an alliance is a relationship between two (or more) countries for a particular purpose

an arms race is a competition between nations for military superiority and the development of weapons

the military is anything related to the armed forces of a country

an empire is a group of states or countries ruled over by a single country or monarch

Growing international tension in the early 1900s

History

The outbreak of war in 1914

The Western Front in WW1

The First World War in the colonies

The impact of WW1 on the British Homefront

The impact of WWI across the Empire

In this unit, pupils explore how World War One's total impact extended across the British Empire, affecting various communities. This sets the stage for the next unit, ‘WW2: which events turned the tide in the story of the Second World War?’, where pupils will build on their understanding of global conflict to analyse key events that shifted the course of World War Two.

In ‘The British Empire: how far was it transformed in the mid-nineteenth century?’, pupils explored the empire’s growth and industrial changes. This unit builds on that by examining how World War One affected people across the British Empire, focusing on the extent of its impact on various communities.

In this unit, pupils learn about the First World War through the lens of its imperial dimension. They analyse the reasons for the outbreak of war and assess how it affected Britain at home and abroad.

World War One: how 'total' was it for people in the British Empire?

nationalism is the support for the political independence of a country

to assassinate someone is to murder an important person for a political or religious reason

an ultimatum is a final demand which, if denied, will result in some form of retaliation

to mobilise is to prepare an army for war

a war of attrition is a conflict in which each side tries to wear the other down by inflicting maximum casualties

a stalemate is a situation in which further progress by opposing sides seems impossible

conscription is the process of forcing people to join the armed forces

long, narrow ditches which soldiers dug to protect themselves during the war against enemy attacks

a 400-mile long strip of land through France and Belgium were the largest battles of WW1 were fought

an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from another country by one person or a group of people

a colony is a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country

a siege is a military operation in which an army forces an area to surrender by cutting of access to essential supplies

when a country is divided into at least two smaller states/countries

governments can introduce rationing to allow people to have a fixed amount of something - usually food or other goods

censorship is when a government or organisation  prevents the sharing of information or ideas that are considered 'unsuitable'

Home Rule is when a country is given some independence, usually in the form of their own government

munitions are military weapons or equipment needed for military weapons

a conflict in which the countries involved are willing to make any sacrifices to achieve victory

an empire is a group of countries or provinces ruled from the country by one person or a group of people

relating to a country or area under the control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country

World War One: how 'total' was it for people in the British Empire?

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