Economic/Social
The Triple Entente was way stronger than the Triple Alliance. The Triple Entente was stronger than the Triple Alliance both militarily and economically. They had the people to fight, and the weapons to fight. Aside from that though, the countries of the Triple Entente were also powerful in terms of natural resources in the sense that they owned a lot of rich land in Africa. this gave the Triple Entente a lot of economic strength as well. Left: France, Center: Russia, Right: Great Britain. The title says: "Agreement" showing that they are on strong alliance, and because this is a Russian poster, it also shows that Russia will lead the rest of the countries part of the alliance to victory.
Picture describing the Triple Entente
Political
Archduke of Austria-Hungary who was assassinated.
The Archduke of Austria Hungary was assassinated by the Serbians. Austria- Hungary wanted a reason to fight the Serbians and this gave them the opportunity to committ this act. 1. When Austria-Hungary’s Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by a Serbian, the Austro Hungarian government was quick to declare war on Serbia. Russia was bound by a treaty to support Serbia. France got dragged into the war because France was bound by a treaty to support Russia. The Russian mobilization led to the German declaration of war on Russia. Germany also declared war on France and invaded Belgium in order to pass through Belgium and get to France, where they planned on defeating the French army. It can be argued that France was dragged into war because of its political relations with Russia. 2. "In the weeks after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 the governments of Germany, France, Britain, and Russia activated their mobilizations and war plans. Some 65 million men from all nations took up arms during World War I. Although many had anticipated a short conflict, this war dragged on for four years of attrition and stalemate. Logistical requirements put the capabilities of national governments to the test. Keeping millions of men fed and armed on the battlefield, as well as keeping tens of millions of civilians patriotic and loyal on the home front, proved to be great challenges" (Quenoy 252).
Military
Many nations had war plans before the war:
-- Germany’s war Plan: The Schlieffen Plan
3. "Schlieffen believed that the most decisive area for any future war in Europe would be in the western sector. Here, Schlieffen identified France as Germany's most dangerous opponent. Russia was not as advanced as France in many areas and Schlieffen believed that Russia would take six weeks to mobilise her forces and that any possible fighting on the Russian-German border could be coped with by the Germans for a few weeks while the bulk of her forces concentrated on defeating France.Schlieffen concluded that a massive and successful surprise attack against France would be enough to put off Britain becoming involved in a continental war. This would allow Germany time (the six weeks that Schlieffen had built into his plan) to transfer soldiers who had been fighting in the successful French campaign to Russia to take on the Russians. Schlieffen also planned for the attack on France to go through Belgium and Luxemburg. Belgium had had her neutrality guaranteed by Britain in 1839 - so his strategy for success depended on Britain not supporting Belgium."The Schlieffen Plan was revised as tension in Europe increased. However, the basic mechanics of it remained the same:
A devastating attack on France via Belgium as soon as Russia had announced her intention to mobilise.
A holding operation on the Russian/German border to be carried out if necessary and if required.
Germany had 6 weeks to defeat France.
Germany would then use her modernised rail system to move troops from the French operation to the Russian front.
Russia would then be attacked and defeated"
-- France’s war plan: “Plan XVII”
4. "Plan XVII called for an advance by four French Armies into Alsace-Lorraine on either side of the Metz-Thionville fortresses, occupied by the Germans since 1871. The southern wing of the invasion forces would first capture
Alsace and Lorraine (in that order), whilst the northern wing would - depending upon German movements - advance into Germany via the southern Ardennes forests, or else move north-east into Luxembourg and Belgium. The architects of Plan XVII, which included Joseph Joffre, took little account of a possible German invasion of France through Belgium until just before war was declared; and in modifying the plan to deploy troops to meet such an eventuality, actual French activity to meet an invasion via Belgium was lacklustre at best in August 1914." "Within weeks of the war's start, the French attack into Alsace and Lorraine had proved a debacle, effectively repelled by the German defences. With the inevitable advance of the Schlieffen Plan meanwhile, the French were thrown very much on the defensive.
-- Germany’s war Plan: The Schlieffen Plan
3. "Schlieffen believed that the most decisive area for any future war in Europe would be in the western sector. Here, Schlieffen identified France as Germany's most dangerous opponent. Russia was not as advanced as France in many areas and Schlieffen believed that Russia would take six weeks to mobilise her forces and that any possible fighting on the Russian-German border could be coped with by the Germans for a few weeks while the bulk of her forces concentrated on defeating France.Schlieffen concluded that a massive and successful surprise attack against France would be enough to put off Britain becoming involved in a continental war. This would allow Germany time (the six weeks that Schlieffen had built into his plan) to transfer soldiers who had been fighting in the successful French campaign to Russia to take on the Russians. Schlieffen also planned for the attack on France to go through Belgium and Luxemburg. Belgium had had her neutrality guaranteed by Britain in 1839 - so his strategy for success depended on Britain not supporting Belgium."The Schlieffen Plan was revised as tension in Europe increased. However, the basic mechanics of it remained the same:
A devastating attack on France via Belgium as soon as Russia had announced her intention to mobilise.
