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CAIE A-level International History > Chapter 2: The League of Nations and international relations in 1920s > Flashcards

Chapter 2: The League of Nations and international relations in 1920s Flashcards

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1
Q

Impacts of WWI?

A

Social: war casualties, great loss

Economic:
Europe-decline
Soviets-turned to New Economic Policy and recovered some strength
US-economic boom based on speculation

Political impacts:
- Altered territorial map
- Communist Russia
- Political unrest

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2
Q

Problems faced by policy makers after WWI?

A
  • Communist Russia:
    Germany close to revolution
    Communism shortly took over Hungary
  • Spanish flu
  • Famine
  • Supreme Economic Council was created to deal with financial and economic problems.
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3
Q

Problems of the Paris Peace Conference?

A
  • only discussed disarmament and outlines of territorial settlement
  • none of defeated powers present
  • no authority overlooking peace negotiations–>caused contradictions in treaties
  • divisions among great powers
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4
Q

The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Wilson?

A

To promote the Fourteen points
Failure: Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles
Success: self-determination profoundly impact the postwar world powers

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5
Q

The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Clemenceau?

A

Revenge & weaken Germany to the most extent
Failure: Germany was not dismembered
Success: Germany was largely weakened

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6
Q

The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Lloyd George?

A

To rebuild the balance of power in Europe
Failure: the peace was temporary
Success: balance of power restored: British naval hegemony maintained

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7
Q

The 14 points on Germany and how successful was it?

A
  • punish leniently: put Germany on probation
  • yet blockade against Germany by Britain wasn’t immediately lifted
  • Wilson failed to make 14 points a consensus for peace negotiations: didn’t overcome imperial rivalry and national interests, public opinion wanted to return to isolationism
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8
Q

Paris peace conference—France primary goal and suggestions?

A

Revanchism
Primary goal:
- To contain Germany (1.3million deaths, 2.8 million wounded; bad economy due to expensive loans from US)
- Germany still strong compared to France (natural resource, more men power)
- Contain communism

Suggestions:
Germany:
- Maximum disarmament: no army/navy/airforce
- high reparations to cripple Germany’s economy
- independent Rhineland (most Germany industry in Rineland)
Russia:
- set up independent Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia

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9
Q

Paris peace conference—British standpoint and suggestions?

A

Reconciliation
- Germany no longer a threat to Britain (fleet surrendered, trade rivalry no threat)
- Germany’s colonial empire liquified
- Britain more focused on middle east

Suggestions:
- weaken military, strengthen economy (a prosperous Germany would be a strong bulwark against Russia)
- reparations and the war guilt

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10
Q

Paris peace conference—Italy primary goal and outcomes?

A
  • wanted territory promised in the Treaty of London in 1915
  • wanted reparation from Austria-Hungary colonies in former Ottoman and Aegean Islands
    –> only got Tyrol
  • France and Britain regretted
  • USA promoted self-determination
  • Austria-Hungary collapsed
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11
Q

Paris peace conference—Japan primary goal and outcomes?

A
  • wanted recognition of territorial gains made in war (Shandong question)
  • tried to have racial equality clause included in the covenant of the League of Nations–>lift immigration restriction
    –> Britain, USA, Portugal, Romania and Belgium didn’t approve racial equality (proposal violated stated interests of dominions, especially Australia)
    –> To placate japan, Wilson promised to support Japanese claims on former German possessions in China
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12
Q

War Guilt clause and German reaction?

A
  • German took full responsibility for starting the war–>pretext for harsh terms of the treaty
  • Clemenceau insisted Germany pay compensation for damage done to France, USA and Italy had reservations about this
    German reaction:
  • Many Germans thought Austria-Hungary started the war
  • Stab-in-the-back myth: German Army betrayed by Jews, revolutionary socialists who fermented strikes
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13
Q

Countries that need to pay reparations in the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • Austria-Hungary didn’t need to pay due to major economic problems
  • Turkey should have paid a small amount, yet was eliminated in Treaty of Lausanne in 1923
  • Bulgaria assigned to £100 thousand, only a fraction paid before cancellation in 1932
  • Therefore, Germany paid the most, £6.6 million
    Unfair to defeated nations as when they signed the treaties, they had no idea how much they had to pay.
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14
Q

Disarmament of Germany?

A
  • Britain & USA: to destroy the tradition of conscription to taproot of militarism
  • Allow Germany to maintain peacetime army 100,000
  • France general feared this would become strong specialized army but was overruled
  • dissolution of air force–>placate France
  • Reduction of Navy–>placate Britain
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15
Q

Problems regarding SAAR(saarland)?

A
  • Had been occupied by France during Napoleonic Wars
  • France wanted to take it back
  • Reason: France needed mines as many were destroyed in France
  • Appealed to the principle of self-determination
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16
Q

Problems on Rhineland?

