Conferences

Question 1

What marked the end of WWI?

Answer 1

Germany was in full retreat, leading to an inevitable defeat by September.

Question 2

What was Wilson’s stance on Germany after WWI?

Answer 2

Wilson promoted a non-punitive peace with no annexations, contributions, or punitive damages for Germany.

Question 3

When was the armistice signed?

Answer 3

The armistice was signed on 11th November.

Question 4

What happened to the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WWI?

Answer 4

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved on 1 November.

Question 5

What were the challenges faced by the peacemakers at the Paris Peace Conference?

Answer 5

The conference faced issues like chaos in Europe, the Spanish Flu, food shortages, and differing national interests.

Question 6

What was the main goal of the USA at the Paris Peace Conference?

Answer 6

The USA aimed to establish an International Organisation and promote a lasting peace.

Question 7

What did France want from the peace treaty?

Answer 7

France sought punishment for Germany, reparations, and protection from future aggression.

Question 8

What were Britain’s main goals at the conference?

Answer 8

Britain aimed for territorial expansion in the Middle East and a neutral balance of power in Europe.

Question 9

What did Italy and Japan seek at the conference?

Answer 9

Italy wanted territories from Austria, while Japan sought recognition as a major power and racial equality in the League of Nations.

Question 10

How was the Paris Peace Conference organized?

Answer 10

It was the largest conference of its kind, with 27 nations attending, but power lay with the ‘Big Four’.

Question 11

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 11

The Treaty of Versailles was the primary peace treaty ending WWI, signed on June 28, 1919.

Question 12

What were the key territorial changes imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 12

Germany lost 13% of its territory, including Alsace-Lorraine to France and parts to Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Question 13

What military restrictions were placed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 13

Germany’s army was limited to 100,000 soldiers, with no tanks or air force allowed.

Question 14

What was the War Guilt Clause?

Answer 14

The War Guilt Clause placed full responsibility for the war on Germany and its allies.

Question 15

What were the reparations set for Germany?

Answer 15

Germany was required to pay reparations initially unspecified, later set at 132 billion gold marks.

Question 16

What political provisions were included in the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 16

Germany had to recognize the independence of new states formed from former German territories.

Question 17

What were the reparations Germany was required to pay after World War I?

Answer 17

Germany was required to pay reparations initially unspecified but later set at 132 billion gold marks, a staggering sum at the time.

Question 18

How did reparations affect Germany’s economy?

Answer 18

Reparations payments were a major economic burden and source of resentment in Germany.

Question 19

What plans modified the reparations system?

Answer 19

The reparations system was later modified by the Dawes Plan (1924) and Young Plan (1929) due to economic difficulties.

Question 20

What political recognition did Germany have to make after the war?

Answer 20

Germany had to recognize the independence of new states formed from former German territories, including Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Question 21

What was required of Germany regarding war criminals?

Answer 21

Germany was required to extradite alleged war criminals and accept the trial of Kaiser Wilhelm II, though he never faced trial.

Question 22

What international organization was established by the treaty?

Answer 22

The treaty established the League of Nations, aimed at preventing future conflicts.

Question 23

How was the treaty viewed in Germany?

Answer 23

The treaty was deeply unpopular in Germany, seen as a ‘Diktat’ (dictated peace) and a humiliation.

Question 24

What was the impact of reparations on German nationalism?

Answer 24

Many Germans viewed the reparations and territorial losses as unjust and economically crippling, fueling nationalist resentment.

Question 25

What was the long-term consequence of the treaty on Germany?

Answer 25

The treaty failed to create lasting peace; it left Germany weakened but not pacified, contributing to the rise of the Nazi Party and ultimately World War II.

Question 26

Who criticized the treaty and what was their argument?

Answer 26

Critics like economist John Maynard Keynes condemned the treaty as too harsh and economically damaging.

Question 27

What were the political effects of the treaty on the Weimar Republic?

Answer 27

The treaty caused widespread resentment and bitterness among Germans, undermining the Weimar Republic's stability.

