ICSE Class 10 · Chapter 14

The First World War ICSE Class 10: Causes, Versailles and the League

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

The First World War (1914-1918) was caused by aggressive nationalism, imperialism, an armament race and the division of Europe into two rival alliances, and was set off by the Sarajevo crisis. ICSE Class 10 tests these causes and its results: the Treaty of Versailles, the formation of the League of Nations and the League's objectives.

What The First World War is about

The First World War was fought between the Allied Powers (Britain, France, Russia and later Italy, the USA and others) and the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria). It was the first war fought on such a scale, with millions killed.

The syllabus names four long-term causes (nationalism and imperialism, the armament race and the division of Europe into two camps) and the immediate cause (the Sarajevo crisis). For results, it asks for the Treaty of Versailles, the formation of the League of Nations and the objectives of the League. Territorial rearrangements across Europe after the war have been dropped for 2027, so focus on the treaty's clauses about Germany.

Board papers often give an extract (such as a newspaper report of the signing at Versailles) or a headline. CISCE examiners want exact figures from the treaty: an army of 1,00,000 men, a navy of 15,000 men, and reparations of 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars). They also note students writing 'United Nations' when the question is about the League of Nations formed in 1920.

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage. History is tested in Part I (compulsory 1- and 2-mark items) and in Part II Section B, where you answer three of five 10-mark History questions, each split 3 + 3 + 4.Source: CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper 501, History & Civics (H.C.G. Paper 1)

Key concepts

Aggressive nationalism

Nationalism, love of one's nation, turned aggressive in the late nineteenth century: each nation believed itself superior and was ready to fight to prove it.

France wanted revenge on Germany and the return of Alsace-Lorraine, lost after the Franco-Prussian War of 1871.
The Pan-Slav movement: Serbia, backed by Russia, wanted to unite the Slav peoples, many of whom lived under Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1908), with its Slav population, angered Serbia.
The Pan-German movement aimed at uniting all German-speaking people and making Germany dominant.

Such rivalries made compromise difficult and turned local quarrels into wars.

Worked example

(2 marks) How did aggressive nationalism in France and the Balkans contribute to the First World War?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

France wanted revenge on Germany and the return of Alsace-Lorraine - 1 mark.
Serbia, backed by Russia, wanted to unite the Slavs living under Austria-Hungary, causing hostility between Serbia and Austria-Hungary - 1 mark.

Answer: French nationalism demanded revenge on Germany and the return of Alsace-Lorraine, while Serbian (Pan-Slav) nationalism, supported by Russia, sought to free the Slavs of Austria-Hungary. Both created bitter enmities that made war likely.

Imperialism

Imperialism is the policy of a country extending its control over other lands, especially for raw materials and markets.

Britain and France already had huge empires in Asia and Africa.
Germany, unified only in 1871, industrialised rapidly and wanted colonies too: its 'place in the sun'. This brought it into conflict with Britain and France.
Clashes such as the Moroccan crises between France and Germany, and German plans for a Berlin-Baghdad railway, increased tension.

Competition for colonies created mistrust and pushed countries into rival groups.

Worked example

(2 marks) Explain how imperialism was a cause of the First World War.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Industrial countries competed for colonies as sources of raw materials and markets - 1 mark.
Germany, a late-comer, demanded colonies and clashed with Britain and France (for example over Morocco), increasing rivalry - 1 mark.

Answer: Industrialised powers competed for colonies for raw materials and markets. Germany, arriving late, demanded its share and clashed with Britain and France, for example over Morocco, which deepened hostility.

Armament race

Each power built up its armed forces, believing that military strength was the best guarantee of security.

Countries introduced compulsory military service and kept large standing armies.
Britain and Germany competed to build the biggest navy; Britain launched the powerful Dreadnought battleship in 1906 and Germany responded with its own.
Military expenditure soared, and the armaments industry gained influence.

The arms race created fear and suspicion: each country saw the others' preparations as a threat, and military plans made quick mobilisation and war more likely once a crisis came.

