Little more than a month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, most of Europe was at war.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] This was a series of demands made to Serbia because of Serbia's involvement in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
2. [1] It was used by Austria to cause a war with Serbia.
3. [1] It demanded that Serbia condemn propaganda against Austria.
4. [1] It gave Serbia just 48 hours to agree to a series of demands.
5. [1] It demanded that Serbia allow Austrian officials into its country to suppress anti-Austrian organisations or individuals.
6. [1] Serbia should arrest and put on trial those involved in the assassination.
7. [1] It was a series of demands that Serbia could not really agree to without being humiliated.
8. [6] Britain went to war in August 1914 because it feared Germany's potential invasion of France. The Entente Cordiale had fostered a close relationship, and Britain had implicitly promised to aid France if Germany invaded, as seen in the 1911 Agadir Crisis. The prospect of Germany quickly overrunning France, as it had in 1870, and thereby controlling the English Channel, posed a significant threat to British security. Germany's refusal to withdraw troops from Belgium, whose neutrality Britain was bound to protect by the Treaty of London, also served as a crucial trigger for Britain's declaration of war.
9. [1] This was because Germany refused to remove its troops from Belgium.
10. [1] This was because Germany had invaded Belgium.
11. [1] Germany was clearly threatening France and so Britain had to go to war.
12. [1] Tensions between Germany and Britain had been growing for years and German aggressiveness in Belgium was the crucial trigger for Britain to declare war on Germany.
13. [1] Many people in Britain felt that they could not leave Belgium fighting Germany alone.
14. [1] The Treaty of London said that Britain had to safeguard Belgium's neutrality.
15. [1] Britain did not want Germany to grow any more powerful.
16. [10] Germany was more to blame for the outbreak of war in 1914 because its massive increase in armaments and rivalry with Britain created a tense situation in Europe. Germany's 'blank cheque' to Austria was disastrous, encouraging Austria to force a war with Serbia, which initiated the chain of events leading to a major European war. Without German support, Austria might not have issued such an extreme ultimatum. German backing for Austria also prompted Russia to mobilize. OR Russia was more to blame. Its unwavering support for Serbia emboldened the Serbs to challenge Austria. Crucially, Russia was the first to mobilize its army, escalating a regional conflict between Austria and Serbia into a major European war. Once Russia mobilized, Germany felt compelled to act swiftly to avoid being encircled by enemies from both East and West.
17. [1] Germany encouraged Austria to invade Serbia through its blank cheque.
18. [1] Russia did not want a war. It was not strong enough or ready for a war.
19. [1] Germany's invasion of Belgium dragged Britain in and turned it into a major conflict.
20. [1] Russia was to blame. It mobilised very quickly and before a war was inevitable.
21. [1] Germany's support for Austria alarmed Russia and made it mobilise.
22. [1] Russia mobilised very early and this frightened Germany into declaring war on Russia and France.
23. [1] Germany was to blame because the Kaiser was determined that Germany would become the major power in Europe.
24. [1] The Schlieffen Plan shows that Germany had planned a major European war.
25. [1] Germany knew Russia would support Serbia if it was attacked by Austria, but it still took the risk.
26. [1] Russia turned the squabble between Austria and Serbia into a European war by encouraging Serbia and by mobilising.