Peacemaking and the League of Nations.

Question 0

George Clemeceau

Answer 0

George Clemenceaua- France- France had suffered many devastations (1 million deaths, factories and land destroyed). Was under pressure to make Germany suffer. He wanted to prevent future threats from Germany. He wanted a harsh treaty which punished Germany and crippled the economy. So it did not threaten France.

Question 1

The big three.

Answer 1

David Lloyd George
George Clemeceau
Woodrow Wilson

Question 2

Woodrow Wilson

Answer 2

Woodrow Wilson- USA- only been in the war since April 1917. So it’s damaged property and casualties was minimal to France and GB. Ideas influenced by the 14 points. He thought Germany was responsible for the War but didn’t want a harsh treaty. As he thought it would lead to revenge.

Question 3

wilsons two aims.

Answer 3

1. Self determination.

2. International cooperation- settling disputes and countries working together.

Question 4

David Lloyd George

Answer 4

David Lloyd George- Britain- Britain was bitter towards Germany. The public wanted a harsh treaty. Although like Wilson he feared revenge and another war. He wanted Britain and Germany to start trading. He was the middle man, Clemenceau was too extreme and Wilson was to reliant on the fourteen points.

Question 5

What did David Lloyd George promise the British public?

Answer 5

He said he’d ‘make Germany pay’

Question 6

The treaty of Versailles (general)

Answer 6

Was imposed on the German leaders.
Told the terms in May 1919.
Forced to sign it the following month.
In Germany it was called the ‘Diktak’ because it was dictated negotiated.

Question 7

The treaty of Versailles (terms)- war guilt.

Answer 7

Article 213,

The war guilt ‘clause’: said that Germany had to agree that they were responsible for starting the war.

Question 8

The treaty of Versailles (terms)- German armed forces.

Answer 8

Army was limited to 100,000
Conscription was banned- soldiers had to volunteer
Armoured vehicles, submarines and military aircrafts banned
Navy- six battleships and thirty smaller ships
Demilitarisation of the Rhineland- allies allowed occupation army on the West Bank of the Rhine for 15 years: no German troops allowed on the area.

Question 9

The treaty of Versailles (terms)- reparations.

Answer 9

Germany had to pay compensation to France, Britain and Belgium for the destruction caused by the war.
£6,600 million was set by a reparations commission in 1921.

Question 10

The treaty of Versailles (terms)- loss of territories.

Answer 10

Allies agreed that Germany’s land and territories would be rearranged.
German colonies mainly in Africa would be given to France and Britain under the control of the League of Nations.

Question 11

Anschluss

Answer 11

The joining together of Austria and Germany.

Was forbidden in the treaty of Versailles.

Question 12

The League of Nations.

Answer 12

Tried to create peace between counties.

Germany would not be invited to join.

Question 13

Strengths of the treaty of Versailles. (3)

Answer 13

1. Brought peace to Europe and set up an international organisation, the League of Nations, to preserve the peace.
2. In some ways lenient to Germany which, unlike Austria- Hungary, remained a country with a population of 60 million compared to France with 40 million.
3. Germany had imposed a much harsher treaty on Russia ( the treaty of Brest- litivsk, march 1918) Russia had lost nearly a third of land area.

Question 14

Weaknesses of the treaty of Versailles (5)

Answer 14

1. It left Germany with a number of Grievances.
2. Germany couldn’t afford to pay the reparations.
3. Britain and France feel out over German reparation payments.
4. The treaty punished Germany enough to make them want revenge but not enough to stop her from recovering and seeking revenge.
5. Wilson pinned too much faith in the league on nations.

Question 15

Why Germany objected to the treaty (feelings of injustice)

Answer 15

The German leaders did not feel that alone they started the war.
They felt they should of been involved in the treaty negotiations.

Question 16

Why Germany objected to the treaty (reparations)

Answer 16

Germany felt they were unfair.

Germans could not afford to pay it- as the economy had been crippled because of the costs of fighting in World War One.

