Goyal Brothers Prakashan Class 10 History Solutions Chapter 11 The First World War (1914-1918)

Question 1.
Mention any two reasons why the War that broke out in 1914 is referred to as the First World War.
Or
Mention the two ways in which the War that began in 1914 was different from the previous Wars.
Answer:
The War that broke out in 1914 was different from the previous wars in many ways.
Firstly, the War was fought on the land and in the air, on the sea and under it, with all the resources of the world mobilised for military purposes.
Secondly, the War began in Europe, but very soon it spread to continents of Asia and Africa as well.
Thirdly, its deadly consequences were felt all over the world. These are the reasons why the War is referred to as the First World War.

Question 2.
How did Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm’s intense Nationalism become an important cause of First World War?
Answer:
An important cause of the war was intense nationalism or “competitive patriotism”. Germany had Kaiser Wilhelm II as her new Emperor. He went about proclaiming that “Germany was going to be the leader of the world.”

He wanted to establish a vast German. Empire and gain important position in the international sphere. France and Germany were old rivals. After defeating. France in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) Germany had seized the province of Alsace and most parts of Lorraine, which were rich in minerals and industrial products.

The French dreamed of revenge and of taking back their lost provinces The Italians also looked discontented. Then there was the “unsatisfied national spirit of the Balkan States-Serbia and Bulgaria, of Poland and of the people of Austria-Hungary.” The political leaders and rulers succeeded in fanning hatred and passion under the cover of nationalism.

Question 3.
Cite any one instance to suggest how the race for armaments contributed to the beginning of World War I.
Answer:
There was an arms race and the peculiar feature of such a race is that if one country increases its armaments, other countries are compelled to do the same. The Krupps in Germany, Vicker Armstrong in England and Schneiders in France owned high-profit armament industries. The defence spending had increased irrationally between 1908 and 1914.

Question 4.
Name the two rival blocs formed in Europe before World War I.
Answer:
Europe was divided into two major blocs – on one side were England, France and Russia and on the other Germany, Austria- Hungary, Italy and Turkey. The rivalry and enmity between the two blocs was a major step towards World War I.

Question 5.
Name the countries which formed the Triple Alliance.
Answer:

  • Germany
  • Austria- Hungary
  • Itlay

Question 6.
Name the countries which formed the Triple Entente.
Answer:

  • Britain
  • France
  • Russia

Question 7.
How did the formation of Alliances lead to World War I?
Answer:
Europe was divided into two groups one led by Germany, Austria- Hungary and Italy, other led by Britain, France and Russia. Thus, the formation of alliances divided Europe into two hostile groups. Consequently, tension, and anarchy prevailed in the international sphere, which ultimately paved the way for First World War.

Question 8.
What is meant by Imperialism?
Answer:
Imperialism, i.e., the Race for Colonies: There was a mad scramble among the European nations for new territories in Africa and Asia in the 19th century. Great Britain established many colonies in Africa, followed by France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. Britain and France had occupied most of the regions of Africa.

When Germany entered the race for establishing colonies, Britain and France made a secret agreement in 1904. According to this agreement Britain was to have political control over Egypt and France was to take over Morocco. But the French claim over Morocco was opposed by Germany.

The German Emperor proclaimed that he would uphold the independence of Morocco and her Sultan. He said all the nations should have equal opportunities to trade with that country. Germany tried to force her opinion on France by sending a gun boat, Panther. The war between these nations seemed imminent, but it was averted, partly owing to American mediation.

Question 9.
What became the most immediate cause for the First World War?
Or
What was the Sarajevo Crisis?
Answer:
The Austrian Prince Archduke Francis Ferdinand was murdered in the Bosnian Capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The murderer was a Serbian. Thus, Austria put blame on the Serbian, government for this crime and sent an ultimatum. Serbia however, refused to comply with some of the conditions, as it violated its sovereignty. Consequently, Austria declared a war against Serbia on July 28,1914. Within no time, this war culminated into the First World War.

Question 10.
Who was assassinated at Sarajevo?
Answer:
The Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the Crown Prince of Austria and his wife were assassinated at Sarajevo, the Capital City of Bosnia.

Question 11.
Which country was blamed for the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand?
Answer:
Serbia.

Question 12.
When did the First World War break out?
Or
Which country declared war on Serbia on 28 July, 1914 ? How did Russia react to it?
Answer:
The First World War broke out on 28th July, 1914.
Or
Austria declared War on Serbia on 28 July, 1914.
Russia mobilised her troops to defend Serbia and warned Austria of the consequences. Germany declared war on Russia on August 1 and on France on 3rd August.

