Conflict and Tension 1918 to 1939 - AQA GCSE History

Introduction

• Covering the period from the end of World War I to the start of World War II.
• Focus on Europe, but also changes in Africa and Asia.
• Critical period of conflict and tension.

End of World War I (November 1918)

• Germany signed an Armistice:
  • Withdrawal of troops from France, Belgium, Luxembourg.
  • Handing over of Alsace-Lorraine.
  • Demilitarization of the Rhineland.
  • Handing over of military arsenal and payment of reparations.

Paris Peace Conference (January 1919)

• Over 30 countries participated; key figures: France's Clemenceau, USA's Wilson, Britain's Lloyd George.
• Key outcomes: Treaty of Versailles and other treaties.

Treaty of Versailles (June 28, 1919)

• Targeted Germany:
  • Military Terms: Demilitarization, army limitations.
  • Economic Terms: Reparations set at £6.6 billion.
  • Territorial Terms: Loss of territories such as Alsace-Lorraine, Saarland.
  • War Guilt Clause (Article 231): Germany to accept responsibility for the war.

International Reactions

• France: Mixed; Clemenceau voted out.
• Britain: Public approved initially, but Lloyd George had concerns.
• USA: Wilson's idealism vs. isolationist sentiment; Senate rejected the treaty.

Other Treaties

• Treaties of St. Germain, Trianon, and Neuilly:
  • Dealt with Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria.
  • Significant territorial losses and economic challenges.

League of Nations

• Aims: Prevent war, promote disarmament, settle disputes, improve global welfare.
• Structural Weaknesses: No army, key members absent (e.g., USA, USSR initially).
• Success in social/economic work, but failed in major conflicts.

Major Conflicts and Reactions

• Manchurian Crisis (1931): Japan invaded China; League ineffective.
• Abyssinian Crisis (1935-36): Italy's invasion; League's weak response.

Rise of Dictators and Pre-War Tensions

• Economic depression led to rise of dictators (e.g., Hitler, Mussolini).
• Hitler's aims: Destroy Versailles, expand German territory (Lebensraum).

Key Steps to World War II

• German Rearmament: Increased military size, broke Versailles conditions.
• Rhineland (1936): Remilitarization without resistance.
• Anschluss with Austria (1938): Austria annexed by Germany.
• Munich Agreement (1938): Sudetenland ceded to Germany; appeasement policy failed.

Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939)

• Non-aggression pact between Germany and USSR.
• Secret protocols dividing Eastern Europe.

Conclusion

• The failure of appeasement and ineffective international responses paved the way for World War II.
• Lessons from the period remain relevant for understanding modern global conflicts.