Power and Authority in the Modern World 1919–1946 Flashcards

Comprehensive flashcards covering the concepts, individuals, and events of the period between 1919 and 1946 regarding Power and Authority.

How long did the First World War (the ‘Great War’) last?

Four years, from $1914$ to $1918$.

What event triggered the outbreak of the First World War?

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, in late June $1914$.

When did Bulgaria surrender at the end of the First World War?

$29\,September\,1918$.

On what date did Turkey surrender?

$31\,October\,1918$.

When did Austria-Hungary surrender?

$4\,November\,1918$.

Whom did the German High Command inform that the war was lost in $1918$?

Kaiser Wilhelm II (Emperor Wilhelm II).

When did Kaiser Wilhelm II flee Germany for the Netherlands?

$9\,November\,1918$.

What is the specific date and terms of the agreement that ended the fighting in WWI?

The armistice signed on $11\,November\,1918$.

How many people died as a direct result of combat in the Great War?

Over $9\,000,000$ people.

How many people died in the Great War due to food shortages?

A further $5\,000,000$ people.

What is the estimated financial cost of the First World War?

Over $300\,billion$ dollars.

Which four imperial powers collapsed as a result of the Great War?

Germany, Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary.

What was the official name of the conference that redrew the map of Europe after WWI?

The Paris Peace Conference.

When did the Paris Peace Conference begin?

Start of $January\,1919$.

How many countries were represented by delegates at the Paris Peace Conference?

$32$ countries.

Which victorious nation was excluded from the Paris Peace Conference?

Russia, because it had made a separate peace treaty with the Central Powers in $1918$.

Which nations were considered the ‘Great Powers’ responsible for drawing the conference rules?

Britain, France, the United States, Italy, and Japan.

What was the specific name of the treaty signed with Germany?

The Treaty of Versailles.

Where was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

The Palace of Versailles.

What were the two primary goals conference attendees had at the outset?

To prevent a repeat of a major war and to justify the vast costs in lives and money paid during the war.

Which group of nations made up the ‘Central Powers’?

Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey.

Who made up the main ‘Allies’ coalition in opposition to the Central Powers?

Britain, the Commonwealth, France, Russia, the United States, Serbia, and Italy.

Define ‘imperialism’ in the context of the study.

Relating to the creation and extension of an empire of territories controlled for economic gain.

What does the term ‘arms race’ describe?

An escalation of arms development by nations seeking to ensure they have more powerful weapons than neighbors.

Who were the leaders known as the ‘Big Four’?

Georges Clemenceau (France), David Lloyd George (Britain), Vittorio Orlando (Italy), and Woodrow Wilson (USA).

Who was the French Prime Minister during the Paris Peace Conference?

Georges Clemenceau.

How old was Georges Clemenceau in $1919$?

$78$ years old.

Why was Clemenceau determined to weaken Germany?

He had seen France invaded twice and feared future invasion due to Germany's higher birth rate and shared border.

What specific troop limit did Clemenceau want for the German army?

$100,000$ troops.

What specific naval limit did Clemenceau demand for Germany?

$6$ battleships.

What type of military ban did Clemenceau advocate for Germany regarding aerial combat?

A ban on having an air force.

What is the term for money required as a penalty for damage during a war?

Reparations.

What is the term for a soldier mandated by the government for service (not a volunteer)?

A conscript (conscription).

Who was the British Prime Minister during the Paris Peace Conference?

David Lloyd George.

What action did Lloyd George take to ensure British naval security before the treaty was signed?

He had taken control of the German Navy.

What was the purpose of the Royal Navy blockade maintained by Britain after the armistice?

To limit food to the starving German population until the treaty was signed.

Why was Britain reluctant to completely ‘cripple’ Germany?

They feared France would become too strong and wanted the German economy healthy enough to buy British manufactured goods.

Who was the Italian leader at the Paris Peace Conference?

Vittorio Orlando.

What specific territorial goal did Vittorio Orlando have for Italy?

Control of the Adriatic coastline.

Why did Vittorio Orlando leave the conference deeply dissatisfied?

Italy did not receive many of its expected territorial gains as other powers were suspicious of its imperial ambitions.

Who took over in Italy in $October\,1922$ following Orlando's political failure?

Benito Mussolini.

Who was the US President during the Paris Peace Conference?

Woodrow Wilson.

What was the name of the speech Wilson delivered to Congress on $22\,January\,1917$?

‘Peace without victory’.

What was the famous set of principles Wilson set out in $January\,1918$?

The ‘Fourteen Points’.

What is the term for the international organization Wilson wanted to justify the US participation in WWI?

The League of Nations.

What was Fourteen Point Number $1$?

No secret treaties.

What was Fourteen Point Number $4$ regarding military hardware?

International disarmament.

What territorial demand was Point $8$ of the Fourteen Points?

France to regain Alsace-Lorraine.

What was Point $13$ regarding Poland?

Poland to become an independent state with access to the sea.

What was Point $14$?

A League of Nations to be established.

How did Wilson respond when Germany asked for peace based on the Fourteen Points in $October\,1918$?

He replied that new peace terms would have to be decided after an armistice.

Which myth claimed that the German army had only lost due to internal betrayal?

The ‘stab in the back’.

What is the term for a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed on a defeated nation?

Diktat.

What were the four other peace settlements signed during the conference?

Treaty of Trianon (Hungary), Treaty of Neuilly (Bulgaria), Treaty of Saint-Germain (Austria), and Treaty of Sevres (Turkey).

Which clause in the Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to accept responsibility for causing the war?

Article $231$ (the ‘War Guilt Clause’).

What action did the US Senate take regarding the Treaty of Versailles?

They failed to ratify it.

What did it mean to ‘ratify’ the treaty?

To agree to, support, or give formal confirmation.

What was the document setting out the League of Nations' structure and aims called?

The Covenant of the League of Nations.

What was the key objective stated in the Covenant of the League of Nations?

To promote international co-operation and achieve peace and security by accepting obligations not to resort to war.

On what date was the League of Nations' Covenant approved?

$28\,April\,1919$.

How many articles were in the League of Nations' Covenant?

$26$ articles.

How many founding members did the League of Nations have?

$42$ founding members.

Where was the headquarters of the League of Nations located?

Geneva, Switzerland.

What were the three main branches of the League of Nations’ structure?

The Assembly, the Council, and the Secretariat.

How many votes did each state have in the League’s Assembly?

A single vote.

How often did the League's Council meet?

Four times a year.

Who was responsible for managing everyday League business?

The Secretariat, under a Secretary General.

How many full-time professional administrators made up the League Secretariat?

$600$ administrators.

What other organizations functioned under the League of Nations?

Permanent Court of International Justice and the International Labour Organization.

According to Margaret Macmillan, power in $1919$ was linked to what essential human element?

The ‘will’ to spend money or lives.

What term describes the US policy of staying out of world affairs to focus on self-interest?

Isolationism.

Define ‘power’ as used in political science and history.

A concept linked to the twin elements of fear and reward.

What is ‘realpolitik’?

Politics based on practical concerns about power and influence rather than justice or morality.

What is ‘coercive force’?

The power to punish those who do not obey (e.g., death, imprisonment).

What is a ‘plutocracy’?

A society or form of government dominated by wealth.

Define the concept of ‘authority’.

The justification for the use of power.

In a democracy, where does authority come from?

The people (ordinary citizens).

What is a ‘theocracy’?

A society or government dominated by religious ideas/divine mandates.

Where did Hitler claim his authority came from?

The Volk (the ethnic German people) and the Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community).

From where did the authority of the Communist Party in Russia originate?

Communist ideology and the proletariat (urban industrial working class).

What historical imagery did Mussolini use to justify his authority?

The glories of Ancient Rome and the idea of a ‘Third Rome’.

What was the basis of authority in militarist Japan?

Loyalty to the Emperor (Hirohito), who was seen as a God.

Define ‘fascist’ according to the Core Study.

A right-wing nationalist political movement that originated in Italy.

Define ‘totalitarian’.

An extreme form of dictatorship with total or near-total control over a society.

Define ‘militarist’.

A strong military influence on a society or its government.

What was ‘collective security’?

An approach where nations promised to support one another to ensure security if threatened.

What Latin term is used by historians to describe each dictatorship as unique?

Sui generis.

All four dictatorships rejection which core value?

Democratic values.

Which historian described Europe in the interwar period as the ‘Dark Continent’?

Mark Mazower.

What is ‘liberal democracy’?

A government that protects freedoms of religion, press, and free enterprise.

What is ‘representative government’?

Government run by officials who have been elected.

Define ‘authoritarian’.

Favouring strict obedience to authority, where government is not challenged.

In what year did the Japanese military start to play an important part in politics?

$1860$.

When did the Bolshevik Party take power in Russia?

$1917$.

Who became head of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union in $1922$?

Joseph Stalin.

When did Benito Mussolini found the Fascist Party?

$1919$.

When did Mussolini establish a fascist dictatorship in Italy?

$1922$.

In what year did Joseph Stalin become the official sole leader of the Soviet Union?

$1924$.

What major global event starting in $1929$ encouraged public support for dictators?

The Great Depression.

When did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany?

$January\,1933$.