World War One: Long Term Causes

This is the first lesson (50 minutes) of a 12 lesson unit. Pupils explore the events and underlying tensions that led to the outbreak of the First World War. They investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 and consider how this event acted as the trigger for a much wider European conflict. Through examining the long-term causes of war, pupils develop an understanding of the complex relationships between European powers and the significance of militarism, alliances, imperialism and nationalism (MAIN). The lesson introduces key historical terminology and encourages pupils to distinguish between long-term causes and immediate triggers when explaining why war broke out in 1914.