INSTITUTO DE FORMACION DOCENTE CONTINUA SAN LUIS

PROFESORADO DE LENGUA INGLESA

HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES I
A SUMMARY OF WWI

1. Watch the following video on the causes of WWI. Explain how each these facts
contributed to the Great War.
IMPERIAL COMPETITION
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND CITY GROWTH
ECONOMIC RIVALRIES
ARMS RACE
ALLIANCES
DISTRUST
RISING NATIONALISM
MILITARISM
In 1914, Europe had been in peace for 40 years: INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT had allowed to other places (or cities) to have grown
massively. But, ECONOMIC RIVALRIES, IMPERIAL COMPETITIONS and
RISING NATIONALISM were spreading across the country. Also,
MILITARISM, (the glorification of a country) was growing.
The tension between countries in Europe had been growing for years:
THERE WAS TENSION OVER COLONIES: for years, European countries
had been competing with each other to build bigger empires, especially in
Africa.
THERE WAS AN ARM RACE GOING ON: most countries were building up
their armies. Britain and Germany were building up their navies, too. This
led to countries looked at each other with distrust.
EUROPE WAS DIVIDED INTO RIVAL ALLIANCES: in an alliance, each
member promises to help the other if there is war.

Britain, France and Russia made an alliance, called THE TRIPLE

ENTENTE, because they were scared of Germany.
Germany felt the Triple Entente was an attempt to encircle it so made an
alliance called the Triple ALLIANCE with Austria-Hungary.

Explain: How did the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand trigger the war?
On 28 June 1914, The Archduke Franz Ferdinand of
Austria-HUngary visited Sarajevo in Bosnia. Some young Bosnian
Serbs hated Austria and wanted to be part of Serbia. They shot dead
the Archduke and his wife. Austria-Hungary blamed serbia and the
murder and declared war on it and a chain reaction occurred
declaring war one another (between the countries involved in the
alliances, respectively). Germany attacked France. Britain joined
France against Germany. This was the beginning of the GREAT WAR
(WWI)
2. Watch the video again and characterize the war. Complete the following chart.

The Great War: WWI

It started
It ended
Parties involved

1914
1928
Triple Alliance

Triple Entente

Germany, Austria-Hungary,
Italy

France, Britain, Britain

War tactics and

technology

Communication tranches, supplies, ammunitions, and fresh troops came up

these trenches. Machine-guns post, dugout, parapets (Pile up earth and
sandbags for protection). Poison gas, tanks, submarines, aeroplanes.

Casualties

Harsh sanitary conditions, hunger, cold, fear and thirst. Million of dead people

Results

Who won?
Triple Entente
The Treaty of Versailles:
It was one of the many causes such as the
raising of Hitler, the creation of the Nazi party, WWII and the Cold war.

This treaty was signed by Germany on 28 June 1919. The terms of the treaty
were:
Guilt of the war: Germany had to accept the blame for starting.
Germanys armed force.
Reparations: Germany had to pay for reparations to France, Belgium and
Britain.
German territories; Germany lost all its overseas colonies. Union
between Germany and Austria was forbidden.
League of Nations.
The League of Nations:
It was set up as an international police force.
Germany was not allowed to join until it proved it was a peaceful
country.
to prevent future wars through negotiations.
Usa did not become part of it.

3. USE OF SOURCES

Get in groups. Choose one (1) of the following sources (the first three are available in
the CLASS MATERIAL folder):
LETTERS
WAR POEMS
WAR PROPAGANDA
THE COLONIES AT WAR:

Australia:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/australia_01.shtml
India:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/india_wwone_01.shtml

TheMiddleEast:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/middle_east_01.shtml

TheWestIndies:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/west_indies_01.shtml

Read them and discuss them in groups. Analyze how the war is reflected in each
source and what aspects of the war are highlighted.

Share your findings with the rest of the class.