TOPIC #1 - the Peace Treaties of 1919 - 1923

PPQ Trigger Words Revision –May 2016

These are not answers. They are outlines that can help you write full answers. You will likely have to add your own examples to fully answer the questions. Make sure to include introductory sentences, examples with explanation of importance and conclusions.

TOPIC #1 - The Peace Treaties of 1919 - 1923

1. Who were the Big Three at Versailles and how did they get along? (4)

• Clemenceau, Lloyd George, Wilson
• Different views and goals
• Disagreements
• Dissatisfied

1. What were Germany’s main territorial losses under the Treaty of Versailles? (4)

• Alsace and Lorraine, and Saar - France
• Upper Silesia and Posen - Poland
• Memel - Lithuania
• Danzig - ‘free city’
• Rhineland
• Overseas colonies - Togoland,Cameroon and German SW Africa
• Eupen-Malmeady - Belgium
• North Schleswig - Denmark

1. Describe what Clemenceau, Wilson and Lloyd George each wanted to achieve in the peace settlement. (4)

• Each wanted Germany punished
• Clemenceau - weakened - no more war - territory - reparations - demilitarized
• DL George - avoid revenge in the future - lose overseas - trade - buffer from communism
• Wilson - 14 points- just peace - self-determination - League

1. Why did Germany dislike the Treaty of Versailles? (6)

NOT FAIR:

• German people
• 231
• Reparations
• Diktat - not negotiated

• Felt tricked
• Army - pride
• Defend country
• NO self-determination

1. Which terms of the peace settlement directly affected France? (4)

• Alsace and Lorraine
• Saar
• Rhineland
• Disarmament
• Reparations
• League

1. Why did the Treaty of Versailles cause problems for Germany in the years up to 1923? (6)

• Germany's economy
• 1922 and 1913 - French and Belgians in the Ruhr region
• 100,000 German protesters
• No goods to trade and no money to buy things
• Hyper-inflation
• Wages
• Army - 100, 000
• Germans in new countries
• Political instability – the Weimar government formed 9 different coalitions between 1919 - 1923
• Harsh reparations

1. What restrictions were placed on Germany’s armaments?(4)

• Army - 100,000
• Conscription
• Noarmoured vehicles or Air Force
• Navy - six - no submarines - 15,000
• Rhineland

1. Was the Treaty of Versailles fair? (10)

• Intro – Agree and Disagree
• Sally Marks and John Maynard Keynes

FAIR:

• Brest-Litovsk
• Military leaders
• Economy - 1925
• Best Treaty possible - pressure
• Germanhypocrites
• Germany’s economic problems - self-inflicted

NOT FAIR:

• German people
• 231
• Reparations
• Diktat - not negotiated

• Felt tricked
• Army - pride
• Defend country
• NO self-determination

• Weakened German economy was bad for all
• Big 3 - dissatisfied
• Revenge

1. How far did the peace settlement satisfy the victors? Explain your answer. (10)

• To some extent the victors achieved goals, but overall none of them were satisfied

Satisfied:

• Wilson’s self-determination in E. Europe - League
• Britain - Germany’s and colonies (give examples)
• France - demilitarised (give example) - reparations - 231

Dissatisfied:

• Different objectives - none satisfied
• Clemenceau - not harsh enough - 1920 voted out
• France - angry Germany weakened outside of Europe (to Britain’s benefit) and kept military leaders
• Wilson - too harsh - revenge
• Wilson - Britain and France never sincere (14)
• U.S. Senate
• DL George and Britain - ‘a great pity’ - another war

9a. PPQ-ish Ques: Describe each of the ‘other’ four treaties. (4)

• Officers and diplomats
• Treaty of St. Germain, 1919 – Austria lost to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland and Italy
• Treaty of Neuilly, 1919 – Bulgaria lost to Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia; Mediterranean Sea.
• Treaty of Trianon, 1920 – Hungary lost to Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
• Treaty of Sevres, 1920 – Turkey lost to Greece, and Syria put under League mandate
• Each - reparations, disarmament and loss of territory

TOPIC #2 - The League of Nations in the 1920s and 1930s.

