WW1 4-Mark Questions - WS

Long-Run Causes of WWI (Need to know 2)

1. Imperialism

• Definition: A nation's attempt to dominate other countries politically and economically through colonization.
  
  

• Example: Germany resented Britain and France for controlling more colonies—e.g., Britain had India, France had Algeria, and Germany had few African territories.
  
  

• Tension: Germany challenged French control in Morocco (1905, 1911)—increased hostility and distrust between Germany and France.
  
  

2. Militarism

• Definition: The belief in building up strong armed forces to prepare for war.
  
  

• Example: Germany and Britain entered a naval arms race (e.g., Germany built battleships to rival Britain's navy).
  
  

• Tension: Created a war-ready mindset; made diplomatic solutions less likely as military leaders gained more influence in decision-making.

Weapons & Tactics in WWI (Need to know 2)

1. Machine Guns

• Impact: Fired 400–600 rounds per minute; required several men to operate as a result of industrialization.
  
  

• Result: Made frontal assaults nearly suicidal; led to massive casualties and stalemates in trench warfare (e.g., Battle of the Somme).
  
  

2. Poison Gas

• Impact: Used to disable or kill enemy soldiers (chlorine, mustard gas), a result of industrialization, one of the first chemical weapons ever.
  
  

• Result: Caused horrific injuries and panic; introduced psychological warfare. First used by Germany at Second Battle of Ypres (1915).

Treaty of Versailles - Goals of Major Powers (Need to know 2)

1. France – Georges Clemenceau

• Goal: Punish Germany harshly and ensure they could never attack again.
  
  

• Treaty Example: Demilitarized the Rhineland; demanded high reparations; return of Alsace-Lorraine.
  
  

2. U.S. – Woodrow Wilson

• Goal: Create lasting peace and prevent future wars through diplomacy.
  
  

• Treaty Example: Included the League of Nations, but many of Wilson’s 14 Points (like disarmament for all) were rejected.

Unfair Aspects of the Treaty of Versailles (Need to know 2)

1. War Guilt Clause (Article 231)

• Why included: Legal basis for reparations; blamed Germany for the entire war.
  
  

• Why unfair: Ignored shared responsibility (e.g., Austria-Hungary’s actions); humiliated Germany and angered its people.
  
  

2. Reparations

• Why included: To make Germany pay for war damages, especially to France and Belgium.
  
  

• Why unfair: The amount (132 billion gold marks) crippled Germany's economy and led to hyperinflation in the early 1920s.

Wilson’s 14 Points vs. Treaty of Versailles (Need to know 2)

1. Self-Determination (Point 10)

• In Treaty: Some new countries created (e.g., Czechoslovakia, Poland).
  
  

• Not fully applied: Ethnic Germans placed in Czechoslovakia and Poland; colonial territories ignored.
  
  

2. Reduction of Armaments (Point 4)

• Treaty: Only Germany was forced to disarm (100,000 troops, no submarines or air force).
  
  

• Not in Treaty: Other countries kept large armies; one-sided enforcement.