Who Lit the Fuse? Tracing the Spark of WWI
Everyone "knows" Germany started WWI—but is it really that simple?
In Who Lit the Fuse?, students take on the July Crisis of 1914, stepping into the tangled web of alliances, threats, and last-minute decisions that pushed Europe toward catastrophe. This interactive, quiz-style activity isn’t about right or wrong answers—it’s about critical thinking, historical judgment, and asking the hard question: who’s actually to blame?
Why This Resource Works
Most students are taught that Germany was at fault for World War I—but this resource invites them to investigate for themselves. Each scenario presents real dilemmas faced by the great powers in the tense weeks after Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. Students examine motives, alliances, and political pressures before choosing how each nation responded.
By the end, learners aren’t just reciting facts—they’re building arguments, making connections, and forming their own conclusions about responsibility.
What’s Included
✅ 8 historically grounded July Crisis scenarios with country-specific actions
✅ Built-in score tracking and country reveal based on students’ responses
✅ Reflection questions for perspective-taking and classroom discussion
✅ Printable response journal for deeper analysis and note-taking
Topics Explored
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Austro-Serbian crisis
Secret alliances and military planning (Schlieffen Plan, Russian mobilization, etc.)
Ultimatums, diplomacy breakdowns, and political miscalculations
Nationalism, imperial ambition, and the fear of encirclement
The roles of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Russia, France, Britain, and Serbia in the July Crisis
Perfect as a Prequel to Versailles
Who Lit the Fuse? is a powerful setup for your Treaty of Versailles unit. Students who complete this activity will bring stronger context and critical perspective to later debates about reparations, guilt clauses, and the harsh penalties placed on Germany. It creates a foundation for evaluating whether the Treaty’s terms were fair—or fueled by oversimplified blame.
Pairs Perfectly With:
🕊️ Which of the Big 4 Are You? Treaty of Versailles Edition
After exploring the tangled causes of World War I, students can step into the postwar negotiations that shaped the decades to come. This follow-up activity challenges learners to consider how each Allied nation approached peace—and how their decisions sowed the seeds of World War II. Together, these two resources create a full-circle experience from crisis to consequence, helping students connect the outbreak of WWI to the fragile peace that followed and the global conflict that erupted just 20 years later.