10. What were the aims of the League of Nations? (4)

• To discourage aggression from any nation
• To encourage countries to co-operate, especially in business, trade and security
• To encourage nations to disarm
• To improve the living and working conditions of people in all parts of the world.
• To promote collective security
• To uphold the Treaty of Versailles

11a. Why did the USA not join the League of Nations? (6)

• League linked to TOV - many Americans hated the TOV (immigrants and reparations).
• Appalled - death and destruction - Isolationism.
• Worries - economic cost
• Some - anti-British or anti-French.
• Senate rejected TOV

11b. Why did some countries view the setting up of the League with suspicion? (6)

• 42 joined - January, 1920
• European powers - France and Britain - white, wealthy, imperialistic and capitalistic organization.
• Non-Europeans - ignored
• USA, Germany and Russia
• Weakened by WWI - leadership orresources
• Self-interests - empire, trade and Germany
• Very different ideas of the League
• Double-standards

12.What prevented the League of Nations from being strong in the 1920s? (6)

• Membership, structure and inaction
• Too idealistic
• Dependence on Britain and France
• The USA, Germany and USSR
• ‘Good Will’
• Euro-Centric
• Punishments
• No army
• Assembly
• PCIJ
• ‘Teeth’
• Self interests.

1. What successes did the League of Nations have in the 1920s? (4)

• Prevented war
• Atmosphere
• Conference of Ambassadors
• Agreements - Washington Treaty of 1922, Locarno Pact of 1925, Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928
• Germany - 1926
• Disputes - Upper Silesia in 1921, Aaland Islands 1921, Greece and Bulgaria, 1925
• Special commissions - :Refugees - Working conditions - Health - Transport - Social problems

1. What weaknesses did the League of Nations have in the 1920s? (4)

• Membership, structure and inaction
• Too idealistic
• Dependence on Britain and France
• The USA, Germany and USSR
• ‘Good Will’
• Euro-Centric
• Punishments
• No army
• Assembly
• PCIJ
• ‘Teeth’
• Self interests
• Border disputes - self-interests (Vilna in 1920, Corfu in 1923 and Bulgaria1925)

• Failed - Lithuania from taking Memel in 1923, the Russo-Polish war from 1920 – 1921

• Failed - disarmament

1. Overall, was the League of Nations successful in the 1920s? (10)

• Use the examples from numbers 12, 13 and 14.

1. How did the League of Nations deal with Japan over theManchurian crisis? (6)

• 1931 - September
• Delay
• Lytton Commission - December
• 1932 - September - report
• Condemned Japan
• 42 to 1 - Assembly
• Discussed sanctions - USA
• Britain
• Banning arms sales - no agreement
• Escalate
• Britain and France - so far
• USA and USSR - resources
• League failed

1. How did the League of Nation deal with Italy over the Abyssinian crisis? (6)

• 1935 - October
• British - France - seriousness
• Ally - Stresa Pact
• 1936 - September - plan for Abyssinia
• Ideally placed
• League sanctions - banned (arms sales, loans, imports, rubber, tin and metals)
• Oil sales - Americans
• Sanctions hurt members’ interests (British coal)
• Suez Canal
• The Hoare-Laval plan
• Abyssinian crisis was a disaster

1. Was Disarmament a success for the League of Nations? (10)

• 1921 - Washington Conference
• 1926 - draft resolution
• Promise of a more peaceful world (Locarno and Kellogg–Briand Pact)
• 1930s - militarism and Manchurian crisis
• February 1932 - July 1932 - resolutions
• Enforce???
• Principle of equality

• Hitler - rearming
• 1934
• Reasons: not serious - Britain and France - TOV - 1935

1. What factors demonstrate that the League was a failure in the 1930s? (4)

• Membership
• Structure
• Punishments

OTHER EXAMPLES:

• Disarmament
• Manchuria
• Abyssinia
• Self-interests - British and German naval agreement of 1935
• Stresa Pact, 1935
• Franco-Soviet Pact, 1935
• Hoare-Laval
• Rhineland
• Appeasement

1. How far can the failure of the League be blamed on the Depression? Explain your answer. (10)

• Yes: Depression (Wall Street) caused economic problems.
• Damaged trade and industry
• Affected relations between countries - adopted aggressiveforeign policies.
• Political changes - Germany, Italy and Japan
• Optimism and momentum lost

Other reasons the League failed:

• Self-interests
• Membership
• Structure - Punishments - Lack of Troops - Decisions were slow - Treaties
  

TOPIC #3 - The Collapse of International Peace

1. What were Hitler’s main foreign policy goals? (4)

• Mein Kampf
• Abolish the Treaty of Versailles
• Expand German Territory - Lebensraum
• Defeat Communism

1. Describe the importance of the Saar plebiscite. (4)

• Border with France
• Mandate - 15
• Plebiscite - 90%
• Overwhelming victory

1. Describe the steps Hitler took during the 1930s up to invasion of Poland in September 1939. (6)

• 1933 - Chancellor
• Stalled Disarmament Conference - ‘principle of equality’
• Pulled out - LON
• 1935 - rearmament rally
• Naval agreement with Britain - 35%
• Conscription
• Rhineland
• Spanish Civil war - 1936
• Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan (1936) and Italy (1937) - Axis Alliance
• Anschluss
• Munich Agreement - Sudetenland
• Invaded Czechoslovakia
• Nazi-Soviet Pact - August 24, 1939
• Invaded Poland - September 1, 1939

1. Were Britain and France surprised when Italy and Germany signed the Rome-Berlin Axis? Explain. (10)

SURPRISED:

• SHOCKED! Signed in 1937
• Ally against Hitler
• Appeased Mussolini for years
• Austria, 1934
• Stresa Pact, 1935
• Appeased Mussolini over Abyssinia (Hoare-Laval agreement)

NOT SURPRISED:

• Mussolini always acted out of aggressive self-interests
• Britain and France had appeased Italy and let him takeAbyssinia and Corfu.
• 'Watchdog'
• Made war more likely
• Lack of respect for Britain andFrance
• Showed them how 'powerful'and 'persuasive' Hitler could be.

1. Describe the events that led to the Anschluss? (6)

• TOV - separated Germanyand Austria
• ‘Mein Kampf’ realised
• 1934 - stopped by Mussolini
• Rhineland - ‘confidence’
• 1937 - Rome - Berlin Axis
• Hitler pressures Schuschnigg
• Britain and France reject Schuschnigg - unwilling to accept war
• Plebiscite called and Hitler ‘manipulated’ outcome
• 99.75%
• Hitler - regained land,natural resources and troops(without using force)

1. Why did Britain and France permit the Anschluss? (6)

• Anschluss = political union, 1938
• Not willing to go to war over Austria, or defend TOV
• Britain’s Lord Halifax suggested Anschluss
• France was not prepared to act alone
• Policy of Appeasement and other priorities

1. What was the Munich Agreement? (4)

• Britain, France, Germany and Italy - September 29, 1938 - Sudetenland
• Claims of mistreatment - Hitler vowed to protect
• Chamberlain suggested a plebiscite
• Czech government nor USSR
• Chamberlain - ‘peace in our time’
• Invaded
• Stalin watched carefully

1. Why was the Nazi-Soviet Pact important? (6)

• August 24, 1939
• Poland
• Stalin’s worries - Germany, Britain and France
• Hitler - fight on one front
• Made an attack on France and Britainmore likely
• Stalin - gains time
• Made war more likely - defend Poland
• September 1, 3, 17, 1939.