Question 17

Why Germany objected the treaty of Versailles (loss of territory)

Answer 17

Some Germans were living in countries that were ruled by foreign governments.
The Saar (important industrial area) was now controlled by the League of Nations but had effectively been taken over by France.

Question 18

Why Germany objected the treaty of Versailles (the League of Nations)

Answer 18

Germany felt insulted about not being invited to the League of Nations.

Question 19

Why Germany objected to the treaty of Versailles (military terms)

Answer 19

Germany felt that an army of 100,000 was too small for a country of Germany’s size.
The army was a symbol for German pride.

Question 20

Why Germany objected to the treaty of Versailles (war guilt clause)

Answer 20

They didn’t believe that they alone were responsible for the outbreak of World War One.

Question 21

When was the League of Nations set up?

Answer 21

1920

Question 22

Membership- League of Nations

Answer 22

When first created there was 42 members (original).
By 1930 there was nearly 60 members.
At one time several of the important counties were not included:
USA, who refused to join.
The defeated nations (including Germany) who were not allowd to join.
Russia, who wasn’t allowd to join because of its communist government.

Question 23

The covenant of the league.

Answer 23

The covenant laid out the aims for the league:
Prevent aggression by any nation.
Encourage cooperation between nations.
Work towards international disarmament.
Improve the living and working conditions of all people.

Question 24

What idea was the league built upon?

What did the idea mean?

Answer 24

Collective security.
Meant that the members of the league could prevent war by acting together to protect and defend the intrest of all nations.

Question 25

Organisation of the league (the assembly)

Answer 25

Debating chamber of the league.
Located in the leagues headquarters in geneva, Switzerland.
All countries had a election every year.
Had the power to: emit new members, elect permanent members to the council and suggest changes to peace treaty.
Included the rest of the league as well as the 6 countries involved in the council.

Question 26

Organisation of the league (the council)

Answer 26

Meet three times a year and in an emergency.
Five permanent and four temporary members.
Permanent members- Britain, France, Italy, Japan and from 1926 Germany.

Question 27

Organisation of the league (commissions)

Answer 27

Set up to carry up specialist work.
Some only lasted for a short time e.g. Refugee commission for people who suffered in World War One.
Others were permanent set up for salvery and health.

Question 28

Organisation of the league (international labour organisation)

Answer 28

Wants to help improve working conditions around the world.

Set minimum standards and persuade members to adopt them.

Question 29

Organisation of the league (permanent cause of international justice)

Answer 29

Court was based on The Hague in Netherlands.
Made of different judges who represented the different legal systems.
It gave decisions of disputes between two counties, if asked for.

Question 30

Organisation of the league (the secretariats)

Answer 30

Carried out the work and administrations of the league.

Keeps records of the meetings and prepared reports for the different organisations.

Question 31

Organisation of the league (peacekeeping rules)

Answer 31

Main job- resolve disputes between countries.
Done by negotiation.
If any country was thought to of started a war, then it would involve all countries.
The league would take action against aggressions-
MORAL CONDEMNATIONS- which means that all counties would put pressure on the aggressor in order to cause guilt and making accept the leagues decision.
ECONOMIC SANCTIONS- which meant that all countries would stop trading with the country.
MILITARY FORCE- countries in the league would contribute to an armed force that would act against the aggressor.

Question 32

When was the Manchurian crisis?

Answer 32

1931-33

Question 33

Causes of the Manchurian crisis.

Answer 33

Japan was a rising power in Asia and the pacific.
Developed quickly into a modern trading nation.
However the Wall Street crash affected Japanese economy.
Protectionist policies in the USA and other countries led to a loss of trade.
Japan was looking for other ways to expand.
1931, used the excuse of an attack by Chinese troops on a Japanese railway to invade the Chinese territory of Manchuria.
The attack was a success and Manchuria was renamed manchukuo.

Question 34

What were the benefits of Manchuria?

Answer 34

Rich in natural resources and raw materials which provided a market for Japanese goods.

