AICE International History: The Peace Settlements and the League of Nations

Vocabulary flashcards covering the post-WWI Paris Peace treaties, territorial adjustments, treaty reactions, League of Nations structure, commissions, and international dispute outcomes.

Fourteen Points

Woodrow Wilson's 1918 plan for post-war peace that advocated for open diplomacy, disarmament, and the creation of the League of Nations.

Georges Clemenceau's Peace Aims

The French objective to impose harsh punishments, massive financial reparations, and severe military restrictions on Germany.

David Lloyd George's Peace Aims

The British desire for a balanced settlement that would punish Germany while preserving it as a viable trading partner.

Japan's Covenant Proposal

A request for a clause stating that everyone should be treated the same, which was repeatedly rejected and shut down by the USA.

Paris Peace Conference

The post-WWI gathering attended by over 30 states where the Big Three held real power, while Germany and Russia were excluded.

Dictated Peace (Diktat)

A peace settlement forced upon a defeated nation without allowing them a seat at the negotiation table.

German Military Restrictions (Treaty of Versailles)

Terms that strictly capped the German army to 100,000 men and demilitarized the Rhineland.

Polish Corridor

A strip of land awarded to Poland after World War I to provide it with direct access to the sea.

Danzig

A major port city that was separated from Germany and designated as a Free City.

Article 231 (War Guilt Clause)

The section of the Treaty of Versailles requiring Germany and her allies to accept full responsibility for causing the war.

Treaty of Saint-Germain

The post-war treaty that dissolved the Austro-Hungarian Empire and prohibited Austria from forming a political union with Germany.

Treaty of Trianon

The post-war peace treaty that severely reduced the borders and territory of Hungary.

Treaty of Neuilly

The post-war peace treaty that cost Bulgaria its access to the Aegean Sea.

Treaty of Sèvres

The treaty that dismantled the Ottoman Empire, which was subsequently rejected and replaced by the Treaty of Lausanne.

Self-Determination

The political principle holding that distinct national groups have the inherent right to form their own independent sovereign states.

Prohibition of Anschluss

The forbidden political union between Germany and Austria, serving as a prominent example where self-determination was not applied fairly.

Mandates Commission

A League of Nations supervisory body that required mandatory powers to submit detailed annual reports regarding their administered territories.

Refugee Commission

A League agency that assisted in returning hundreds of thousands of displaced prisoners of war to their homes.

Disarmament Commission

A League body established to promote the reduction of national military forces.

Slavery Commission

A League commission that worked on an annual basis to eradicate and abolish slavery worldwide.

Mutilated Victory

An Italian concept expressing the deep grievance that Italy's wartime sacrifices went unrewarded in the peace treaties.

1921 Reparations Figure

The financial sum of 132 billion gold marks fixed by Britain and France as Germany's post-war liability.

Covenant of the League of Nations

The founding constitutional document that outlined the core rules, organization, and procedures of the League of Nations.

League of Nations Assembly

The broad representative body that operated as the League of Nations' general parliament.

Permanent Court of International Justice

The legal tribunal of the League of Nations, consisting of international judges tasked with handling legal disputes.

League of Nations Council

A small executive body created to manage fast-moving international crises, composed of permanent members (Britain, France, Italy, Japan) and rotating members.

Unanimity Voting Rule

The voting standard requiring all members to agree before action could be taken, which frequently paralyzed the League's decision-making.

U.S. Absence from the League

The refusal of the United States to join the League, which deprived the organization of vital power, wealth, and material resources.

Germany's Admission to the League

The formal entry of Germany as a member state of the League of Nations in 1926.

Absence of a Standing League Army

The critical lack of an independent military force, which severely hindered the League's ability to enforce its decisions.

Aaland Islands Dispute (1921)

A successful League arbitration that settled a territorial conflict between Sweden and Finland over the Aaland Islands.

Vilna Dispute (1920)

An early failure of the League in which it could not resolve the dispute, leading the disputing parties to take control into their own hands.

Corfu Incident (1923)

A high-profile international dispute that exposed the League's weakness and ended as a notable League failure.

Greco-Bulgarian War (1925)

A border conflict triggered by Greece invading Bulgaria, successfully resolved after the League ordered a ceasefire.

Teschen Dispute (1920)

A territorial dispute where the League demarcated a border that left neither competing nation satisfied.

Upper Silesia (1921)

A disputed border territory that the League successfully partitioned between Germany and Poland.

Memel Dispute (1923)

A territorial issue where the League ruled to allow Lithuania to retain control of the disputed port city.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

An agency associated with the League that successfully worked to improve labor conditions and establish minimum wage standards.