WWI AQA Oxford Revision - The Alliance System PDF
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This document is a historical overview of the major world powers at the beginning of World War 1, including details about their governments, empires, and key issues. The document describes the political situations in Britain, France, and Germany.
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# The alliance system ## World powers before the First World War ### Britain * **Government**. Under Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Britain had become hugely influential and had family connections with most of the royal families of Europe. * **Government**. By the reign of George V (1910-36), the mon...
# The alliance system ## World powers before the First World War ### Britain * **Government**. Under Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Britain had become hugely influential and had family connections with most of the royal families of Europe. * **Government**. By the reign of George V (1910-36), the monarch had very little real power but remained a symbol of Britain's status in the world. * **Government**. The real power now lay with the elected Parliament and the government that was drawn from it. * **Empire**. The British Empire grew significantly during the reign of Victoria and by 1914, it ruled over 400 million people living in 56 territories around the world (approximately a quarter of the world's population). * **Empire**. The empire had enabled Britain to become a major industrial power and, by 1900, the world's richest country. * **Key Issues**. Britain's wealth was concentrated in a small group of people, with the majority of the population living in poverty. It was claimed that Britain was so divided, it was like two nations. * **Key Issues**. The state did not provide any unemployment benefits, sick pay, pensions or free medical care. * **Key Issues**. Britain's status was declining as other countries, such as the USA and Germany, developed their industries and grew more powerful. ### France * **Government**. France was a republic, governed by an elected president. * **Government**. A number of high-ranking army generals also held positions in government. * **Empire**. The French Empire was the second largest empire, ruling around 60 million people, mainly in West and North Africa. * **Empire**. In 1870, Germany defeated and took land from France, which was a bitter blow to France's national pride. * **Key Issues**. France was a leading trading nation but was beginning to fall behind other nations, such as Britain and Germany. * **Key Issues**. The population was falling and was much lower than its neighbours. ### Germany * **Government**. Germany was a new country. It had been created when several former states joined together in 1871. * **Government**. It was ruled by Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had absolute power over the country. * **Empire**. The German Empire was much smaller than the empires of the other European powers, consisting of several territories in Africa and the Far East. * **Empire**. The Kaiser made it his main ambition to build Germany's empire. * **Key Issues**. The growth of industry made some Germans rich, but many workers remained very poor. * **Key Issues**. These workers called for improvements and some formed opposition groups.
