3Y: Europe of WW1

Question 1

What was the cause of WW1?

Answer 1

WW1 was caused by intense rivalry which developed between
European Powers in the early 1900s.

Question 2

Who were the pre-WW1 tensions with?

Answer 2

Military tensions between Germany and Austria-Hungary on the one hand and Britain, France and Russia on the other led to the formation of two armed camps in Europe.

By 1914 the political situation in Europe was very tense.

Question 3

What happened on the 28th June 1914?

Answer 3

On the 28th June 1914 – the heir to the Austrian throne the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were shot dead at Sarajevo in Bosnia.

This single event lit the spark that started the greatest war the world had ever seen.

It lasted for over four years and resulted in the deaths of over 14 million people.

Question 4

Who were the 2 groups in WW1 ‘The Great War’?

Answer 4

There were two groups,

1. the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, Italy, and USA) and,
2. the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey).

Question 5

How did the first years of the war progress?

Answer 5

By the end of 1914 a stalemate existed between both sides but, despite heavy casualties, the war continued for over four more years.

Question 6

What was the major breakthrough in WW1?

Answer 6

The middle of 1918, over a million American troops landed on the Western Front and this proved to be a major turning point in the war and the stalemate was finally broken.

The Germans, who had seemed poised for victory, collapsed over the summer as the Allies reclaimed northern France with a series of counter-offensives culminating in the Second Battle of the Marne in July.

Question 7

When did WW1 end?

Answer 7

At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month November 1918, a defeated Germany signed a ceasefire bring the Great War to an end.

Also known as the Armistice of Compiègne from the place where it was signed.

Question 8

What was the Treaty of Versailles?

Answer 8

Much of Europe was destroyed, the war had cost huge sums of money and the leaders were looking for revenge of the Nations that lost the war.

28th June 1919, at the Palace in Versailles, a treaty between Germany and the victorious powers was signed. Germany was harshly treated.

Question 9

How was Germany harshly tretaed in the ToV? (5)

Answer 9

1. Germany had to sign that the war was all their fault.
2. £600 Million pounds of reparations had to be paid for all the damage that was caused.
3. The Provinces of Alsace-Lorraine were to be returned to France, who had lost it to Germany in 1871.
4. Germany lost land to the recreated state of Poland, Denmark and Belgium. As a result over One Tenth of Germany’s population now lived in foreign countries.
5. German army was to be reduced to 100,000 soldiers and the border area between Germany, France and Belgium; The Rhineland; became a demilitarised zone. This meant German troops were forbidden from being stationed there.

Question 10

What was the League of Nations?

Answer 10

• The Treaty of Versailles had included the setting up of a League of Nations.
• It would be a body of the World’s Nations where countries could discuss their quarrels without going to war.
• The League would stop powerful countries from attacking weaker countries.
• It meant all Nations would act together to protect any member that was being attacked.

Question 11

Why did the League of Nations fail?

Answer 11

1. No America: it was President Wilson who proposed setting up the league. But most Americans did not want to get involved. As a result, Wilson lost the 1920 US election and America never joined the league.
2. Only victorious Nations were allowed join. As a result, those Nations left outside felt no need to abide by the rulings.
3. No army: The league had no army to impose sanctions. It ultimately failed to prevent the outbreak of a Second World War in 1939.

Question 12

What is Democracy?

Answer 12

Democracy – a political system that allows people to elect their own government and to join political parties of their choice.

Question 13

What is a Dictatorship?

Answer 13

Dictatorship – when a country is completely under the control of one ruler or one political party.

Question 14

What is Socialism?

Answer 14

Socialism – a political system that tries to reorganise society so as to give more rights, wealth and political power to poorer people.

Question 15

What is Nationalism?

Answer 15

Nationalism – puts the interests of the state or nation before individuals.

Question 16

What goverment trends emerged in the 20s and 30s?

Answer 16

• In the 1920s and 1930s new forms of government emerged in some Western European countries.
• A fascist dictator named Benito Mussolini took over Italy, while Adolf Hitler, a Nazi dictator, took over Germany.
• European dictators, however, were not all the same.

Question 17

What was the Communist/Socialist system of goverment?

