WW1 History Summary PDF

History Summery WW1 -The conflicts that provocated the World War 1: The assassination of archeduke frams-Ferdinoun from the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The anexxation of Bosina-Herzegovia to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Franco-German conflict in the 1800. -Alliances:...

History Summery WW1 -The conflicts that provocated the World War 1: The assassination of archeduke frams-Ferdinoun from the Austria-Hungarian Empire. The anexxation of Bosina-Herzegovia to the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Franco-German conflict in the 1800. -Alliances: Triple Alliance: Germany, Italy, Austro-Hungarian (lost) Triple Entente: Russia, France and British empire (won) Treaty of Versailles: -It was signed on 28, 1919, at the end of the WW1. - Was the most important treaty of the WW1, In this treaty the winers decided what to do with the losers. The big three: USA: Woodrow Wilson United Kingdom: David Lloyd George France: George Clemenceau Terms: Motives Aims What they obtain? France -There was not something -Wanted back Alsace- -Alsace and Lorraine to mark a border between Loraine, lost to Germany in given to France France and Germany to 1871 -The largest part of divide the territories. -Wanted to Germany to pay preparations -Suffered great heavy reparations for the -The war guilt clause destruction; invaded twice damage caused by the by Germany WW1; Germany to accept -Revenge and very harsh the total blame punishment -Wanted to cripple -Prevent a third invasion by Germany so they could weakening never be strong enough to attack France -Give to France Rhineland, a territory that will separate France from Germany -Give France some colonies, areas, and territories (Saarland) United Kingdom -British people only wanted -They wanted to weak -Fast recovery for to Germany pay for all, the German navy; they fancy Germany peace will be enough. They having naval supremacy. -German colonies in wanted Germany for trade. -They wanted to re- Africa to become -They don´t want to destroy establish economically in mandates under British Germany, because in the Germany for coming back control future they could make the trading patterns; they -British naval supremacy another war. wanted a balance power and prevent communism USA -Not at the forefront of the 1. No secret deals. -The creation of the war; base the treaty in the 2. Ships can go wherever. League of Nations fourteen points. 3. No special rules for Successor states with trading. self-determination 4. Only have weapons for (Hungary- protection. Czechoslovakia- 5. The people opinion is Yugoslavia) important in the disputes  6. German soldiers out of Russia. 7. Belgium should be free. 8. Alsace and Lorraine go back to France. 9. Italy's borders should match the people living there. 10, 12, 13, 14: Self- determination / independence for the people of Europe 11.The different ethnic groups, must give self- determination in the Astro- Hungarian Empire What Germany say about the treaty? = That it was a diktat -Germany hoped the treaty more in line with the 14 points -Disagreed for: -taking the responsibility -sign without any negotiation -paying the reparations; This made the country totally poor -the exclusion from the self-determination German limitations: -100.000 soldiers -Navy- 6 battleships -type and quantity weapons -Rhineland demilitarised -lost Airforce -New states were created, Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania. -Alsace and Lorraine given to France Other peace treaties: Treaty of St Germain – Austria 1919 -Army limited to 30.000 -Austro-Hungarian Empire dismembered -Austria Economically cripple -Royal family exiled. Treaty of Sevres- Turkey 1920: -Lost land to Bulgaria, Italy and Greece -Lost ottoman empire in middle east and north Africa -No navy, no air force, only 50.000 army -Later renegotiated – Treaty of Lausanne Treaty of Neuilly – Bulgaria 1919 -lost land to Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia -Army limited to 20.000 -Reparations of €10 million -Treated less harshly than Germanys other allies. Treaty of Trianon – Hungary 1920 -Lost territory to Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia -Due to pay reparations, but unable to due to weak economy and never did 20th Century Life and Dead: -1901 and 2000 people lived longer. -The death rate was high in the 1900. -MDCs the death was low = discovered cures. Wealth (riqueza): -World consumption rose(aumentar) -The benefits were not fairly distributed. -Standard of living has risen. Black Gold: -Oils the world´s biggest business. -The availability and price will have far-reaching effects. -The battlefield of WW1 (1914-1918) establishes the importance of oil. -Oil es essential for our modern life. The impact of industrialization and growth -People destructive effect on the environment. -Release of chlorofluorocarbons = holes in the ozone layer. Who rules in the 20th? -1901 experience the improvement of the science and technology. -Standford od living improve. -They dominated the world by trade, finance, and military power. -Britain the most powerful. League of Nations: In all of the treaties that made up in the Versailles Settlement