The Start of World War One

Britain Declared War on Germany - 4th August 1914
1. Triple Entente: Britain, France and Russia
2. Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy
3. 1) Austro-Hungarian Archduke was assassinated by Serbs in Bosnia
  1. 2) Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia
    1. 3) Russia agreed to help Sebia
      1. 4) Germany declared war on Russia, then on France (Russia's ally)
        5) Schlieffen Plan - Germany to go through (neutral) Belgium to capture Paris
        6) Britain stepped in to help Belgium and declared war on Germany
BEF to help France and Belgium
1. BEF sent 4 divisions of troop to France - the French had 70
  1. BEF commander: Sir John French
2. AIM: Stop Germany capturing Paris!
  1. They failed to stop them invading Belgium and France...
3. 3 major battles in France:
  1. MONS - Britons forced Germans back, but the victory only lasted until the French retreated, and so Britain did the same
  2. The River MARNE - Germans needed to get across Marne to Paris, the French/BEF beat them back to the river Aisne, Germans dug trenches to maintain position
  3. YPRES - The Germans advanced towards the sea, Allies tried to block them off, the armies met at Ypres, 75,000 BEF soldiers killed
More Men Needed!
1. Kitchener (Secretary of War) wanted conscription, but Asquith (Prime Minister) refused
2. Poster campaign instead - 'Your Country Needs You'
3. By September 1914, there were half a million volunteers

Resource summary

	Created by izzykersley01 about 10 years ago