World War - I | History for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

 Page 1


PCS WORLD 
HISTORY
WORLD WAR I
Page 2


PCS WORLD 
HISTORY
WORLD WAR I
Free Courses 
Monday to Friday
Complete GS
(Prelims + Mains)
Pre-Mix
5 High Value Prelims Oriented Questions
MAD
5 Mains Related Questions per week
Saturday
Weekly CSAT Class
Weekly Scheme Analysis
Weekly Editorial Analysis
Also Covered
Sociology Optional
Political Science Optional
Paid Courses
For Prelims 2019
Prelims Test Series
(With/Without Video Solutions)
For Mains 2018
GS Crash Course
For GS 1, 2, 3, 4
Question & Answers Oriented
For Mains 2019
Upcoming Soon
Sociology For Mains 2018
Crash Course 
(With/Without Test Series)
Page 3


PCS WORLD 
HISTORY
WORLD WAR I
Free Courses 
Monday to Friday
Complete GS
(Prelims + Mains)
Pre-Mix
5 High Value Prelims Oriented Questions
MAD
5 Mains Related Questions per week
Saturday
Weekly CSAT Class
Weekly Scheme Analysis
Weekly Editorial Analysis
Also Covered
Sociology Optional
Political Science Optional
Paid Courses
For Prelims 2019
Prelims Test Series
(With/Without Video Solutions)
For Mains 2018
GS Crash Course
For GS 1, 2, 3, 4
Question & Answers Oriented
For Mains 2019
Upcoming Soon
Sociology For Mains 2018
Crash Course 
(With/Without Test Series)
What led to Second World War?
• There was naval rivalry between Britain and Germany. The German government had been greatly 
influenced by the writings of an American, Alfred Mahan, who believed that sea power was the key to 
the successful build-up of a great empire. It followed therefore that Germany needed a much larger 
navy capable of challenging the world's greatest sea power - Britain. Starting with Admiral Tirpitz's Navy 
Law of 1897, the Germans made a determined effort to expand their navy. The rapid growth of the 
German fleet probably did not worry the British too much at first because they had an enormous lead. 
However, the introduction of the powerful British 'Dreadnought' battleship in 1906 changed all this 
because it made all other battleships obsolete. This meant that the Germans could begin building 
'Dreadnoughts' on equal terms with Britain. The resulting naval race was the main bone of contention 
between the two right up to 1914. For many of the British, the new German navy could mean only one 
thing: Germany intended making war against Britain. However, early in 1913 the Germans had actually 
reduced naval spending in order to concentrate more on strengthening the army. As Winston Churchill 
correctly pointed out, in the spring and summer of 1914, naval rivalry had ceased to be a cause of 
friction, because 'it was certain that we (Britain) could not be overtaken as far as capital ships were 
concerned
• The French resented the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian War 
(1871).
• The Germans accused Britain, Russia and France of trying to 'encircle' them; the Germans were also 
disappointed with the results of their expansionist policies(known as Weltpolitik - literally 'world policy'). 
Although they had taken possession of some islands in the Pacific and some territory in Africa, their 
empire was small in comparison with those of the other European powers, and not very rewarding 
economically.
Page 4


PCS WORLD 
HISTORY
WORLD WAR I
Free Courses 
Monday to Friday
Complete GS
(Prelims + Mains)
Pre-Mix
5 High Value Prelims Oriented Questions
MAD
5 Mains Related Questions per week
Saturday
Weekly CSAT Class
Weekly Scheme Analysis
Weekly Editorial Analysis
Also Covered
Sociology Optional
Political Science Optional
Paid Courses
For Prelims 2019
Prelims Test Series
(With/Without Video Solutions)
For Mains 2018
GS Crash Course
For GS 1, 2, 3, 4
Question & Answers Oriented
For Mains 2019
Upcoming Soon
Sociology For Mains 2018
Crash Course 
(With/Without Test Series)
What led to Second World War?
• There was naval rivalry between Britain and Germany. The German government had been greatly 
influenced by the writings of an American, Alfred Mahan, who believed that sea power was the key to 
the successful build-up of a great empire. It followed therefore that Germany needed a much larger 
navy capable of challenging the world's greatest sea power - Britain. Starting with Admiral Tirpitz's Navy 
Law of 1897, the Germans made a determined effort to expand their navy. The rapid growth of the 
German fleet probably did not worry the British too much at first because they had an enormous lead. 
However, the introduction of the powerful British 'Dreadnought' battleship in 1906 changed all this 
because it made all other battleships obsolete. This meant that the Germans could begin building 
'Dreadnoughts' on equal terms with Britain. The resulting naval race was the main bone of contention 
between the two right up to 1914. For many of the British, the new German navy could mean only one 
thing: Germany intended making war against Britain. However, early in 1913 the Germans had actually 
reduced naval spending in order to concentrate more on strengthening the army. As Winston Churchill 
correctly pointed out, in the spring and summer of 1914, naval rivalry had ceased to be a cause of 
friction, because 'it was certain that we (Britain) could not be overtaken as far as capital ships were 
concerned
• The French resented the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian War 
(1871).
• The Germans accused Britain, Russia and France of trying to 'encircle' them; the Germans were also 
disappointed with the results of their expansionist policies(known as Weltpolitik - literally 'world policy'). 
Although they had taken possession of some islands in the Pacific and some territory in Africa, their 
empire was small in comparison with those of the other European powers, and not very rewarding 
economically.
• The Russians were suspicious of Austrian ambitions in the Balkans and 
worried about the growing military and economic strength of Germany.
• Serbian nationalism (the desire to free your nation from control by people 
of another nationality) was probably the most dangerous cause of friction. 
Since 1882 the Serbian government of King Milan had been pro-Austrian, 
and his son Alexander, who came of age in 1893, followed the same policy. 
However, the Serbian nationalists bitterly resented the fact that by the 
Treaty of Berlin signed in 1878, the Austrians had been allowed to occupy 
Bosnia, an area which the Serbs thought should be part of a Greater Serbia. 
The nationalists saw Alexander as a traitor; in 190 3 he was murdered by a 
group of army officers, who put Peter Karageorgevic on the throne. The 
change of regime caused a dramatic switch in Serbian policy: the Serbs 
now became pro-Russian. Many of these Serbs and Croats lived inside the 
borders of the Habsburg Empire; if they were to break away from Austria-
Hungary to become part of a Greater Serbia, it would threaten to break up 
the entire ramshackle Habsburg Empire
Page 5


