READING 1

Initially America (the USA) distanced themselves from the war. The well-known isolationist policy of the Americans prohibited their involvement in European matters. They would only go so far as to provide the fighting Allies with provisions and war materials.

Britain set up a sea blockade to prevent war supplies from reaching her enemies. British supply ships ferried vital war supplies across the Atlantic ocean between Europe and the USA. Germany used its weapons technology to turn the submarine into a weapon of destruction. The submarines sunk neutral as well as enemy ships. The gross mass of supply ships and their cargo sunk in the month of April 1917 alone, totaled a million tons. This meant that Britain’s food supply was practically gone. Britian was dependent upon the supplies from its colonies and these were on the bottom of the sea.

The Germans received a warning concerning their “unlimited submarine warfare”, but viewed it as effective. Because of the strong feelings of the citizens, President Woodrow Wilson of America was forced to declare war and join the Allies. It was this involvement of America, during a period when the Allies were being defeated, that swung the course of the war in the favour of the Allies.

as unlimited? /2/

3. Do you think that the words in bold “unlimited submarine warfare” were written by a German? Motivate your answer./3/

4. Why did the two groups interpret submarine warfare differently? /3/

5. REVISION:

Statement: Germany used its weapon technology to turn the submarine into a very successful weapon of destruction.

5.1 Is this statement a fact or an opinion? /1/

5.2 When I take from the statement the two words ______________ /1/

and ____________ then only the fact / opinion _______________/1/

remains. /1/

5.3 Rewrite the entire statement with your own words added.

Germany used its weapons technology to turn the submarine into a very successful weapon of destruction. /1/

/15/

Learners interested in weapons can choose to do research on submarines.

Reread the instructions for a good project discussed in Module 1. In Reading 3 the dreadnought is mentioned. Learners interested in ships can do their research on the technological development of weapons on ships and types of war ships.

If you are more interested in computer technology, you should research the origins of computers. You must be able to show the development of computers.

READING 2

When the war broke out, Germany was forced to fight on two fronts: in the East against the Russians and in the West against the allied forces of Britain and France. Germany had planned to crush the Western resistance swiftly and then to go to the aid of the weakened Austro-Hungarian forces, fighting on the Eastern front against the Russians.

However, on its route to the capital of France, Paris, the German advance was halted at the Marne river. There it was engaged in a trench war* that lasted all of four years.

SOURCE AOxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English edited by A S Hornby

Source Ais a ______________________ type of source. My motivation for

my answer is _________________________________________________

I think Source ________is more useful to the historian doing research, because

_________________________________________________________________/5/

SOURCE B: ILLUSTRATED FACTOPEDIA, Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. 1955

1914 – 1916: For the first time air planes were used as weapons in a war. A great improvement was made in speed, range and power

FAMOUS WARPLANES

FOKKER TRI PLANE This plane was the most famous plane used by the legendary German ace pilot, Manfred von Richthofen (1892 - 1918) – the “Red Baron”

SOURCE B is a good example of the amount information that can be communicated by means of a picture and by a verbal description.

Grade:____________________________

Date: _____________________________

[LO 1.4, 1.5]