Question 13.
Why did Britain declare war on Germany in August 1914?
Answer:
Germany had attacked Belgium. Thus, England was compelled to join the war in order to safeguard the Belgian neutrality and her own political interests.

Question 14.
Name the five major powers who got involved in the hostilities in 1914.
Answer:

  1. Austria
  2. Germany
  3. Russia
  4. France
  5. Britain

Question 15.
Why did America declare war on Germany in April 1917?
Answer:
Germany had sunk, some American ships in which many Americans had to lose their lives. Thus, there was a lot resentment in U.S.A. and President Wilson of U.S.A. declared war against Germany.

Question 16.
How did America’s entry into the War tilt the balance in favour of the Allies?
Answer:
America’s entry into the war turned the tables in favour of the Allies. America placed her huge resources both in men and money at the disposal of the Allies. Consequently, Germany signed an Armistice in November 1918 and the war came to an end.

Question 17.
What is the significance of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Answer:
The treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the war between Russia and Germany. Germany occupied many prosperous and industrial cities of Russia. Secondly, Russia was obliged to pay Germany an war- indemnity of 6 billion marks.

Question 18.
When was the Armistice signed, which ended the First World War?
Answer:
The Armistice was signed on 11th November, 1918 which ended the First World War.

Question 19.
Mention any two terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Answer:

  1. The treaty declared Germany guilty of aggression. She had to pay 33 million dollars a war-indemnity to the Allies.
  2. The Area of the Rhine valley was to demilitarised.

Question 20.
Name the Big Four who attended the Paris Peace Conference.
Answer:

  1. Lloyed George, British P.M.
  2. Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States.
  3. M. Clemenceau, the French Premier.
  4. V. Orlando of Italy.

Question 21.
Name two important regions in Europe which had to be given away by Germany as per provisions of the Treaty of Versailles.
Answer:
Germany surrendered the areas of Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium. The city of Memel went to Lithuiana. Alsace and Lorraine were returned to France along with the Saar valley. Moreover, the two Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein which were captured by Germany from Denmark in 1864, were returned to Denmark. She lost all her Colonial Empire which was divided among the victors.

Question 22.
What was done to demilitarise the area of the Rhine Valley under the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer:
Germany was forbidden to maintain or construct any fortification on either left or right bank of the river. Further, to gurantee the execution of the Treaty, the German territory, West of Rhine was to be occupied by the Allied troops for 15 years. Lastly, her army was reduced to 1,00,000 and she was not to have any air force and submarines.

Question 23.
How was Denmark affected by the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer:
The Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein which were captured by Prussia from Denmark in 1864, were returned to Denmark after a lapse of about 55 years.

Question 24.
How was Poland affected by the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer:
The Treaty of Versailles created a new state of Poland, which got back all the territories which she had lost in the war. Posen and the whole of Prussia was included in the state. The German city of Danzig was’ to provide Poland with a port. Thus, trading rights through the city of Danzig increased Polands wealth and resources.

Question 25.
What happened to Germany’s colonies and overseas possessions in Africa as per provisions of the Treaty of Versailles?
Answer:
Germany lost all her colonies and possessions to Britain, France and Belgium. To go land and the Cameroon in (West Africa) were partitioned between the Britain and France. Further, the German East Africa was shared between Britain and Belgium. However, the Allied powers (Britain, France and Belgium) held these territories as Mandatories of the League of Nations.

Question 26.
How did the First World War affect Austria and Hungary?
Answer:
Austria-Hungary were broken up and two separate kingdoms of Austria and Hungary were set up. Austria had to cede territories to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland and was forced to accept their independence.

Question 27.
Name any two countries that were held by Britain after First World War under a Mandate from the League of Nations.
Answer:
Britain was given control over, Palestine, and Iraq under a Mandate from the League of Nations.

Question 28.
When was the League of Nations formed?
Answer:
The League of Nations was formed in 1920 with its headquarters at Geneva in Switzerland.

Question 29.
Why was the League of Nations established?
Or
Mention two objectives of the League of Nations.
Answer:
The League of Nations was established to promote International cooperation and to achieve International peace and security.

Question 30.
Mention any two of the 14-Points formulated by President Wilson of USA.
Answer:

  1. Reduction of Armaments
  2. Formation of an International Organisation to guarantee the independence of all states, large or small.

