Causes of the First World War PowerPoint: GCSE History Lesson

A complete GCSE History lesson on why the First World War began. It covers the four long term causes (militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism), the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, the July Crisis and why Britain joined the war, finishing with exam practice. Illustrated throughout with simple pictures, from a dreadnought battleship to a remembrance poppy.

• 28 slides
• GCSE History
• Conflict and tension, 1894 to 1918
• Exam question and mark scheme
• Teacher notes
• Fully editable

Download this PowerPoint free (.pptx)

What the lesson covers

1. Starter and key words: a warm up quiz, learning objectives and eight key terms, from militarism to ultimatum.
2. Long term causes: the naval race and the Schlieffen Plan, the Triple Alliance and Triple Entente, the race for empire and the Moroccan Crises, and nationalism in the Balkans.
3. The spark: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and Sophie in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, told step by step.
4. The July Crisis: a timeline from the assassination to 4 August 1914, and the four reasons Britain joined the war.
5. Tasks and exam practice: a “which cause is it?” sort, an ordering task, a 16 mark “how far do you agree” question, a levelled mark scheme, a model paragraph and common mistakes.
6. Review: an exit ticket and key points, with a link to Remembrance Day on 11 November.

Who it is for

GCSE History teachers and students studying the origins of the First World War. The exam question is written in the style of AQA’s Conflict and tension, 1894 to 1918, and the lesson works just as well for KS3 and other GCSE courses. Every slide has teacher notes, and quiz answers are on the slides that follow each task. It is ideal for the week of Remembrance Day.

Download this PowerPoint free (.pptx)