WAR IS LIFE ITSELF: THE CAUSES OF WWI
Summary: (2-3 class periods): In this lesson, students will move through a series of primary source documents, maps, and graphs to explore the underlying causes of World War One. After analyzing the documents and answering some guided questions, students will organize the documents under the framework M.A.I.N. (militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism) and connect the underlying causes to the spark—the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Students will then analyze an Emile Zola quote on war and participate in a “Four Corners” activity framed around the inevitability of war between prosperous and powerful nations. Finally, students will write a document-based essay
responding to the essential question—“Was World War One an inevitable result of European nations’ prosperity or European nations competing for prosperity?”
Focus C3 Standard:
4.4 Evaluate the forces of nationalism and militarism, as well as the system of alliances, as causes for World War I.
Essential Question: Is war between nations an inevitable result of nations competing for prosperity?
Lesson Snapshot
1. Engage: Students will pretend to be detectives and read a “case file” covering the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand—the spark for World War One—to engage them in an exploration of how the death of one man (and his wife) could pull the entire globe into a massive war.
2. Explore: Students will conduct a “gallery walk” or “stations” activity, in which they physically move around the room while using a series of guided questions to analyze different primary source documents, maps, and graphs and determine the underlying causes of World War One.
3. Explain: Students will organize the documents under the popular World War One framework M.A.I.N. (militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism) to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of World War One. Students will then collectively review this framework and tie these underlying causes to the assassination of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the outbreak of World War One.
4. Extend/Expand: Students will analyze an Emile Zola quote on war and participate in a “Four Corners” activity responding to the statement “World War One was an inevitable result of European nations’ prosperity – or competition for prosperity.”
Lesson Preparation or Notes To Teacher:
The “gallery walk” or “stations” requires that documents be placed around the room prior to the beginning of class.
Materials:
Student Handout: Case File—Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Powerpoint: Includes video; explanation of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism; review of the causes of WWI; Emile Zola quote; Four Corners Statement
Documents for Gallery Walk/Stations Guided Questions for Documents M.A.I.N. Student Worksheet
Crash Course Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4 (optional)
Textbook or online reading such as http://www.authentichistory.com/1914-1920/1-overview/1-origins/index.html (optional)
K20 Tools Sheet
Lesson Procedures: Engage
Tell students that they are going to begin class today by investigating a murder! Using the powerpoint, display a photo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and distribute the “Case File.” Have students work with a partner to analyze the case file and determine, as if they were detectives, the (1) location of the murder; (2) the victims; (3) the murderer; (4) his motive; and (5) the aftermath. You might have them do this by simply Whylighting the document—highlighting the appropriate places and writing comments/explanations in the margins (see K20 Tools for more information)—or you may have them right this
information on a separate piece of paper.
After the students have explored the case file, review the information with them. Ask: Why was the Archduke was assassinated and what happened afterwards?
o Student Responses May Include:
He was assassinated because some Slavs in Bosnia wanted independence from Austria-Hungary and to belong to a Slavic nation/empire with Serbia.
After it happened, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and then Serbia got help from its Slavic ally, Russia, who declared war on Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary was in an alliance with Germany, who
promised to protect Austria-Hungary if Russia attacked. Then a whole bunch of other countries got involved because they were in alliances too. Ask students if one person’s murder seems like enough of a reason for a world war.
Furthermore, ask if an alliance or just promising to have someone’s back is really enough to drag all these nations into a war?
o Student Responses May Include: Some might say yes, but many will probably agree that there are probably other factors involved.
Explore
o Note: You may need to set time limits/use a timer to help students move through the documents efficiently. If you have struggling readers, you may opt to pair them up with another student who can help them read efficiently, or you may use the lesson variation outlined in the differentiation portion of this lesson.
Explain
Once students have completed the “gallery walk” activity, have them sit down and inform them that all of the information they learned from the documents can be split up into four major categories that most historians believe are the underlying causes of World War One: militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism (M.A.I.N.). Using the powerpoint, if needed, review what these terms mean with students.
Handout the M.A.I.N. chart and have students work in partners or small groups to fill out the chart using the documents and the guided questions they answered during the Explore gallery walk.
o Student Responses May Include:
Militarism Alliances Imperialism Nationalism
All of the major European powers spent an increasing amount of money on their militaries form 1890-1914, but Germany spent a dramatic amount in 1914 (Document C) Germany increased
its military spending because it wanted to compete with other nations and be powerful, plus it felt threatened by the power of other nations (Doc. D &E)
Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy were in an alliance called the Triple Alliance or Central Powers, while Great Britain, France, and Russia were in the Triple Entente (Document A) Germany and
Austria-Hungary were fearful of attack from Russia and promised to go to war to protect each other if Russia or one of Russia’s allies attacked them (Document B)
Britain had a huge empire (the biggest) (Documents F&G and this made Germany feel very threatened and inferior
(Documents H & E)
A lot of countries had pride/nationalism, shown in national anthems (Documents I & J) and in desire to be powerful, like Germany (Docs D&E)
Ethnic/national pride was important for Slavs, too—and this caused tension for Austria-Hungary because of the Slavs in Bosnia, which it controlled. This would eventually cause the Archduke’s
assassination and the outbreak of WWI (Docs K&L)
After students have completed the M.A.I.N. chart, review them collectively. You may do this by filling out the chart together using a Smartboard/projector or simply by eliciting student responses through a class sharing through a round-robin technique.
