2 Marks Questions
Question 1 : Mention any two terms of the Treaty of Versailles signed on 28th June, 1919.
Answer : The main terms of the Treaty of Versailles were as follows:
- The treaty declared Germany guilty of aggression.
- The are of the Rhine Valley was to be demilitarised and the German Territory West of Rhine was to be occupied by the Allied Troops for 15 years.
Question 2 : What was the immediate cause of the First World War?
Answer : The Sarajevo Crisis was the immediate cause of the First World War. It was related with the assassination of the heir-apparent to the throne of Austria, Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife on 28th June, 1914, Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia.
Question 3 : How much did Germany have to pay as war reparation charges according to the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer : 33 billion dollars had to be paid as war reparation charges by Germany according to the Treaty of Versailles.
Question 4 : Mention two underlying similarities between Fascism and Nazism.
Answer : Similarities between Fascism and Nazism were as follows:
Both Mussolini and Hitler aimed at restoring the status and dignity of their nations by making them strong powers.
Both believed in Aggressive Nationalism and Imperialism.
Question 5 : Mention any two important consequences of the First World War.
Answer : The consequences of the First World War were as follows:
- A number of people, those killed in the war, are estimated at about 9 million, that is about one-seventh of those who participated in it.
- The expenditure on the Allied side was nearly 41,000 million pounds and that on the German side was over 15,000 million pounds.
Question 6 : Mention any two aims of the League of Nations.
Answer : Aims of the League of Nations were as follows:
- All the States of the world were prohibited from entering into any secret treaties and alliances.
- The member states were not supposed to maintain huge armies, warships and/or destructive armaments.
Question 8 : How did the Sarajevo crisis of 1914 lead to the First World War?
Answer : Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated at Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia on 28th June, 1914. The assassination was organised by a secret society called ‘Black Hand’ or ‘Union of Death’ formed by extremist Serbian nationalists, whose aim was to unite all Serbians into a single Serbian State.
Question 9 : Name the countries that formed the Allied Powers.
Answer : Britain, France, United States of America (USA) and Russia formed the Allied Powers.
Question 10 : State two underlying Principles of Fascism.
Answer : Two Principles of Fascism were as follows:
- Fascism was the antithesis of Democracy, Fascists believed that Democracy was not suitable for the country because it widens the gulf between the poor and the rich.
- Fascists favoured equal control over all sections of society. They wanted to control capitalists, industrialists, labourers, landlords, peasants and artisans.
10 Marks Questions
Question 11 : With reference to the First World War answer the following questions.
a) Explain any three causes of the First World War.
b) Mention three points under the Treaties of Versailles, which affected Germany.
c) What were the objectives of the League of Nations?
Answer : a) The following were the cause of the First World War.
- Militant Nationalism : In the later half of the 19th century, Militant Nationalism emerged in Europe. It meant outright wars by the European countries to achieve their goals. Militant nationalism was caused by the Aggressive Nationalism, Economic Competition and International Tension. The spirit of nationalism was a strong driving force in European politics of the 19th century. Thus, the whole atmosphere was charged with narrow militant nationalism and inter-state rivalries.
- Race for Armaments : The mad race for armaments, which began soon after the Franco-Prussian war was one of the reasons, which led to the First World War. Every major power began stockpiling armaments in the name of self-defence and preservation of peace. As a result if one country increased its armaments, other countries were compelled to do the same. It filled the atmosphere with fear, apprehension and mutual hatred.
- The Immediate Cause : The Sarajevo incident was the immediate cause of the First World War. It is related to the assassination of the heir apparent to the throne of Austria, Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife on 28th June, 1914 in Sarajevo where they were shot dead.
b) The main terms of the Treaty of Versailles were as follows:
- The treaty declared Germany guilty of aggression.
- Germany was required to pay for the loss and damages suffered by the Allies during the war. The amount of reparations was fixed at 33 billion dollars. Germany had to cede her merchantship to the Allies as compensation. It had to supply huge quantities of coal to France, Italy and Belgium for 10 years.
- The area of Rhine Valley was to be demilitarised and the German territory West of Rhine was to be occupied by the Allied Troops for 15 years.
c) Objectives of the League of Nations were as follows:
- All the States of the world were prohibited from entering into any secret treaties and alliances.
- The member states were not supposed to maintain huge armies, warships and destructive armaments.
- All the States had to respect to each other’s independence.
- All States were to refer their mutual disputes, if any, to the League of Nations for a peaceful settlement.
- The member states were to take necessary actions as directed by the League against any states which tried to disturb the world peace and order.
- The League of Nations was supposed to promote political, social, cultural and economic cooperation among the member states.
Question 12 : There were several far reaching consequences as a result of the First World War. In this context answer the following:
a) Explain how the First World War brought about a change in the political scenario of the world?
b) What did France gain from the Treaty of Versailles?
c) How was the war responsible for the rise of Fascism and Nazism in Italy and Germany respectively?
Answer : a) Three ruling dynasties namely the Romanov, Hohenzollern and Hapsburg were destroyed in this war. The rule of Ottomans came to an end. Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia become separate independent states. These political changes were the main scenario of the First World War.
b) France gained the following from the Treaty of Versailles:
- The coal mines in the German area called ‘Saar’ were given to France for 15 years and the area was to be governed by the League of Nations.
- Some regions of South-East Africa like Togo and Cameroons were also given to France.
- Alsace Lorraine captured from France in the Franco-Russian War (1871) was returned to France.
c) Rise of Fascism : The word ‘Fascism’ has been derived from the Italian word ‘Fascio’ which means ‘union’ or ‘league’. Fascism means Autocracy or Dictatorship where the power of the state is vested in one man only and its is obligatory for all the others to obey his orders. Fascism emerged as a movement in the post First World War period not only to meet the challenges of the International Communist Movement, but also to tackle the various problems that Italy confronted.
Economic crisis in Germany and Italy, like heavy losses, unemployment, shortage of foodgrians at the end of the war etc, came to the fore. Industrialisation had not progressed and unemployment was on the rise. Even the employed working class felt the pinnacle of inflation with low wages and poor working conditions and there were frequent strikes and agrarian riots.
Rise of Nazism : The factors which contributed to the growth of Nazism were as follows:
- Defeat in the First World War and the conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles made the Germans feel humiliated and helpless. Many territories of Germany were now shared by the European powers.
- The German economy was ruined by the First World War. The heavy burden of war penalties had made the recover of Germany more difficult. Germany had to borrow heavily from other countries. Inflation and unemployment were hand in hand. Thus, between 1924 and 1933, the Nazi party ranks were swelling with German youth.
- The Nazi party rose due to the absence of strong opposition party. The agenda and the principle of Nazi party was propagated by the members of the volunteer corps.
- Hitler was known for moulding public opinion and was a gifted orator, who captivated the Germans by his emotional speeches.
Question 13 : The World witnessed a ‘Great War’ in the years between 1914-1918. In this context
a) Discuss any three reasons which led to the war in 1914.
b) Mention three clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.
c) Explain how the Treaty of Versailles was responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War.
Answer : a) Reasons of the war in 1914 were as follows:
- Militant nationalism which aggravated the mechanism of keeping armies and navies and also the establishment of a class of military and naval officers.
- Division of Europe into two hostile powers was equally responsible for the wa.
- There was a mad race for armaments in the name of self-defence and preservation of place.
b) The clauses of the Treaty of Versailles were as follows:
- Germany was to pay 33 billion dollars as a fine, to the Allies.
- Its coal mines were ceded to France for 15 years.
- The German army and navy were dramatically reduced.
c) Peace settlement at Paris was made in a spirit of revenge. As a result of the discussions at the Paris conference on 28th June, 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The German felt that too much injustice had been done to them. The victorious powers had deprived Germany of huge tracts of its territories. Germany was burdened with an immense war indemnity. It was impossible for a German race to forget the consequences of the war, which they had host so humiliatingly. This fuelled the rise of Nazism in Germany and to enter upon a career of aggression, and ultimately to the Second World War.