hist chapt 1 Flashcards
1
Q
name the 6 great powers (strongest) during the 19th century
A
Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia
2
Q
when did WW1begin?
A
August 1914
3
Q
the great powers were divided into ? opposing alliances (WW1)
A
2
4
Q
the triple alliance consisted of? (hint : 3 countries)(early ww1)
A
Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy
5
Q
what countries did the triple entente consist of?
A
Britain, France, Russia
6
Q
when did the clash over Bosnia happen?
A
1908
7
Q
what took place in the clash over Bosnia?
A
- Austria-Hungry annexed Bosnia
- caused Serbia to feel threatened
- Russia protested against the annexation (key ally of Serbia) but backed down as Germany was supporting Austria-Hungary
- Russia didn’t want to risk war with Germany over this issue
8
Q
why did Russia protest against Austria-Hungry for the annexation of Bosnia?
A
this is because the neighbouring country of Bosnia, Serbia saw the annexation as a threat and Russia, being a key ally of Serbia, sided with them.
9
Q
why did Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia?
A
- Austria-Hungary wanted to defend its control over Bosnia and made use of the fact that the future ruler of Austria-Hungary was assassinated during a visit to the Bosnian capital as an excuse to do so.
10
Q
how did the outbreak of WW1 start from the declaration of war on Serbia?
A
when the war started, a war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia meant a war between Austria-Hungary and Russia (traditional ally) . Germany which supported Austria-Hungary, declared war on Serbia as well. (led to more and more countries joining, eventually whole Europe was part of it
11
Q
although Italy was part of the triple alliance, it entered the war in the side of the ?
A
triple entente
12
Q
what year did the US join the triple entente?
A
1917
13
Q
what year did Russia pulled out of WW1?
A
1917
14
Q
what treaty did Russia sign with Germany in March 1918?
A
the Treaty if Brest-Litvosk.
15
Q
when did the WW1 end?
A
11 November 1918
16
Q
did Germany agree to sign an armistice with the allies to stop the fighting?
A
yes
17
Q
what was the total death toll from fighting, starvation, and disease from WW1?
A
40 million
18
Q
what was the effects of WW1 on the US?
A
- they became the worlds greatest power
- emerged from the war stronger and richer
- benefitted from the sale of weapons
19
Q
did Britain and France emerge weaker or stronger than before WW1?
A
weaker
20
Q
when did the Paris Peace Conference in France take place?
A
1919
21
Q
what was the purpose of the Paris Peace Conference?
A
to reach a settlement that would legally and officially end the war
22
Q
who were known as the big three and main leaders at the Paris peace conference?
A
United States, Britain, France
23
Q
who was leading the United states?
A
Woodrow Wilson
24
Q
who was leading/the prime minister of Britain during the Paris Peace Conference?
A
David Lloyd George
25
who was leading/the prime minister of France during the Paris Peace Conference?
Georges Clemenceau
26
why did the leaders of the big three need to take account for the views of the people they governed?
they were all democratically elected
27
why was it clear that Britain and France was going to be harsh on the treaty with Germany in the public settlements of the allies in 1919?
- the politicians knew they had to consider the peoples desire for a harsh peace settlement ment to punish germany
- the total casualties in both countries were estimated to exceed 9 million.
28
did Germany force Russia to sign the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
yes
29
what were the aims of the USA during the Paris Peace Conference?
- idealistic, wanted to focus on global peace
- Germany should be punished not destroyed
- prevent leaders from allowing war to happen
note: fighting did not happen in their country
-wanted to achieve world peace and prevent Germany from engaging in war
- they championed self-determination
-other leaders felt this was way to soft on Germany and that self-determination was too impractical
30
why did the USA feel that Germany should be punished but not destroyed?
to prevent another war from happening/other countries taking advantage of weak Germany and attacking them
31
why did other leaders feel that self-determination that the USA aimed to focus on was too impractical?
this was because the other 2 countries of the big three had huge overseas empires and that if all countries has the right to rule themselves,it would greatly affect the British and France empires.
32
what were the mains aims of Britain in the Paris peace Conference?
- protect Britain navel superiority
- rebuild Britains economic superiority
- wanted Germany to be strong to protect Britains economic interest against Russia
33
was Britain the middle ground when making the treaty at the Paris Peace Conference?
yes
34
what were the main aims of France during the Paris Peace Conference?
- wanted to punish Germany for WW1
- Germans invaded their country twice
- suffered the most damages in WW1
- wanted to make sure Germany couldn’t invade again
- German population was in prime age to attack
- no fighting on German soil - recover quicker than France.
35
was France the harshest at the Paris Peace Conference?
yes, wanted to punish Germany
36
who suffered the most damages in WW1?
France
37
when was the treaty of versilles signed with Germany?
June 1919
38
what is the war guild cause in the TOV
that under article 231 of the TOV, Germany had to accept total blame for starting the war
39
how much did Germany have to pay in reparations in the TOV for war damages?
6.6 billion pounds
40
what territory changes did Germany have to undergo in the TOV?
- lost 10% of its land
- lost 12.5% of its population
- forbidden to form alliances with austria
- germany had to give up its overseas empire, given to either French of British
41
what were limitations in germanys armed forces in the TOV
- the german army was limited to 100,000 men
- soldiers had to be volunteers
- no armoured vehicles, submarines or aircrafts
- could only have 6 battleships
42
what was the League of Nations set up for?
an international body to help countries resolve disputes and if necessary, enforce decisions. Germany was not allowed to join.
43
what was Germanys reaction to the terms of the TOV?
- germans were angry
- government not represented at Paris Peace Conference
- forced to sign the treaty (all the punishments)
- resented the harsh terms of the treaty (became known as the diktat)
44
what does diktat mean?
a harsh settlement forced onto a nation after a war
45
did the members at the Paris Peace Conference consult the germans about the terms of the TOV? (yes/no)
no
46
is it true that the german chancellor (the one before the TOV was released) chose to resign rather than sign the TOV?
yes
47
why did Germany sign the TOV after the old chancellor resigned?
his successor asked for small revisions on 23 June 1919, however the allies responded with asking them to sign or face an invasion in the next 24 hours. that why they had to sign the treaty.
48
when did Germany sign the TOV?
June 28 1919
49
what did the war guilt cause cause resentment in the germans?
the war guilt cause accused them for starting the war but the germans did not feel that they alone had started the war.
50
how did the reparations in the TOV cause resentment in the germans?
- Germany had already huge debts from the war effort
- feared that it would ruin the economy
51
how did the change of german territories cause resentment in the germans (TOV)
- losing so much territory was a huge blow to the german pride and economy
- thousands of germans have to live under other countries/governments (e.g: poland and Czechoslovakia)
52
why did the disarmament of Germany cause germans to have resentment towards the TOV?
- army of 100,000, too small for germanys size
- army, symbol of german pride
- none of the other allies were disarms to the same extent (punished a lot more severely)
53
why did being left out of the LON cause the germans to feel resentment towards the TOV?
being left out of an international body felt like a further insult to Germany
54
what were some of the short term impact pf the TOV on Germany?
- germans felt army did not lost the war
- blamed jews, communists, weak politicians
- bitterness against government (became unpopular w ppl 👎)
55
what were the medium term impacts of the TOV on Germany?
- Germany faced political and economic crisis
- couldn’t pay reparations
- France and Belgium took what was owed in the form of raw materials and goods
- hyperinflation (economy 👎)
56
what happened when Germany couldn’t afford to pay for the reparations? (TOV)
the French and Belgian army invaded Ruhr in 1923 and took what was owed in the form of raw materials and goods. (legal under TOV)
57
what was the long term impact of the TOV on Germany?
- germans hated and blamed the treaty for Germanys problems
- felling later exploited by Adolf hitler
58
why did nations (mostly European) want to create an international league? (LON)
after WW1, nations they saw the failure of secret alliances and arms build-ups to prevent war. Thus they shifted to nationalism to internationalism, favouring cooperation between countries
59
who advocated for the LONs establishment?
woodrow Wilson, USAs president
60
what was the key aim of the LON?
to solve international disputes without engaging in war
61
what was Woodrow Wilson’s vision for the LON?
- a global authority where nations could peacefully resolve disputes, disarm, and pledge to defend eo against aggression. (collective security).
- in cases of illegal war, economic sanctions would be imposed by member states, with military action as a last resort
62
hat did collective security mean in the LON?
all members of the league will contribute to the LON army (everyone protecting eo)
63
how many member countries did the LON consist of in 1919?
44
64
was Lloyed George and Clemenceau skeptical of Woodrow wilson’s vision for the LON?
yes
65
why was Lloyed George and Clemenceau skeptical of woodrow wilsons visions first the LON?
they preferred simpler structures that allowed for more independence for their countries, like emergency meetings or existing diplomatic bodies. (e.g:conference of ambassadors)
66
why was it hard for the TOV to get its members to disarm?
other LON members, like Britain and France were expected to disarm upon joining, but feared they couldn’t protect their interests if they did.