Alternatively, you may use the provided powerpoint slides with students (there are cues to ask students about the documents in the presenter notes) or have students complete a reading on the causes of WWI, such as that provided in their textbook or one of the following resources:
o http://www.authentichistory.com/1914-1920/1-overview/1-origins/index.html o Note: If you choose to have your students complete additional reading, make
sure that they use an interactive reading strategy, such as Why-Lighting or Thinking Notes (see K20 Tools Sheet for more information).
You may also elect to show the first few minutes of Crash Course in History’s video on WWI, available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4
o Note: This video discusses the entirety of WWI at a fast pace—you should preview first and decide whether or not to use it based on your students’ abilities.
Display the Emile Zola quote (provided in the powerpoint or write it on your board): “Would not the end of war be the end of humanity? War is life itself. Nothing exists in nature, is born, grows or multiplies except by combat. We must eat and be eaten so that the world may live. It is only warlike nations which have prospered; a nation dies as soon as it disarms. War is the school of discipline, sacrifice and courage.”
Have students talk with an elbow partner about what the quote means. After several minutes, elicit volunteers to discuss the quote as a whole group. Guide students to an understanding that Zola is suggesting that war is necessary for countries to be powerful, and that powerful countries will ultimately have to fight to stay powerful—point to the section “we must eat and be eaten so that the world may live,” if necessary.
After students have reached an understanding of Zola’s message, connect his message to World War One by displaying the statement “World War One was an inevitable result of European nations’ prosperity.” If needed, explain to students that prosperity means wealth, power, and success.
· Have students participate in a “Four Corners” activity (see K20 Tools Sheet) using the statement “World War One was an inevitable result of European nations’ prosperity.” Place four signs in each corner of the room: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Ask students to stand in the corner that best represents their opinion in response to the above statement. Ask each student group to discuss the reasons for their level of agreement/disagreement in groups (of 3-5, depending on class size), and then choose a leader to speak for their position. After each student leader speaks, ask students to move to reflect their shifting opinion. (Again, see K20 Tools).
· Summarize by comparing positions and reasons provided by groups.
· Additional Expand possibilities: Have students consult their textbooks to make a timeline of the major events leading up to WWI, noting where these events fall under the M.A.I.N. framework and citing relevant documents.
Evaluate
Have students write an essay responding to the essential question as it applies to World War One—was World War One an inevitable result of European nations’ prosperity? In responding to the essential question, instruct them to address how militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism created tensions between the European powers that erupted after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Remind students that they must use evidence from the documents in their responses.
Differentiations:
If students struggle with the number of documents, you may choose to use the Jigsaw strategy and give students smaller portions of documents before having them discuss the other documents with their peers (see K20 Tools sheet for more information). You may choose to remove the guided questions for advanced students and have them
complete the document analysis without supplementary materials.
Authentic Strategies
Higher Order Thinking- Students will analyze primary source documents to explore and develop their own understanding of the underlying causes of World War One before evaluating the evidence to construct their own essay interrogating the inevitability of World War One.
Deepening Knowledge-Students will develop a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of World War One and discuss whether or not a nations’ prosperity both depends upon and causes conflict with other nations.
Connections to Real World-Students will develop a more thorough understanding of the roots of conflict between nations that persist today.
Student-Centered Learning- Students will move through this lesson in a series of small and large group discussion in which they share their understandings with one another.
Resources- Student Handout: Case File—Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Powerpoint: Includes video; explanation of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism; Emile Zola quote; Four Corners Statement
Documents for Gallery Walk/Stations Guided Questions for Documents M.A.I.N. Student Worksheet
Crash Course Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XPZQ0LAlR4 (optional)
Textbook or online reading such as http://www.authentichistory.com/1914-1920/1-overview/1-origins/index.html (optional)
OK C3 Standards:
4.4 Evaluate the forces of nationalism and militarism, as well as the system of alliances, as causes for World War I.
OK C3 Process & Literacy Skills (CCSS): Standard 1: Reading Skills
• Key Ideas and Details
1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
3. Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
• Craft and Structure
6. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
• Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
8. Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims.
9.Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Standard 2: Writing Skills A. Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,
and create an organization that established clear relationships among the claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in
a discipline-appropriate form and in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge
