Expansion And Contraction Of The Empire (more Impact Of WW1) Flashcards

1
Q

How did League of Nations mandates come about?

A

Post-war treaties in November 1918

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2
Q

Which two nations became mandates?

A

The colonies of the Ottoman Empire (fall of the Ottoman Empire at end of WW1) and Germany’s former colonies (stripped of their colonies in TOV)

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3
Q

What was the idea of ‘self-determination’, who supported it and who was it at odds with?

A

. Countries should be left to determine their own government
. Popular with US president Woodrow Wilson and part of TOV principles
. The idea was at odds with the imperial attitudes of global empires like Britain

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4
Q

When were the different mandates agreed to?

A

German mandates - TOV (1918)
Ottoman mandates - Treaty of Sèvres (1920) and Treaty of Lausanne (1923)

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5
Q

How were mandates supposed to be arranged: theory vs reality?

A

In theory: they were meant to help ‘less developed’ territories such as German and Turkish colonies in Africa to become independent nations (self-determination)

Reality: the main mandating powers were Britain and France, who had vast empires and just wanted imperial control and status.

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6
Q

Which treaty distributed the ottoman territories as mandates to specific allied powers?

A

Treaty of San Remo (1920)

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7
Q

What did the allied powers disagree over at the treaty of Versailles regarding mandates and why did they disagree?

A

Wilson, Britain and French governments refused Japan’s request to include a clause on racial equality in the League of Nation principles.
Disagreed because:
. Britain and France didn’t want to undermine the racial hierarchy that ran the empire
. Many southern states in USA implemented segregation
Clearly racial inequality was part of the stability of their power

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8
Q

How did the League of Nations rank the mandates?

A

Create categories of the mandate system, ranking the extent to how ‘developed’ different mandates were so that more assertive guidance could be given if more developing was needed

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9
Q

What were the 3 categories of the mandate system?

A

. ‘A’ - quite developed, independence possible in near future
. ‘B’ - needed much more guidance before complete independence
. ‘C’ - Independence not feasible

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10
Q

What was the League of Nations and what was its aim?

A

International organisation set up by the post-war treaties
. Aimed to prevent war by negotiating and settling international disputes to keep the peace in 1920s and 1930s

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11
Q

How was LON undermined and struggled to keep peace?

A

. USA refused to join
. Didn’t provide an international army
. Rise of Fascism and Nazism

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12
Q

Which mandates did Britain gain?

A

. Palestine
. Transjordan
. Iraq
. Parts of Cameroon and Togo
. Tanganyika

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13
Q

Which mandates did the Dominions acquire?

A

. Union of South Africa got South-West Africa
. Australia got German New Guinea
. New Zealand got Western Samoa

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14
Q

Which mandate did Britain share?

A

Nauru with the two pacific dominions

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15
Q

When did British empire reach its greatest extent?

A

Following the post-war treaties
- 13 million new subjects

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16
Q

Who were the mandates in each category?

A

. ‘A’ - Palestine and Mesopotamia (Iraq) to Britain. Syria and Lebanon to France
. ‘B’ - former German colony Tanganyika to Britain. Togoland and Cameroon split between Britain and France. Ruanda-Urundi to Belgium
. ‘C’ - New Guinea and Samoa to Britain with Australia and NZ. German islands in South Pacific to Japan. German SW Africa to Union of SA

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17
Q

Why was the Middle East crucial to the empire and so therefore Palestine was?

A

. Main overland route to Britain’s Indian and Asian empire
. So close to Suez Canal
. Mesopotamia increasingly valuable as it was oil-rich

18
Q

How were Britain and France suspiciously imposing power in the Middle East in 1915?

A

Sykes and Pico (British and French diplomats) secretly agreed for France to take SE Turkey, North Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, while Britain would get Jordan, South Iraq and Palestine.

This was a secret plot to split up Middle East
(British and French relations good here)

19
Q

Why was Palestine highly unstable at the end of WW1?

A

British and Turkish forces had been fighting, Turkey had enforced conscription on Palestinian Arabs and seized crops, meaning the Arab’s were so determined to control their own future and be independent.

20
Q

How did Britain and France promote anti-Turkish feeling among Palestinian Arabs?

A

Encouraged rebellions against Turkish empire and T.E Lawrence (‘Lawrence of Arabia’) was important in supporting these revolts

21
Q

When did Ireland gain independence and what did this mean for the British empire?

A

1922, this made the empire look weak as Britain seemed to not even be able to control their own neighbours and their oldest colony

22
Q

When did Ireland first formally join the UK?

A

1801

23
Q

What was the closest point to Ireland getting Home Rule?

A

Asquith got very close but his third home rule bill faced opposition from Ulster who wanted to stay united with Britain, this led to the Dublin Easter Rising

24
Q

What did Home Rule movement for Ireland want?

A

Ireland’s own parliament for domestic (home) affairs separate to the UK parliament

25
Q

Why was the implementation of Irish Home rule postponed and how was this a problem?

A

Due to the outbreak of WW1. This meant focus shifted to the war but Unionist and Nationalist tensions weren’t resolved

26
Q

Why was there Unionist opposition against Irish home rule in Ulster?

A

. feared a Catholic-majority Irish parliament would undermine their political and religious (Protestant) interests
. Ulster Covenant of 1912 was signed by nearly half a million people, showing how strong opposition to home rule was
. Unionist leaders like Edward Carson were willing to resist the bill by force, forming the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in 1913 to militarily oppose the legislation

27
Q

What event after WW1 further radicalised nationalists, making home rule further difficult and changing its goal?

A

Dublin Easter Rising April 1916: Irish republicans seeking full independence of Ireland instead of just home rule tried to rebel against British but were easily put down

28
Q

How was the Easter Rising initially viewed and how did this change?

A

Initially: unpopular due to violent nature and destruction caused in Dublin
But: British government responded with execution of the leaders, shifting sympathy for the rebels and their call for independence

29
Q

How was the guerrilla warfare following the Easter Rising ended (Irish War of Independence)?

A

1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty

30
Q

What main thing came about as a consequence of the Anglo-Irish treaty?

A

6 December 1922 (a year after treaty signed exactly) - Irish Free State created
- self-governing dominion of the Empire

31
Q

Did the creation of the Irish free state give full independence to Ireland?

A

No, it had its own parliament and government but remained part of the British empire (dominion)

32
Q

When did the Irish free state become known as Ireland (Éire)

A

1937

33
Q

When did Ireland get full formal independence?

A

1931 statute of Winchester

34
Q

How did the creation of the Irish free state cause partition of Ireland?

A

It was contested by 6 northern, mostly Protestant countries that chose to remain under Britain

35
Q

What were three main territorial losses of the British empire after WW1?

A

. Ireland
. Egypt
. Iraq

36
Q

When was Egypt granted full independence (sort of)?

A

1922, however, it remained a British client state until 1934 (informal control continuing)

37
Q

How did Britain fulfil their informal control after Egypt got independence?

A

1936 Anglo-Egyptian treaty: British troops would withdraw from Egypt but still occupy and defend the Suez Canal zone as it was so important to the empire

38
Q

After Britain withdrew troops from Egypt, how did the empire make sure Egypt stayed well protected?

A

It was assisted to join the League of Nations
(Were Britain trying to protect the Egyptian people or just the assets of the empire?)

39
Q

When was Iraq mandated to Britain and for how long?

A

1920 for 12 years

40
Q

Why did Iraq need to be mandated by Britain?

A

So Britain could protect the monarch rule in Iraq, run by the royal family of Hejaz
- the monarchical system needed protection as Iraq was unstable and didn’t want independence

41
Q

Did Iraq’s mandation achieve protection from Britain effectively?

A

Not really, Iraq was never really stabilised and there were conflicting nationalists movements that sought independence
- October 1932: Iraq independence occurred under King Faisal I

42
Q

How did Britain empire fare under Iraq’s new indolence?

A

. Iraq maintained close economic and military ties with Britain
. Britain retained air bases in Iraq