Question 31.
Name the country which emerged as a World Power after the First World War.
Answer:
The USA emerged as a World Power after the First World War.

Structured Questions

Question 1.
The Great War of 1914 was not due to any single cause, but due to accumulation of explosive material for many years. Describe the factors that widened the rift between the rival powers with reference to the following :
(a) Intense Nationalism
(b) Division of Europe into Two Armed Camps
(c) Race for Armaments.
Answer:
(a) Intense Nationalism also referred to as competitive patriotism implied that each nation safeguarded her own national interests and cared a fig for others. In other words, the love of one’s own country demanded hatred for the other. Germany, under her new Emperor Kaiser William.

II wanted to be the leader of the world. Thus, Germany defeated France in the Franco- Prussian War (1870-71) and seized the rich mineral provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. The French on the other hand, wanted back her provinces at all costs. Again, competition between England and Germany for commercial and colonial expansion reached its climax.

The conflict between Austria and Serbia in the Balkans also proved dangerous for the world peace. Even the interests of Austria and Russia clashed in the Balkans. Thus, the political leaders succeeded in spreading hatred and passion under the cover of nationalism.

(b) In 1879, Germany and Austria-Hungary signed a treaty to help each other in case of enemy attack. Three years later, Itlay joined the pact, which came to known as the Triple Alliance. The foreign policy of Germany alarmed Britain, France and other rival powers and made them come closer to each other.

As opposed to the Triple Alliance emerged Triple Entente comprising of Britain, France and Russia in 1907 to curb Germany as a growing power. Thus, Europe was divided into major hostile camps and consequently, tension and anarchy prevailed in the International sphere. The rivalry and enmity between the two camps was the major step towards the World War I.

(c) It was intense nationalism which turned Europe into a conclave of vast armed camps. Germany began to build a powerful navy to achieve parity with Britain. She dug the Kiel Canal deeper so that battle ships could find shelter in its waters. It was apparent that Germany was getting ready for a war. Repeated requests by Britain to curtail the increasing naval power had no effect on Germany.

Instead, it led to an arms race, where every country began to increase its armaments. Even the defence spending increased considerably between 1908 and 1918. Consequently, this race for armaments proved to be one of the decisive causes of the war.

Question 2.
There were many causes responsible for the outbreak of the First World War. In this context describe :-
(a) How did the Colonial Rivalry (Imperialist Ambitions) lead to First World War?
(b) In what way did the lack of an effective International Organisation contribute to the outbreak of the First World War?
Answer:
(a) The 19th century witnessed a mad race among the European nations for new territories in Africa and Asia. Great Britain established many colonies in Africa, followed by France, Spain Portugual and Belgium. Germany also entered the race for establishing colonies, as she needed new colonies for raw- material and the sale of her goods.

Though many colonies were already in the hold of England and France. So, a conflict among them was but natural. 1904, Britain and France made a secret agreement according to which, British was to have political control over Egypt and France was to take over Morocco.

However, the French claim over Morocco was opposed by Germany on the grounds that all the nations should have equal opportunities to trade with Morocco. Thus, the stage was being set for the World War I

(b) Lack of an effective organisation to enforce the law among the nations led to total chaos and anarchy. However, two attempts were made to limit the armaments. The First Hague Conference in 1899 recommended that nations should decide not to increase their armies or their war budget for five years.

The conference failed because of the opposition by Germany. A second conference at Hague in 1907 also failed to secure the desired results. As such there was no organisation to control mutual interests and to enforce International laws. Although Italy was the member of the Triple Alliance, yet she entered into a separate agreement with France in 1902 and with Russia in 1909 to grind her own axe.

These events, consequently led to conflict and tension among various nations and because there was no effective organisation to enforce law and order, war became inevitable.

Question 3.
The most immediate cause of the First World War was the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand. In this context describe the following :
(a) Sarajevo Crisis
(b) Involvement of the five major powers in the hostilities.
Answer:
(a) The gun powder of the war was getting ready, since long in
Europe, but the murder of the Austrian Archduke, provided the spark which set the whole Europe ablaze. The Austrian Prince Archduke Ferdinand was murdered in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. The murderer was a Serbian.

Austria put the blame on the Serbian Government for this crime and sent an ultimatum. As Serbia refused to comply with some of the conditions because it violated its sovereignty, Austria declared war against Serbia on July 28, 1914. Within no time, this war culminated in the First World War.

(b) Austria declared War on Serbia on 28th July 1914. Russia mobilised her troops to defend Serbia. Germany too, declared war on Russia on August 1 and on France on 3rd August. Great Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August, when Germany invaded Belgium, whose neutrality had been guaranted by England.

Thus, all the five powers, Austria, Germany, Russia, France and Britain joined in the hostilities on claims of fulfilling their obligations. Later, Turkey and Bulgaria joined the side of Germany. Itlay left the Triple Alliance and joined the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1915. Japan declared war on Germany with the aim of capturing German colonies in the Far East. Thus, it soon engulfed almost all the countries of the world.

Question 4.
The Treaty of Versailles was not negotiated, but dictated by the victorious powers. In this context, answer the following questions :
(a) How did Germany suffer territorial losses in the mainland of Europe?
(b) How did Germany have to lose all her African colonies and other overseas possessions?
Answer:
(a) The Treaty of Versailles signed on 28th June, 1919 in the Hall of Mirror at Versailles (France) declared Germany to be guilty of aggression. Thus, she was forced to cede parts of her prewar territories to Denmark, Poland, Belgium and Czechoslovakia. Alsace and Lorraine, rich in iron deposits were returned to France.

Further, Saar valley, known for its coal mines was ceded to France for 15 years. Moreover, two Duchies of Schleswig and Hostein were returned to Denmark. Germany also surrendered the areas of Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium. The city of Memel went to Lithuiana Besides, the German city of Danzig was made a port for Poland.

Lastly, the Rhine valley was demilitarised. To gurantee the execution of the treaty, the German territory, West of Rhine was to be occupied by the Allied troops for 15 years. The Treaty brought a lot of disgrace and humiliation to the Germans.

(b) Besides territorial losses in Europe, she also had to lose all her colonial empire which was divided among the victors. Togoland and Cameroon were divided between France and England. German colonies in S W Africa and East Africa were also taken away from her and shared by England, Belgium, Portugual and South Africa.

While, Japan got Shantung and Kiau chon in China, New Zealand got the Samoa Islands. However, the Allied powers (Britain, France and Belgium held these territories as mandatories of the League of Nations. Thus, the treaty gave a blow to the honour and prestige of Germans.

Question 5.
The Treaty of Versailles sought to cripple once for all military strength of Germany. In this context answer the following questions :
(a) What did the Allied Powers do to curb German Militarism (or reduce strength of German army)?
(b) Is it correct to say that Treaty of Versailles subjected Germany to the harshest possible conditions?
Or
The Treaty of Versailles came in for severe criticism. Wha .was the main criticism against it?
Answer:
(a) The Allied powers crippled the military and naval power of the Germans. The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to construct or maintain any fortification either on the left or right bank of the river Rhine. The German army was restricted to a force of 1,00,000 soldiers, the Navy was limited to 15,000 men and 36 ships.

Airforce was totally banned. Infact, she had to cede all her merchant-ships to the Allies as a compensation. No submarines were to be allowed. Moreover, she had to supply huge quantities of coal to France, Itlay and Belgium for ten years. All this resulted in reducing the military strength of Germany.

(b) The Treaty of Versailles concluded with Germany was injust and severe. The treaty was indeed a disgrace for Germany. All territories and overseas colonies were taken from her. She was crippled and rendered weak. Consequently, it adversely effected her economy. She had to pay 33 billion dollars as war-indemnity. In other words, the treaty gave a blow to the honour and prestige of Germany.

As a result, after taking the reins of Germany into his hands, Hitler tore the treaty into pieces and started increasing his military power. He conquered territories one after the other including Poland, Danzig etc. Thus, the injustice done to Germany ultimately led to the Second World War.

Criticism of the Treaty of Versailles :
The Treaty of Versailles was undoubtedly a “dictated peace”, one that would assign all the war guilt to Germany. The principle at the root of the Treaty was: “To the Victors belong the Spoils and the Allies are the Victors.” The German representatives had to sign the Treaty under coercion.

The Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of all its colonial possessions and imposed enormous compensation in the form of war damages. Her military strength was completely crushed. The peace arrangements, therefore, broke down and Germany under Hitler showed aggression in its political activities. This became an important cause of World War II.

