Pearson Edexcel International GCSE History · specification 4HI1 · Paper 2 | Section A: Historical Investigation · Free · no account needed
WWI 2 — The growth of tension in Europe, 1905–14 (4HI1 specification)
The Balkans, the naval race and Morocco — three flashpoints, and then a killing in Sarajevo that used all three.
Learn it on Incandio
The 3 Incandio pages that teach this — each explained in full, then proved in marked questions, taught back to an AI pupil and defended in a debate. Completely free.
- Balkan nationalism, the Bosnian Crisis and the Balkan Wars — Why did Russia's climbdown in 1908 make its refusal to climb down in 1914 more likely?
- The naval race and the Moroccan Crises — Why did two German attempts to break the Entente both make it stronger?
- Sarajevo and the July Crisis — Serbia accepted almost every term of the ultimatum and was invaded anyway — what does that establish?
The teaching route this belongs to: The growth of tension in Europe, 1905–14 — The origins and course of the First World War — the lessons in order, with every gate.
Specification coverage
Paper 2, Section A — A1 The origins and course of the First World War, 1905–18, key topic 2
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO3, AO4. Suggested learning time: 100 minutes.
Required knowledge
- The key issues in the Balkans and their significance for international relations, including Balkan nationalism and Austro-Serbian rivalry
- The features and impact of the Bosnian Crisis (1908–09) and the Balkan Wars (1912–13)
- The features and significance of Anglo-German rivalry, including the naval race and the Moroccan Crises of 1905–06 and 1911
- The assassination at Sarajevo and its consequences
- The events leading to the outbreak of war, including the part played by international agreements and the roles of the great powers
Required skills
- Explain and analyse using second-order concepts: causation, consequence, change, continuity, similarity, difference and significance
- Cross-refer two sources and judge how far one supports the other (AO3)
- Evaluate an interpretation extract against your own knowledge (AO3 and AO4)
- Reach a supported judgement rather than describing events
How it is examined
- (a) 6 marks — “Describe TWO features of…” (AO1)
- (b) 8 marks — “How far does Source A support the evidence of Source B about…?” (AO3)
- (c) 16 marks — an interpretation extract, “How far do you agree with this interpretation?” (AO3 10, AO4 6)
Common mistakes
- Jumping from Sarajevo to the outbreak of war. The five weeks in between are where the examinable decisions were made.
- Treating the naval race as decisive on its own; by 1912 Britain had effectively won it.
This page maps the specification. The pages above teach it, and the History lessons hold the whole course — completely free.