PCS WORLD 
HISTORY
WORLD WAR I
Free Courses 
Monday to Friday
Complete GS
(Prelims + Mains)
Pre-Mix
5 High Value Prelims Oriented Questions
MAD
5 Mains Related Questions per week
Saturday
Weekly CSAT Class
Weekly Scheme Analysis
Weekly Editorial Analysis
Also Covered
Sociology Optional
Political Science Optional
Paid Courses
For Prelims 2019
Prelims Test Series
(With/Without Video Solutions)
For Mains 2018
GS Crash Course
For GS 1, 2, 3, 4
Question & Answers Oriented
For Mains 2019
Upcoming Soon
Sociology For Mains 2018
Crash Course 
(With/Without Test Series)
What led to Second World War?
• There was naval rivalry between Britain and Germany. The German government had been greatly 
influenced by the writings of an American, Alfred Mahan, who believed that sea power was the key to 
the successful build-up of a great empire. It followed therefore that Germany needed a much larger 
navy capable of challenging the world's greatest sea power - Britain. Starting with Admiral Tirpitz's Navy 
Law of 1897, the Germans made a determined effort to expand their navy. The rapid growth of the 
German fleet probably did not worry the British too much at first because they had an enormous lead. 
However, the introduction of the powerful British 'Dreadnought' battleship in 1906 changed all this 
because it made all other battleships obsolete. This meant that the Germans could begin building 
'Dreadnoughts' on equal terms with Britain. The resulting naval race was the main bone of contention 
between the two right up to 1914. For many of the British, the new German navy could mean only one 
thing: Germany intended making war against Britain. However, early in 1913 the Germans had actually 
reduced naval spending in order to concentrate more on strengthening the army. As Winston Churchill 
correctly pointed out, in the spring and summer of 1914, naval rivalry had ceased to be a cause of 
friction, because 'it was certain that we (Britain) could not be overtaken as far as capital ships were 
concerned
• The French resented the loss of Alsace-Lorraine to Germany at the end of the Franco-Prussian War 
(1871).
• The Germans accused Britain, Russia and France of trying to 'encircle' them; the Germans were also 
disappointed with the results of their expansionist policies(known as Weltpolitik - literally 'world policy'). 
Although they had taken possession of some islands in the Pacific and some territory in Africa, their 
empire was small in comparison with those of the other European powers, and not very rewarding 
economically.
• The Russians were suspicious of Austrian ambitions in the Balkans and 
worried about the growing military and economic strength of Germany.
• Serbian nationalism (the desire to free your nation from control by people 
of another nationality) was probably the most dangerous cause of friction. 
Since 1882 the Serbian government of King Milan had been pro-Austrian, 
and his son Alexander, who came of age in 1893, followed the same policy. 
However, the Serbian nationalists bitterly resented the fact that by the 
Treaty of Berlin signed in 1878, the Austrians had been allowed to occupy 
Bosnia, an area which the Serbs thought should be part of a Greater Serbia. 
The nationalists saw Alexander as a traitor; in 190 3 he was murdered by a 
group of army officers, who put Peter Karageorgevic on the throne. The 
change of regime caused a dramatic switch in Serbian policy: the Serbs 
now became pro-Russian. Many of these Serbs and Croats lived inside the 
borders of the Habsburg Empire; if they were to break away from Austria-
Hungary to become part of a Greater Serbia, it would threaten to break up 
the entire ramshackle Habsburg Empire
Evolution of two alliance systems in Europe
• Europe had divided itself into two alliance systems:
The Triple Alliance:
• Germany
• Austria-Hungary
• Italy
The Triple Entente:
• Britain
• France
• Russia
In addition, Japan and Britain had signed an alliance in 1902. Friction between the 
two main groups (sometimes called 'the armed camps') had brought Europe to 
the verge of war several times since 1900