Conflict and Tension 1894-1914: the First World War is a wider world depth study that investigates international relations. The course focuses on the causes and course of the First World War. It considers how and why the conflict occurred, as well as why it lasted so long.

This study will help you to understand the complexities and diverse interests of different states alongside a study in the development of military tactics and technology. The course will enable you to analyse cause and consequence, making links between, and assessing the importance of, events in their historical context. It will also develop your critical evaluation skills.

Conflict and Tension 1894-1918: the First World War is split into 3 key enquiries:

• ❖ Enquiry 1 examines the long and short term causes of the First World War.
• ❖ Enquiry 2 looks at the development on the Western Front in 1914 and how the nature of trench warfare led to stalemate.
• ❖ Finally, enquiry 3 is a study of the reasons why stalemate was finally broken in 1918 and Germany defeated.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Kaiser Wilhelm II.
• ❖ Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
• ❖ Count Alfred von Schlieffen.
• ❖ General Sir Douglas Haig.
• ❖ General Erich von Falkenhayn.
• ❖ General Erich Ludendorff.
• ❖ Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch.

Some of the key events and developments you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The formation of the alliance system.
• ❖ The Anglo-German naval race.
• ❖ International crises in the Balkans and Morocco.
• ❖ The assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
• ❖ The establishment of the Western Front in 1914.
• ❖ Key battles on the Western Front: Verdun, the Somme, and Passchendaele.
• ❖ The development of new weapons.
• ❖ The war at sea.
• ❖ The Ludendorff Offensive.
• ❖ The Allied 100 days.
• ❖ German defeat and the armistice.

Conflict and Tension 1894-1918: the First World War is examined on paper 1. You should spend 1 hour on this section of the paper. There will be 4 exam questions which will assess what you have learned from the course.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 4 marks. This question will require you to examine a source, and explain its meaning in its historical context.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 12 marks. This question will require you to examine 2 sources, and assesses your ability to evaluate sources for a particular purpose.
• ❖ Question 3 is worth 8 marks. It requires to you to explain and analyse historical events in relation to cause and consequence.
• ❖ Question 4 is worth 16 marks plus 4 marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Here you will be required to make a judgement about the importance of an event or development in an extended response.