Question 35

Events of the Manchurian crisis.

Answer 35

China was in the middle of a civil war and wasn’t able to defend Manchuria.
China appealed to the league for the support against the Japanese.
The Lytton commission was sent by the league to investigate the crisis.
The commission was very slow and took over a year to investigate, by which time the attack had ended.

Question 36

What did the league say about the finds from the Lytton commission?

Answer 36

Accepted the findings of the report, condemned the actions of the Japanese and asked the Japanese to withdraw from the province.
Japan left the league.

Question 37

Results of the Manchurian crisis.

Answer 37

This event marked the beginning of the end of the league.
Britain and France were not willing to support the league in taking action against the Japanese.
The league had failed to prevent aggression. This encouraged later aggression by Germany and Italy.

Question 38

Cause of the Abyssinian crisis.

Answer 38

1935, Italian troops invaded the African country of Abyssinia.
Mussolini had ruled Italy since 1922 and wanted to increase Italy’s prestige as a world power by increasing territories in Africa.
Abyssinia was one of the few countries in Africa not under European control.
The Italians wanted revenge for a humiliating defeat by Abyssinians at the battle of adowa, 1896.

Question 39

Events of the Abyssinian crisis.

What did Mussolini want?

Answer 39

Emperor of Abyssinia- Haile Selassie, appealed to the league for assistance.
The league condemned Italian aggression and imposed economic sanctions against Italy.
Sanctions did not include oil and Italy continued to trade with non league members such as USA.
France and Britain did not want to offend Mussolini and drive them closer to hitler and Germany.
British foreign policy made a plan with the French.
Mussolini wanted to create a ‘New Roman Empire’.

Question 40

What was the plan called that was made between British foreign policy and France.

Answer 40

Hoare-Laval Pact.
To offer Mussolini most of Abyssinia.
Had to be withdrawn when it was leaked to the public.

Question 41

Results of the Abyssinian crisis.

Answer 41

Ended the league as a peacekeeping organisation:
Showed that the league members were not willing to use force to stop aggression.
The secret deal, the Hoare-Laval pact showed that Britain and France were undermining the league.

Question 42

Reasons for the collapse of the league (5)

Answer 42

1. The league lacked key members from the First World War including the defeated nations of Russia and USA.
2. The league as an exclusive club of vicors which was very much dependant on Anglo-French cooperation. However the two counties fell out over the French occupation of Ruhr, January 1923.
3. The organisation of the league it was difficult to act quickly as one country could easily veto league actions.
4. The league lacked teeth. Sanctions were only applied in a half-hearted fashion and the league had no army.
5. The world depression had caused mass employment in the early 1930s, as huge drop in trade. Little money or attention was available for world problems that seemed distant, such as the crises in Abyssinia and Manchuria.

Question 43

Wilsons 14 points.

Answer 43

January 1918.
Key to fair peace.
1. Ban secret treaty.
2. Other countries should not claim colonies without consulting each other.
3. Self determination for countries.
4. Independence for Belgium.
5. France to regain ansel Lorraine.
.......
14. League of Nations to be set up.
14th point lead to the League of Nations.

Question 44

Covenant

Answer 44

Legal agreement.

Had to sign a ‘covenant’ to agree to the treaty of Versailles.

Question 45

League of Nations (when did it get started)?

Answer 45

Officially in 1919.

But didn’t really start until 1920.

Question 46

Paris peace conference and the aims of the ‘big three’.

Answer 46

Followed the armistice.

Peace treaty was discussed.

Question 47

Strengths of the League of Nations.

Answer 47

Trade sanction.
Linked to the peace treaties.
Great Britain and France involved.
Seemed in sympathy with the age.

Question 48

Weaknesses of the league.

Answer 48

No USA or USSR.
Sanctions which were less effective.
No army.
All council had the right to veto.
Britain and France were weaker than expected- they had other interests- priority was trading over peacekeeping.

Question 49

When was the Abyssinian crisis?

Answer 49

1935