Question 28

How did the treaty affect the rise of the Nazi Party?

Answer 28

The treaty's terms fueled nationalist and extremist political movements, notably the rise of the Nazi Party (NSDAP).

Question 29

What economic burden did reparations create for Germany?

Answer 29

The reparations imposed on Germany placed a severe economic burden, contributing to hyperinflation and economic crises in the 1920s.

Question 30

What was the effect of the Ruhr occupation?

Answer 30

The occupation of the Ruhr industrial region by France and Belgium in 1923 worsened economic conditions and led to hyperinflation.

Question 31

What was the social impact of the treaty on Germany?

Answer 31

The treaty humiliated Germany, stripping it of colonies, territory, and military power, deeply wounding national pride.

Question 32

What was the international consequence of the treaty?

Answer 32

The treaty established the League of Nations, but the U.S. never joined, weakening its effectiveness.

Question 33

What did French Marshal Ferdinand Foch say about the treaty?

Answer 33

Foch described the treaty as 'not a peace. It is an armistice for twenty years,' foreshadowing World War II.

Question 34

What was the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye?

Answer 34

The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed on September 10, 1919, officially concluding World War I for Austria and the Allied Powers.

Question 35

What were the key territorial changes from the Treaty of Saint-Germain?

Answer 35

Austria lost a large portion of its territory, including South Tyrol to Italy and Bohemia to Czechoslovakia.

Question 36

What military restrictions were imposed on Austria?

Answer 36

The Austrian army was limited to a maximum of 30,000 troops, and compulsory military service was banned.

Question 37

What economic burden did Austria face after the treaty?

Answer 37

Austria was required to pay reparations for war damages, which contributed to severe economic stagnation.

Question 38

What was the Treaty of Trianon?

Answer 38

The Treaty of Trianon was signed on June 4, 1920, formally ending World War I hostilities between Hungary and the Allied Powers.

Question 39

What were Hungary's territorial losses due to the Treaty of Trianon?

Answer 39

Hungary lost approximately two-thirds of its prewar territory, including Transylvania to Romania and parts to Czechoslovakia.

Question 40

What military restrictions were imposed on Hungary?

Answer 40

Hungary’s armed forces were limited to 35,000 men, with no heavy weapons allowed.

Question 41

What was the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 41

The Treaty of Sèvres was signed on August 10, 1920, aiming to dismantle the Ottoman Empire after World War I.

Question 42

What were the key provisions of the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 42

The treaty renounced Ottoman sovereignty over Arab lands and established mandates in the Middle East.

Question 43

What was the significance of the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 43

The treaty exemplified how the imperial ambitions of the Allied powers shaped the postwar Middle East.

Question 44

What were the Dardanelles?

Answer 44

Critical waterways linking the Mediterranean and Black Seas, limiting Turkish sovereignty and securing Allied access.

Question 45

What economic controls were imposed by the Allies?

Answer 45

Allied supervision of the Ottoman budget and key economic institutions, reinstating capitulations that favored Allied economic interests.

Question 46

What does the Treaty of Sèvres exemplify?

Answer 46

How the imperial ambitions and rivalries of the major Allied powers shaped the postwar Middle East, often at the expense of local populations and nationalist movements.

Question 47

What system did the Treaty of Sèvres institutionalize?

Answer 47

The mandate system, effectively continuing colonial rule under international auspices.

Question 48

What did the failure of the Treaty of Sèvres highlight?

Answer 48

The limits of big power imposition without local consent, as Turkish nationalism successfully overturned the imposed settlement.

Question 49

What future conflicts did the division of Ottoman lands sow?

Answer 49

Disputes over borders, minority rights, and national sovereignty in the Middle East.

Question 50

What did the treaty’s provisions reflect?

Answer 50

The geopolitical priorities of the Allies—securing strategic territories, controlling vital trade routes, and expanding colonial empires—rather than a balanced peace settlement.

Question 51

What treaty superseded the Treaty of Sèvres?

Answer 51

The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 after the Turkish nationalist victory.