Knowledge organiser: The First World War

This chapter investigates the reasons for the first Chronology: what happened on these dates? Vocabulary: define these words.
ever ‘world war’, and the reasons why it began in
1914. It also considers what the war was like for The Franco-Prussian War. Victory led to the
those fighting in it, and what the losses and gains 1870–71 creation of the German Empire.
Kaiser German word for Emperor
were once the war was over.
Summarise your learning Countries with international
HMS Dreadnought launched, changing the
1906 nature of naval warfare
Great powers influence and military
Topic 1: The tensions that fuelled the war strength.
Why did the had been building between Land settled by and under
First World European countries since the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
1914 by Bosnian-Serb nationalists.
Colony the control of people from
War start in creation of a united Germany in another country.
1914? 1871.
The Battle of the Somme. More than 65,000 An area in south-east Europe
1916 soldiers on both sides killed or wounded Balkans including Serbia, Bosnia,
Topic 2: Rivalries between the Great during the first day of battle. Turkey.
Powers were also important in
Empires and An agreement between
building tension pre-1914.
the naval 1918 End of the First World War. Alliance countries that benefits each
Germany’s ambitions were a of them.
arms race challenge to Britain and France.
The Treaty of Versailles. Germany had to
agree that it was to blame for starting the war, An area of land seized and
Topic 3: 1919 Annex
European alliances were designed and to pay for the damage caused. made part of another country.
Alliances
to prevent conflict, but problems in
and the the Balkans escalated to a world
Who or what were these people/events? A competition between
Schlieffen war through the alliance system. countries for the
Otto von Chancellor Bismarck engineered the creation Arms race
Plan development and production
Bismarck of a unified German nation. of weapons.
Topic 4:
Who was to Historians have argued for many
Schlieffen developed a plan in 1897 in which
years about which country was to Alfred von The legal requirement to join
blame for blame – there are many different
Germany would attack and defeat France Conscription the armed forces.
Schlieffen quickly, and then fight Russia.
starting the possible causes and explanations.
war? When the German states were united in A fighting unit of up to 1000
Wilhelm I 1871, Wilhelm became German emperor.
Battalion men.
Topic 5: The horrendous nature of trench
What was warfare on the Western Front was
the First very different from what volunteers The Black A secret society of Serbs dedicated to unite A continuous attack with
all Serbs in the Balkans.
Bombardment artillery shells (shelling).
World War had expected when war was first Hand
like? declared. Archduke When soldiers or sailors
Heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Topic 6: The First World War was the worst Franz assassinated by Gavrilo Princip in 1914.
Mutiny rebel and refuse to follow
war in the world’s history, and it Ferdinand orders.
The end of
was followed by a flu pandemic
the war: killing 50 million. However, there Allied commander whose strategy for the The zone of fighting that
losses and were gains in medicine, industry General Haig Battle of the Somme resulted in very high Western Front stretched from Switzerland to
gains and politics. casualty rates for Allied soldiers. the English Channel.
 Knowledge organiser: The Second World War

The 20th century was one of the most violent Chronology: what happened on these dates? Vocabulary: define these words/terms.
centuries in history. Political ideas such as fascism
7th November The Bolsheviks seize power in Russia, Communist party that seized
and communism led to tension and outright war. Bolsheviks
1917 founding the world’s first communist country. power in Russia in 1917.
Summarise your learning The name given to
Adolf Hitler becomes the Chancellor of
30th January communist Russia and its
Germany. He later destroys all opposition to Soviet Union
Topic 1: 1933 satellites. A ‘soviet’ is a
become the undisputed dictator of Germany.
Communism The Bolsheviks seize power in worker’s council.
and the Russia and create the world’s first Extreme right-wing political
12th-13th German soldiers occupy Austria following the
Russian communist country. Fascism idea which prefers to be led
March 1938 ‘Anschluss’.
Revolution by a militaristic dictatorship.
‘Living space’ or land needed
1st September Germany invades Poland. Britain declares
Lebensraum for the growing German
1939 war on Germany.
Topic 2: population.
Fascist ideas grew after 1918 and
Fascism and The act of giving in to a
helped to cause the Second World
Nazi 26th May-4th Dunkirk rescue takes place. Appeasement demand in the hope of
War.
Germany June 1940 avoiding conflict.

7th December Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. To stop resisting against an

Surrender
1941 enemy.
Hitler uses his Blitzkrieg tactics to
Topic 3: rapidly take control of much of Who or what were these people/events?
Tactics used by Nazi
Blitzkrieg, central Europe. Britain is quickly Germany that involved an all
Dunkirk and defeated in Europe and forced to Blitzkrieg
Joseph Stalin Became the leader of the USSR in 1924. out attack to achieve a fast
the Battle of retreat from Dunkirk. Britain is then victory.
Britain faced with Invasion from Nazi
Germany from the air and the sea. They believed that society would be improved Japanese planes that were
Communists by staging a revolution, seizing all property, Kamikaze loaded with explosives that
and sharing it out amongst everyone. flew directly into a target.
Tense standoff between the USA and the
Violent attempt to overthrow
The Cold War Soviet Union which lasted from about Coup d’etat/Putsch
a government.
Tensions between the USA and 1948–91.
Japan continue to rise as a result Leader of the Nazi Party, Chancellor of Violent acts usually against
of Japan’s aggressive foreign Adolf Hitler War crime
Topic 4: The Germany, Fuhrer of the Third Reich. civilians or prisoners of war.
policy. This culminates in the
war in the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour
Pacific Neville Prime Minister of Britain from May 1937-May The formal surrender of
and the beginning of the fighting in Treaty of Versailles
Chamberlain 1940. Germany at the end of WW1.
the Pacific. The USA joins the war
effort. Hitler’s vision of his ideal
Extreme right-wing political party led by Adolf ethnic race of people.
Nazis Aryan race
Hitler; controlled Germany in 1933–45. Athletic, healthy, blonde
haired and blue eyes.
What is a knowledge organiser?
A knowledge organiser lists the most necessary factual detail for a topic into a
table of words and definitions that must be learned.

How will knowledge organisers help me learn?

By being quizzed on this information ‘little and often’ you will secure this
specific knowledge in your long-term memory, allowing you to improve your
historical writing in assessments.

How do I use a knowledge organiser to revise?

Stage 1:
1) Read through the knowledge organiser and make sure you understand what is written. Use a dictionary, peer, parent or
teacher to explain a word or definition if needed.
Stage 2:
2) Your parent/ guardian to read out the right-hand side of each column. From memory, you then tell them the key word, date or
individual
that this describes.
3) Repeat this step until you are accurately recalling the majority of these words, dates and individuals. Then move to stage 3.
Stage 3:
4) Your parent/ guardian now reads out the left-hand side of each column. From memory, you now tell them the specific detail.
5) Repeat this step until you are accurately recalling specific factual detail.