Upper Secondary History Elective 2261 Notes

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) Upper Secondary Elective History– Subject Code: 2261 How to use? - This deck of notes contains the 10 chapters covered for O Levels History Elective paper - Chapter 1-6 contains more in-depth content, whereas chapter 7-10 contains sufficient information for one to score during their examinations. Final Tips - This deck of notes should NOT replace what you learn from your teachers. This can only act as a supplementary to aid your learning. - When in doubt, ALWAYS FOLLOW what your HISTORY TEACHERS say - Spread the word and share the notes J (Sharing is caring guys!) - ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR STUDIES!

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) O Level History Elective Chapter 1 – The Paris Peace Conference and the League of Nations in the 1920s (* = potentially tested) Paris Peace Conference Aims of the Big Three *US: Woodrow Wilson - Believed that the US would restore to civilisation, and that nations should cooperate to achieve world peace. One of the important points in his Fourteen Points was the setting up of an international body called the League of nations. It was a platform for countries to resolve disputes without wars. - Believed that Germany should be punished but not destroyed completely. He wanted to strengthen democracy by replacing older leaders who brought Germany into war. - Believed in self-determination where countries ruled themselves rather than be ruled by others - Britain and France thought that Wilson’s idea of self- determination is one that is naive and impractical. France also believed that US were too soft on Germany. Britain: David Lloyd George - Protect Britain à thus not keen on Wilson’s plan to free the seas - Rebuild Britain’s economic prosperity à tricky because before the war, Germany was Britain’s second-largest trading market - Maintain the British empire à concerned about Wilson’s idea of self-determination as it would result in Britain losing its colonies - Had a long-term concern of Russia. Britain wanted Germany to recover economically to act as a buUer against the rise of communism in Europe because of influence of Russia. France: Georges Clemenceau - SuUered the worst damage during WW1 à Northern France invaded, 1.7 million deaths with many wounded or missing (4% of population died) - Concerned that Germany has a younger and larger population (65 million) than France (40 million) thus Germany could use their manpower for a future war. - France wanted Germany to be broken up into a collection of smaller states by he knows that others will not agree. Thus, he demanded for a treaty that would weaken Germany as much as possible.

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) *Treaty of Versailles - Under Article 231 of the ToV, Germany must accept total blame for starting the war à However many Germans did not feel that they alone started the war - Germany had to pay 6.6 billion pounds as reparations to the Allies for war damage à Germany was already in huge debt from the war and this may ruin their economy - Germany lost 10% of their land, 12.5% of their population and was forbidden to form a union with Austria à Major blow to German pride and its economy, Many Germans will live under Poland and Czechoslovakia. - Germany was limited to an army of 100,000 men. Conscription was banned and soldiers had to be volunteers. No armoured vehicles, submarines or aircrafts were allowed, and the navy could have only six battleships. The Rhineland had to be demilitarised as well. à Army was a symbol of German pride and was too small for a country of Germany’s size. No other countries were disarmed to this extent. - The League of Nations was set up as an international body to help countries resolve disputes and enforce decision. à Germany not being able to join felt like a further insult. *Impact of ToV Short term impact à link to War Guilt Clause (1st point of ToV) - Many Germans believed that their army did not lose the war and felt that their country had been stabbed in the back by the Jews, communists and weak politicians. - A wave of bitterness against the new democracy system and it was unpopular Medium term impact à link to reparations (2nd point of ToV) - Germany faced a political and economic crisis. In 1922, Germany fell back on reparations thus French and Belgium invaded the Ruhr in 1923. They took what Germany owed them in the form of raw materials and goods. This was legal under ToV à invasion not only humiliating but also violent, killing about 130 civilians - Economy disrupted by hyperinflation as government printed money to pay the reparations. Prices shot up and became worthless. Many Germans from the middle-class lost their saving overnight. à blamed the government for political instability Long Term impact - Treaty became a festering sore for many Germans. They hated and blamed it for Germany’s problems faced. This was exploited by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party in early 1930s.

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) League of Nations Aims of the LON The League was set up to resolve international disputes without going to war. Wilson’s vision for the League was a world government and police force. All major countries would join the League, bind themselves and disarm. If there is a dispute, countries would promise to protect one another achieving collective security. Success of LON (social issues – memorise one) - The League helped millions of refugees to return home after the war. - The Health Commission of the League helped to reduce the spread of contagious diseases through international vaccination programmes and helped to reduce fatalities from such diseases. - The League also worked to reduce the smuggling of cheap labour, opium and dangerous chemicals across international borders. *Weakness of the LON (structural – main countries were not there, need 2/3 of assembly)(post-war attitudes) - Both the US and the USSR were not part of the LON because US was not allowed to join the League due to the ToV and USSR was communist. - In the post WW1 period, the USA was arguably economically, politically and militarily the most powerful country in the world - Economic sanctions would be diUicult to enforce. The US continued to supply weapons and goods to aggressor countries even if the League imposed military or economic sanctions. - The absence of US and USSR weakened LON ability to enforce sanctions eUectively Abyssinian crisis, 1935 - The fatal blow of the League came about when the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, invaded Abyssinia in 1935. - In December 1934, there was a dispute between Italian and Abyssinian soldiers at the Wal-Wal oasis in Abyssinia. Mussolini demanded an apology from Abyssinia, and he began preparing the Italian army to invade it - The Abyssinian Emperor, Haile Selassie, appealed to the League for help but was unsuccessful. Britain and France could send troops to defend Abyssinia however they chose not to do so. - The Abyssinian Crisis damaged the global confidence in the League for good.

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) Attempts to keep the Peace (just memorise one) The Dawes Plan, 1924 - Represented by the United States, Britain, Italy and France, the plan helped Germany’s recover from hyperinflation and restructure its reparation payments - It ended a crisis in Europe by removing French and Italian troops from the German Ruhr region so that the area could be used to generate money - The United States also loaned Germany large sums of money to support its economy.

Done by MF (Completed in 2024) O Level History Elective Chapter 2 – Nazi Germany Circumstances Weimar Government (weakness) Proportional Government - Proportional government meant that any party taking part in the elections would gain seats in the Reichstag equal to the number of votes - It was hard for one party to gain a majority, even parties opposed to democracy, such as the German Communist Party, could gain seats. - Governments ended up a mixture of diUerent political parties which made it c