Download Northfield School History Department Unit 1 Revision Booklet Topic

Northfield School History Department
Unit 1 Revision Booklet
Topic 1 : Peacemaking 1918-19 and the League of Nations
Topic 2: The Origins of the Second World War
Topic 3 : The Origins of the Cold War, 1944-55
Topic 1: Peacemaking 1918-1919 and the League of Nations
1. Paris Peace Conference
It was at the Paris Peace Conference that the Treaty of Versailles was decided
and the League of Nations was agreed to.
You will need to know that the Big Three were present:
David Lloyd George—Great Britain
Georges Clemenceau—France
Woodrow Wilson—USA
You will also need to know about the attitudes of the Big 3:
Woodrow Wilson (USA)
 As they joined in 1917 war damage was slight and casualties low in comparison.
 Wilson believed Germany was to blame for the war but he felt the Treaty
should not be too harsh as Germany may want revenge.
He produced the ‘14 points’ – the most important being self-determination
which means that people should rule themselves.
Georges Clemenceau (France)
 During the war France had suffered enormous damage. Large areas of land
destroyed and millions were killed. Wanted Germany to suffer.
He did not want Germany to recover and be a threat to France.
David Lloyd George (Britain)
 People in Britain were bitter towards Germany and wanted Germany punished harshly.
 He did want Germany punished but not too harshly as he thought they may
want revenge.
He wanted to protect Britain’s navy and start trading with Germany again
2. The Treaty of Versailles
You will need to know about the main terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
Military Terms
 The army was limited to 100,000 and conscription was banned
 Germany was not allowed tanks, submarines or aircraft
 The navy could only have 6 battleships
Germany could not put troops in the Rhineland.
War Guilt
Germany had to accept that the war was their fault
Revision Checklist.
Peacemaking 1918-1919 and the League of Nations.
The Paris Peace Conference
The Big Three
Treaty of Versailles
League of Nations
The Origins of the Second World War.
Hitler ’ s Aims
Rearmament
10 Year Non-Agression Pact
Failed Anschluss
Anglo-German Naval Agreement
The Saar
The Rhineland
Anschluss
Appeasement
The Nazi-Soviet Pact
Poland
The Origins of the Cold War, 1944-55
East-West Ideological Gap
Yalta and Potsdam
The Atomic Bomb
Iron Curtain
Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
Cominform and Comecon
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
NATO and Warsaw Pact
Nuclear Arms Race
Korean War
The Thaw
Importance of the Korean War
It extended the Cold War to the Far East
It showed that Truman was prepared to stick to the Truman Doctrine and the
principle of containing communism
It showed that America and Russia did not want to turn the Cold War into a ‘ hot
war. ’ The Russians were not directly involved in the war ( sent equipment and
weapons, not men ) . The USA fought with the UN forces ( 16 countries sent
troops ) .
It showed that communist China was a powerful country
The UN had resisted an act of aggression—something the League of Nations
had never been able to do
Remember to revise the importance of each event to the development of the
Cold War so that you can answer your 10 mark question.
Reparations
Germany had to pay £6600 million over 42 years
Territorial (Land) losses
 All German colonies were given to the Allies
 Germany lost 10% of its land size. This was given to Belgium, France, Denmark and Poland.
 West Prussia was given to Poland and it split Germany in two.
Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria.
German Reactions to the Treaty of Versailles
They were shocked at the Treaty and felt the terms were totally unfair and far
too harsh.
 They were upset that they were not represented at the peace talks.
 They hated the war guilt clause and thought other countries should share
the blame.
 The loss of land was deeply resented and went against self-determination.
 The war was followed by economic problems and Germans blamed this on
paying the reparations
 They thought the army was too small for Germany and angered many.
How accurate is the view in the cartoon? Explain your answer by referring
to the purpose of the source as well as using its content and your own
knowledge. (6 marks).
Model answer:
I think that the cartoon is accurate because it shows that the Treaty of Versailles
is being forced on Germany by the Big Three who are saying ‘ you have got to
swallow it’. This is accurate because the Treaty of Versailles was a diktat. I think
that the cartoon is accurate because it is factually correct as it shows the main
people here being the Big Three i.e. Wilson, Lloyd George and Clemenceau and
they were the ones who put the Treaty of Versailles together. It is also accurate
because it was drawn in 1919 so is a primary source by a cartoonist who must
have known what was happening because he was around at the time.
The cartoon is limited in accuracy because it does not explain why this pill is being fed to Germany and makes Germany look like the victim. Also Clemenceau
was the only member of the Big Three happy with the Treaty of Versailles. Both
Wilson and Lloyd George felt that it was too harsh. Finally, it was drawn by a
British cartoonist perhaps to prove that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh
and so is one sided.
3. The League of Nations
Strengths:
Many major powers members
Goodwill - nobody wanted another war
Improved communications in the 1920s and 30s made decision making easier
Germany joined later
Minor disputes solved in the 1920s - e.g. Aaland Islands
Moral, trade and military sanctions in place to deal with aggressive countries
Weaknesses:
USA not members which weakened the League from the start
No permanent army so military sanctions not imposed
Decision making slow as decisions had to be unanimous
Seen as club for victorious powers as Germany not allowed to join
USSR not allowed to join as Communist
Sanctions not imposed as countries put their own self - interest first i.e. Not willing to risk armed forces or trade
Trade sanctions did not work as the USA continued to trade
The League proved powerless against major powers such as Japan, Italy and
Germany
The Korean War—Events.
Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948-1949
Introduction
After WW2 Germany and Berlin had been divided into 4 zones of occupation. In
1948 the French, US and British zones merged to become West Germany. With
the help of Marshall Aid, West Germany and West Berlin recovered and began
to prosper.
It was a different story in East Germany and East Berlin. Here there was poverty and hunger. Many East Germans were leaving the East because West Germany seemed more attractive.
Berlin Blockade – 1948
For Stalin, when West Germany introduced their own currency he had had
enough and decided to try and blockade Berlin. In June 1948 Stalin closed all
the road and rail connections from Berlin to West Germany hoping he could
force the Western Allies out of Berlin.
Stalin could not block air routes to West Berlin without provoking a war so the
Allies decided to airlift supplies to West Berlin to prevent people from starving.
The airlift was a great success. Every day thousands of British and American
planes flew supplies to overcome the Blockade. By May 1949 the USSR lifted
the blockade.
Results of the Blockade
This was a victory for the West but relations with the USSR had hit rock bottom
and Germany would remain divided.
Importance of Blockade and Airlift
It was the first major confrontation of the Cold War - could have become a HOT
war.
The USA and the West had proven they would stand up to the USSR and resist
any further expansion of communism - Truman Doctrine in action.
It led to a permanent divide of Germany and Berlin
It was seen as a victory for the West and Capitalism
The Berlin Blockade and Airlift deepened the hostility between the USA and
USSR.
How accurate is the cartoon to a historian studying the weaknesses of the
League of Nations. Explain your answer referring to the content and purpose of
the cartoon as well as your own knowledge. (6 marks)
Hint: explain why the absence of the USA weakened the League of Nations. Show an understanding that the League had other weaknesses and
also some strengths.
You must understand the events of Manchuria and Abyssinia and how they led
to the failure of the League of Nations and therefore threatened world peace.
The Manchurian Crisis, 1931
In 1931 Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria. This was the first
major test for the League of Nations.
Causes
 Japan was short of living space for its population
 Manchuria was rich in natural resources such as iron ore and coal which
Japan needed.
 Japan claimed that Chinese troops were attacking the Manchurian Railway
that it protected.
• Japan’s trade was badly affected by the Wall Street Crash and they were looking for new markets.
Events
 China appealed to the League for help
 1932 – The League set up a Commission under Lord Lytton who condemned the invasion.
 Japan kept conquering territory and left the League
The League took no further action. Britain did not want to provoke Japan in
case it attacked its colonies in the Far East.
Effects
Japan captured Manchuria and had a base to attack China.
The League was shown to be weak and not prepared to take action.
This encouraged further aggression, especially from Italy and Germany.
The Abyssinian Crisis, 1935-36
In 1935 the Italian leader, Mussolini, decided to invade Abyssinia in Africa.
Causes
 Italy already had possessions around Abyssinia
 Mussolini wanted to build a great Italian Empire.