Worked example

(2 marks) How did the armament race make war more likely?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Countries built large armies and navies (for example, the Anglo-German naval race over Dreadnoughts), creating fear and suspicion - 1 mark.
With huge forces and war plans ready, governments were tempted to use them in a crisis, so a local conflict could quickly become a general war - 1 mark.

Answer: The race to build bigger armies and navies, such as the Anglo-German naval rivalry, bred fear and suspicion, and with powerful forces ready, governments were more willing to go to war when a crisis arose.

Division of Europe into two hostile camps

Europe split into two armed alliances:

Triple Alliance (1882): Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.
Triple Entente (1907): Britain, France and Russia, built up from the Franco-Russian alliance, the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale (1904) and the Anglo-Russian agreement (1907).

These alliances were meant to protect their members, but in practice a quarrel between any two powers could drag in all the others. Secret treaties increased mistrust. When the war began, Italy did not join the Central Powers and later joined the Allies (1915).

Worked example

(3 marks) Name the two alliances into which Europe was divided before 1914, with their members. How did this division cause the war to spread?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy - 1 mark.
Triple Entente: Britain, France, Russia - 1 mark.
Because members were bound to help each other, a local conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia drew in all the major powers - 1 mark.

Answer: The Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy) faced the Triple Entente (Britain, France, Russia). Since allies had to support each other, the Austria-Serbia quarrel quickly drew all the great powers into war.

The Sarajevo crisis (immediate cause)

On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and his wife were assassinated at Sarajevo in Bosnia by Gavrilo Princip, a young Bosnian Serb linked to a Serbian nationalist secret society.

Austria-Hungary blamed Serbia and sent it a harsh ultimatum. Serbia accepted most, but not all, of the demands.
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914.
Russia mobilised to support Serbia; Germany declared war on Russia and then on France, and invaded Belgium to reach France.
Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, as Germany had violated Belgian neutrality.

Within a week a local crisis had become a European war.

Worked example

(3 marks) What was the Sarajevo crisis? How did it lead to a general war?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

On 28 June 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary was assassinated at Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist - 1 mark.
Austria-Hungary sent Serbia an ultimatum and declared war on it on 28 July 1914 - 1 mark.
Russia supported Serbia, Germany declared war on Russia and France, and Britain joined after Germany invaded Belgium - 1 mark.

Answer: The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at Sarajevo on 28 June 1914 led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia. Through the alliance system, Russia, Germany, France and Britain were drawn in within days, turning it into a general war.

Treaty of Versailles (28 June 1919): clauses affecting Germany

Drawn up at the Paris Peace Conference, dominated by Woodrow Wilson (USA), Lloyd George (Britain) and Clemenceau (France), and signed in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
1. War guilt: Germany had to accept responsibility, with its allies, for causing the war.
2. Reparations: Germany had to pay for the damage; the amount was fixed in 1921 at 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars).
3. Army: limited to 1,00,000 men; conscription was abolished.
4. Navy: limited to 15,000 men and a few warships (six battleships); no submarines.
5. Air force: Germany was not allowed to have one.
6. Rhineland: demilitarised, and occupied by Allied troops for 15 years.
7. Territory: Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; the Saar coalfields given to France for 15 years, with the region under the League of Nations; Germany lost all its overseas colonies, which were placed under the League as mandates.
8. Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria.
Germans called it a 'dictated peace' (Diktat), and resentment against it later helped Hitler rise.

Worked example

(4 marks) Mention any four clauses of the Treaty of Versailles that affected Germany.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

War guilt: Germany accepted responsibility for the war - 1 mark.
Reparations of 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars) - 1 mark.
Army limited to 1,00,000 men and navy to 15,000 men; no air force - 1 mark.
Alsace-Lorraine returned to France and all German colonies taken away as mandates (or Rhineland demilitarised) - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) Germany had to accept war guilt. (2) It had to pay reparations of 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars). (3) Its army was cut to 1,00,000 men and navy to 15,000 men, with no air force. (4) It lost Alsace-Lorraine to France and all its colonies, and the Rhineland was demilitarised.

The League of Nations: formation and objectives

The League of Nations was set up on 10 January 1920, with its headquarters at Geneva. The idea came from US President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and its Covenant formed part of the peace treaties. (The USA itself never joined.)

Objectives:
1. To maintain international peace and security and prevent war.
2. To settle international disputes peacefully, through negotiation and arbitration.
3. To reduce armaments (disarmament).
4. To promote international cooperation in economic and social matters, such as health, labour and trade.
5. To respect treaties and international obligations, and to protect the rights of minorities.
6. To supervise the administration of mandated territories.

Worked example

(3 marks) Name the organisation set up in 1920 to maintain peace. Mention two of its objectives.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The League of Nations, set up in 1920 with headquarters at Geneva - 1 mark.
To maintain international peace and prevent war by settling disputes peacefully - 1 mark.
To promote disarmament and international economic and social cooperation - 1 mark.

Answer: The League of Nations (1920, Geneva). Its objectives included keeping international peace by settling disputes peacefully, and reducing armaments while promoting economic and social cooperation among nations.

The First World War in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Alliance system

Suppose two groups of friends in a class have each promised to back one another in any argument. One day a boy from one group pushes a girl from the other, and soon both groups are fighting.

How does this resemble the way the First World War spread?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Each group is bound by promises of support, like the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
A quarrel between two individuals drags in all members, as the Austria-Serbia quarrel dragged in the great powers.
What could have been settled between two parties becomes a general fight.

Answer: Like the alliance system before 1914, the groups' promises of mutual support turned a small quarrel into a general fight, just as the Austria-Serbia conflict drew Russia, Germany, France and Britain into war.

Memory hook: Alliances turn a spark into a blaze.

Harsh peace terms

Imagine a team that loses a tournament is forced to sign a statement accepting all blame for a fight, pay for all damage, and give up most of its players for years, without being allowed to negotiate.

Which treaty does this resemble, and what was the likely long-term effect?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Treaty of Versailles imposed war guilt, reparations and military limits on Germany without negotiation.
Germans called it a dictated peace and resented it.
This resentment was later used by Hitler to win support, contributing to the Second World War.

Answer: It resembles the Treaty of Versailles. Such a one-sided, dictated settlement bred deep resentment in Germany, which Hitler exploited, helping cause the Second World War.

Memory hook: A humiliating peace sows the next war.

Purpose of the League of Nations

Suppose neighbouring housing societies form a joint council to settle quarrels over parking and water by discussion rather than by fights, and agree that no society will hire private guards to threaten others.

Which two objectives of the League of Nations does this reflect?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Settling disputes by discussion reflects peaceful settlement of disputes.
Not hiring guards to threaten others reflects disarmament.
Both serve the main aim of keeping peace.

Answer: It reflects the League's objectives of settling disputes peacefully through negotiation and arbitration, and of reducing armaments, both aimed at maintaining peace.

Memory hook: Talk, don't arm: the League's idea.

Topics in this chapter

Causes of the First World War, Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations

The First World War: key facts

Triple Alliance: 1882: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
Triple Entente: 1907: Britain, France, Russia
Sarajevo: 28 June 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated by Gavrilo Princip; Austria declared war on Serbia 28 July 1914.
Treaty of Versailles: Signed 28 June 1919; War guilt, reparations, military limits.
Reparations: 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars); Fixed in 1921.
German forces: Army 1,00,000; navy 15,000 men; no air force; no submarines; Rhineland demilitarised.
League of Nations: 10 January 1920; Geneva; Idea from Wilson's Fourteen Points.

How the board asks The First World War

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Headline or picture MCQ (Part I)	A headline about an assassination; choose the cause it connects to.	Assassination of the Archduke = Sarajevo crisis (immediate cause).
Specific military clauses (2 marks)	Two ways the treaty affected the German military.	Give numbers: army 1,00,000; navy 15,000; no air force.
Extract-based Part II (3+3+4)	A report of the signing at Versailles, then: the war it ended, the organisation formed in 1920 and its objectives, four clauses affecting Germany.	League of Nations, not UNO; give treaty clauses with figures.
Causes (3 marks)	Explain how nationalism, imperialism or the arms race caused the war.	Name the country examples: France and Alsace-Lorraine, Serbia and Pan-Slavism, Anglo-German naval race.

Tricks to remember The First World War

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

M-A-I-N + S
Militarism (arms race), Alliances, Imperialism, Nationalism, plus Sarajevo.
Use it when: Listing causes.
Versailles numbers 1-15-33
Army 1 lakh, navy 15 thousand, reparations about 33 billion dollars.
Use it when: Treaty figures.
1919 Treaty, 1920 League
Peace signed in 1919; League born in 1920 in Geneva.
Use it when: Not confusing the League with the UN (1945).

The First World War: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Headline cause · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

A headline reads: 'Heir to Austrian throne shot dead in Bosnian capital.' Which cause of the First World War does it relate to?
(a) Imperialism
(b) Aggressive nationalism
(c) Armament race
(d) Sarajevo crisis

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The heir to the Austrian throne, Franz Ferdinand, was shot in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.

Answer: (d) Sarajevo crisis.

Example 2: Alliances · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level

Which country was a member of the Triple Alliance in 1914 but joined the Allies in 1915?
(a) Russia
(b) Italy
(c) Austria-Hungary
(d) Turkey

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Triple Alliance was Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.
Italy stayed neutral in 1914 and joined the Allies in 1915.

Answer: (b) Italy.

Example 3: Military clauses · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

Mention any two ways in which the Treaty of Versailles affected the German military forces.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The German army was limited to 1,00,000 men and conscription was abolished.
The navy was limited to 15,000 men and a few ships, with no submarines; Germany could not have an air force.

Answer: The German army was limited to 1,00,000 men without conscription, and the navy to 15,000 men with no submarines; Germany was not allowed an air force.

Example 4: Assertion and reason: Versailles · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Germans called the Treaty of Versailles a 'dictated peace'.
Reason (R): Germany was not allowed to negotiate its terms and was made to accept war guilt.
(a) Both A and R are true and R explains A
(b) Both A and R are true but R does not explain A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Germans did call it a Diktat: A is true.
The terms were imposed without negotiation and included the war-guilt clause: R is true and explains A.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A.

Example 5: Imperialism and arms race together · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Explain how imperialism and the armament race strengthened each other before 1914.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Competition for colonies required strong navies to protect sea routes and overseas possessions.
Germany's colonial ambitions led to a naval build-up, which Britain saw as a threat to its empire and sea power.
Britain responded with more warships (Dreadnoughts), so rivalry over empires fed the arms race, and the arms race made colonial clashes more dangerous.

Answer: Rivalry for colonies needed powerful navies; Germany's search for colonies led it to build a big navy, which threatened Britain's empire and sea power. Britain built more Dreadnoughts in reply. So imperial rivalry drove the arms race, and the arms race made colonial disputes more explosive.

Example 6: Results of the war · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

State three results of the First World War included in your syllabus.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Treaty of Versailles was imposed on Germany.
The League of Nations was formed in 1920.
The League adopted objectives of keeping peace, disarmament and cooperation.

Answer: (1) The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed war guilt, reparations and military limits on Germany. (2) The League of Nations was formed in 1920 at Geneva. (3) Its objectives were to keep the peace, settle disputes peacefully, promote disarmament and encourage international cooperation.

Example 7: Versailles and the next war · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

'The Treaty of Versailles contained the seeds of the Second World War.' Justify with four points.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The war-guilt clause humiliated Germans, who saw it as unjust.
Heavy reparations damaged the German economy, contributing to economic crises.
Military limits and loss of territory and colonies hurt national pride and created a desire for revenge.
Hitler exploited this resentment, promising to tear up the treaty, and his rise led to the Second World War.