Answer 17

• This is a system of government which believes that the wealth of a country should be in the hands of the government for the good of all its people.
• The state, rather that the private owners, controls all land and industry.

Question 18

Where was the first communist government?

Answer 18

• The first communist government was established in Russia in 1917 following a revolution.
• Russia suffered greatly during the war, resulting in the royal family, the Romanovs, who had ruled for over 300 years, to be overthrown.
• A communist government under Vladimir Lenin came to power in its place.

Question 19

Who emerged as leader in 1924 following Lenins death?

Answer 19

• Lenin died in 1924 and a new, extreme communist leadership emerged under Josef Stalin.
• Stalin, until his death in 1953, ruled Russia with an iron fist, killing anyone that stood in his way.

Question 20

How did Stalin oppress the Russian people?

Answer 20

• Millions were sent to their deaths in prison camps that opposed Stalin.
• Millions more starved in the 1930s when Stalin forced unwilling peasants to hand over their farms to government control.
• His brutal nature sent a wave of fear across Europe with
  many political powers terrified that he would attempt to spread
  communism else where.

Question 21

What was the Fascism system of government?

Answer 21

• Fascists believed in a strong government headed by a dictator.
• Fascism encourages national pride and the ordinary people to put the interest of the state ahead of their own personal freedom.
• Unlike Communism, which they strongly opposed, fascists believed
  in private business and ownership of land and industries.
• Some fascist leaders were racist, that is they believed that their own
  nation and its people were superior to other nations.

Question 22

Why did Fascism become popular in Europe? (4)

Answer 22

Fascism became popular in Europe during the years 1919 to 1939 for a number of reasons:

1. Some countries like Germany and Italy were dissatisfied with the Treaty of Versailles.
2. There was so much unemployment and inflation in Europe at the time.
3. Many land and factory owners were scared of communism.
4. Hitler and Mussolini made use of clever propaganda.

Most democratic governments were unable to offer quick solutions to these problems and gradually people began to place their trust in fascist leaders, like Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany, who promised to solve all the problems and restore national pride and power.

Democracy tended to survive only in countries such as Britain and
France where such a system had been well established before WW1.

Question 23

Why did Fascism rise in Italy? (5)

Answer 23

People in Italy had many problems after WW1;

1. Half 1 million Italian soldiers were killed in the war.
2. Unemplyment was very high. Former soldiers could not get jobs.
3. The Communist party was very popular and this worried rich people, who feared for their wealth.
4. The church also feared communism, who were against organised religion.
5. Members of Italy’s democractic government seemed to be weak and corrupt.

Question 24

Who was Benito Mussolini?

Answer 24

• Before WW1, Mussolini was a socialist like his father, but Mussolini turned his back on socialism, when they had objections to Italy joining the war.
• He himself enlisted in the war but was largely unimpressive.
• He was intelligent, arrogant and hungry for power.
• He liked uniforms and parades and was prepared to use violence to achieve his aims.

Question 25

What party did Benito Mussolini form?

Answer 25

He formed the Italian Fascist Party in 1919.

1919 Mussolini set up a new party called the ‘Fighting Group’.
People called it the Fascist Party for short.

Armed fascists were called Blackshirts because they wore a black
uniform. They beat up Communists, socialists and anyone else who
opposed them.

Question 26

What did the Fascists stand for? (4)

Answer 26

1. Strict law and order and for complete loyalty to Mussolini.
2. They opposed democracy, which they thought divided the country.
3. They believed that war was good and thought young men should always be ready to fight for their country.
4. Fascists believed that a woman’s place was in the home.

Question 27

How did the Fascists tried to copy the Ancient Romans?

Answer 27

• They hoped to build an Italian empire, like that of Ancient Rome.
• The emblem of the party was a fasces. This was a bundle of rods with an axe and was an ancient symbol of authority. This is where the term ‘fascist’ comes from.
• The straight-armed fascist salute copied that of the old Roman emperors.

Question 28

When did the Fascists come to power?

What was ‘The March on Rome’?

Answer 28

• Many Italians hoped that the Fascists might solve Italy’s problems. As a result, the Fascists grew from strength to strength between 1919 & 1922.
• In October 1922, Mussolini issued a threat to the Italian government warning them to solve Italy’s problems or to stand aside and allow the Fascists to do so.
• When the Government failed to respond, 30,000 Fascists marched on Rome.
• King Victor Emmanuel III panicked and refused a request from Prime Minister Luigi Facta to use the army against the Fascists.
• Following talks at the royal palace between Mussolini and the King, Facta was forced to resign and Mussolini was appointed as the new Prime Minister of Italy.

Question 29

How did Mussolini become a Dictator?

Answer 29

Once in power, Mussolini took some immediate steps to increase the power of the fascists over the Italian state.

• The OVRA, a secret police force, was established to seek out and silence anyone that opposed the Fascists.
• A prison camp for political opponents was opened in Sicily.
• 1923 Mussolini introduced a new electoral law, the Acerbo, which allowed for the party that had the largest percentage of votes in the election to gain two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
• Mussolini claimed that this system would bring an end to political instability by guaranteeing a one-party government.
• In the election that followed in 1924, the Fascists made sure that they won a large majority through a campaign of terror and intimidation.
• When a leading Socialist politician, Giacomo Matteotti, complained that the election was unfair he was kidnapped by the blackshirts in broad daylight and brutally murdered.
• 1925 Mussolini removed the king’s right to appoint or dismiss government ministers, all opposition parties were banned and laws could be passed without the consent of the parliament.
• Mussolini was by now a dictator, called himself Il Duce – The Leader.

Question 30

What was Mussolini’s economic policy?

Answer 30

• Trade unions were banned and strikes became illegal.
• Unemployment was tackled through public works:
• Autostrada: motorways were built throughout Italy.
• Pontaine Marshes on the edge of Rome was drained and turned into agricultural land.
• Hydo-electric stations were built and the train system was electrified.
• The economy improved until the Wall Street Crash caused a depression throughout Europe.
• By mid-30’s unemployment was once again a major problem.
• Mussolini tried to distract the people from economic failures by attempting to build an empire abroad.

Question 31

How did Mussolini use propaganda?

Answer 31

In reality, many of Mussolini’s achievements weren’t that great. He exaggerated his achievements through clever propaganda.

• Propaganda took on a new meaning under the fascists; information was being spread but it was often false or exaggerated in order to influence the public.
• In newspapers and movie newsreels, Mussolini was portrayed as a great leader.
• His office light would be kept on during the night to make it look like he worked throughout the night for Italy.

Question 32

What was ‘The Lateran Treaty’?

Answer 32

One of Mussolini’s greatest triumphs came in 1929 when he settled a long-standing dispute between the State and the Pope.

Ever since the unification of Italy in 1870, which resulted in the pope losing control of a large area in central Italy, the pope refused to recognise the Italian State.

To end this dispute, Mussolini drew up an agreement:

1. Mussolini recognised the Vatican City as an Independent State.
2. Compensation was paid to the church for loss of land in 1870.
3. Catholicism became the official religion of the Italian State.
4. In return, the pope agreed to recognise the Italian State.

Question 33

What wars did Mussolini become involved in?

Answer 33

Mussolini wanted Italy to model themselves on the Roman Empire. To achieve this, he strengthened the Italian Army and led the country into several wars.

• 1925 – he invaded Abyssinia (now Ethopia). Abyssinia appealed to the League of Nations for help. The L.O.N imposed a trade ban on Italy, but nothing effective to stop Mussolini’s invasion.

Italian forces used warplanes, poison gas and other modern weapons to take over Abyssinia.

• 1936-39 : Mussolini sent 50,000 troops to help General Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Franco overthrew the government and became a dictator.

Question 34

How did the downfall of Mussolini happen?

Answer 34

• Mussolini made an alliance with Adolf Hitler called the Rome-Berlin Axis.
• This alliance was strengthened by a later agreement called the Pact of Steel.
• 1940 Mussolini led Italy into WW2 on the German side; this was a fatal mistake.
• Italy were defeated and invaded.
• 1945 at the end of the war, Mussolini was captured and killed by anti-fascist Italian fighters.
• His body was hung and displayed in Milan upside down before a huge crowd.