1. The Policy of appeasement was justified. How far do you agree with this statement? (10)

JUSTIFIED

• Britain and France worried more about Communism - Hitler was a buffer
• Britain’s empire
• Leaders did not want responsibility - horrors
• British and French needed time to remilitarize
• Still recovering fromdepression - other priorities
• TOV was flawed
• USA

NOT JUSTIFIED

• Encouraged Hitler - aggressive and confident
• Germany grew too strong
• Scared USSR - Nazi-Soviet Pact
• Trusted Hitler
• Obvious - Mein Kampf

1. Hitler was gambler rather than a planner in foreign affairs. Do you agree? Explain. (10)

• Hitler was both.

GAMBLER

• March 1936 - Rhineland
• Broke TOV
• Rearmament
• Austria - 1934 - failed but was willing to see how other would react.
• Random steps - Spanish Civil War
• Forced the Anschluss
• He gambled over the Sudetenland

PLANNER

• Real intentions - Mein Kampf
• He would ask for more
• Hitler was careful with TOV - focused on German aspects and not British and French interests.
• Depression and political climate in Germany
• Clever - Rome-Berlin Axis – 1937
• Took small risks at the beginning

1. How far was the Treaty of Versailles to blame for the outbreak of war in 1939? (10)

• There were many events that could be blamed for the outbreak of war.
• Rearmament
• Hitler actions. He took Germany out of the League of Nations. Began rearming Germany.
• The Policy Of appeasement
• The policies caused by the peace treaties.
• The Nazi Soviet Pact.
• The Failures of the League of Nations.
• The Depression and Political Consequences
• The flawed Treaty of Versailles

TOPIC #4 – Blame for the Cold War

•The state of mutual mistrust that existed between the USA and the USSR from 1945 to 1991.

•It first developed when the WWII alliance deteriorated.

•It was acted out in the form of propaganda, subversion, espionage, threats and an arms race.

•Both countries were competing for global influence of their ideals – by economic, social and political means.

•Nearly every international conflict during that time was linked in some way to the USA or the USSR.

TRIGGER WORDS:

•Yalta - Potsdam - Sphere - West suspicious - Methods - Coalition - Cominform - Truman - Domino - Marshall - Blockade -NATO

32. What was agreed at Yalta? (4)

• Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin
• Japan
• Four zones (F,B,A,S)
• War criminals
• Eastern Europe - FREE elections
• UNITED NATIONS
• ‘Sphere’

Agreed at Potsdam (4):

• Stalin, Truman and Atlee
• Nazis - zones
• Nuremberg
• Poland
• Against full reparations - zones
• Japan
• Self-Determination - Germans in Hungary and Czechoslovakia

1. What was meant by a Soviet ‘Sphere of Influence’ in Eastern Europe? (4)
2. Influence Eastern Europe - guarantee their security.
3. Shaping - political, social and economic ways
4. Friendly and PRO-Soviet

• 3 times
• 20 million killed
• Alliance during WWII, but no Allied soldiers in USSR

1. What was different about the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences of 1945? (4)

• Cooperation and agreements.
• Tension - suspicion - disagreements.
• Resolve European issues
• Soviet army
• ‘Free’ elections???
• Harry Truman - suspicious - Poland.
• Expanded territory - 480 km
• Attlee
• Atomic bomb - Soviets felt threatened
• Reparations
• Yalta - Ukraine, Feb 1945:Potsdam - Berlin, July 1945

1. Why were Western Governments suspicious of the USSR in the period from 1945 to February 1948? (6)

• Many reasons:
• Unlikely alliance - democratic-capitalism vs communism
• ‘Sphere of influence’ vs domination
• ‘Free’ elections
• Both democratic and friendly to Stalin
• Only see - spread of Communism.
• Stalin’s METHODS:imprisoned opposition - attacked Church leaders - abolished monarchy in

Romania (1947) - executed Non-Communists leaders in Bulgaria - Red Army - secret police.

