Most Important 100 Topics for UPSC Mains 2022 - WW 1 - World History

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WORLD WAR – I

World War I (WW I), also known as the Great War, lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918.
WW I was fought between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers.
- The main members of the Allied Powers were France, Russia, and Britain. The United States also fought on the side of the Allies after 1917.
- The main members of the Central Powers were Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

There was no single event that led to World War I.
The war happened because of several different events that took place in the years building up to 1914.

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL EXPANSIONIST POLICY OF GERMANY:

In 1890 the new emperor of Germany, Wilhelm II, began an international policy that sought to turn his country into a world power.
Germany was seen as a threat by the other powers and destabilized the international situation.

MUTUAL DEFENCE ALLIANCES:

Countries throughout Europe made mutual defence agreements. These treaties meant that if one country was attacked, allied countries were bound to defend them.
- The Triple Alliance-1882linking Germany with Austria-Hungary and Italy.
- The Triple Entente,which was made up of Britain, France, and Russia, concluded by 1907.
- Thus, there were two rival groups in Europe.

IMPERIALISM

Before World War I, Africa and parts of Asia were points of contention among the European countries because of their raw materials.
The increasing competition and desire for greater empires led to an increase in the confrontation that helped push the world into World War I.
As the world entered the 20th century, an arms race had begun.
By 1914, Germany had the greatest increase in military buildup.
Great Britain and Germany both greatly increased their navies in this time period.
This increase in militarism helped push the countries involved into war.

NATIONALISM:

Much of the origin of the war was based on the desire of the Slavic peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina to no longer be part of Austria Hungary but instead be part of Serbia.
In this way, nationalism led to the War.

ASSASSINATION OF ARCHDUKE FRANZ FERDINAND:

In June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot while he was visiting Sarajevo in Bosnia.
He was killed by a Serbian person, who thought that Serbia should control Bosnia instead of Austria. Because its leader had been shot, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. As a result:
Russia got involved as it had an alliance with Serbia.
Germany then declared war on Russia because Germany had an alliance with Austria-Hungary.
Britain declared war on Germany because of its invasion of neutral Belgium – Britain had agreements to protect both Belgium and France.
Some of the major battles during the war included the First Battle of the Marne, Battle of the Somme, Battle of Tannenberg, Battle of Gallipoli, and the Battle of Verdun.

PHASES OF THE WAR

The conflict developed on several fronts in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The two main scenarios were the Western front, where the Germans confronted Britain, France and, after 1917, the Americans.
The second front was the Eastern front in which the Russians fought against Germans and Austro-Hungarians.
After a brief German advance in 1914, the western front was stabilized and a long and brutal trench warfare started: it was a “war of attrition” (the western front remained immovable).
Meanwhile on the Eastern Front the Germans advanced but not decisively.
In 1917, two events changed the course of the war: the United States joined the Allies and Russia, after the Russian revolution, abandoned the conflict and signed a separate peace.
Finally after the German offensive in the spring of 1918, the Allied counterattack managed to force a decisive retreat of the German army.
The defeat of its Germany’s allies and the revolution in Germany that dethroned Wilhem II (German Emperor), brought about the signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918. The Great War was over.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES:

World War I cost the participating countries a lot of money.
Germany and Great Britain spent about 60% of the money their economy produced.
Countries had to raise taxes and borrow money from their citizens.
They also printed money in order to buy weapons and other things they needed for war. This led to inflation after the war.

POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES:

World War I brought an end to four monarchies: Czar Nicholas II of Russia, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, Emperor Charles of Austria and the sultan of the Ottoman Empire had to step down.
- New countries were created out of old empires. Austria- Hungary was carved up into a number of independent states.
- Russia and Germany gave land to Poland. Countries in the Middle East were put under the control of Great Britain and France.
- What was left of Ottoman Empire became Turkey.

SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES

World war changed society completely. Birth rates declined because millions of young men died (eight million died, millions wounded, maimed, widows and orphans).
Civilians lost their land and fled to other countries.
- The role of women also changed. They played a major part in replacing men in factories and offices. Many countries gave women more rights after the war had ended, including the right to vote.
- The upper classes lost their leading role in society. Young middle and lower class men and women demanded a say in forming their country after the war.

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

On June 28, 1919, World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
The Treaty of Versailles was an attempt to prevent the world from going into another war.

It is organized in several chapters each having different clauses.

TERRITORIAL CLAUSES:

France regained Alsace and Lorraine
Eupen and Malmedy passed into the hands of Belgium
Eastern territories were annexed by Poland which caused East Prussia to become territorially isolated.
Danzig and Memel, former Baltic German cities were declared free cities
Denmark annexed northern Schleswig-Holstein
Germany lost all of its colonies and the victors annexed them

MILITARY CLAUSES

Drastic limitation of the German navy.
Dramatic reduction of the Army (only 100,000 troops, prohibition of having tanks, aircraft and heavy artillery).
Demilitarization of the Rhineland region.

WAR REPARATIONS

The treaty declared Germany and its allies responsible for all ‘loss and damage’ suffered by the Allies and as a consequence they were forced to pay war reparations to the victors.

OTHER TREATIES

THE TREATY OF NEUILLY, SIGNED WITH BULGARIA

The small Balkan country suffered several territorial losses, in the benefit of Romania, Greece and a brand-new country: Yugoslavia.

THE TREATY OF SEVRES (1920) SIGNED WITH TURKEY

The Treaty of Sevres was extremely hard and led to the Turkish national rebellion, which was led by Kemal Ataturk. This also led to the war against Greece, which occupied large areas of Anatolia.
However, the war also brought other important social and ideological changes
TheS.,which had won the war but had not experienced the conflict on its territory, became a first world power.
The triumph of the Soviet Revolution (Russian Revolution) and the social crisis that followed thewar encouraged workers in many countries to protest, creating a pre-revolutionary climate.
The extreme nationalism experienced during the war, coupled with fear of a Communist revolution, encouraged the middle-class populations of some countries to move to the extreme right. This created a hotbed of fascist movements.
Creation of the League of Nations:The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group developed after World War I as a way to solve disputes between countries before they erupted into open warfare. A precursor to the United Nations, the League achieved some victories but had a mixed record of success.

WORLD WAR – II

World War II, also called Second World War, was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45.

CAUSES OF WAR

TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Following World War I, the victorious Allied Powers met to decide Germany’s future. Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles.
Under this treaty, Germany had to accept guilt for the war and to pay reparations.
Germany lost territory and was prohibited from having a large military.
The humiliation faced by Germany under this treaty, paved the way for the spread of Ultra-Nationalism in Germany.

FAILURE OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

The League of Nations was an international organization set up in 1919 to keep world peace.
It was intended that all countries would be members and that if there were disputes between countries, they could be settled by negotiation rather than by force.
The League of Nations was a good idea, but ultimately a failure, as not all countries joined the league.
Also, the League had no army to prevent military aggression such as Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in China.

GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1929

The worldwide economic depression of the 1930s took its toll in different ways in Europe and Asia.
In Europe, political power shifted to totalitarian and imperialist governments in several countries, including Germany, Italy, and Spain.
In Asia, a resource-starved Japan began to expand aggressively, invading China and maneuvering to control a sphere of influence in the Pacific.

RISE OF FASCISM

Victors’ stated aims in World War I had been “to make the world safe for democracy,” and postwar Germany was made to adopt a democratic constitution, as did most of the other states restored or created after the war.
In the 1920s, however, the wave of nationalistic, militaristic totalitarianism known by its Italian name, fascism.
It promised to minister to peoples’ wants more effectively than democracy and presented itself as the one sure defence against communism.
Benito Mussolini established the first Fascist, European dictatorship during the interwar period in Italy in 1922.

RISE OF NAZISM

Adolf Hitler, the Leader of the German National Socialist (Nazi) party, preached a racist brand of fascism.
Hitler promised to overturn the Versailles Treaty, restore German wealth & glory and secure additional Lebensraum (“living space”) for the German people, who he contended deserve more as members of a superior race.
In 1933 Hitler became the German Chancellor, and in a series of subsequent moves established himself as dictator.
Moreover, in 1941 the Nazi regime unleashed a war of extermination against Slavs, Jews, and other elements deemed inferior by Hitler’s ideology.

POLICY OF APPEASEMENT

Hitler openly denounced the Treaty of Versailles and began secretly building up Germany’s army and weapons.
Although Britain and France knew of Hitler’s actions, they thought a stronger Germany would stop the spread of Communism from Russia.
An example of appeasement was the Munich Agreement of September 1938. In the Agreement, Britain and France allowed Germany to annex areas in Czechoslovakia where German-speakers lived.
- Germany agreed not to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia or any other country. However, in March 1939, Germany broke its promise and invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia.
- Even then, neither Britain nor France was prepared to take military action.

KEY TURNING POINTS OF THE WORLD WAR II

In April 1940, Germany captured Denmark and Norway. In May 1940, Holland and Belgium were conquered. Germany attacked France and captured it in June 1940.
Italy fought against the British forces in North Africa. Mussolini attacked Greece and captured it with German support. Yugoslavia and Crete were occupied by the Germans.
After the fall of France, Britain was left alone. Hence, Hitler wanted to attack England by air.
There was continuous air force attack on Britain.
But the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Churchill saved England.
Germany could not conquer Britain.
Germany made a mistake of invading the Soviet Union, despite a non-aggression pact. One of the important battles was the Battle of Stalingrad.
For five months the battle went on. It involved 2 million men, 2000 tanks and 2000 aero-planes.
The invading German army was driven back. In February1943, about 90,000 German soldiers surrendered. This was a turning point of the war.
In December 1941, Japan attacked the Pearl Harbour.
This tragedy dragged the U.S.A. into the war.
General MacArther was made the supreme commander of the Pacific region.
Lord Mountbatten, the Commander of South East Asia drove the Japanese from Burma.
In Africa, Abyssinia was conquered by the U.S.A. from Italy. The Italian Somaliland was also conquered.
The British General Montgomery captured Libya from Germans. He also conquered Tripoli and entered Tunisia.
In 1942 Algeria fell. In 1943 Sicily was captured by the British and U.S. troops.
North Africa was cleared of Italian and German troops. The mainland of Italy was attacked.
There was a revolt in Italy and Mussolini was arrested, but he managed to escape with German help.
In September 1943, Italy surrendered unconditionally. Mussolini was captured and killed by his own people in April 1945.
In 1944 the Allied forces entered into France and expelled the German army from France.
After that the Allied forces attacked Germany from the Southwest. Russia invaded Germany from the East.
On 2 May 1945 Russian army entered Berlin. Hitler committed suicide. Germany surrendered.

Even after the surrender of Germany, Japan continued the war.
USA dropped two atom bombs on Hiroshima (6th August) and on Nagasaki (9th August).
Following this Japan surrendered on 14th August 1945.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR WAS OVER

At the end of the war, some 13 million Europeans were killed and 17 million civilians had died as a result of the fighting.
All major cities were in ruins.
Agriculture was ruined. People of the entire world had to face untold miseries, directly or indirectly.

AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR II

NEW SUPERPOWERS

World War II brought about changes in the status of countries and continents.
Britain and France lost their positions of preeminence as superpowers and yielded place to the USA and the USSR.

START OF DECOLONISATION

After the war, Britain and France were confronted with various domestic and external problems.
Both of them could no longer hold onto their respective colonies Thus, the post-war world witnessed the end of colonialism in Africa and Asia.

BIRTH OF UN

One of the momentous results of the war was the birth of the United Nations Organisation.
Although the League failed to deliver, mankind did not altogether lose its hopes of making the world a safer and happier place to live in.
The UN Charter enshrines the hopes and ideals of mankind on the basis of which countries can work together to maintain lasting peace.
However, the establishment of the UN was agreed, much before the end of World War II under the Atlantic Charter.

START OF COLD WAR

After the end of the war, a conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, to set up peace treaties.
The countries that fought with Hitler lost territory and had to pay reparations to the Allies. Germany and its capital Berlin were divided into four parts.
The zones were to be controlled by Great Britain, the United States, France and the Soviet Union.
The three western Allies and the Soviet Union disagreed on many things and as time went on Germany was divided into two separate countries: East Germany, which had a Communist government and West Germany, which was a democratic state .
This laid the foundation of the Cold War.

NEW ECONOMIC WORLD ORDER

Bretton Woods Conference, formally United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire (July 1–22, 1944), during World War II to make financial arrangements for the postwar world after the expected defeat of Germany and Japan.
It drew up a project for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD-now known as World Bank) to make long-term capital available to states urgently needing such foreign aid, and a project for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance short-term imbalances in international payments in order to stabilize exchange rates.
Also, the US dollar was established as a reserve currency for the world trade.

“There arose a serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two World Wars.” Evaluate the statement. (Answer in 250 words) 15

The leading democratic great powers had emerged the victors in WWI.
In the political reconstruction of Europe, republics had replaced many monarchies.
Yet the sad truth was that by the outbreak of World War II, the majority democratic states of central and Eastern Europe were annexed by stronger neighbors.

Serious challenge to the Democratic State System between the two World Wars:

suspension of parliamentary sovereignty
militarization of society
regulation and control the economy
breaches of international agreements
prewar authoritarian nationalists

Rise of the Democratic State System between the two World Wars:

All the main alternatives to democracy suffered political, economic, diplomatic and military failures.
New national states began with a democratic constitution.
Newly formed national states took the place of the previous empires in post WW-I period.