Year 10 Individuals and Societies

Unit 2 Causes of World War 2

Activities

1: Brief Timeline of World War 1 battles

Go to the following website:

http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/maps/. Under the heading

Maps & Battles of World War 1. Play each animation clip

starting from Europe in 1914 to the Western Front in 1918.

During each animation clip, information will appear on the

screen. Copy and paste this information in this document

and create a timeline.

2: One Christmas Day in the trenches

Go to the following webpage:

http://www.pbs.org/greatwar/historian/hist_simkins_04_tr

uce.html and read about the Christmas Day truce in 1914.

Now watch the youtube video ‘Pipes of Peace by Paul

McCartney’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ErrZ-

ipoE

Having read the extract and watched Paul McCartney’s Pipes

of Peace, can you discuss briefly which medium of

communication you preferred.

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3: Casualities of World War 1

Countries Total Mobilized

Killed & Died Wounded Prisoners &

MissingTotal

CasualtiesCasualties %

Mobilized

Allied PowersRussia 12,000,000 1,700,000 4,950,000 2,500,000 9,150,000 76.3France 8,410,000 1,357,800 4,266,000 537,000 6,160,800 76.3

British Empire 8,904,467 908,371 2,090,212 191,652 3,190,235 35.8

Italy 5,615,000 650,000 947,000 600,000 2,197,000 39.1United States 4,355,000 126,000 234,300 4,500 364,800 8.2

Japan 800,000 300 907 3 1,210 0.2Romania 750,000 335,706 120,000 80,000 535,706 71.4

Serbia 707,343 45,000 133,148 152,958 331,106 46.8Belgium 267,000 13,716 44,686 34,659 93,061 34.9Greece 230,000 5,000 21,000 1,000 17,000 11.7

Portugal 100,000 7,222 13,751 12,318 33,291 33.3Montenegro 50,000 3,000 10,000 7,000 20,000 40.0

Total 42,188,810 5,152,115 12,831,004 4,121,090 22,104,209 52.3

Central Powers

Germany 11,000,000 1,773,700 4,216,058 1,152,800 7,142,558 64.9

Austria-Hungary 7,800,000 1,200,000 3,620,000 2,200,000 7,020,000 90.0

Turkey 2,850,000 325,000 400,000 250,000 975,000 34.2Bulgaria 1,200,000 87,500 152,390 27,029 266,919 22.2

Total 22,850,000 3,386,200 8,388,448 3,629,829 15,404,477 67.4Grand Total 65,038,810 8,538,315 21,219,452 7,750,919 37,508,686 57.6

(a) Explain why despite the Allied Powers ‘winning the

war’, these countries experienced greater casualties

than the Central Powers.

(b) Take one country from the Allied Powers & one

country from the Central Powers and construct a bar

chart illustrating its fate during WW1 using the six

variables mentioned in the table.

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4: The following webpages show the maps of Europe in 1914

and 1918. Comment on how the physical geography of

Europe changed during this short period.

1914:

http://www.westpoint.edu/history/SiteAssets/SitePages/

World%20War%20I/WWOne02.gif

1918

http://www.westpoint.edu/history/SiteAssets/

SitePages/World%20War%20I/WWOne51.jpg

5: Concept of Causation

When historians refer to causation, they are trying to find out why

some event happened. The causes or reasons for why certain events

happen can be divided into different categories such as:

Political

Economic

Social

Technological

Causes can also be divided into time periods:

Short-term

Medium-term

Long-term

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Many things can happen but there is often a trigger event – ‘the final

straw’ – the event that finally causes something else to happen.

Determine the categorizations (PEST and time perspective) of the

following events:

a) Mr. So found it difficult to support his family so he took a

second job driving a taxi at night.

_________________________________________________________________________

b) One morning, Mr. So was very tired and did not hear his alarm

clock __________________________________________________________________

c) As a result of not hearing his alarm, Mr. So had to rush out of

his house as he was now late for his day job

_________________________________________________________________________

d) Mr. So was driving too fall and crashed his car.

_________________________________________________________________________

6: Treaty of Versailles

World War 1 ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

in 1918. In 1919, representatives of both sides in the war came

together in Versailles, France to formulate a peace treaty between the

previous antagonists. Complete the following tasks:

a) Obtain five key facts from five separate sources of the

representatives of the ‘Big Three’

George Clemenceau

Woodrow Wilson

David Lloyd George

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Each source must appear beside the key fact

b) Find out the names of the two German representatives who

signed the Treaty on 28 June 1919

c) Why was the date of the treaty signing so significant in context

of World War 1?

7: Having researched information about Clemenceau, Wilson and

George place their names beside the description that most aligns

with their thinking after the war.

Name Description of attitude

He was an idealist and reformer who saw

the war as a means to end wars forever by

creating a ‘League of Nations’ that binds all

nations together in a mutual alliance –

much different from the alliances that were

present before the war

Nicknamed ‘the tiger’ he had seen his

nation invaded by Germany in 1870 and

again in 1914. His country had suffered

greatly. The youth of his nation had been

lost to war and the country was ravaged by

its effects. He was nicknamed ‘the tiger’.

and wanted Germany to pay for what it had

done to his nation and wanted to ensure it

would never be in a position again to

threaten his country

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In relation to the Treaty, he felt he was in a

difficult position . On the one hand he was a

realistand saw the need to compromise

with Germany; he didn’t want to seee

Germany punished too much as it would

cause more problems than it would solve.

However, he had just won an election in his

country on the mandate that he would see

Germany punished severely – the

population in his country wanted to see the

Kaiser (German Head of State) hanged.

8: During the Treaty negotiations, President Wilson’s promoted his

14 points. His ‘Fourteen Points were first outlined in a speech Wilson

gave to the American Congress in January 1918. Wilson's Fourteen

Points became the basis for a peace programme and it was on the

back of the Fourteen Points that Germany and her allies agreed to an

armistice in November 1918’. Source:

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/woodrow_wilson1.htm

[accessed November 28th 2014]

Beside each of the 14 points put the term that is most applicable for

each situation. The terms to be used are: Political, Economic,

Military and Geographical .

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Wilson’s 14 Points

1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at").

2. Free navigation of all seas.

3. An end to all economic barriers between countries.

4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.

5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial

6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be

left to develop her own political set-up.

7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.

8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-

Lorraine

9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to

be"along clearly recognisable lines of nationality."

10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in

Austria-Hungary.

11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be

allowed forthe Balkan states.

12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish

government. Non-Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern

themselves.

13. An independent Poland should be created which should have

access to the sea.

14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political

and territorial independence of all states.

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9: The following is an excerpt from the John D. Clare website

(http://www.johndclare.net/peace_treaties4.htm).

‘For five months the Big Three debated the terms of the Treaty.  They

crawled over huge maps of Europe spread over the floor. 

Clemenceau and Wilson quarrelled to the point where the Conference

was in danger of failing altogether; that was where Lloyd George

stepped in -- on 25 March he issued the Fontainbleau Memorandum,

then he persuaded Clemenceau to accept the League of Nations, and

Wilson to accept reparations, and the Conference was saved.

 

Meanwhile, thousands of people turned up to lobby the Big Three,

hoping to get a hand-out in the final treaty.  The Arab and Zionist

Jewish delegations competed to get control of Palestine (in the end, it

was given to Britain).  Queen Mary of Romania turned up in person

and flirted with Wilson; he thought she was a dreadful woman, but

Romania came away with Transylvania.  A group of 20 Ukrainians

turned up and tried to persuade the Big Three to recognise the

Ukraine as an independent country (they failed).  The Conference

became a huge goody-bag, in which everybody was trying to dip their

hand.

 

The small German delegation in Paris, who had been watching

proceedings but not allowed to take part, were at last given the text

of the Treaty on 7 May 1919.  They issued an outraged statement and

returned home.  For a while, it seemed that Germany might reject the

Treaty.  However, Germany had no choice but to accept whatever was

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decided, and eventually two Germans were found who were

prepared to sign the Treaty.

 

On 28 June 1919, the victors met at the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace

of Versailles, near Paris, and the two Germans were called into the

room and instructed to sign’

Question: If you had been a German in Paris in 1919, can you

find FOUR things about the conduct of the Conference which

would have outraged you?

10: ‘The main points of the Treaty [BRAT]  

The first 26 Articles of the Treaty set out the Covenant of the League

of Nations; the rest of the 440 Articles detailed Germany's

punishment: 

1.   Germany had to accept the Blame for starting the war (Clause

231).  This was vital because it provided the justification for...

2.   Germany had to pay £6,600 million (called Reparations) for the

damage done during the war.

3.   Germany was forbidden to have submarines or an air force.   She

could have a navy of only six battleships, and an Army of just

100,000 men.   In addition, Germany was not allowed to place any

troops in the Rhineland, the strip of land, 50 miles wide, next to

France.

4.   Germany lost Territory (land) in Europe; Germany’s colonies

were given to Britain and France.’

http://www.johndclare.net/peace_treaties4.htm [accessed

November 28 2014]

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Source A The Treaty of Versailles, Clause 231 (the 'War Guilt'

clause)

The Allied governments affirm, and Germany accepts, the

responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and

damage to which the Allied governments and their peoples have been

subjected as a result of the war.

Source B

Discuss how the Treaty weakened Germany through

a. Loss of Territory

b. Militarily

c. Economically

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Area of Concern Option 1 Option 2 Option3

Blame – who is to

blame for the war

Germany Blame should be equally No nation can be blamed

Cost of the War

Germany must pay -

but how much

$2,000,000,000 $6,600,000,000 $24,000,000,000

German military Reduced to 100,000 men.

German Navy reduced to 36

ships. No conscription

allowed. No tanks,

submarines or aircraft to be

built. All war-time weapons

to be melted down

Reduced to 250,000 men.

German Navy reduced to

50 ships. No conscription

allowed. Allowed to keep

all tanks, submarines and

air force.

