world war 1

Question 1

causes of ww1

Answer 1

1. Pre-War Alliances
   Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy.

Triple Entente: France, Russia, Britain.

Alliances increased aggression and the likelihood of a larger war if any member was attacked.

2. Political Rivalries in Europe
   France vs. Germany (Franco-Prussian War resentment).

Austria vs. Russia (influence in the Balkans).

Germany vs. Britain (naval & industrial power rivalry).

3. Economic & Colonial Rivalries
   Scramble for colonies (especially in Africa).

Germany’s late entry into colonialism threatened older empires like Britain and France.

4. Arms Race and Military Plans
   Major powers built large navies and modern weapons.

Germany’s Schlieffen Plan: Attack France through Belgium before facing Russia.

5. The Moroccan Crises (1905 & 1911)
   Germany challenged French control in Morocco.

Tensions nearly led to war; showed increasing hostility and distrust.

Question 2

the schlieffen plan failed due to

Answer 2

1.Russia mobilised her forces faster than anticipated, and this forced
Germany to fight the war on two fronts.
2. Belgian resistance slowed down German advance into France. This
enabled Britain to mobilise her forces and send them to Belgium.
3. Both sides were evenly matched, hence the military stalemate.

Question 3

Two major events made 1917 the decisive year for the end of the war:

Answer 3

(i) Russia’s withdrawal from the war after the Great Russian Revolution.

(ii) The declaration of war by the United States of America against the Central
powers.

Question 4

USA’s Neutrality in ww1 because

Answer 4

1. Americans
   favoured an isolationist policy m international affair. This was in line with the terms of
   the Monroe Doctrine of 1823.

2.the USA was sensitive to the fact that some of her citizens were of German
origin and she did not want to offend them.

3.the war had not interfered directly
with USA’s interests up to 1916.

Question 5

why did US enter the world war 1

Answer 5

1. Unrestricted Submarine Warfare
   Germany used U-boats (submarines) to sink ships headed to Britain.

Lusitania Sinking (1915): German sub sank a British passenger ship; 128 Americans died.

Continued attacks on U.S. ships angered Americans.

2. The Zimmermann Telegram (1917)
   Germany secretly proposed a military alliance with Mexico against the U.S.

British intelligence intercepted and revealed the message.

Outrage grew in the U.S., especially in the Southwest.

3. Economic Interests
   U.S. banks had loaned billions to the Allies.

A German victory would threaten repayment of these loans.

4. Ideological Reasons
   Wilson framed the war as a battle for democracy vs. autocracy.

His goal: “Make the world safe for democracy.”

Question 6

why the allies won the war

Answer 6

1. They had more manpower than the Central powers. For instance, the total number
   of the Allied supporters was twenty-five states.

2.The Allies had financial and industrial resources not only in Europe but also in the
colonies, which were used to great advantage during the war.
3. The Allies had powerful weapons that were used with unmatched skill, e.g. they
used tanks, aircraft and battleships.

4. Good political leadership.These
   included Lloyd George, the British Premier, and Georges Clemenceau, the French
   Premier, who were competent and focused.

5.The entry of the USA into the war accelerated the defeat of the Central powers.

Question 7

results of ww1

Answer 7

1.loss of life 13m people.
2. Destruction of infrastructure leading to refugee and starvation problems in continental Europe
3. Slowed down the pace of industrialisation because of a lack of manpower in industries

4. insecurity and had an adverse effect on slowing the economic activites, trade, and agriculture

5.The war forced world leaders to see the sense of establishing an international
organization that could ensure the preservation of international peace and
security. The League of Nations was therefore formed with this objective in
mind.

Question 8

aims of league of nations

Answer 8

1. To prevent war.
2. To settle international disputes peacefully.
3. To secure and maintain fair and humans conditions of labour as one way of
   maintaining peace in the world.
4. To supervise the territories taken over from the Central powers during the Paris
   Peace Conference.

Question 9

bodies of the league of nations

Answer 9

Assembly
 Council
 Secretariat
 Permanent Court of International Justice
 International Labour Organization
 Specialized Commissions and Committees.

Question 10

functions of assembly

Answer 10

Amendment of the covenant.

Consideration of treaties.

Supervision of the work of the League of Nations Council.

Giving approval to the appointment o the Secretary-General.

Control of the budget of the organization

Question 11

functions of the council

Answer 11

i. Implementing the recommendations of the Assembly.
ii. Appointing and controlling various committees of the League.
iii. Appointing the Secretary-General with the approval of a majority of the
Assembly.
iv. Preparing the agenda for the Assembly.
v. Dealing with any issue affecting global peace.

Question 12

achievements of league of nations

Answer 12

1. The Permanent Court of International Justice did invaluable work in the
   maintenance of international peace and security. The Court acquired international
   repute for impartiality.
2. The League fulfilled its objective of maintaining peace and security in the city of
   Danzig in spite of the hostility between the Poles and the Germans.
3. The League focused the international attention on the need to treat minorities and
   other war victims in a humane manner.
4. Through the mandates commission, the League assisted in the administration of
   trust territories by supervising the standard of colonial administration.
   5.The organization also settled several inter-state disputes in a peaceful manner.