after the end of WW1, the president of United States, Woodrow Wilson had insisted on the inclusion of a reference to the League of Nations. This was to be the organisation that ensured the 1914-1918 conflict really had been ‘war to end all wars. What was the organisation of the League? Divided into 3 sectors: Secretariat: -formed by the Administration of the League -Their function was to carry out the council´s decisions and do administrative tasks. -The chief of the sector was the secretary general, the first person on this place was a British diplomat. Assembly: -They met once a year - Each member of the league had one vote - They were open to admit new members -They decided who were going to be the non-permanent members of the council. -All the things spoken during the assembly were reported to the global audience. This was an important source of moral pressure on government leaders. Council: - The aim was to make decisions, when it was a crisis, they had to decide what to do. - They met for times a year, but when crisis is happening the number of meetings increase. - Formed by non-permanent and permanent members. - Permanent members were Britain, France, Italy, and Japan Who joined and left the League? United states of America: They joined because the president of USA, Wilson contribute to the creation of the League. They left because American congress voted against the idea of joining three times. Germany: In 1926 they joined and became a permanent member of it. They left in 1933 because Hitler thought that the League was a place for the winners of the WW1.  Soviet Union: They joined in 1934 because after the Civil War, Soviet Union was no longer see as a threat to the capitalism. They left in 1939 because they invaded Finland, so they started the second world war. Japan: It joins because it was a permanent member of the league. Japan left in 1933 because the country invaded Manchuria (China). Italy: It joins because of it was one of the original members. The country decided to leave in 1937 because the economic sanctions that the league put in place due to the invasion of Italy to Abyssinia. Britain and France: These both countries were part of the league during the league’s existence. Because of that and, they were co-founders they had the responsibility of making the league work. These were the four agencies that the league oversaw: The international Labour organization: It was created in 1919, with the fought of justice, also the main purpose was to make the working conditions safe, healthy and fair. Is important to mention that after the league’s death, they become a part of the United Nations in 1946. Slavery Commission: The aim was to eradicate the slavery and the slave trading around the world. Records were kept controlling slavery, prostitution and trafficking of women and children. Commission of Refugees: Was establish in the 27 June of 1921, the motive of these agency was to look after the interest of refugees, including overseen they return to their home country and, when necessary, resettlement. Also, as the international Labour organization, become a part of the United Nations. The Health Organization: It was established on the 7 of April of 1948, the purpose was to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable. Also, it became one the most successful bodies. Besides, it has helped to established links with countries not belonging to the League, such as US, Germany and Soviet Union. The Covenant of the League of Nations: A Covenant is a set of rules setting out how member of an organisation should behave. Section of the Covenant The action League members should take articles 8 and 9 Disarmament so that countries only have sufficient military to maintain national security Article 10 Any member who is attacked have the support of all members. Article 11 Any member can ask for help if it fears attacks Articles 12 to 15 Disputes settled: Investigation, discussion and putting the issue before an international court or going to arbitration. Members pledge not to go to war until three months after the dispute was brought to the League Article 16 Take prompt action against anyone going to war. An attack is war against all other members. This could lead to economic or military sanctions The Aland Islands: The Island is located between Sweden and Finland and both countries claimed them. In June 1920, the dispute was referred to the Council of the League of Nations. After an investigation the island stayed under Finland’s rule. This was because to award the Aland Islands to Sweden would set a dangerous precedent. Finland maintained its borders, but the Swedes could pursue their lives keeping their Swedish customs. It was the first European International agreement concluded directly through the League. The Corfu Incident, 1923: In August 1923, Italians involved in an international boundary delegation were assassinated on Greek soil, prompting Benito Mussolini to launch a naval attack on Corfu. Greece appealed to the League of Nations, resulting in an order for the Italians to evacuate, however, Greece was obliged to pay 50 million lire in reparations to Italy. Greco-Bulgarian Conflict: The dispute happened due to a shoot-out between Greek and Bulgarian soldiers on the Bulgarian border, resulting in the death of a Greek soldier. In retaliation, Greece launched an invasion. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister alerted the president of the League of Nations Council, who promptly ordered both sides to end military action. When the Council convened, it directed both nations to pull back within their respective borders, effectively ending the conflict. Positive achievements: - Multiples agencies and commissions to deal with specific problems/issues. - Prevent possible conflicts. - The League sought to deal with a number of territorial disputes in international law Growing strength of Germany, Italy and Japan During the 1930, Germany and Italy came near, despite of Britain and France effort to keep them apart. The Rome- Berlin Axis (alliance) was official in 1932, one year later Japan joins this alliance to form the Anti-Comintern Pact. These three governments were both nationalistic and militaristic. The key to their growing friendship was that their imperial ambitions did not clash so they were not in competition. Germany Italy Japan -Dictatorship led by Hitler -Dictatorship led by Mussolini -Dictatorship led by the Context about and the Nazis and the Fascists. military. them -Support by German public -Support by Italian public -Supported by Japanese -Mussolini took control of all the public army -The German army grew -There was a poor army (200.000 -1941: Japan had 1.7 million from 100.000 to 300.000 troops): soldiers -Government increased the -Infantry little armed -10 battleships/aircraft spending on armaments. -Several Battleships no Carriers Military Aircrafts -38 cruisers strength -Government spent money on -112 destroyers rearmament. -65 submarines -However, a lot of it were -1500 combat aircrafts given to Spain, the nationalist Franco Alliances and -Wanted to scrap Versailles -Wanted to rebuild the roman -Wanted an empire to polices Treaty and find Lebensraum empire ensure supply of raw for German Population. -Wanted to break out materials to challenge -Left the League in 1933 mediterranean “prison”, France British, Dutch, French -Supported the nationalist- and Britain had key military empire. Spanish civil war. bases -Left the league in 1933 -Signed treaties: -Left the League in December -USA and GB refused to -1936: with Italy and Spain 1937 treat Japan as their equal. (Rome-Berlin axis) -Signed a treaty with Germany -1940, Japan signed the -1939: with Italy to have (1937, Rome-Berlin Axis) Tripartite pact with military alliance (pact of -Signed the pact of Steel Germany and Italy Steel) 3.1: WHAT WERE THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THE PEACE TREATIES OF 1919-1923? -Italy and Germany were dissatisfied with the settlement. Why was this? Italy: they had joined the allied powers in April 1915 and had been promised territorial rewards for doing so. However, the Adriatic port of Fiume was not given to Italy, also they haven´t receive enough Germany colonies. Italians felt they hadn´t got what they deserved. Germany: Versailles treaty had taken 25,000 square miles territory and 7 million people. However, the terms did not leave Germany with nothing, they still had economic resources: They might be disarmed but they had the resources to produce replacements. The self-determination does not apply to Germany, because the union with German- speaking Austria was forbidden. During 1920, Adolf Hitler wanted to destroy Versailles Treaty. − Hitler´s foreign policy: tearing up Versailles and Saint-German treaties was Hitler’s foreign policy aim during 1930s, his actions and his motives all came from the diktat peace. 1933: -Withdrawal from the League of Nations: Hitler announced Germany's exit from the League, signalling a rejection of international diplomacy. 1934: - Non-Aggression Pact with Poland: A treaty promising not to attack each other, aimed at preventing a two- front war. 1935: -Rearmament Begins: Hitler openly defied the Treaty of Versailles by expanding the military and reintroducing conscription. 1936: - Remilitarization of the Rhineland: German troops entered the demilitarized Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles without facing resistance. 1938: - Anschluss with Austria: Germany annexed Austria in March, unifying it with Germany. - Munich Agreement: In September, Hitler demanded the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Britain, France, and Italy agreed to his demands, allowing the annexation to avoid war. 1939: - Occupation of Czechoslovakia: In March, Hitler violated the Munich Agreement by occupying the rest of Czechoslovakia. - Nazi-Soviet Pact: In August, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact, secretly agreeing to divide Eastern Europe, which paved the way for the invasion of Poland. - Invasion of Poland: On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II. Impact of the treaty on British and French opinion: British opinion: After 1919. British government and public opinion were pleased with the punitive aspects of the treaty. But in 1920s closed and the depression took hold, many started to think that the Germans had been treated too harshly. The Nazi Party led by Hitler was seen as an understandable response to the punitive treaty, so many flet was British government duty to help Germany in achieving the peaceful revision of it because British were responsible foe what was there. French opinion: French politicians and public believes that the treaty had not been tough enough on the Germans. To protect themselves they wanted a treaty that would permanently weaken Germany. French use two strategies to protect their territory: the first was to built Maginot Line on the border to stop German’s invasions, and second, worked with Britain to achieve a peaceful revision. 3.2: WHAT WERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE FAILURES OF THE LEAGUE IN THE 1930S? The league´s failures in the 1930s had a significant impact on the actions of Japan, Germany and Italy, three countries with governments that were nationalist, militarist and under a dictatorship. -Manchuria: 1931, Japanese invasion of Manchuria was the first time the League had faced a challenge form a great power. If the league had met the challenge and the Japanese had been stopped this would have been a deterrent to other great powers (Italy or Germany). The league´s failure to silence the Japanese showed that the league was incapable of stopping an aggressive country from making territorial gains. -Abyssinia: The league couldn´t take an effective action and it was proving impossible to put international interests ahead of national interest. The Italian conquest of Abyssinia in 1935 was humiliating for the league because the great powers were shown to be playing a double game: supporting the application of sanctions white negotiating behind the back of the league with the aggressor, Italy, to form the Hoare-Laval Pact. It was being harder to keep Italy on their side. Italy withdrew from the league in 1937. In September 1937, Mussolini visited Berlin, and later signed the Anti- Comintern Pact with Germany The League´s failure: Britain and France had never been entirely supportive of the League. Now it was obvious that collective security through the league was finished. During the great depression military spending had not been a government priority, so France and Britain had hoped for the success of collective security. Public Opiion of both countries was against of rearmament Did the failure of the League result in appeasement? By 1936, British and French government started to be rearmed, both know it could take several ages to achieve that. So, meantime, Neville Chamberline (British prime Minister) and Edouard Daladier (French Prime minister) pursued the dictators between 1935 and 1939, the policy of appeasement. September of 1938, leaders of Britain, France met with Mussolini and Hitler to respond to Hitler´s demand to take over the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia), Czech government was not invited but was told to give the land to Germany. Without allies, the Czech leaders agreed. 3.3: HOW FAR WAS HITLER'S FOREIGN POLICY TO BLAME FOR THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN 1939? Historians would agree that Hitler´s foreign policy was largely to blame, this does not mean their other causes to blame because Hitler acted but other countries reacted. Historians don´t know if Hitler had the aim to go to war, or he just saw and took the opportunity. Between 1933 and 1936, Hitler didn´t show any military aggression, however the 3 following years were confusing for the other European leaders because nobody what was his aims. As we know, Hitler had three foreign aims (Create a German Reich, destroy Versailles treaty, seek to Lebensraum) but he still not wanted war. 1935-Saar Plebiscite: Hitler´s priority aim was to end up Versailles treaty, for doing that his strategy was to chip away at the terms of it and see what the British and French reaction would be. The first step was in line with the terms not an attack on it, in 1919 Saar was taken from Germany (due to the treaty) and put it under League´s control for 15 years. In 1935 a vote by Saarlander was done to determinate whether to become part of France, retain under league´s control or rejoin Germany. The result of the vote was important because of the resources that Saar had. During the vote was intimidation and violence however the League approved it and said it was fair, so finally in 1 of March Saar was officially part of Germany gain. Effects of the Saar plebiscite: - The League of Nations' failure to address the violence during the plebiscite showed its weakness. - The overwhelming vote to rejoin Germany reflected Germans’ rejection of the Treaty of Versailles. - It indicated Germany’s determination to dismantle the treaty. - The result boosted Hitler's regime. - It set a precedent for future territorial demands, such as the union with Austria and the annexation of the Sudetenland. Remilitarisation of the rhineland, 1936: In 1936, Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles, which had demilitarized the region to prevent German aggression. Despite the violation, neither France nor Britain intervened, as they viewed the Rhineland as part of Germany and wanted to avoid war. Hitler correctly predicted their inaction and offered diplomatic reassurances, such as a non-aggression pact, to calm tensions. This event marked a turning point, highlighting the Allies’ reluctance to confront Germany, and raised questions about whether Hitler was opportunistic or pursuing a broader plan for war. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939): Was a clash between fascism and communism, and democracy versus dictatorship. Hitler and Mussolini supported the Nationalists, who rebelled against the left-wing government, while the Soviet Union backed the Republicans. Britain and France stayed out of the conflict. The war resulted in 270,000 deaths, and the Nationalists, led by Franco, won, establishing a fascist dictatorship. The war was crucial for Hitler as it provided the Luftwaffe an opportunity to refine dive-bombing techniques, which later formed the basis of his fast attack strategy, Blitzkrieg. It also strengthened his alliance with Mussolini and boosted his confidence in Germany’s rearmament. During the war, Hitler also achieved success in Austria and Czechoslovakia without starting a conflict. The union with Austria (Anschluss, 1938): In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria (Anschluss), violating the Treaty of Versailles, which had forbidden the union. Most Austrians spoke German, and Hitler aimed to unite all German- speaking people. Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg attempted to limit Nazi influence but was forced to resign under pressure from Hitler, who then quickly sent troops into Austria on March 12. The annexation faced little opposition from Britain or France, who were pursuing appeasement. Following the Anschluss, Hitler turned his attention to Czechoslovakia, demanding the Sudetenland, where many ethnic Germans lived. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain sought to avoid war and agreed to negotiate with Hitler. After a series of meetings, the Munich Agreement was reached on September 29, 1938, allowing Germany to occupy the Sudetenland. Although this was intended to prevent conflict, it instead demonstrated Hitler’s growing power and the weaknesses of Britain and France in confronting his expansionist ambitions. 3.4: WAS THE POLICY OF APPEASEMENT JUSTIFIED? Starting in 1936, Britain and France implemented a policy of appeasement towards Hitler, which has faced backlash for failing to challenge dictators like him and Mussolini. This strategy was perceived as weak, as each concession emboldened Hitler and prompted further demands. The Munich Crisis of September 1938 epitomized the dangers of this approach. Nevertheless, the policy was supported by savvy leaders and appeared logical to many citizens of that era. 3.5: HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT? The Nazi-Soviet Pact had a major impact on international relations after the Munich Agreement, damaging ties between the Soviet Union and Western powers (Britain and France). Long-standing distrust existed, with Stalin believing the West preferred an alliance with Germany. Excluded from the Munich discussions, Stalin sought to secure his interests by negotiating with Hitler. In August 1939, failed military talks due to Poland’s resistance to Soviet troops led to the quick formation of the Nazi- Soviet Pact. This non-aggression treaty secretly divided Eastern Europe: Germany gained western Poland, while the Soviets took eastern Poland and the Baltic states. The pact allowed Hitler to act without Soviet interference and gave Stalin time to prepare for an impending conflict, as both anticipated war with Germany was inevitable. 3.6: WHY DID BRITAIN AND FRANCE DECLARE WAR ON GERMANY IN SEPTEMBER 1939? Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939 after Poland refused to concede Danzig to Hitler, fearing a repeat of the Munich Agreement. By this time, British Prime Minister Chamberlain and French leader Daladier recognized that appeasement was futile. Hitler misjudged their resolve, believing they wouldn’t initiate a world war. Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1 marked a clear act of expansionism, differing from earlier territorial claims based on self-determination. Two days later, Britain and France issued an ultimatum for German withdrawal from Poland. When Germany failed to respond, Chamberlain announced on the radio that Britain was at war with Germany, surprising Hitler, who expected no immediate consequences for his actions. KEY TERMS: Fascist: The Fascist Party, led by Mussolini in Italy, promoted dictatorship, nationalism, and suppressing opposition from 1922 to 1943. Lebensraum: means "living space" in German. It was a Nazi policy aimed at expanding territory, especially in Eastern Europe, to provide more land for Germans. The Allied Powers: were a coalition of countries that opposed the Axis Powers during World War II. The main members included: United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, China and France Deterrent: something that discourages or prevents someone from taking a certain action, often by instilling fear of negative consequences. Appeasement: is a diplomatic strategy of making concessions to an aggressor to avoid conflict. It aims to maintain peace but can sometimes encourage further aggression