No further conscription,

though forces to remain

as before the war. All

armed services to be at

pre war levels.

Colonies

These were mainly in

Africa such as

Togoland and

The colonies are to be

allowed to govern

themselves as independent

France and Great Britain

split the colonies and

territories captured from

The colonies are put

under the control of the

League of Nations until

further decisions are

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Tanganyika, plus lands

captured from the

Turks.

nations Germany and Turkey. made as to who is to run

them.

Rhineland

The area that lies on

the German side of the

border with France.

The Allies take control of the

area not allowing the German

military to have a presence in

the area

The League of Nations

occupies the area so no

one nation has it under

control

Allow the Germans some

control of the area with

Allied supervision under

the control of the League

of Nations.

Alsace-Lorraine

Once part of France, it

was taken over by the

Germans in 1870.

Returned to France Germany allowed to keep

it

Placed under the control

of the League of Nations

until a decision is made

Saar

An area of Germany

with excellent coal

fields.

Give to France for 15 years.

The French need the coal

mines to re build after war.

Following this time the

people of Saar vote to see if

Remain in Germany - the

rich coalfields are needed

to build the German

economy after war.

Let Germany keep it - but

half of any profit from

the field must be given to

the allies as war

damages.

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they want to be French or

German.

Poland Let it remain in German

hands

Make it a protectorate

under the League of

Nations until a vote can

determine who should

govern it.

Become an independent

nation - this will cut

off east Prussia

(Germany) from the rest

of Germany. It will have a

port to trade with.

Czechoslovakia

Formerly part of the

Austro-Hungarian

Empire - the empire

broke up.

Place under international

control until the consequence

can be viewed.

Make an independent

nation

Allow it to divide along

ethnic lines i.e. have two

separate countries one

for Czechs and the other

for Slovaks

Source: www.SchoolHistory.co.uk [accessed November 28 2014]

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11: Complete the following table giving your preferred option to the information above and any reasons for choosing that option

Area of Concern Preferred option Reasons for choosing this option

Blame – who is to blame for the war?Cost of the War –How much should Germany pay?German militaryColoniesThese were mainly in Africa such as Togoland andTanganyika, plus lands captured from the Turks.RhinelandThe area that lies on the German side of the border withFrance.Alsace-LorraineOnce part of France, it was taken over by the Germans in 1870.SaarAn area of Germany with excellent coal-fields.PolandCzechoslovakiaFormerly part of theAustro-HungarianEmpire - the empire was broken up.

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12: Excerpts from the German response to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles

German Peace DelegationTranslationVersailles, May 13, 1919To His Excellency Mr. Clemenceau:

‘Under the terms of the peace treaty, Germany is to give up her Merchant Marine and vessels now under construction suitable for foreign commerce. Likewise, for five years, German shipyards are to construct primarily a tonnage destined for the Allied and Associated Governments.

Moreover, Germany must renounce her Colonies; all her foreign possessions, all her rights and interests in the Allied and Associated countries, in their Colonies, Dominions or Protectorates are to be liquidated and credited to the payment of reparations, and are to be submitted to any other step of economic warfare that the Allied andAssociated Powers may see fit to maintain or to take during the years of peace.

When the territorial clauses of the Peace Treaty go into effect Germany will lose in the East the most important regions for the production of wheat and potatoes, and this would be equivalent to a loss of twenty-one percent of the total harvest of these foodstuffs.

Moreover the intensiveness of our agricultural production would be greatly decreased. On the one hand, the importation of certain raw materials indispensable for the production of fertilizer, such as phosphates, would be hampered; on the other hand, this industry would like all other industries suffer from the shortage of coal.

For the Peace Treaty provides for the loss of almost a third of the production of our coalfields; in addition to that loss, enormous deliveries of coal to various Allied countries are imposed on us for ten years. In addition, in conformity to the Treaty, Germany will cede to her neighbors almost three-quarters of her ore production and three-fifths of her production of zinc.

The enforcement of the Peace Conditions would therefore logically entail the loss of several million persons in

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Germany. This catastrophe would not be long in occurring, since the health of the population has been broken during the war by the blockade and during the armistice by the increased vigor of the starvation blockade.

No assistance, however great and of however long duration could prevent these wholesale deaths. The Peace would impose upon Germany many times the number of human lives cost her by this war of four years and a half, (1,750,000 killed by the enemy; almost a million as a result of the blockade.)

We do not think and we do not believe that the delegates of the Allied and Associated Powers are aware of the consequences that will inevitably follow, if Germany, an industrial nation with a very dense population, closely bound up with the economic system of the world, and obliged to import enormous quantities of food and raw materials, finds herself suddenly thrown into a phase of her development corresponding to the period of her economic construction and the period when her population was the size it was a half century ago.

Those who sign this Treaty will sign the death sentence of many millions of German men, women and children.’

Source: The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles — http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=424 [accessed November 29 2014]

Question

In you opinion, was the German response to the Terms of the Treaty of Versailles valid?

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