GCSE History: International Relations and USA 1945-1974 Flashcards
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28 June 1919
What were Germany’s military restrictions under the treaty?
Army limited to 100,000 men, no air force, navy reduced, Rhineland demilitarised.
What was the War Guilt Clause?
Article 231 – Germany accepted full responsibility for starting WWI.
How much were the reparations set at?
£6.6 billion (set in 1921)
How did Germans refer to the Treaty?
A “Diktat” – dictated peace.
How did the USA react to the Treaty?
Senate refused to ratify it; USA didn’t join the League of Nations.
What was the main aim of the League of Nations?
To maintain world peace through collective security and dispute resolution.
Name one success of the League in the 1920s.
Aaland Islands dispute (1921) – peacefully resolved between Sweden and Finland.
Why was the League often seen as weak?
It had no army and relied on members for enforcement.
What happened in Manchuria in 1931?
Japan invaded; the League failed to take effective action.
What was the Corfu Incident (1923)?
Italy invaded Corfu; the League gave in to Mussolini’s demands.
When did the Great Depression begin?
October 1929
How did the Depression affect Germany?
Massive unemployment; US loans recalled; economy collapsed.
What conference aimed to reduce arms worldwide but failed?
World Disarmament Conference (1932–1934)
How did the Depression impact the League of Nations?
Members focused on national problems; League lacked backing for action.
What was the Anschluss?
The unification of Germany and Austria in 1938.
What was the Munich Agreement?
Britain and France gave Hitler the Sudetenland to avoid war (appeasement).
Which event marked the start of WWII?
Germany’s invasion of Poland (Sept 1939).
What was the Nazi-Soviet Pact?
A non-aggression pact between Germany and USSR; secretly divided Poland.
How did Hitler violate the Treaty of Versailles in 1936?
He remilitarised the Rhineland.
What is appeasement?
Giving in to an aggressor to avoid war, e.g., Britain giving Hitler the Sudetenland.
Why did Britain follow a policy of appeasement?
Fear of another war, economic issues, unprepared military, belief Hitler was reasonable.
What was the Popular View of appeasement in the late 1930s?
It was seen as a success; most people supported Chamberlain for avoiding war. The Munich Agreement was celebrated in 1938 (“Peace for our time”).
Who supported the Popular View of appeasement during 1937–1939?
British public, most politicians, and newspapers. Chamberlain was welcomed as a hero.
What is the Guilty Men view of appeasement?
A highly critical view that blamed Chamberlain and other politicians for cowardice and poor leadership in the 1930s, accusing them of enabling Hitler’s rise.
When was the Guilty Men view published?
1940, right after the outbreak of WWII.
Who wrote the book Guilty Men?
It was published anonymously by three British journalists under the name “Cato.” One of them was Michael Foot, a future Labour Party leader.
How did the Guilty Men view influence public perception?
It helped turn public opinion against appeasement and laid the groundwork for the Orthodox View
What is the Orthodox View of appeasement?
Developed post-WWII, it argued appeasement was a mistake that encouraged Hitler’s aggression and made war inevitable.
Who is most associated with the Orthodox View of appeasement?
Winston Churchill; also early historians like Keith Robbins.
When did the Orthodox View of appeasement become dominant?
From the 1940s through the 1950s and early Cold War years.
What is the Revisionist View of appeasement?
Argued that appeasement was a logical and realistic policy given Britain’s weakness and public opinion in the 1930s.
When did the Revisionist View emerge?
In the 1960s, especially after access to government records and reflection on Cold War tensions.
Which historian is often linked to the Revisionist View?
A.J.P. Taylor – he argued Hitler had no grand plan and Chamberlain did what was practical.
What is the Counter-Revisionist View of appeasement?
Combines criticism of appeasement with more recent evidence, suggesting Chamberlain misjudged Hitler and ignored good advice.
When did the Counter-Revisionist View develop?
1990s to present.
What are criticisms of Chamberlain in the Counter-Revisionist View?
He was overconfident, ignored his cabinet, personalised diplomacy, and underestimated Hitler’s intentions.
What was the Cold War?
A period of tension and ideological rivalry (1945–91) between the USA and USSR, without direct conflict.
What were the key agreements at the Yalta Conference (Feb 1945)?
Division of Germany, free elections in Eastern Europe, USSR to join war against Japan.
What were the main disagreements at the Potsdam Conference (July 1945)?
German reparations, Poland’s government, and general mistrust between Truman and Stalin.
What was the “Iron Curtain” speech?
Churchill’s 1946 speech describing the division between East and West Europe.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
US policy (1947) to support countries resisting communism.
What was the Marshall Plan?
$13 billion in US aid to rebuild Europe and prevent the spread of communism.
How did Stalin respond to the Marshall Plan?
He created Cominform (1947) and Comecon (1949) to control Eastern Bloc countries and resist US influence.
What caused the Berlin Blockade (1948)?
Stalin blocked Allied access to West Berlin in response to Western efforts to unify Germany.
What was the result of the Berlin Airlift?
The West successfully supplied Berlin; Stalin ended the blockade in 1949; NATO was formed.
What was NATO and when was it formed?
A Western military alliance formed in 1949 to defend against communism.
What was the Warsaw Pact?
A military alliance formed by the USSR and Eastern Bloc in 1955 as a response to NATO.
What is MAD and how did it affect the Cold War?
Mutually Assured Destruction—the idea that full-scale war would destroy both sides, leading to caution in direct conflict.
What did Sputnik represent in the Cold War?
USSR’s technological lead and the start of the space race.
What was the significance of the Korean War?
First armed conflict of the Cold War, showing US willingness to fight communism.
Why did the Hungarian Uprising fail?
USSR sent tanks; West did not intervene due to risk of wider war.
Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961?
To stop East Germans fleeing to West Berlin.
What caused the Cuban Missile Crisis?
USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba; USA saw it as a direct threat.
What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis?
USSR removed missiles from Cuba; USA secretly agreed to remove missiles from Turkey. Hotline set up between leaders.
What caused the Korean War?
North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950 to unite the country under communism.
What was the outcome of the Korean War?
Stalemate; Korea remained divided at the 38th parallel.
Why did the USA get involved in Korea and Vietnam?
To stop the spread of communism (containment policy).
What is the Domino Theory?
The belief that if one country falls to communism, others nearby will follow.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Incident?
Alleged North Vietnamese attack on a US ship; used to justify full US entry into the war.
What was the Tet Offensive?
A large-scale surprise attack by communists in 1968; shifted US public opinion against the war.
Why did the USA lose the Vietnam War?
Guerrilla tactics, low morale, media backlash, protests, and corruption in South Vietnam.
What were the consequences of the Vietnam War for the USA?
Military and political humiliation; more cautious foreign policy.
Who were the Viet Cong?
Communist guerrillas in South Vietnam.
What was the My Lai Massacre?
US troops killed 500+ civilians in a South Vietnamese village in 1968.
When did the USA leave Vietnam?
1973, after the Paris Peace Accords.
When did Vietnam become fully communist?
1975, after the fall of Saigon.
What were the effects of the war on the USA?
58,000 deaths, public protests, loss of trust in government, and a more cautious foreign policy.