• Cominform, 1947

• Economies of Eastern Europe
• Coalitions
• Pro-Stalin Communists
• IRON Curtain Speech - March, 1946
• Italy and France - vulnerable

1. What was the Truman Doctrine? (4)

• Truman - suspicious of communist spread
• Poverty and lack of opportunity
• NSC and the CIA - 1947
• Goals: CONTAINMENT - resist Communist subjugation - U.S. economy (trade and markets)

1. What was the Domino Theory? (4)

• Idea that the spread of Communism was more likely when one country in a region became Communist.
• Late 1940s - U.S. worried - China, 1949 - North Korea
• Used to justify American intervention

1. What were the main reasons for the Marshall Plan? (4)

• Sec of State, George C. Marshall - to Europe, 1948
• Vulnerable to communism
• Coalition government - Czechoslovakia, 1948
• U.S. Congress
• Invested $17 billion from 1948 – 1952
• Raise standards and reduce appeal of Communism
• EXAMPLE
• Weaken Soviet influence
• Help U.S. economy - increase exports and investments in Europe
• Conditions: Apply - Supervision - Privately owned - Reduce import taxes - U.S. investments and American goods
• Marshall Aid - fuel, raw materials, goods, loans and food, machinery and advisers.
• Jump-started economic growth and stopped the spread of Communism.
• George Marshall - received Nobel Peace Prize, 1953

1. How did the Soviets react to the Truman Doctrine? (4)

• Suspicious and angry
• Czechoslovakia - Jan Masaryk

• Communist Information Bureau (COMINFORM) - Sept, 1947
• Propaganda - USAenslaving Europe with $$$ Diplomacy
• Strikes and demonstrations - organised by Communists in Western Europe (France and Italy)
• COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) - Jan, 1949
• Stalin banned acceptance of Marshall Aid
• June, 1948 - blockade of West Berlin

1. Why did the Soviets blockade Berlin in June 1948? (4)

• Stalin blocked all supply lines (road, rail and canal access) to Berlin
• 2 million people
• Force Allies out

• Cripple Germany - a recovered Germany could threaten Soviet security
• Zones, 1947
• Currency - deutschmark, 1948
• Stalin worried by the idea of a successful, Non-Communist government in West Germany

1. What action did the Allies take when Berlin was blockaded and why? (6)

• Careful about provoking Stalin
• Air-lifted supplies
• Truman - serious about containment
• Berlin - symbol of freedom
• 10 months and 27,000 flights

• Soviets may have tried to take all of West Germany
• May, 1949 - blockade lifted

1. What were the results of the Berlin Crisis? (6)

• Germany divided into two nations
• May, 1949 - Allied zones - West Germany
• October, 1949 - Communist East Germany
• 41 years
• Berlin - symbol of Cold War tension
• Iron Curtain reality - watchtowers, barbed wire fences, and land mines
• 1949 - NATO
• Propaganda
• Berlin Blockade established a tense balance between the superpowers

1. The Soviet Union was to blame for the start of the Cold war. How far do you agree with statement? (10)

• Extent
• USA too
• Inevitable.
• State of mutual mistrust - 1945 to 1991

Inevitable and Both to Blame:

• Suspicious since 1918
• Two superpowers - USA andUSSR - with different beliefs and ideas.
• Democratic-capitalism vs communism
• Unlikely alliance - uncompromising with their vision

• Disagreed over punishment of Germany
• Tension was inevitable

The USA was also to blame for the start of the Cold War:

• Truman’s 'get tough' attitude
• No US troops sent to help the USSR
• Stalin WAS granted a 'sphere of influence'
• Containment encouraged hatred
• Domino Theory
• ‘Dollar Diplomacy’ - seen as a bribe
• Truman Doctrine (Containment) and Marshall Plan – both threatened USSR
• NATO - escalated Soviet concerns

• USA never fully understood or appreciated legitimate Soviet security concerns

• Hydrogen bomb (1952) - arms race

The Soviets were to blame:

• 'Sphere of influence' - obvious attempt to spread Communism (‘Sphere of domination’) spoiled

good will extended by Roosevelt

• Stalin Methods:

Red Army