eoy assessment 2

long shadow, standing alone

Paris Peace Conference

January 1919 for leaders of the victorious

• 32 countries excluding Germany and Russia

The Treaty of Versailles

Signed 28th June 1919 with conditions that limited Germany’s military control & overall power

Impact on British Empire

More countries became part of the empire with:

• Britain pulling out of Iraq, Afghanistan and Persia after revolts

• 1918 Egyptian revolts and Britain giving them independence with control over the Suez Canal

Britain and Ireland

Officially granted independence in 1949

• IRA(Irish Republican army) formed in 1919, Westminster to assert their own politics

• (British) Black and Tans killing 14 civilians in a football match fire as form of oppression during 1920

Germany’s reparations

All damages were to be paid. £6.6billion

• 0 planes, 6 warships, 100,000 soldiers with banned conscription

• France and England take their colonies. Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.

German politics after the war

Kaiser Wilhem abdicated, with the Weimar Republic being formed in 9th November 1918

• all people had votes

• the power of votes were proportional

• there was a new president every 7 years

German economics after the war

£6.6B debt paid until 1988 with economic damage

• 16% of coal lost

• 27,000 people lost

Austro-Hungary after WW1

The empire collapsed and was completely divided with new, poorer countries and varying identity.

• Czechoslovakia had coal, yet its workers lived in Poland

German land in Austro-Hungary

The town of Kadan was originally Germany. A protest for German rule lead to 14 deaths.

Ottoman Empire after WW1

Lost the majority of their land before the war. Notably:

• Greece in 1830

• Turkey in 29/10/1923

• Egypt in 1914

May the Fourth movement

Communist party in 1919 wanting to change Chinese culture

Shandong problem

Japan and China had disputes over the territory, when the imperial powers decided Japan should have it, Chinese nationalism crumbled.

The Siege of Tsingtao

The capturing of this port left an impression that the Chinese were weak, with the idea being reinforced by the Shandong problem.

Fascism

far-right government that believes a country is stronger if everyone has the same rigid beliefs

Communism

all means of production are owned by the community

• no privatization or hierarchy

Main reason for the increase in dictatorships post WW1

At a time of vulnerability and resentment, it was easy for extremist ideas to appeal to people

Britain’s “standing alone”

• April 1940, Germany invades the Netherlands

• June 1940, France surrenders to Germany

Afterwards, the British only gained support, notably:

• 1941 after Japanese attack on Pearl Habour, USA

The Empire’s role in WW2

• 2.5million Indian soldiers with ¼ of the world population on Britain’s side

• Land such as Southern Rhodesia used for training, Canada with 150 new companies for goods

• £800mil of goods from Canada, £1.3bil goods from India