WWI Peace Treaties and the League of Nations – Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering major terms from the lecture notes on the end of WWI, the Paris Peace Conference (1919), the Versailles Treaty, and the League of Nations (1919–1923).

Armistice (WWI)

A formal agreement to stop fighting in World War I, signed on 11 November 1918.

Allies

Britain, France, USA, Italy, and Russia—the main coalition opposing the Central Powers in WWI.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria‑Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey—the coalition defeated in WWI.

Paris Peace Conference

The 1919 meeting that began peace negotiations; 32 nations represented; led to the Treaty of Versailles and other treaties.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace treaty with Germany setting military limits, reparations, territorial losses, and creating the League of Nations.

War Guilt Clause (Article 231)

Germany was blamed for starting the war, used to justify reparations.

Reparations

Payments demanded from Germany to cover war damages and costs; a major contested outcome of the peace settlements.

Rhineland demilitarised

Area along the Rhine where German armed forces were forbidden to be stationed.

Alsace‑Lorraine

Territory returned to France as part of the postwar settlement.

Saar Basin

Region controlled by the League for a period with a plebiscite after 15 years to decide its fate.

Poland’s access to the sea / Self‑determination for Eastern Europe

Poland to be an independent state with access to the sea, reflecting Wilson’s self‑determination aims.

Treaty of St Germain

Treaty with Austria; dissolved the Austro‑Hungarian Empire and created new states; Anschluss forbidden.

Treaty of Trianon

Treaty with Hungary; dissolution of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire and territorial losses.

Treaty of Neuilly

Treaty with Bulgaria; territorial losses and limits on military forces.

Treaty of Sevres

Treaty with Turkey; extensive territorial losses and international control of the Straits; League Covenant included.

Treaty of Lausanne

1923 treaty that renegotiated Sevres; Turkey regained some territory; Straits later demilitarised by Montreux.

Aaland Islands 1920

Dispute between Finland and Sweden resolved by the League; the islands remained Finnish.

Upper Silesia 1923

Dispute between Germany and Poland over an industrial region; League supervised a plebiscite and division.

Corfu Incident 1923

Italy’s invasion of Greece; League condemned the action but failed to stop Mussolini’s demands.

Hoare–Laval Pact

Secret British–French proposal to cede parts of Abyssinia to Italy; leaked and caused outcry.

Locarno Treaty 1925

Germany accepted western borders; improved Franco‑German relations and helped Germany join the League.

Kellogg–Briand Pact 1928

Agreement by many nations not to use war to settle disputes; lacked enforceable penalties.

Young Plan 1929

Plan to reduce Germany’s reparations payments after the Dawes Plan.

Washington Conference 1921–22

Allocation of naval disarmament talks among the USA, Britain, and Japan.

Rapallo Treaty 1922

Re‑established diplomatic relations between Germany and the USSR.

Dawes Plan 1924

US loans to Germany to help pay reparations and stabilize the German economy.

Manchuria / Mukden Incident 1931

Japanese staged railway sabotage to justify invasion of Manchuria; League’s response was weak.

Abyssinia Crisis (1935–36)

Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia; League sanctions failed to stop aggression; Hoare–Laval Pact leaked; Italy later left the League.

Stresa Pact 1935

Britain, France, and Italy pledged to oppose German expansion but did not deter Mussolini.

Rome–Berlin Axis 1936

Alliance between Italy and Germany forming a foundation for WWII cooperation.

Disarmament Conference (Geneva) 1932–34

Efforts to disarm globally; failed as Germany rearmed and the conference collapsed.

Great Depression

Global economic collapse starting 1929; led to mass unemployment and rising extremism, affecting international diplomacy.

Brest‑Litovsk

1918 treaty through which Russia exited WWI, losing large western territories; cited as a hypocrisy benchmark by German critics.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s proposed invasion of France via Belgium, triggering British involvement in WWI.

