World History › Section V · World War I › Topic V.1
Alliances, expansion, and conflict
In 1900 Europe had gone almost a century without a war involving all its great powers. This topic follows how alliances, a late scramble for colonies and an arms race turned that peace into two armed camps by 1914.
In this topic
- A long peace of short wars
- Bismarck's web of treaties
- Two blocs take shape
- Weltpolitik and a late empire
- Two crises over Morocco
- Worked example: why the Moroccan gambles backfired
- The naval race
- Mass armies and war plans
- Worked example: did the arms race cause the war?
- A system built for deterrence
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…