Question 6.
With reference to the results of the First World War describe :
(a) Territorial Rearrangements that changed political map of the world.
(b) Principal Organs of the League of Nations.
(c) Any three objectives of the League of Nations
Answer:
(a) Territorial Rearrangements :
The period after the War saw the beginning of the end of the European supremacy in the world. Economically and militarily, the United States surpassed Europe to emerge as a world power. The peace treaties signed after the War transformed the political map of the World. Three ruling dynasties were destroyed- the Romanov in Russia during the War itself, the Hohenzollem in Germany and the Hapsburg in Austria-Hungary.

Soon after the War, the rule of Ottomans came to an end in Turkey. Austria and Hungary became separate independent States. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia emerged as independent States. Thus, the War gave a serious blow to the autocratic monarchial system and led to the development of democracy in Europe.

Empires having different cultures were dissolved and independent states having distinct cultures emerged after the War. These included Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Yugoslavia. Under the impulse of nationalism Alsace- Lorraine was restored to France and Schelswig-Hostein was restored to Denmark.

(b) Principal Organs of the League of Nations:
Principal Organs of the League of Nations were-the Assembly the Council, the Secretariat and the Permament Court of International Justice.

The League began with 42 original members. Admission of new members required not less than a two-thirds vote of the Assembly. The United States never became its member, because the American Senate did not ratify the League’s Covenant. Germany and her allies were not eligible for entry for a few years. With the joining of Germany in 1926, the League’s position and strength rose high.

(c) The League of Nations was established in 1920 with its headquarters at Geneva in Switzerland. The League was established to promote International cooperation and to achieve International peace and security. Besides prevention of war, the objects of the League were :

  • Maintenance of status quo i. e., the situation that existed as a result of the peace conference.
  • The protection of national minorities
  • The proper operation of the Mandate system
  • Apart from political functions, the League was expected to promote, cultural, social and economic cooperation among the member states.

Extra Practice Questions

Question 1.
Name two nation states of Pre-First World War Europe.
Answer:

  1. France
  2. Holland or Germany

Question 2.
Name two imperial states which existed in Europe in 1914.
Answer:

  1. Austro Hungarian Empire
  2. Russian Empire

Question 3.
Name three nationalities included in the Austrian Empire.
Answer:

  1. Serbs
  2. the Bosnians
  3. the Croats

Question 4.
Name two European Nationalities which were included in the Russian empire.
Answer:

  1. Polish
  2. Ukrainian

Question 5.
Name three colonial powers of Europe of 1914.
Answer:

  1. Britain
  2. France
  3. Spain

Question 6.
Which industrialised nation was left behind in the race for colonies?
Answer:
Germany.

Question 7.
Why is the war between 1914 and 1918 called the First World War?
Answer:
The war between 1914 and 1918 was called the First world war because it was fought on a world-wide scale and deeply influenced all the countries of the world.

Question 8.
What was the cause of the Franco-German rivalry?
Answer:
France was defeated by Germany in 1870-71 and consequently ; her, two provinces of Alsace and Lorraine were taken away from her. Germany was not ready to return them at any cost, and this generated a spirit of revenge among the French people. Again, their imperialistic designs clashed in Morocco in Africa, where both wanted to seize Morocco. Thus, a conflict between them became quite inevitable.

Question 9.
How did the newspaper poision the public opinion before 1914?
Answer:
Newspapers, presented the views in such a manner so as to increase their sales. By their hostile propoganda, they created an atmosphere of doubt, distrust and tension which proved very harmful to the world peace.

Question 10.
What do you mean by narrow nationalism?
Answer:
Same as Answer 8.

Question 11.
Name two countries whose imperial interests became one of the patent factors of the First World War?
Answer:

  1. Germany
  2. England and France

Question 12.
In which way Germany tried to become the First rate power in the world before 1914.
Answer:
Germany became a powerful country under the leadership of Bismark. She defeated powerful nations like – France and Austria and also made a great progress in the sphere of trade and commerce.

Question 13.
Who was Kaiser William II? How did he contribute to the ‘ First World War?
Answer:
Kaiser William II, was the Emperor of Germany. He was very ambitious, hot – headed and arrogant. Infact, his interference in the Balkan states made Russia his opponent. England also became his enemy when he began to expand his naval power. Lastly, he was responsible for the formation of Triple Entente in which England, France and Russia were bound together.

Question 14.
What led to Anglo – German Rivalry?
Answer:
The Germans constructed huge ships and started widening the Kiel canal, which posed a challenge to the English naval power. The English wanted to maintain her naval supremacy over the sea at all costs. Thus, this resulted in a race between the two countries to increase their naval power.

ICSE History and Civics Class 10 Goyal Brothers Prakashan Solutions

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