history perfect guide · • economic impact 18 • political impact 20 • social impact 21 review...

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Arasumani Retnasamy

HISTORYThe World in Crisis

Secondary 3

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ABOUT THE BOOk

Perfect Guide History: The World in Crisis is an effective and easy-to-use study guide for students taking the O-Level History examination. The contents are based on the 2013–2017 Upper Secondary History syllabus.

Concise and well-structured Study Notes for easy reading

Simple practices help students organise and compartmentalise the content, in order to aid effective recall.

Practice consists of Structured Essay Questions and Source-Based Case Study (where appropriate) to allow students to apply their knowledge.

© 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Private Limited 1Impact Of World War I In Europe

Background InformationWorld War I1. World Order

• The world’s most powerful countries (superpowers) at the start of the 20th century were Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. Outside of Europe, the USA and Japan were establishing themselves as powerful countries to be contended with.

2. Competition Among the Superpowers• The superpowers were competing to establish colonies in Southeast Asia and in Africa. These

colonies provided raw materials for the superpowers’ industries as well as increased their prestige and influence. This competition resulted in an arms race that saw the superpowers trying to outdo one another by strengthening their military and naval prowess. Gaining military and naval supremacy would enable the competing powers to protect their colonies from one another.

3. Forming Alliances• To further protect their vested interests, the powerful countries also formed uneasy alliances

to ensure they had help in times of war. The Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) were the two main alliances among the superpowers. During World War I, these alliances were known as the Allies and the Central Powers respectively.

4. Nationalism in Europe• Nationalism, or the desire for independence, was a strong sentiment in Europe in the early

20th century. • At that time, both Russia and Austria-Hungary were interested in establishing their presence

in the Balkans (consisting of countries including Serbia and Croatia in southeastern Europe) after the decline of the Ottoman Empire. However, the Balkan states wanted independence.

• The tensions between the different countries came to a head when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914. The assassination led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia.

• The different superpowers were progressively drawn into the war as each alliance stepped in to help their partners. This series of events eventually led to World War I, with the USA and Japan fighting on the side of the Allies while Germany and Austria-Hungary fought on the side of the Central Powers.

CHAPTER

1 IMPACT OF WORLD WAR I IN EUROPE

WHAT I NEED TO ASK MYSELF

(I) To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a fair treaty?(II) What was the main reason for the weakness of the League of Nations?

STUDY NOTES

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© 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Private Limited 42 Chapter 3

PRACTICE

Structured Essaya. Explain how Hitler was able to become the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. [8]

b. How far do you agree that the Enabling Act was the most important factor in Hitler becoming the ‘Fuhrer’ of Germany? Explain your answer. [12]

Source-Based Case StudyStudy the sources carefully and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you were told to use. In answering the questions, you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources.

(a) Study Source A. What does this photograph tell you about Hitler’s rise to power? Use the source

and your knowledge of the topic to support your answer. [5]

(b) Study Source B. Why did the Nazis publish this poster? Use the source and your knowledge

of the topic to support your answer. [5]

(c) Study Sources C and D. Explain why the views of these sources differ regarding the rise of Hitler to power. [6]

(d) Study Source E. Are you surprised by this source? Explain your answer. [6]

(e) Study all the sources. ‘Hitler rose to power because of his own strengths.’ How far do the sources

support this view? Use the sources and your knowledge to support your answer. [8]

Did Hitler rise to power through his own strengths?Background InformationRead this carefully. It may help you answer some of the questions.

Historians are divided over exactly how Hitler was able to come to power. Some historians believe that it was mainly through his own strengths, especially his oratory skills. Others believe that it was the conditions in Germany that enabled him to rise to power.


REVIEW

Why did World War II break out in Europe?

Role of the League of Nations

Description Explanation

Disarmament

The 1935 Abyssinian Crisis

Each Inquiry Question is followed by study notes.

© 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Private Limited

15Stalin’s Soviet Union

• However, the Provisional Government was not popular with the people. It persisted in involving

Russia in World War I and did not introduce reforms to improve the living standards of the

peasants or the food shortages of the masses. • The Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government in November 1917.Communism in RussiaLenin• Leninwas the leaderof theBolshevikParty.Hewasgreatly influencedby the teachingsof

Karl Marx. • Leveraging on the unpopularity of the Provisional Government, Lenin launched a revolution

(the October Revolution) against it in November 1917. The pro-communist Red Army and his

Bolsheviks successfully overthrew the Provisional Government and the White Guards (who

were anti-communists) in a civil war, which lasted from 1918 to 1920. • When the Bolsheviks came into power, Lenin implemented war communism, a form of

communist economic principles that failed and led to armed confrontations and very serious

economic problems. He then introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP), which allowed a

greater degree of free trade and open market policy to increase production.• Lenin made it clear that the NEP was only a temporary measure and that the country would

adopt a fully planned policy once the economy stabilised.• In 1922, Lenin formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) comprising Russia and

its14neighbouringcountries,whichwereonceunderTsaristRussiancontrol.Hence,thefirst

Tsarist communist country in the world was born.

(I) How did Stalin Rise to Power?• In 1922, Lenin had a stroke and his health began to deteriorate. It was clear that he would

not live for long. Within the Bolshevik Party, there was a power struggle among his potential

successors.

Lenin’s Potential SuccessorsThe key contenders were:1. Leon Trotsky • Trotsky was an intelligent man who was also a brilliant orator and writer. • He joined the Bolsheviks only in February 1917. He was previously with the Mensheviks

who were the ideological rivals of the Bolsheviks. Trotsky’s brilliance soon saw him rise to

be Lenin’s second-in-command and he played a key role in the overthrow of the Provisional

Government in November 1917. • Trotsky was the leader of the Red Army and his brilliant leadership ensured Bolshevik’s

victory during the Russian Civil War. • His key roles in the October Revolution and the Civil War made many (including himself)

see him as Lenin’s natural successor. • Trotsky was also very arrogant. His arrogance caused many within the Bolshevik leadership

to hate him intensely. His tight control of the Red Army was also of great concern to them.2. Alexei Rykov • Rykov had been a loyal member of the Bolsheviks since its formation in 1905. • He was a strong supporter of Lenin’s NEP and was closely aligned with another leader,

Nikolai Bukharin. • Both Rykov and Bukharin were not in favour of Trotsky succeeding Lenin. They did not trust

him as he was deemed overly ambitious and too radical to lead the newly formed USSR.

Each section is wrapped up with a Conclusion that links back to the ‘Inquiry Question’.

© 2013 Marshall Cavendish International (Singapore) Private Limited

38 Chapter 3

7. Religion

• Most Germans were either Catholics or Protestants but Hitler did not want the Church’s

ideology to rival his.

• In response, Hitler signed an agreement with the Pope allowing Catholic churches to

continue as before but with the strict understanding that they would not involve themselves

in politics. Hitler later banned Catholic youth organisations and closed down many

Catholic schools.

• Most Protestant churches supported Hitler as he appeared to support traditional family

values. Hitler’s strong opposition to communism, which did not believe in religion, also

won Hitler the support from the Protestant churches. Many churches soon came under the

control of a Nazi Bishop and they had to preach Nazi ideologies in their sermons.

• Those Catholic and Protestant church leaders who opposed Nazi ideologies were arrested

and sent to concentration camps.

Conclusion• Hitler was a very belligerent leader who was also an extreme racist. He wanted to conquer

other countries and use the land and people to serve Germans — whom he believed were the

superior race.

• Hitler’s beliefs and actions led the world to another world war — which was even more

destructive than World War I.

REVIEW

1. How did Hitler rise to power in Germany?

Role of the Weimar Government

DescriptionExplanation

Constitution and

Proportional Representation

Attempts to Overthrow the Weimar Government

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Preface

This book has been specifically written to help students better prepare themselves for the History paper of the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level Examination (the new syllabus will be implemented with effect from 2013).

Textbooks have to be comprehensive and it is essential that students read their textbooks in order to gain a better understanding of the issues discussed. However, when it comes to preparing for tests and examinations, what students need is to firmly grasp the key concepts. Thus, there is a need for a ‘companion-guide’. This book seeks to fulfill this role.

This book provides concise notes. The ‘Review’ section, which comes after the ‘Study Notes’ section, should be attempted by students to gain mastery of the content.

Source-based questions (SBQs) and structured essay questions (SEQs) have been set according to the needs of the modified assessment structure and students should note this while they attempt to answer the questions. Authentic sources have been used for the SBQs in order to resemble the actual O-Level examination paper. Suggested answers are provided as a handy guide for students who need guidance in understanding how SBQs should be answered. SEQs are presented with guidelines to help students remain focussed when writing essays.

Your success in your GCE O-Level History paper begins here.

Arasumani Retnasamy

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Contents

Chapter 1 : Impact of World War I in europe (I) To What Extent was the Treaty of Versailles a Fair Treaty? 2 • The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles 2

• Terms of the Treaty of Versailles 4 • Impact of the Treaty of Versailles and German Response 5 • The Allied Argument 6 (II) What was the Main Reason for the Weakness of the

League of Nations? 6 • Origins of the League of Nations 6 • Objectives of the League of Nations 7 • Structure of the League of Nations 7 • Methods by which the League of Nations Maintained

World Peace 7 • Successes and Failures of the League of Nations 8 • Reasons for the Weaknesses of the League of Nations 9 Review 11 Practice 13

Chapter 2 : stalin’s soviet Union (I) How did Stalin Rise to Power? 15

• Lenin’s Potential Successors 15 • How did Stalin Become Lenin’s Successor? 16 (II) What was the Impact of Stalin’s Rule? 18 • Economic Impact 18 • Political Impact 20 • Social Impact 21 Review 23 Practice 25

Chapter 3 : Hitler’s Germany (I) How did Hitler Rise to Power in Germany? 28 • Weaknesses of the Weimar Government 28 • Hitler’s Strengths 30 (II) What was the Impact of Hitler’s Rule? 31 • Political Impact 31 • Economic Impact 33 • Social Impact 34 Review 38 Practice 42

Chapter 4 : outbreak of World War II in europe Why did World War II Break Out in Europe in 1939? 45 • Weaknesses of the League of Nations 45 • Hitler’s Expansionist Policy 46 • Policy of Appeasement 48 Review 50 Practice 54

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Chapter 5 : Germany’s Defeat in World War II (I) Was the USA the Main Reason for Germany’s Defeat

in World War II? 55 • Isolationism 55 • Indirect Involvement 55

• Direct Involvement 56 (II) How did Germany’s Weaknesses Contribute to its Defeat

in World War II? 57 • Poor Military Decisions 57 • Misuse of Resources 57 • Two-front War 58 (III) Did Allied Resistance Play an Important Role in Germany’s Defeat? 58 • Reorganisation of the Soviet Union 58 • British Resistance 58 • Resistance Movements in Europe 59 Review 59 Practice 64

Chapter 6 : outbreak of World War II in Asia Pacif c Was Japan Responsible for the Outbreak of World War II

in Asia Pacific? 65 • Japan’s Aggressive Foreign Policy (Internal Factors) 65 • Japan’s Aggressive Foreign Policy (External Factors) 66 • Reasons for the Japanese Attack of the US Pacific Fleet

at Pearl Habor 68 Review 70 Practice 74

Chapter 7 : Japan’s Defeat in World War II How Far do you Agree that the Dropping of the Atomic Bombs was the Key Factor in Japan’s Defeat? 75 • The Role of Japan 75 • The Role of the USA 77 • Decision to Use the Atomic Bombs 78 Review 79 Practice 83

Practice Paper 84Answer Key 87

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Background InformationWorld War I1. World Order

• The world’s most powerful countries (superpowers) at the start of the 20th century were Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. Outside of Europe, the USA and Japan were establishing themselves as powerful countries to be contended with.

2. Competition Among the Superpowers• The superpowers were competing to establish colonies in Southeast Asia and in Africa. These

colonies provided raw materials for the superpowers’ industries as well as increased their prestige and influence. This competition resulted in an arms race that saw the superpowers trying to outdo one another by strengthening their military and naval prowess. Gaining military and naval supremacy would enable the competing powers to protect their colonies from one another.

3. Forming Alliances• To further protect their vested interests, the powerful countries also formed uneasy alliances

to ensure they had help in times of war. The Triple Entente (Britain, France and Russia) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy) were the two main alliances among the superpowers. During World War I, these alliances were known as the Allies and the Central Powers respectively.

4. Nationalism in Europe• Nationalism, or the desire for independence, was a strong sentiment in Europe in the early

20th century. • At that time, both Russia and Austria-Hungary were interested in establishing their presence

in the Balkans (consisting of countries including Serbia and Croatia in southeastern Europe) after the decline of the Ottoman Empire. However, the Balkan states wanted independence.

• The tensions between the different countries came to a head when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914. The assassination led Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia.

• The different superpowers were progressively drawn into the war as each alliance stepped in to help their partners. This series of events eventually led to World War I, with the USA and Japan fighting on the side of the Allies while Germany and Austria-Hungary fought on the side of the Central Powers.

CHAPTER

1 IMPACT OF WORLD WAR I IN EUROPE

WHAT I NEED TO ASK MYSELF

(I) To what extent was the Treaty of Versailles a fair treaty?(II) What was the main reason for the weakness of the League of Nations?

STUDY NOTES

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5. Impacts of World War I • World War I lasted four years and ended in victory for the Allies in November 1918.• However, the war resulted in very heavy casualties for all the countries involved. The

estimated numbers were:

• World War I also devastated the economies of the European superpowers. Many countries were in debt as a result of the loans they had taken for the war. Unemployment and food prices skyrocketed.

• The war brought about a change in the world order. Colonies under the superpowers became exposed to the idea of independence. Revolutions started in Russia and Germany, and ended the monarchies in these countries.

• The number of deaths and levels of destruction by World War I was unprecedented. This weighed heavily on the minds of the world and its leaders. The victorious countries, led by Britain, France and the USA, gathered in Paris to discuss the terms of peace, and various treaties were created, of which, the Treaty of Versailles was the most important.

(I) To What Extent was the Treaty of Versailles a Fair Treaty? The Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles • When Germany signed the armistice (also called a truce or cease-fire) on 11 November 1918

at the end of World War I, it was only a temporary agreement. • On 18 January 1919, the leaders of the Allied Powers met in Paris to discuss the terms for

establishing peace on a permanent basis. • France, Britain and the USA, who were known as the ‘Big Three’, dominated the discussions,

which centred on how to deal with Germany. German representatives were not allowed to attend the talks.

• Their discussions led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. • However, each country represented at the Paris Peace Conference had different reasons and

motivations for signing the treaty.

1. The USA • As early as January 1918, President Woodrow Wilson of the USA drew up a peace plan

called the ‘Fourteen Points’. He believed that international acceptance of the points in his plan would promote a just and lasting peace.

• His plan promoted, among other things, transparent diplomacy between countries in that there should be no more secret agreements between countries, that there should be free trade for all, and the creation of a League of Nations to promote peace and independence amongst countries.

• President Wilson found that he had little support amongst the world leaders for his plan. This was because the other countries involved in the war wanted to place the guilt and blame for World War I on Germany.

Country Casualties

USA 116 000

Britain 900 000

France 1.4 million

Russia 1.7 million

Germany 1.8 million

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• One reason for the USA’s relatively lenient stance towards Germany’s role in World War I was due to its entry into the war arena. The USA entered the war in 1917, three years after it started. The USA did so after German submarines sunk US passenger ships carrying civilians. The late entry meant that the casualty rate of US soldiers was much lower than that of the European countries and Wilson faced no pressure from voters back home to punish Germany severely.

• Instead, after the war, the American public was beseeching the USA not to get involved in any more ‘foreign entanglements’.

2. France• At Versailles, the French leader, Georges Clemenceau, placed the harshest demands on

Germany for its role in World War I, in order to ensure that Germany could no longer be a threat to France.

• Clemenceau’s key demands included: To regain lands such as Alsace-Lorraine, which France had lost to Germany in earlier wars. To ensure that Germany’s reparation payment be as large as possible to compensate for the death and destruction the war had caused on French soil. To have a demilitarised zone between Germany and France.

• The war had been fought essentially on French soil. As a result, France lost 1.4 million lives and suffered more physical destruction than any other countries. The French public wanted revenge by making Germany accept total blame for the war and to pay for the cost of the war. Clemenceau was thus placed under tremendous pressure to meet these expectations.

3. Britain • The British leader, David Lloyd-George, was caught in between the extreme positions taken

by the USA and France. • The high number of deaths and British wartime propaganda had made the British public

very anti-Germany. They, therefore, wanted Germany to pay for the war.• Though Lloyd-George lobbied for the downsizing of Germany’s naval abilities, he did not

push for the extreme demands the French leader wanted. He was aware that a strong German economy was vital to Britain’s economy as Germany was Britain’s second largest trading partner. He also realised that Germany was the only country in Europe that could act as a barrier to the rise of communism. Lloyd-George feared that harsh treatment towards Germany would result in another war. However, he was for the idea that Germany would never be a naval threat to Britain again.

4. Other Countries at Versailles 4.1 Italy

• Italy’s representative at Versailles was Vittorio Orlando.• Though Italy had entered the war as an ally of Germany, it switched sides in 1915. This was

because Italy had been promised territories by Britain and France for joining the Allies.• At Versailles, Orlando largely was ignored by the French and British leaders, and their

promises to Italy was not fulfilled.

4.2 Japan• Japan had fought on the side of Britain and France and wanted control over German

territories in Asia and the Pacific. • Japan also wanted recognition as a world power — just like Britain and France — and felt

that gaining German territories in Asia and the Pacific would help increase its influence.• Japan emerged from Versailles gaining the Marshall Islands, the Mariana Islands and the

Caroline Islands.

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• However, Japan was angered when the Allies did not give it all of the former German territories in Asia and the Pacific.

4.3 Germany • Germany did not see the end of World War I as a sign of their defeat and surrender. • However, they were in a state of near economic collapse at the end of the war. The long-

drawn-out war and the deaths of nearly 1.8 million men affected the country greatly. • Germany was also going through a difficult political transitional period from absolute

monarchy to democracy when their Kaiser (the German title for ‘Emperor’), Wilhelm II, abdicated in November 1918, and fled to exile in the Netherlands.

• As Germany did not feel that they had surrendered and had merely agreed to a peaceful settlement for the war, Germans had expected that they would get a fair treatment in the terms of the treaty. They were thus surprised and angry that German representatives were disallowed involvement in the negotiation of the terms in the treaty, yet they had no choice but to accept the terms that were put forward to them.

• Internally, many Germans were unhappy with the new democratic government for accepting the terms of the treaty.

• Germany saw the terms of the treaty as a means for other countries to keep them weak militarily and economically.

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles 1. War Guilt Clause

• Clause 231 of the treaty stipulated that Germany had to accept complete blame for causing World War I. This meant that Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies.

• The reparations were eventually fixed at £6 600 million. This was a great amount that Germany could ill-afford to pay and which would result in an impoverished Germany for many decades.

2. Loss of Territories• Germany had to give up the following territories: Alsace-Lorraine (to France), Eupen and

Malmedy (to Belgium), Northern Schleswig (to Denmark) and the Polish Corridor and Upper Silesia (to Poland). Danzig would be administered by a new organisation called the League of Nations.

• France would administer the Saar coal fields, a region on the border of France and Germany, for 15 years, after which the people of Saar would decide in a plebiscite (a popular vote) which country they wished to be administered by.

• Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, territories that Germany had seized from Russia, were to become independent countries.

• Germany was also forbidden from Anschluss (political union) with Austria, which shared a common language and cultural traits with Germany.

• Germany had to give up all its colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

3. Reduction in Military Might • Army: The German army was only allowed to have 100 000 professional soldiers.

Conscription, the forced enlistment of people in the armed forces was prohibited. No tanks were allowed.

• Navy: The navy was limited to only six battleships and a few smaller ships. They were not allowed to own any submarines.

• Air Force: Germany was not allowed to own an air force.• Demilitarisation: The Rhineland, along Germany’s western borders with France, was made

a demilitarised zone. Allied troops would occupy the Rhineland for 15 years.

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