WORLD WAR 1 – Long term causes

by

THEME: WORLD WAR 1

TOPIC: THE BUILD-UP AND LONG-TERM CAUSES OF THE WAR

This term we will be studying a war which was known at the time as the Great War because it affected so many people in so many parts of the world and changed the world forever. It lasted five years and ended just over 100 years ago. It took the lives of around 22 million people and left at least another 23 million wounded and maimed often for life.

Our study will be broken up into the following 6 units:

  1. What led up to the war and how it started
  2. Conditions for those fighting the war
  3. Propaganda and the role of civilians
  4. The role of, and impact on women
  5. South Africa’s part in the war
  6. How the war was ended

Each unit will have a separate blog and a short activity or worksheet to help you apply and review what you learn.

We will deal with each unit in three ways:

(a) You will have to work through a self-study presentation on the blog

(b) We will have a class discussion which will involve a question and answer session where you will be expected to ask and answer questions about the material you have studied.

(c) A work activity session where you will use class time to complete the assigned activity or worksheet.

So let’s start with the first unit:

CAUSES OF THE GREAT WAR

Here is your worksheet activity:

WORKSHEET 1

LEARNING TASKS

  1. Study the blog lesson
  2. Answer the following questions based on slide 16
    • Which country was producing more explosives before 1914?
    • When did Britain start producing more explosives than anyone else?
    • Which country spent the most on defence between 1870 and 1914?
    • Which country’s defence spending went up the most in the period 1910 to 1914? What does that suggest about that country?
    • In what year did Britain spend the most on defence and why do you think that was?
  3. Look at slide 17 and complete the following table by matching the items in the left-hand column with the correct items in the right hand column:
No Description No Term
1 If you go to war we will join you A Aid agreement
2 If you go to war we will not fight against you B Treaty
3 We will give you help in various forms C Alliance

 

  1. Do you think any of the countries in Europe that got involved in the war thought the war was a good idea at the start? Why do you think that?

Leave a Comment