belonging to an

organization known as the Black Hand (Narodna Obrana). Immediately following the assassination

Germany pledged its full support (blank check) to Austria-Hungary, pressuring them to declare war on

Serbia, while France strengthened its backing of Russia. Convinced that the Serbian government had

conspired against them, Austria-Hungary issued Serbia an unacceptable ultimatum, to which Serbia

consented almost entirely.

Arms Race

The menace of the hostile division led to an arms race, another cause of World War I. Acknowledging that

Germany was the leader in military organization and efficiency, the great powers of Europe copied the

universal conscription, large reserves and detailed planning of the Prussian system. Technological and

organizational developments led to the formation of general staffs with precise plans for mobilization and

attack that often could not be reversed once they were begun. The German von Schlieffen Plan to attack

France before Russia in the event of war with Russia was one such complicated plan that drew more

countries into war than necessary.

Armies and navies were greatly expanded. The standing armies of France and Germany doubled in size

between 1870 and 1914. Naval expansion was also extremely competitive, particularly between Germany

and Great Britain. By 1889, the British had established the principle that in order to maintain naval

superiority in the event of war they would have to have a navy two and a half times as large as the second-

largest navy. This motivated the British to launch the Dreadnought, invented by Admiral Sir John Fisher,

in 1906. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 had demonstrated how effective these battleships were.

As Britain increased their output of battleships, Germany correspondingly stepped up their naval

production, including the Dreadnought. Although efforts for worldwide disarmament were made at the

Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907, international rivalry caused the arms race to continue to feed on

itself.

Imperialism

Another factor which contributed to the increase in rivalry in Europe was imperialism. Great Britain,

Germany and France needed foreign markets after the increase in manufacturing caused by the Industrial

Revolution. These countries competed for economic expansion in Africa. Although Britain and France

resolved their differences in Africa, several crises foreshadowing the war involved the clash of Germany

against Britain and France in North Africa. In the Middle East, the crumbling Ottoman Empire was

alluring to Austria-Hungary, the Balkans and Russia.

Nationalism

At the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of

preserving the peace. Germany and Italy were left as divided states, but strong nationalist movements and

revolutions led to the unification of Italy in 1861 and that of Germany in 1871. Another result of the

Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 was that France was left seething over the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to

Germany, and Revanche was a major goal of the French. Nationalism posed a problem for Austria-

Hungary and the Balkans, areas comprised of many conflicting national groups. The ardent Panslavism of

Serbia and Russia's willingness to support its Slavic brother conflicted with Austria-Hungary's Pan-

Germanism.

Bismarck and Alliances

World War I was caused in part by the two opposing alliances developed by Bismarckian diplomacy after

the Franco-Prussian War. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperor's

League in 1872, an alliance between Germany, Russia and Austria-Hungary. When the French occupied

Tunisia, Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment towards France and created the Triple

Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria- Hungary in 1882. In exchange for Italy's agreement to stay

neutral if war broke out between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary would

protect Italy from France. Russia and Austria-Hungary grew suspicious of each other over conflicts in the

Balkans in 1887, but Bismarck repaired the damage to his alliances with a Reinsurance Treaty with

Russia, allowing both powers to stay neutral if the other was at war.

Collapse of Bismarckian Alliances

However, after Bismarck was fired by Kaiser William II in 1890, the traditional dislike of Slavs kept

Bismarck's successors from renewing the understanding with Russia. France took advantage of this

opportunity to get an ally, and the Franco- Russian Entente was formed in 1891, which became a formal

alliance in 1894. The Kruger telegram William II sent to congratulate the leader of the Boers for defeating

the British in 1896, his instructions to the German soldiers to behave like Huns in China during the Boxer

Rebellion, and particularly the large- scale navy he was building all contributed to British distrust of

Germany.

As a result, Britain and France overlooked all major imperialistic conflict between them and formed the

Entente Cordiale in 1904. Russia formed an Entente with Britain in 1907 after they had reached an

understanding with Britain's ally Japan and William II had further alienated Russia by supporting

Austrian ambitions in the Balkans. The Triple Entente, an informal coalition between Great Britain,

France and Russia, now countered the Triple Alliance. International tension was greatly increased by the

division of Europe into two armed camps.

http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/great_war/causes.htm

*This is a primary source for the Assassination of Arch Duke Ferdinand*

Tsar to Kaiser 29 July 1914, 1 a.m.

Peter's Court Palais, 29 July 1914

Sa Majesté l'Empereur Neues Palais

Am glad you are back. In this serious moment, I appeal to you to help me. An ignoble war has been declared to a weak country. The indignation in Russia shared fully by me is enormous. I foresee that very soon I shall be overwhelmed by the pressure forced upon me and be forced to take extreme measures which will lead to war. To try and avoid such a calamity as a European war I beg you in the name of our old friendship to do what you can to stop your allies from going too far.

Kaiser to Tsar 29 July 1914, 1.45 a.m. (this and the previous telegraph crossed)

28 July 1914

It is with the gravest concern that I hear of the impression which the action of Austria against Serbia is creating in your country.

The unscrupulous agitation that has been going on in Serbia for years has resulted in the outrageous crime, to which Archduke Francis Ferdinand fell a victim. The spirit that led Serbians to murder their own king and his wife still dominates the country.

You will doubtless agree with me that we both, you and me, have a common interest as well as all Sovereigns to insist that all the persons morally responsible for the dastardly murder should receive their deserved punishment. In this case politics plays no part at all.

On the other hand, I fully understand how difficult it is for you and your Government to face the drift of your public opinion. Therefore, with regard to the hearty and tender friendship which binds us both from long ago with firm ties, I am exerting my utmost influence to induce the Austrians to deal straightly to arrive to a satisfactory understanding with you. I confidently hope that you will help me in my efforts to smooth over difficulties that may still arise.

Your very sincere and devoted friend and cousin

Willy

Nationalism

Alliances

Imperialism

Military Build up