A
  • France wanted to make it independent
  • Britain feared it would create area of constant tension and would shift balance of power to France
    Compromise:
  • French occupation gradually reduced over 15 years
  • Anglo-American treaty guaranteeing France against German attack
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17
Q

Germany’s Eastern Frontiers

A
  • France suggestion for the frontier regions to go to new Polish state
    Reasons: deprive Germany access to the sea; weaken German economic power
  • Lloyd George opposed it
    Reasons: would cause resentment between Germany and Poland; many German-speaking people in the area; Germany turn to Russia
  • Lloyd George threatened to withdraw from Anglo-American guarantee pact
    Compromise: plebiscite for Marienwerder
    Free city of Danzig controlled by Leauge
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18
Q

Japan and Shandong question?

A
  • Clash between Japan and USA
  • China demanded it back
  • USA supported China to minimize Japanese influence in the pacific
  • Britain and France supported Japan to protect their influence in China
  • USA lost –> turned USA against Treaty of Versailles
19
Q

Treaty of St. Germain, Trianon and Sevre?

A
  • nationalities in Austria-Hungary declared independence
  • Hungary regions to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia & Romania
  • Bulgaria lost territory to Greece, Yugoslavia & Romania
20
Q

Germany reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A

Assume:
- Given a draft
- US protect their interests because Germany had become a republic in 1918
- Treaty lenient (armistice)

7th June draft given to Germany and forced them to reply within 15 days
“Robber peace“

Criticism:
- Contradictory to 14 points
- Too harsh
- war guilt clause unacceptable

Demands:
- immediate membership of the League
- land have chance to decide whether they want to stay
- neutral commission to examine war guilt
- retain terms of Treaty of Brest-Litovsk as much as possible

21
Q

Outcome of Germany objections to Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • Treaty triggered political crisis
  • Lloyd George persuaded French to allow plebiscite; vague assurance short occupation of Rhineland
22
Q

Turkey reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • Refused treaty
  • Settled Russo-Turkish frontiers, moved troops against Greeks, Drove allies out of Constantinople
  • Treaty of Lausanne: land ceded, yet sovereignty recognized
23
Q

USA reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • refused to ratify treaty, didn’t join League of Nations
    Causes:
  • Wilson failed to expand US influence in Shandong
  • USA returned to isolationism
  • Wilson lost to republicans
    Impacts:
  • caused tension between Allies
  • Automatically nullified Anglo-American military guarantee
  • Britain and France left to carry the treaty
24
Q

France reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • expected harsher settlement imposed on Germany
  • foreign policy dominated by fear
  • followed Britain in diplomacy, wanted to recreate alliance with US, supported its allies (Poland, Italy) in international conflicts
25
Q

Britain reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • relatively satisfied, largely achieved goal
  • treaty too harsh–>more tolerant to Germany’s demand to revise the treaty
  • concerned about the threat from communism grow
26
Q

Russia reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • felt increasingly isolated as not invited to attend peace conference
  • Britain & France refused to have diplomatic relations with Russia’s Bolshevik
27
Q

Evaluation of Treaty of Versailles?

A
  • Divided Europe into revise vs preserve
  • US didn’t ratify–>Anglo-American guarantee not applied–>France unhappy
  • Russia ignored, Italy didn’t get the territory promised
  • Historian’s view: too severe to be acceptable in Germany but too lenient to constrain Germany
28
Q

How justifiable is the treaty of Versailles?

A
  • more lenient than Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
  • Loss of German territory justified on grounds of nationality
  • democratic negotiation
  • war guilt clause; too harsh punishment
  • defeated nation had no negotiation
  • some territorial changes violated principle of self-determination (e.g. Sudetenland)
29
Q

Ruhr crisis: why it happened, process and significance?

A
  • Frustrated at Germany not paying reparations, France and Belgium occupied the heavily industrialized Ruhr Valley
  • Germany enforced passive resistance and civil disobedience, 130 German civilians killed
    => Germany won the world’s sympathy
  • France forced to accept Anglo-American agreement to negotiate Dawes Plan
  • Ruhr occupation marked the end of the treaty of Versailles: Germany started to revise the treaty
30
Q

Hyperinflation in Germany?

A

Due to Allies’ reparation demands, unnerved population created
- Germany used mass printing of bank notes to pay reparations
- French & Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr, asking to pay reparation in goods
- government ordered passive resistance and paid workers for protesting, which required printing of more bank notes

31
Q

Gustav Stresemann: what did he do

A

1878-1929
- Calling off passive resistance
- Promising to begin reparations again and persuaded France and Belgium to end occupation of Ruhr by 1925
- Introducing a new currency called the Rentenmark
- Reducing government budget
=> rebuilding public confidence and the credit of government

32
Q

Corfu Island dispute: cause, response and significance

A

Cause:
- Border redrawn between Greece and Albania, Italian general Tellini patrolled
- Tellini and some Italian soldiers murdered in 1923
- Mussolini demanded 50 million lira in compensation and execution of those responsible. Greece refused
- Italy invaded Corfu

Response:
- the League of Nations ordered Italy to leave
- Italy refused, demanded Conference of Ambassadors to deal with it
- CoA also ordered Italy to leave, but agreed to Greece compensation

Significance:
- Greatest challenge to the league in 1920s
- revealed the League was powerless against a bigger country threatening a smaller country, and can be ignored and overruled by other international groups
- revealed the League would give preferential treatment to powerful and aggressive members
- led to Geneva Protocol which attempted to make the League fairer
- highlighted when Britain and France didn’t stand united, they showed weakness

33
Q

The Washington Naval Conference: topic and treaties signed?