A holding operation on the Russian/German border to be carried out if necessary and if required.
Germany had 6 weeks to defeat France.
Germany would then use her modernised rail system to move troops from the French operation to the Russian front.
Russia would then be attacked and defeated"
-- France’s war plan: “Plan XVII”
4. "Plan XVII called for an advance by four French Armies into Alsace-Lorraine on either side of the Metz-Thionville fortresses, occupied by the Germans since 1871. The southern wing of the invasion forces would first capture
Alsace and Lorraine (in that order), whilst the northern wing would - depending upon German movements - advance into Germany via the southern Ardennes forests, or else move north-east into Luxembourg and Belgium. The architects of Plan XVII, which included Joseph Joffre, took little account of a possible German invasion of France through Belgium until just before war was declared; and in modifying the plan to deploy troops to meet such an eventuality, actual French activity to meet an invasion via Belgium was lacklustre at best in August 1914." "Within weeks of the war's start, the French attack into Alsace and Lorraine had proved a debacle, effectively repelled by the German defences. With the inevitable advance of the Schlieffen Plan meanwhile, the French were thrown very much on the defensive.
France did not want to take the burden on their backs of starting the war. Russia, without France’s permission, declared war on Germany and expected the same of France. France was reluctant of declaring war, but they had to fight, once they were being invaded by the Germans as per the Schlieffen Plan.
Works cited
1. "World War I." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2751-2766. Gale World History In Context
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindowfailOver&query=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=true&source=&sortBy=&displayGroups=&action=e&catId=GALE%7C00000000MXHG&activity&scanId=&documentId=GALE7CCX3447000917&&userGroupName=lom_inac&jsid=cadcfbe017d02b0e1a24e21a37541e70
11 Sep. 2012.
2. "Total War: Was Total War a Twentieth-Century Concept?" History in Dispute. Ed. Paul du Quenoy. Vol. 16 Twentieth-Century European Social and Political Movements: First Series. Detroit: St. James Press, 2004. 251-258.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2877600043&v=2.1&u=lom_inac&it=r&p=GVRL.historyindispute&sw=w 9 Sep. 2012.
3. Trueman, Chris. "The Schlieffen Plan." The Schlieffen Plan. History Learning Site, 2000. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/schlieffen_plan.htm.
4. Godl, John. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. First World War, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/plans.htm.
*Rogers, Keely, and Jo Thomas. History: Causes, Practices and Effects Of: Causes, Practices and Effects of Wars for the IB Diploma. Oxford: Pearson Education, 2010. 7+. Print.
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindowfailOver&query=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=true&source=&sortBy=&displayGroups=&action=e&catId=GALE%7C00000000MXHG&activity&scanId=&documentId=GALE7CCX3447000917&&userGroupName=lom_inac&jsid=cadcfbe017d02b0e1a24e21a37541e70
11 Sep. 2012.
2. "Total War: Was Total War a Twentieth-Century Concept?" History in Dispute. Ed. Paul du Quenoy. Vol. 16 Twentieth-Century European Social and Political Movements: First Series. Detroit: St. James Press, 2004. 251-258.
Gale Virtual Reference Library. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2877600043&v=2.1&u=lom_inac&it=r&p=GVRL.historyindispute&sw=w 9 Sep. 2012.
3. Trueman, Chris. "The Schlieffen Plan." The Schlieffen Plan. History Learning Site, 2000. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/schlieffen_plan.htm.
4. Godl, John. "Firstworldwar.com." First World War.com. First World War, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/plans.htm.
*Rogers, Keely, and Jo Thomas. History: Causes, Practices and Effects Of: Causes, Practices and Effects of Wars for the IB Diploma. Oxford: Pearson Education, 2010. 7+. Print.
Pictures
French Flag: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_346/1229937486M283uZ.jpg
Triple Entente Representation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triple_Entente.jpg
Flags from the Triple Entente: http://im.glogster.com/media/4/28/49/9/28490946.jpg
Archduke of Austria-Hungary: http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/d75b3437a04f45bdfd816c8ee1932e5e_1M.png
Archduke Political Cartoon:
Schleiffan Plan: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/schlieffen_plan.htm.
Plan XVII: http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/plans.htm.
Triple Entente Representation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Triple_Entente.jpg
Flags from the Triple Entente: http://im.glogster.com/media/4/28/49/9/28490946.jpg
Archduke of Austria-Hungary: http://cdn.dipity.com/uploads/events/d75b3437a04f45bdfd816c8ee1932e5e_1M.png
Archduke Political Cartoon:
Schleiffan Plan: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/schlieffen_plan.htm.
Plan XVII: http://www.firstworldwar.com/features/plans.htm.