Diktat

Germans’ term for the Versailles settlement, seen as a dictated peace.

Treaty of Versailles – additional consequences

Led to loss of German colonies, redrawing of borders, and economic strain that contributed to later unrest.

Saarland / League control / plebiscite

Saarland placed under League administration with a plebiscite after a set period.

Montreux Convention (1936)

Regulated the Straits regime in 1936; allowed Turkey to reform the Straits while demilitarising prior.

USSR joining the League (1934)

USSR joined the League in 1934 and left in 1939 amid growing tensions.

USA and the League of Nations – non‑participation

The United States never joined the League, due to isolationist sentiments and opposition within Congress.

Militarism (Causes of WWI)

The belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests; a key cause of WWI.

Alliances (Causes of WWI)

A system of mutual defense agreements between European powers that created complex obligations and led to a large-scale war from a regional conflict.

Imperialism (Causes of WWI)

The competition among European powers for colonies and spheres of influence, leading to rivalries and conflicts that contributed to WWI.

Nationalism (Causes of WWI)

Intense loyalty and devotion to one's nation, often accompanied by a belief in its superiority over others; a factor in ethnic tensions and expansionist ambitions that sparked WWI.

Fourteen Points

Woodrow Wilson's proposal for peace after WWI, advocating for self-determination, free trade, open diplomacy, and the creation of the League of Nations.

Georges Clemenceau

French Prime Minister during WWI and a key figure at the Paris Peace Conference, known for his insistence on harsh terms for Germany.

David Lloyd George

British Prime Minister during WWI and a significant participant at the Paris Peace Conference, seeking a balance between punishing Germany and ensuring its economic recovery.

Appeasement

A foreign policy strategy of making concessions to an aggressive power to avoid war, notably pursued by Britain and France in the 1930s towards Hitler's Germany.

Anschluss

The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938, a violation of the Treaty of St Germain and a step towards German expansion.

Munich Agreement 1938

An agreement between Germany, France, Britain, and Italy, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland

Armistice (WWI)

A formal agreement to stop fighting in World War I, signed on 11 November 1918.

Allies

Britain, France, USA, Italy, and Russia
—the main coalition opposing the Central Powers in WWI.

Central Powers

Germany, Austria‑Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey
—the coalition defeated in WWI.

Paris Peace Conference

The 1919 meeting that began peace negotiations; 32 nations represented; led to the Treaty of Versailles and other treaties.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 peace treaty with Germany setting military limits, reparations, territorial losses, and creating the League of Nations.

War Guilt Clause (Article 231)

Germany was blamed for starting the war, used to justify reparations.

Reparations

Payments demanded from Germany to cover war damages and costs; a major contested outcome of the peace settlements.

Rhineland demilitarised

Area along the Rhine where German armed forces were forbidden to be stationed.

Alsace‑Lorraine

Territory returned to France as part of the postwar settlement.

Saar Basin

Region controlled by the League for a period with a plebiscite after 15 years to decide its fate.

Poland’s access to the sea / Self‑determination for Eastern Europe

Poland to be an independent state with access to the sea, reflecting Wilson’s self‑determination aims.

Treaty of St Germain

Treaty with Austria, signed on September 10, 1919; dissolved the Austro‑Hungarian Empire and created new states; Anschluss forbidden.

Treaty of Trianon

Treaty with Hungary, signed on June 4, 1920; dissolution of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire and territorial losses.

Treaty of Neuilly

Treaty with Bulgaria, signed on November 27, 1919; territorial losses and limits on military forces.

Treaty of Sevres

Treaty with Turkey, signed on August 10, 1920; extensive territorial losses and international control of the Straits; League Covenant included.

Treaty of Lausanne

1923 treaty that renegotiated Sevres; Turkey regained some territory; Straits later demilitarised by Montreux.

Aaland Islands 1920

Dispute between Finland and Sweden resolved by the League; the islands remained Finnish.

