Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Compare and contrast the reasons for Germany’s involvement in the 1st and 2nd WW
• Avoid: descriptive narratives, delve into themes
Although Germany was blamed for the outbreak of the First World War, other countries were equally responsible
• Outline traditional view suggesting Germany was to blame, Fischer and the traditional view
o September memorandum,
o Mittleurope, mittleafrica
o Gain more status, nationalism
o Blanque cheque
• However, other countries were also to blame, equally or also?
o Great Britain
Restore Belgian independence, maintain naval superiority
Economic reasons, expand power (great Britain wants to maintain superiority)
o France-
Alsace Lorraine
o Russian:
unite Russian people under Russia
non compromittal attitude to dealing with the Balkans post a humiliation by the AH
o Austria Hungary
Suppression of pan slavism
Wanted to expand in the Balkans
Aims announced in
Examine the part played by each of the following in the outbreak of the WW1, alliances, Balkan nationalism and
mobilisation?
• Only focus on the factors mentioned, draw back to the question,
• Balkan nationalism
• Alliances
• Mobilisation
o Russian mobilisation,
How valid is the statement that the European countries went to war in 1914 due to motives of fear rather than gain
• Belgium: just attacked
• Germany is afraid of encirclement
• AH, afraid of pan Slavism and the breakup of the empire
• Russia: wants more territory, unite slavs, afraid of diplomatic failure
• Italy: wants to gain territory, Trieste, Trentino...
• Great Britan: afraid of changes, want to keep supremacy naval and diplomatic
The outcomes of the WW1
• Germany
o Lost the war
o Subject to treaty of Versailles, could outline the effect of the terms, shame, humiliation, bitterness (German subjection to treaty of
Versailles is one effect, don’t overdevelop)
o Rise of street nationalist parties in Germany, Hitler
• Ottoman and Austrian empire ceased to exist
The effects of the Second World War
• Economic devastation
• Japan lost, humiliated, forced into unconditional surrender
• Defeat of Hitler and the Nazis
• Cold war
o Rise of superpowers, change in balance of power
o East and west divisions
o Border re-adjustments
o Arms race
• Colonies
o Some received independence, India
Evaluate the success and failures of one twentieth century treaty in addressing the causes of conflict and restoring peace
and normality
= how far did they restore the situation to normal and prevent another war..
Two parts: addressing causes, restoring peace and normality
• Did they restore peace and normality?
o Restored peace but for a short period of time only, and did not restore normality
o Keep a balanced account, supported by specific details
• Successes • Failures
League of Nations o o Could not enforce the
treaty,
• Abyssinia
• Manchuria
Self - determination • Austria • Rise of nationalism in countries
• Czechoslovakia where self-determination was not granted
• Romania • Growing hostilities between the
different nations
Versailles Treaty • • Political
o Not supported by USA
o Creates divisions by making certain
countries suspicious and preventing
them from joining the league
o Does not restore balance of power
Economic
• Economic problems, hyperinflation,
invasion of the Ruhr
• The idea behind reparations was to
compensate the damage done by the war,
but the reparations did not and could not
meet the damage, the countries were
endebted
• •
In what ways and with what successes did post war peacemakers attempt to deal with the problems which produced conflict? Specific
reference should be made to two peace settlements.
• Differences to be negotiated
• Preventing any one country from gaining too much power
• Does not use the word treaty, only settlement so others can be used