Worksheet by RJ Tarr at www.activehistory.co.

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CAUSES OF WORLD WAR ONE
The Arms Race

Introduction
Increased military rivalry before 1914 helped cause the war by creating:
a. The development of joint war plans between members of the same alliance
system – leading to a “domino effect” in 1914.
b. An increase in military control over the government (esp. Germany/Russia)
c. A belief that war was inevitable

1. The Arms Race on Land (Germany v. Russia and France)

▪ After 1870, Britain was the only country that did not have conscription
(compulsory military service) and a standing army1.
▪ After 1890, tensions led to a general arms buildup.
▪ Between 1908 and 1913, the military spending of European powers
increased 50 percent.
▪ Between 1870 and 1914, the armies of France and Germany doubled.
▪ In 1913, Germany increased her standing forces by 170,000 men, Russia
lengthened her term of conscription from three to three and a half years,
and France lengthened hers from two to three years – a controversial
move opposed by the socialist Jean Jaures (pictured), who was
assassinated in 1914 for “unpatriotically” refusing to support the war.

From your studies, outline the significance of the following dates.

What happened Why it increased tension
1870-
1871

1890 Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany came to the throne. He dismissed Bismarck and France was scared of Germany’s growing land
decided to start building up his armed forces to build an Empire in Africa (“A place in forces; Britain was scared of Germany’s
the sun”). growing navy; both were scared of her
ambitions in Africa.
1908

1912-
1913

1914

1
A standing army is a professional one on permanent standby (i.e. not relying on volunteers)
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2. The Arms Race at Sea (Germany v. Britain)2

 Britain had “ruled the waves” since Nelson defeated Napoleon in the Battle of
Trafalgar and needed to do so to protect her Empire.
 Kaiser Wilhelm was keen to have his own colonial empire (“A Place in the
Sun”). So he authorised Admiral Tirpitz to build a large navy, passing two Naval
laws (1898, 1900). Britain was initially unconcerned.
 However, the British introduction of the Dreadnought [“fear nothing”] in 1906
made all other battleships obsolete. These ships were fast, mobile and equipped
with 360-degree guns. They also used watertight compartments to limit damage
when they were hit (the “Titanic” copied the same design!)

Figure 1: The "Dazzleship" design confuse U-Boat commanders in World War One!

 The rivalry between Britain and Germany to build these new battleships turned
into an arms race. The expense of producing them nearly led to civil war in
England (the Lords refused to accept taxes on the rich which the government
and the general public considered necessary to pay for the ships).
• By 1914 Britain had completed 19 dreadnoughts to Germany’s 13!
Reasoning Skills
1. Complete these sentences using your knowledge from earlier studies:
▪ Colonial Rivalry led to the arms race because…

▪ The Alliance System led to the arms race because…

2. Why might the arms race lead to Britain declaring war on Germany sooner rather than
later?

2
Start by watching the short video clip (3m) to provide some background – http://goo.gl/nUil0k
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Comprehension questions
Complete these questions after going back through your notes.
1. Why did the Kaiser want to have a large navy?
2. Why did the British find this so threatening?
3. Why did the introduction of the Dreadnought make other battleships obsolete?
4. What were the results in England of the Arms race?
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The Arms Race - Sourcework
SOURCE D
At first the British ignored the German naval build-up, but the Second
Naval Law of 1900, which called for a doubling of the German
battleship fleet by 1916, opened their eyes. An important reason for the
German naval initiative was to challenge Britain by becoming a major
threat. Britain responded to this in 1906 by launching the battleship
HMS Dreadnought which could out-gun and out-race any battleship
afloat. Not surprisingly, the Germans were horrified. These fears were
made worse by the Anglo-Russian Entente of 1907. The Germans felt
they were being surrounded by a coalition of hostile powers. This
‘encirclement’ theory was an important motive for Germany’s
aggressive tendencies in the early 1900s. The naval race was part of
the general arms race. Germany set the pace. In 1874, she had an army
of 400 000; by 1914, it had risen to 800 000. A massive increase in
armaments followed. More destructive weapons were developed.
Germany and Austria-Hungary secretly specialised in the production of
enormous howitzers and mortars. Military expenditure intensified after
1910 with Germany and Austria- Hungary doubling their spending on
arms.
From a recent history book.
1. Study Source D. Who does the author of this source think was
responsible for the increasing tension between Britain and Germany?
Explain your answer using the source.

Max.
Option 1 Blames one country [1] with quotes [1] and / or background knowledge [1] 3
Option 2 Blames several countries [+2] with quotes [+ 1 or 2] and / or background 6
knowledge [+ 1 or 2]

SOURCE E
Building a battle-fleet was necessary if we wanted to become a sea-
power. Sea power was needed to protect trade, as other states had
realised long before we did. Our surrounded and threatened position
convinced me that no time was to be lost in turning ourselves into a
sea-power. It would be a mistake, however, to think that the English
would have treated us any better, and have allowed our economic
growth to have proceeded unchecked if we had no fleet.
Admiral von Tirpitz writing in his memoirs which were published in
1919. Von Tirpitz was the member of the German government in charge
of the navy until 1916 when he resigned.
SOURCE F
What did Germany want this great navy for? Against whom, except us,
could she use it? There was a deep and growing feeling that the
Germans meant mischief. Moreover, we realised that reluctance on our
part to build ships would be seen by Germany as a sign of weakness.
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Winston Churchill writing in 1933. Churchill was the member of the
British government in charge of the navy from 1911 to 1915.
2. Study Sources E and F. Is one of these sources more reliable than
the other? Explain your answer using the sources and your knowledge.

Level 1 Answers based on provenance (purpose of each writer) or content (how 1-3
complete / objective their account is)
Level 2 Answers based on provenance (purpose of each writer) and content (how 3-5
complete / objective their account is)
*Award marks within the band based on the quality of quotes / background knowledge used.