Answer: (1) The war-guilt clause humiliated Germany. (2) Huge reparations crippled its economy. (3) Loss of territory, colonies and military strength wounded national pride. (4) Hitler used this anger, promising to overturn the treaty, and his aggressive policies led to the Second World War.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 10-mark question split into 3 + 3 + 4 marks.

Peace at Versailles

Read the extract and answer the questions.

'The final act of long negotiations took place at Versailles on Saturday afternoon. Germany and the Allies, except America, are at peace. The Germans signed in silence; outside, crowds cheered the end of four years of slaughter. Yet many wondered whether a peace imposed in this way could last.'

(i) · 3 marks
Which war ended with this treaty? Name two long-term causes of that war and its immediate cause.
Answer
Answer: The First World War. Long-term causes: aggressive nationalism and the division of Europe into two hostile camps (also imperialism, armament race). Immediate cause: the Sarajevo crisis, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
1 mark for the war, 1 for two causes, 1 for the immediate cause.
(ii) · 3 marks
Name the organisation set up in 1920 to maintain peace after this war, and state two of its objectives.
Answer
Answer: The League of Nations. Objectives: to maintain international peace by settling disputes peacefully; to reduce armaments and promote international cooperation.
1 mark for the name; 1 per objective.
(iii) · 4 marks
Mention four clauses of the treaty that affected Germany.
Answer
Answer: (1) War guilt accepted by Germany. (2) Reparations of 6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars). (3) Army limited to 1,00,000 and navy to 15,000 men; no air force. (4) Alsace-Lorraine returned to France and all colonies taken away (also: Rhineland demilitarised; Saar to France for 15 years).
1 mark per clause, with figures where relevant.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Two ways the Treaty affected the German military. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Army limited to 1,00,000; no conscription.	1
Navy 15,000 men, no submarines; no air force.	1

Organisation set up in 1920 and two objectives. (3 marks) (3 marks)

Step	Marks
League of Nations.	1
Maintain peace / settle disputes peacefully.	1
Disarmament / international cooperation.	1

Four clauses of the Treaty of Versailles affecting Germany. (4 marks) (4 marks)

Step	Marks
War guilt.	1
Reparations with figure.	1
Military limits with figures.	1
Territory or colonies lost / Rhineland.	1

Where students lose marks in The First World War

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing UNO for the 1920 organisation
CISCE examiners' comments, 2024: candidates wrote United Nations Organisation instead of the League of Nations and confused the objectives of the two.
Wrong working
The UNO was set up in 1920 to keep peace.
Right working
The League of Nations was set up in 1920; the UN in 1945.
Do this: First World War = League (1920, Geneva); Second World War = UN (1945, New York).
Usually costs: Up to 3 marks.
Mistake: Treaty clauses without figures
CISCE examiners' comments, 2024 and 2025: candidates gave clauses without specific figures such as the reparations and the 1,00,000-man army, and did not mention the numbers of men.
Wrong working
Germany's army was reduced.
Right working
Germany's army was limited to 1,00,000 men and its navy to 15,000 men.
Do this: Learn 1-15-33.
Usually costs: 1 mark per clause.
Mistake: Mixing territorial rearrangements of Europe into answers
The 2027 syllabus has dropped wider territorial rearrangements after the war; long lists of new states waste time.
Do this: Stick to clauses affecting Germany.
Usually costs: Time, and marks for missing key clauses.
Mistake: Vague causes
Students write 'nationalism caused the war' without an example.
Do this: Add a country example for each cause.
Usually costs: 1 mark per cause.