• Abyssinians had killed 30 Italian troops in 1934
Events
 1935 – the Italians invaded using modern weapons against the weak Abyssinians
 The Abyssinian leader, Haile Selassie appealed to the League for help.
The League decided that Italy was the aggressor and set economic sanctions.
BUT
 Coal, oil and steel were excluded from the sanctions
 Not all countries applied the sanctions
 Britain and France did not stop Mussolini using the Suez Canal to get to Abyssinia
HOARE-LAVAL PACT – Dec 1935 Britain and France proposed that Mussolini
should get two-thirds of Abyssinia if they stopped fighting – hoped to keep Mussolini sweet so he would not ally with Hitler – an outcry stopped this pact.
Results
Abyssinia became an Italian possession
The League was totally discredited. It had failed to act effectively and its
most powerful members had gone against it.
Mussolini and Hitler went on to become allies in 1936.
Which was more important in the failure of the League of Nations:
The Manchurian Crisis
The Abyssinian Crisis
You must refer to both bullet points when explaining your answer.
(10 marks)


You must write three paragraphs for this type of question. The first must
explain why the Manchurian Crisis led to the failure of the League, the second why the Abyssinian Crisis led to the failure of the League and the final
paragraph must give your opinion on which was most important supported
by historical fact.
Developments in the Cold War – 1947-48
The Cold War really intensified (stepped up) in this period because of several
reasons.
Soviet Expansion into Eastern Europe
After the Second World War the Soviet Union set up ‘puppet’ governments in
Poland, Albania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary. This
meant that the countries became communist and were controlled by the Soviet
Union.
In a speech in America in March 1946 Churchill said that an ‘Iron Curtain’ had
fallen across Europe.
The Soviets said that this gave them protection against the West, but the US
feared that as one country became communist others would fall.
Truman Doctrine – 1947
He was worried that communism would spread into Greece. In 1947 America
supplied the Greeks with weapons, supplies and money to defeat the communists. Truman made a speech telling people how America would support
people against the communists. This was known as the Truman Doctrine.
Marshall Plan – 1947-51
Truman thought that poverty would encourage countries to become communist.
Under the Marshall Plan that was set up in June 1947, America gave economic
aid to European countries. $13 billion was given to Europe. This made the Cold
War worse because Stalin accused the Americans of trying to control the trade
and economy of Eastern Europe to accept this aid.
How accurate is this view of the divisions in Europe in the 1940s? Use
the content and purpose of the cartoon as well as your knowledge.
Accurate
Europe was divided by Capitalism
and Communism
USSR had Soviet Sphere of
Influence in the East
Churchill described the division as an
Iron Curtain
Primary source from time of the event
Limited in Accuracy
Not actual curtain
Stalin not entirely to blame for
divisions
British cartoon so one sided
Model answer:
The Manchurian Crisis was important to the failure of the League because it was
the first time the League had been really tested by a major power. When China
appealed to the League for help the League launched an inquiry which took a
year to complete. This showed how slow the League was at making decisions.
The League condemned Japan but was ignored by Japan who left the League
and went to conquer more territory. This showed that the League had no real
power as countries were not willing to risk their armed forces against Japan and
the League did not have its own army. Countries were not willing to risk their
trade with Japan and anyway the USA were not members of the League and so
continued to trade with Japan. The Manchurian Crisis highlighted the weaknesses of the League and made it clear to other powers such as Italy under Mussolini
that they would be unopposed if they acted aggressively to other countries.
The Abyssinian Crisis was also important to the failure of the League because it
was another example of the fact that the League was unwilling to stand up to
major powers. Trade sanctions did not work because the USA continued to trade
with Italy and Britain refused to stop trade of coal and oil. Britain and France refused to close the Suez Canal to Mussolini and even tried to strike a deal which
gave Mussolini what he wanted. Nobody was willing to donate troops to fight the
Italians. Mussolini now knew that the British and French were unwilling to risk
their own interests and Hitler’s confidence increased encouraging him to remilitarise the Rhineland with no real threat of opposition.
I believe that the Abyssinian Crisis was the most important in the failure of the
League because it marked its collapse. It did exist until 1946 but after this event
was ineffective. It also proved to Hitler that he could reverse the Treaty of Versailles and conquer territory without opposition. This led to an alliance between
Hitler and Mussolini and moved the world closer to war.
Topic 2 : The Origins of the Second World War
You must be able to describe each of the steps Hitler took towards WW2 , the
reasons he gave for each and how and why Britain and France did (and did not)
react in the way they did
Hitler’s aims and expansionist policy
Hitler aimed to provide Lebensraum for the German people, retake land and
unite German speaking people under his rule
German Rearmament
Hitler aimed to reverse the military restrictions placed on Germany by the Treaty
of Versailles starting with reintroducing conscription
10 Year Non - Agression Pact
Germany agreed to guarantee the borders of Poland
Anglo - German Naval Agreement
Agreement with the British to limit the German navy to 35% the size of the British navy
The Saar
A plebiscite was held and the Saar coalfields were returned to Germany
Rhineland
Hitler remilitarised this area despite the Treaty of Versailles ruling that it should
remain a demilitarised zone
How accurate is this cartoon in describing the remilitarisation of the Rhineland?
Refer to the purpose and content of the cartoon as well as using your own
REASONS for the Cold War
THE USA AND USSR DID NOT TRUST EACH OTHER
1. They had completely different political beliefs. USSR = communist (few
rights and little freedom, state-controlled economy.) USA = capitalist
(democracy with elections and greater freedom.)
2. Each side was convinced the other wanted to spread its beliefs.
3. The USSR thought that the dropping of the atomic bomb by the USA was
a warning to them.
4. The USSR set up a buffer zone of communist countries on its western border. They said it was a barrier but the Americans saw it as a step towards
communist domination.
Truman was suspicious of communism and wanted to stop it spreading.
The Iron Curtain
Stalin felt threatened by Germany and wanted it totally destroyed. The Soviet
Union had been attacked twice in the last thirty years by Germany and they
wanted to remove this threat completely, or at least make them pay for all the
damage they had caused. However, the Western countries, Britain and the
USA, were aware of how the economic problems in Germany in the 1920 ’ s
were one of the reasons for the growth of extremism in Germany and were
anxious to avoid this again. Stalin was in control of eastern Europe and the
west couldn ’ t really tell Stalin to do anything other than what he wanted.
This caused relations to break down and Winston Churchill described this as
an Iron Curtain descending and splitting Europe in half. Churchill ’ s major
worry was that all the countries under Stalin ’ s control would become Communist and would not be allowed to hold free elections. Indeed this happened
and by 1948 Europe had been split into the Capitalist west and the Communist
east.
knowledge. ( 6 marks )
Topic 3: The Origins of the Cold War, 1944-55
Anschluss
Why did the USA and the USSR become rivals in the period 1945 to 1949?
You will need to know:
 The origins and reasons for the Cold War and the decisions made at Yalta
and Potsdam.
 A knowledge of the Soviet expansion into Eastern Europe 1945 and 1949, the ‘Iron Curtain.’
 Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan
• Events in Berlin 1945-49, especially the Berlin Blockade and airlift.
The Early Years: 1945-46
WW2
The USSR and the USA were allies in WW2 as they had fought on the same
side. However before the end of the war it was obvious that there were going to
be disagreements between the Soviet and US ‘sides.’
Yalta Conference – Feb 1945
Attended by:
Churchill – Britain
Roosevelt – USA
Stalin – USSR
It was agreed that Germany would be split into 4 zones. These would be run by
the USA, USSR, GB and France. Berlin was in the Soviet zone so would also
be split into 4 zones.
Potsdam Conference – July 1945
Attended by:
Atlee – Britain
Truman – USA
Stalin – USSR
It was here that there were areas of tension:
Stalin wanted to take reparations (money) from Germany but this was opposed
by Britain and the USA who did not want to cripple Germany.
President Truman did not tell Stalin about the atomic bomb before the USA used
it in August 1945
Stalin had set up a communist government in Poland despite promising free
elections.
The political union of Germany and Austria
Appeasement: this was the policy that the leaders of France and Britain
followed. They believed that if they gave Hitler what he wanted then he would
be happy and not take over any more land. This policy ended when Hitler invaded Poland and 2 days later Britain and France declared war.
The Czech Crisis, 1938
 Hitler wanted to expand into the area of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. 3 million German-speaking people lived there.
 Hitler ordered the leader of the Sudeten Germans to stir up trouble in the
Sudetenland and demand self-government and union with Germany.
 Hitler threatened to invade Czechoslovakia unless these demands were
met.
 The British PM, Chamberlain, believed a peaceful solution could be worked
out. At first he persuaded the Czech President, to agree to self-government for
the Sudetenland.
 29-30 September 1938 – Hitler met Chamberlain, Mussolini and the French
PM at Munich. The Czechs were not invited and were forced to hand over the
Sudetenland to Germany.
In this meeting at Munich both men promised that Britain and Germany
would not go to war. Hitler promised that he did not want the rest of
Czechoslovakia.
Chamberlain returned to Britain a hero. He had prevented war – ‘Peace for our
time.’ The results of the MUNICH AGREEMENT were serious for Czechoslovakia and Europe as a whole:
 The Czech government was completely humiliated.
 Czechoslovakia was now defenceless against Germany.
Britain and France had shown their weakness by giving into Germany.
The Events of 1939
Question:
March 1939 – Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.
Britain and France now abandoned their policy of appeasement realising that
Hitler’s promises made at Munich were worthless. They were rapidly rearming
and were determined to stand up to Hitler’s demands.
Which was a greater threat to European peace in the 1930 ’ s :
POLAND was Hitler’s next target.
April 1939 – Hitler demanded the return of the port of Danzig and the Polish
Corridor. Poland refused Hitler’s demands.
The future of Poland now depended on the attitude of the USSR. Britain
and France opened talks with Stalin but were very surprised when the
NAZI-SOVIET NON-AGGRESSION PACT was signed on 23 August
1939.
You must refer to BOTH reasons when explaining your answer
1st September 1939 – Hitler invaded Poland.
3rd September 1939 – Britain and France declared war on Germany.
APPEASEMENT
Britain and France followed this policy in the mid- and late 1930s. It meant giving Hitler what he wanted on condition that he did not try to expand further. The
2 countries did not want war as they did not think they were strong enough.
In 1938 this policy appeared to be working, but by the end of 1939 it had been
unsuccessful. Was the policy followed by Chamberlain justified?
AGAINST APPEASEMENT
 Appeasement was morally wrong. Britain should have opposed Hitler’s bullying tactics.
 By following appeasement Britain betrayed the Austrians and Czechs.
 Appeasement made Britain look weak and gave Hitler confidence.
Appeasement did not work because Hitler could not be trusted to keep his word.
FOR APPEASEMENT
 Britain was not ready to go to war and had to buy time.
 Germany was mistreated at Versailles and most of Hitler’s demands were
reasonable.
 War had to be avoided at all costs.
 Hitler was anti-communist and was restoring Germany.
 By following this policy Hitler was shown to be clearly in the wrong and a
man not to be trusted, so the British people would not hesitate to go to war.

Remilitarisation of the Rhineland 1936

Nazi - Soviet Pact 1938
The focus is to explain why the remilitarisation of the Rhineland and the NaziSoviet Pact was a threat to European peace and to reach a balanced judge-
ment.
The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was a threat to European peace because Hitler had taken a gamble by ordering the occupation. Hitler had given his generals a secret order to withdraw if they faced any resistance
from Britain or France. But there was no resistance, this gave Hitler the
confidence to go further and regain more land taken by the Treaty of
Vesailles. It also made Germany militarily stronger.
The Nazi—Soviet Pact was a threat to world peace because the Soviets and
Nazis agreed to split Poland between them. It allowed Hitler to attack Poland without the threat of a war on two fronts which had brought about
the downfall of the Germans in WW1. It also allowed the USSR time to mobilise. Britain had guaranteed Poland’s independence so when Poland was attacked Britain declared war on Germany.
I think that the biggest threat to European peace was the remilitarisation
of the Rhineland. War was inevitable by the time the Nazi—Soviet Pact was
signed. The remilitarisation of the Rhineland was the first time Hitler had
tested Britain and France by defying the Treaty of Versailles and had got
away with it. Hitler was confident that he could do what he wanted without
opposition.
Remember: revise the importance of all the major steps to WW2 as
this 10 mark question could include different events.