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 Defense 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-1882 linking 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.
• Militarism: 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.
Treaty of Versailles
• 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
• The U.S., which had won the war but had not experienced the conflict on its
territory, became a first world power.
• The mass mobilization of men led to the incorporation of women into the
workforce, which was a major step forward for women's rights.
• The triumph of the Soviet Revolution (Russian Revolution) and the social crisis
that followed the war 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 -2
• World War II, which began in 1939 and ended in 1945, was a
devastating international conflict.
• It involved a total of 100 million people from more than 30 countries.
World War II was the deadliest war in human history, with a death toll
ranging from 70 to 85 million people. Hundreds of millions of people
died as a result of genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation,
massacres, and disease.
• The Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—were pitted against the
Allies—France, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet
Union, and, to a lesser extent, China.
CAUSES OF WORLD WAR II
(1) Humiliation by the Treaty of Versailles
• Indemnification in the event of a war.
• The provision for Germany's disarmament.
• A 15-year lease on the Saar coal mine to France.
• Poland received a Polish corridor.
• Danzing City was set free.
(2) Growth of Fascism and Nazism
• Both Italy's Mussolini and Germany's Hitler extolled war and violence.
• Germany and Italy began massive militarization while the West was fighting
communism.

(3) Japan's Rise

• Imperialism
• Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis (1936).

(4) Neglect of minority interests

• Following World War I, new countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, and
Austria arose. Minority groups' interests in each of these countries were
overlooked when establishing borders.
 Fascism Nazism
Fascism believes in the corporatization of all Nazism emphasised on racism. The doctrine
elements to form an ‘Organic State’. For Fascists believed in the superiority of a state ruled by a
state was an unimportant element of their beliefs particular race, in this case, the ‘Aryan’ race
Fascism believed in the class system and sought to Nazism considered a class-based society a
preserve it for a better social order hindrance to racial unity and sought to eliminate it
Fascism considered the state as a means of Nazism considered the state as a tool for the
advancing the goal of nationalism preservation and advancement of the master race.
The word ‘Fascism’ comes from the Italian word Nazism is derived from the German language name
‘fascismo’, which is derived from ‘fascio‘ meaning “a of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party
bundle of sticks”, ultimately from the Latin word
‘fasces’ ‘Fasces’ was a symbol of power in the
ancient Roman Empire
Benito Mussolini and Oswald Mosley are the Adolf Hitler and Joseph Mengele are famous Nazis
notable personalities of Fascism
(5) Military Alliance
• Allies: Britain, France, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China vs. Axis Powers:
Germany, Italy, and Japan
• Leaders: Winston Churchill (Britain), Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Joseph Stalin
(Stalin) (USSR)
(6) Germany’s attack on Czechoslovakia
• Despite the Munich Pact (1938) between Germany and the United Kingdom, Germany re-
attacked and sized Czechoslovakia.

(7) Failure of the League of Nations

• In 1919, the League of Nations was established as an international organisation to
maintain world peace.
• It was envisioned that all countries would be members, and that any disputes between
them would be resolved through negotiation rather than force.
• The League of Nations was a good idea, but it failed in the end because not all countries
joined.
• In addition, the League lacked an army to counter military aggression like Italy's invasion
of Ethiopia in Africa or Japan's invasion of Manchuria in China.
(8) Great Depression of 1929
• The global economic depression of the 1930s had a variety of effects in
Europe and Asia.
• Several countries in Europe, including Germany, Italy, and Spain, have
shifted political power to totalitarian and imperialist governments.
• In Asia, a resource-scarce Japan began to expand aggressively, invading
China and manoeuvring for control of a Pacific sphere of influence.

(9) Immediate CAUSE

• The invasion of Poland by Germany (1st September 1939)
• Germany annexed the Polished Corridor and the city of Danzig. Blitzkrieg is
the term for a sudden attack on Poland (lightning war).
• Brtiain and France declared war on Germany.
BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II
• On September 3, 1939, two days after Hitler's armies invaded Poland,
World War II began.
• The war would be fought between the Axis Powers – Germany, Italy,
and Japan – and the Allies – the United Kingdom, France,
Commonwealth countries, the United States, and the Soviet Union.
1. Phoney War
1. During the first few months of the war, Western Europe was very
quiet.
2. This period of conflict is known as the "phoney war."
3. War preparations intensified, but there were few signs of conflict
and civilians from western European countries (allied powers) were
evacuated to safer locations.
2. Treaty of Ribbentrop (Ribbentrop Pact)
1. By the early part of 1939, Adolf Hitler, the German dictator, had made up
his mind to invade and occupy Poland.
2. Poland, for its part, had military guarantees from France and the United
Kingdom in the event of a German attack. Hitler had already planned to
invade Poland, but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet
Union would resist the invasion of its western neighbour.
3. In August 1939, secret negotiations led to the signing of the German-
Soviet Nonaggression Pact in Moscow.
4. Furthermore, in September, Russia invaded Poland, and Poland was
divided between the two invaders by the end of the year.

3. The Winter War of 1940

The 'winter war' between Russia and Finland ended in March, and Germany
invaded Denmark and Norway the following month.
4. France's Fall, 1940
An armistice was signed in France between Germany and the puppet
French Vichy government. After conquering France, Hitler turned his
attention to the United Kingdom and began planning an invasion.

5. Battle of Britain 1940

It was the first war to be fought entirely in the air, lasting from July to
September 1940. The failure of Germany to defeat the RAF and gain
control of the skies over southern England made invasion virtually
impossible.
EXPANSION OF CONFLICT
Following Mussolini's defeats in Greece and Tobruk, German forces arrived in North Africa in April
1941 and invaded Greece and Yugoslavia.
1. Operation Barbarossa
1. In 1941, after losing in Britain, Hitler violated the Ribbentrop Pact and invaded Russia.
2. The initial push was quick, with Sebastopol falling at the end of October and Moscow being
attacked at the end of the year.
3. The Germans, however, were crippled by the bitter Russian winter, which was similar to the one
Napoleon had endured a century and a half before.
4. In December, the Soviets counterattacked, and the Eastern Front remained stagnant until the
spring.

2. Pearl Harbor
1. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese, fed up with American trade embargoes, launched a surprise
attack on the US Navy base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
2. As a result, global conflict erupted, with Germany declaring war on the United States a few days
later.
3. Japan also invaded the Philippines, Burma, and Hong Kong within a week of Pearl Harbor.
3. American Entry Into the War
1. The Battle of Midway in 1942 ushered the United States into World
War II. Four Japanese carriers and a cruiser were destroyed by US sea-
based aircraft in this battle, which marked the turning point in World
War II.
2. The news of the Nazis' mass murders of Jews reached the Allies, and
the US promised to avenge the crimes.
MAJOR WINS
1. By the second half of 1942, British forces had taken control of North Africa, while
Russian forces launched a counter-offensive at Stalingrad.
2. In February 1943, Germany surrendered to the Soviet Union at Stalingrad. This was
Hitler's army's first major defeat.
3. In addition, in North Africa, German and Italian forces surrendered to the Allies.
4. As the Russian advance on the Eastern Front accelerated, Germany lost control of
Kharkiv and Kiev. Furthermore, Allied bombers began launching massive daylight air raids
on German cities.
5. On April 21, 1945, the Russians arrived in Berlin (Germany's capital).
6. On the 30th, two days after Mussolini was captured and hanged by Italian partisans,
Hitler committed suicide.
7. On the 7th of May, Germany unconditionally surrendered, and the following day was
designated as VE (Victory in Europe) Day. Europe's war had come to an end.
CONSEQUENCES OF SECOND WORLD WAR
• Imperialism is coming to an end.
• Decolonization begins.
• In Africa and Asia, nationalist movements are becoming more powerful.
(From the United Kingdom, India, Myanmar, Egypt, and Sri Lanka; from the
United States, the Philippines; from France, Indo-China; and from the
Netherlands, Indonesia)
• In Germany and Italy, the dictatorships have come to an end.
• Germany was split into two parts: west and east. West Germany was ruled
by the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. The Soviet Union
occupied East Germany.
• Millions of people have died.
• Economic issues such as unemployment, low growth, and so on.
• New World Economic Order
During World War II, the Bretton Woods Conference, formally the United
Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, met in Bretton Woods, New
Hampshire (July 1–22, 1944) to make financial arrangements for the postwar
world after Germany and Japan were expected to be defeated.
• It devised a plan for the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD, now known as the World Bank) to make long-term
capital available to countries in desperate need of assistance, as well as a
plan for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance short-term
imbalances in international payments in order to stabilise exchange rates.
• The US dollar was also designated as a reserve currency for international
trade.
• The emergence of two power blocs: the United States and the Soviet
Union. As a result, the Cold War erupted.
• The emergence of countries from the Third World.
• The United Nations was founded in 1945.
INDIA AND WORLD II
• The British Empire had suffered greatly as a result of World War II.
Britain had lost a lot of money and was looking to its colonies to help
them reclaim their status as a world power. Mahatma Gandhi, on the
other hand, was organising Indians against the British at the time.
• Also, World War II erupted to prevent Hitler from establishing
German colonies outside of Germany's borders, a colonial occupation
that Britain had been carrying out for centuries.
• As a result, after the war, people all over the world began to support
voices opposing British colonial occupation.
Ans- d
Explanation- E.V.R. Periyar is associated with the famous self-respect
movement in Tamil Nadu, temple entry movement in south India. He
was once part of Indian National Congress and later left it. He was
not associated with the Communist movement.