A
  • in US to discuss naval reductions and situation in Far East

The Five Power treaty:
- maintain a set ratio of warship tonnage in US, Britain, Japan, France and Italy

The Four Power Treaty:
- No Italy
- replaced Anglo-Japanese alliance
- maintain status quo in pacific: no further territorial expansion, mutual consultation in territorial disputes

The Nine Power Treaty:
- Internationalization of Open-door policy
- each signatory respect territorial integrity of China, and recognized Japan dominance in Manchuria
- China agreed not to discriminate against any country seeking to do business
- the Shantung Treaty: Japan returned control of Shandong to China

34
Q

Genoa Conference

A
  • planned by Lloyd George
  • resolve major economic and politcal issues:
    1) lower reparation
    2) return to the golden standard
    3) inclusion of Germany and Soviet Russia to the international conference
  • France vetoed concession of reparations
    Failure
35
Q

Rapallo Treaty (1922) and its impact on different parties?

A
  • Germany was diplomatically isolated, while Russia was isolated as it refused to pay debts of Tsarist Russia
  • Both renounced all territorial and financial claims against each other
  • allowed Germany to train troops in Russian soil

Germany: a diplomatic victory
Russia: reversed plans to organize anti-capitalist revolutions across Europe, and sought peaceful interlude of economic development
Allies: major disappointment=>German-Soviet conspiracy to control Europe

36
Q

USSR relations with the rest of Europe?

A
  • Bolshevik’s rise to power in 1917 caused alarm in Europe
    Russo-German:
  • both isolated=> Trade Treaty 1921 & Treaty of Rapallo 1922
  • Relationship worsen in 1930s due to Nazism (anti-communist)

Russo-French:
- France insecure, thus restored diplomatic relations in 1924
- France made little effort to enhance relations, yet forced to improve after Nazism

Russo-British:
- Diplomatic relations restored in 1921
- Broken in 1927, Britain feared USSR encouraged independence in India
- Restored in 1929 as Labour Party in England became largest in House of Commons, and established permanent diplomatic relations with USSR
- Zinoviev Letter: inciting British communists to subversion=>harmed relationship

37
Q

The Dawes Plan and reaction to it?

A
  • Germany get loans from America
  • Germany had to promise to resume payments
  • Small reduction in amount of payments each year
  • Didn’t determine the total amount of reparations to be paid
  • Allies still wanted to supervise Germany’s national bank

U.S.: recommend
- cultivate future trade partner
- payment supervised by US–>improve influence in world economy

Germany: Reluctant
- put railways and industry under international control
- didn’t change total sum of reparations

Britain: Support
- settled tensions between France and Germany and promoted balance of power
- Backing of USA in extracting reparations

France: Reluctant
- didn’t trust Germany would pay
- forced to accept: only way to get reparations

38
Q

London conference: purpose and effects

A
  • make full execution of Dawes Plan possible
  • Anglo-American friendship–>both wanted to contain France
  • French army urged to leave Ruhr–>France suffered major diplomatic defeat
  • If reparations unpaid, Britain would appeal the Permanent Court of Justice in the Hague
39
Q

The Locarno treaties (1925) what is it and its weaknesses?

A
  • seven treaties negotiated among Allies
  • settled western borders of France and Germany
  • eastern borders of Germany with Poland remained open for revision
  • the Principle treaty: the Rhineland Pact
40
Q

The Young Plan: content and effectiveness?

A
  • reduced total amount of reparations
  • another loan floated on foreign markets
  • supervision of German financial system would cease
  • the last of the occupying troops would leave German soil
    –> the Great Depression doomed the Young Plan
    –> Adolf Hitler repudiated all important responsibilities
41
Q

The Kellogg-Briand Pact and its impacts?

A
  • French minister proposed peace pact as a bilateral agreement between France and US to outlaw war between them
  • US secretary suggested two nations take the lead in inviting all nations to join them in outlawing war
    —> a catalyst for Young Plan
    —> a stepping stone of a more activist American policy
    —> give US moral basis on which it could intervene in world affairs
    —> no immediate contribution to international peace
    —> no clear definition of “self-defense”–>erased legal distinction between war and peace
    —> countries began to wage wars without declaring them
    - Japanese invasion of Manchuria; Italian invasion of Abyssinia; Spanish civil war; Soviet invasion of Finland
42
Q

The Great Depression?

A
  • Wall Street Crash: shares in hundreds of business become worthless
  • worst economic downturn in history of industrialized world
  • overproduction & deflation–> unemployment
  • caused by insufficient demands
43
Q

League of Nations aims?

A
  • Preventing Future War
    disarmament; abolishing secret diplomacy; collective security
  • Administering post-war settlements
    arranging plebiscites; organizing mandates
  • Promoting international cooperation
    improve working conditions and wage levels; repatriating prisoners of war and refugees
    loans to new countries; development of education; promoting development in public health

CAIE A-level International History (3 decks)

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