67
why was it hard for the LON to stop aggressor countries?
- member countries were concerned about the impact of economic sanctuary on their economies
- reluctant to stop trading with aggressor countries
- also cus even if leage took military action against an aggressor country (collective security/protection), it would be difficult to do so as the League did not have a army of its own
68
why did the US not join the LON in 1920?
- isolationist policy
- would not get involved in any world wide events
- did not want to fight another war on other peoples soil
69
why was the USSR excluded from the LON?
its communist ideology
70
why was Germany excluded from the LON?
its wartime role
71
how did excluding Germany and the USSR from joining the LON affect the geopolitical tensions during that time?
leaving out these major powers created a sense of exclusion and resentment which contributed to the geopolitical tensions and instability that ultimately led to WW1
72
why did the LON face difficulties in enforcing economic sanctions?
- US not a member of the LON
- aggressor counties could still receive weapons and goods from the US, the worlds largest economy
- undermining the effectiveness of sanctions imposed by the league
73
why did the absence of the US in the LON make it challenging for them to take decisive action against aggressor countries?
US possessed one of the most powerful militaries
- them not inside = huge loss
74
in the 1920s, in what ways was the LON successful in?
- resolved issues streaming from WW1(e.g: treatment of prisoners of war, tackled global problems like slavery, drug trafficking and disease on an international scale.
75
did the LON struggle to prevent member nations from going into war despite addressing global issues effectively in the 1920s?(yes/no)
yes
76
what were the challenges the LON had to face when enforcing the new borders crated by post-WW1 peace treaties
the LON had to deal with over 60 disputes, very heavy workload which lead to some deputies managed by conference ambassadors.
77
what happened in vilna during 1920?
- Poland seized Vilna, Lithuania’s capitol
- Lithuania applied to the LON, but couldn’t gather Poland to withdraw
- Britain and France hesitated to intervene as Poland was seen as a potential ally against germany
78
what happened at Upper Silesia in 1921?
- a dispute broke out between Germany and poland over Upper Silesia
- to solve the problem, the league oversaw a peaceful vote and divided the region between Germany and Poland.
79
is it true that between 1918 &1939, Germany transitioned from a democracy to an authoritarian dictatorship?
yes
80
what is a authoritarian dictatorship?
a government where a single leader or a small group has absolute power, often suppressing political freedoms & oppression
81
what did Germany transitioning from a democratic dictatorship to a authoritarian dictatorship lead to?
- its involvement in the world war
- systematic killing of millions
- this transformation can be traced back to Germany’s experiences during WW1
82
before WW1 name 3 people/groups that had the most power and authority in Germany
- Kaiser
- Chancellor
- Reichstag
83
what does the German term “Kaiser” mean?
emperor
84
what does the German term “Chancellor” mean?
prime minister
85
what does the German term “Reichstag” mean?
parliament
86
who did the Kaiser rely on to rule Germany before WW1?
- Chancellor
- Chief ministers
- German army
87
were the armed forces in Germany very strong before WW1?
yes
88
after WW1, was Germanys economy in ruins with the war taking a terrible toll on Germany?
yes
89
after WW1, what did the German political system do?
Kaiser & army commanders involved Reichstag in making decisions regarding the war to shift blame to politicians
90
when was the Kaiser abdicated?
9 november 1918
91
what happened after the abdication of Kaiser?
Germany then became a republic (elected by citizens) under the leader of the social democratic party (Friedrich Ebert(not rly impt))
92
hat were the strengths of the weimar government?
- proportional representation
- Laws had to be approved by Reichstag
- this prevented the abuse of power by the Chancellor
93
what is proportional representation?
a system of a government in which a political party receives the same percentage of seats in parliaments as the percentage of votes it won in the election.
94
name 3 weaknesses of the Weimar government
- hard for one party to gain a majority
- coalitions government had to be formed
- article 48 of the Weimar Constitution
95
why did the coalitions government have to be formed?
- make it more challenging for Reichstag to pass laws
- government was seen as weak by German people
96
what did article 48 of the Weimar Constitution allow?
it allowed the president to dissolve both houses of parliament & rule by decree for 6 months in “time of emergency”
- however the definition of what was to be considered a emergency was not clearly defined and gave more opportunities for Hitler and the Nazi Party to come into power
97
why did