Practice questions on The First World War

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The Triple Entente consisted of:
(a) Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy
(b) Britain, France, Russia
(c) Britain, France, USA
(d) Germany, Turkey, Bulgaria
Hint
Formed by 1907.
Answer
(b) Britain, France, Russia.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
The headquarters of the League of Nations was at:
(a) New York
(b) Paris
(c) Geneva
(d) London
Hint
Switzerland.
Answer
(c) Geneva.
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why did France want revenge on Germany before 1914?
Hint
1871.
Answer
France had been defeated by Prussia/Germany in 1871 and had lost Alsace-Lorraine. French nationalists wanted revenge and the return of these provinces.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and why did Austria-Hungary blame Serbia?
Hint
A Bosnian Serb.
Answer
Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb linked to a Serbian nationalist secret society. Austria-Hungary believed Serbia encouraged such groups to free the Slavs of its empire, so it held Serbia responsible.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Mention three objectives of the League of Nations.
Hint
Peace, disputes, cooperation.
Answer
(1) To maintain international peace and security. (2) To settle disputes between nations peacefully through arbitration. (3) To promote disarmament and international cooperation in economic and social matters.
Q6 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How did the alliance system turn the Sarajevo crisis into a world war? Trace the steps.
Hint
Who declared war on whom.
Answer
(1) Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia (28 July 1914). (2) Russia, Serbia's protector, mobilised. (3) Germany, allied to Austria-Hungary, declared war on Russia and France. (4) Germany invaded Belgium to attack France, so Britain declared war on Germany (4 August 1914).
Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerHOTS / competency
'The League of Nations was born weak.' Give two reasons from the circumstances of its birth.
Hint
Who stayed out?
Answer
(1) The USA, whose President proposed it, never joined. (2) It was linked to the unpopular peace treaties, and defeated Germany was initially excluded, so it looked like a club of the victors.
Q8 · 2 marks · Very short answerHOTS / competency
Why did Germany's rapid industrialisation make it a threat to Britain? Give two points.
Hint
Markets and navy.
Answer
(1) German industry competed with British goods for world markets and demanded colonies. (2) Germany used its wealth to build a large navy that challenged Britain's naval supremacy.
Q9 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Mention two territorial clauses of the Treaty of Versailles that affected Germany.
Hint
France; colonies.
Answer
Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, and Germany lost all its overseas colonies, which became mandates under the League (also: Saar coalfields to France for 15 years).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?Show answer
28 June 1919.
2.What were the reparations fixed at?Show answer
6,600 million pounds (about 33 billion dollars).
3.Which American President proposed the League?Show answer
Woodrow Wilson.
4.When did Britain declare war on Germany?Show answer
4 August 1914.
5.Which province did France want back?Show answer
Alsace-Lorraine.

Best order to study it

Four long-term causes with examples.
The Sarajevo crisis and the chain of declarations.
Treaty of Versailles clauses with figures.
League of Nations: date, headquarters, objectives.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Nationalism: French revenge, Pan-Slavism, Pan-Germanism.
Imperialism: Germany's 'place in the sun'; Moroccan crises.
Arms race: conscription; Anglo-German naval race (Dreadnought).
Alliances: Triple Alliance 1882 v. Triple Entente 1907.
Sarajevo, 28 June 1914; war on Serbia 28 July; Britain in 4 August.
Versailles, 28 June 1919: war guilt; reparations 6,600 million pounds; army 1,00,000; navy 15,000; no air force; Rhineland; Alsace-Lorraine; colonies lost.
League of Nations: 10 January 1920, Geneva; peace, peaceful settlement, disarmament, cooperation.

The First World War: frequently asked questions

Are territorial changes after the war in the syllabus?

The wider territorial rearrangements of Europe have been dropped for 2027. The treaty's clauses that affected Germany, including Alsace-Lorraine and its colonies, remain useful as examples.

Why did the USA not join the League?

The US Senate refused to approve the peace treaty and membership, preferring to stay out of European affairs.

What is the war-guilt clause?

The clause by which Germany, with its allies, had to accept responsibility for causing the war, the basis for demanding reparations.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2027 History & Civics syllabus (H.C.G. Paper 1); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper and Marking Scheme, History & Civics (501)