Upper Silesia 1923

Dispute between Germany and Poland over an industrial region; League supervised a plebiscite and division.

Corfu Incident 1923

Italy’s invasion of Greece; League condemned the action but failed to stop Mussolini’s demands.

Hoare–Laval Pact

Secret British–French proposal to cede parts of Abyssinia to Italy; leaked and caused outcry.

Locarno Treaty 1925

Germany accepted western borders; improved Franco‑German relations and helped Germany join the League.

Kellogg–Briand Pact 1928

Agreement by many nations not to use war to settle disputes; lacked enforceable penalties.

Young Plan 1929

Plan to reduce Germany’s reparations payments after the Dawes Plan.

Washington Conference 1921–22

Allocation of naval disarmament talks among the USA, Britain, and Japan.

Rapallo Treaty 1922

Re‑established diplomatic relations between Germany and the USSR.

Dawes Plan 1924

US loans to Germany to help pay reparations and stabilize the German economy.

Manchuria / Mukden Incident 1931

Japanese staged railway sabotage to justify invasion of Manchuria; League’s response was weak.

Abyssinia Crisis (1935–36)

Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia; League sanctions failed to stop aggression; Hoare–Laval Pact leaked; Italy later left the League.

Stresa Pact 1935

Britain, France, and Italy pledged to oppose German expansion but did not deter Mussolini.

Rome–Berlin Axis 1936

Alliance between Italy and Germany forming a foundation for WWII cooperation.

Disarmament Conference (Geneva) 1932–34

Efforts to disarm globally; failed as Germany rearmed and the conference collapsed.

Great Depression

Global economic collapse starting 1929; led to mass unemployment and rising extremism, affecting international diplomacy.

Brest‑Litovsk

1918 treaty through which Russia exited WWI, losing large western territories; cited as a hypocrisy benchmark by German critics.

Schlieffen Plan

Germany’s proposed invasion of France via Belgium, triggering British involvement in WWI.

Diktat

Germans’ term for the Versailles settlement, seen as a dictated peace.

Treaty of Versailles – additional consequences

Led to loss of German colonies, redrawing of borders, and economic strain that contributed to later unrest.

Saarland / League control / plebiscite

Saarland placed under League administration with a plebiscite after a set period.

Montreux Convention (1936)

Regulated the Straits regime in 1936; allowed Turkey to reform the Straits while demilitarising prior.

USSR joining the League (1934)

USSR joined the League in 1934 and left in 1939 amid growing tensions.

USA and the League of Nations – non‑participation

The United States never joined the League, due to isolationist sentiments and opposition within Congress.

Militarism (Causes of WWI)

The belief that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests; a key cause of WWI.

Alliances (Causes of WWI)

A system of mutual defense agreements between European powers that created complex obligations and led to a large-scale war from a regional conflict.

Imperialism (Causes of WWI)

The competition among European powers for colonies and spheres of influence, leading to rivalries and conflicts that contributed to WWI.

Nationalism (Causes of WWI)

Intense loyalty and devotion to one's nation, often accompanied by a belief in its superiority over others; a factor in ethnic tensions and expansionist ambitions that sparked WWI.

Fourteen Points

Woodrow Wilson's proposal for peace after WWI, advocating for self-determination, free trade, open diplomacy, and the creation of the League of Nations.

Georges Clemenceau

French Prime Minister during WWI and a key figure at the Paris Peace Conference, known for his insistence on harsh terms for Germany.

David Lloyd George

British Prime Minister during WWI and a significant participant at the Paris Peace Conference, seeking a balance between punishing Germany and ensuring its economic recovery.

Appeasement

A foreign policy strategy of making concessions to an aggressive power to avoid war, notably pursued by Britain and France in the 1930s towards Hitler's Germany.

Anschluss

The annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938, a violation of the Treaty of St Germain and a step towards German expansion.

Munich Agreement 1938

An agreement between Germany, France, Britain, and Italy, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland