Month: March 2024

What problems from World War I helped contribute to the outbreak of World War II? First, after the war Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty said that Germany started the war, they lost territory, they have to pay reparations, and were forced to keep small military. There was also the Great Depression. This is when Germany’s economics were shrinking, economy was failing, unemployment was rising, banks failed, prices fell, and businesses stoped. The people were looking for a political leader to help them, so they voted Hitler. Hitler claimed that he would help them, but he started to build a secret military and make more weapons. Then Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. France and Britain weren’t prepared for war so they let it slide. Then Germany invaded Poland. This time France and Britain were tired of Germany breaking the treaty, so they declared war and World War II started. 

(1) Historian Richard Pipes wrote, “Soviet Russia was the first society in history to outlaw law.” What did he mean by that? This meant that Russia was letting people who knew nothing about the law were aloud to become judges. These people never went to law school, they just had to rely on their own personal morals. 

(2) What was the Russian government under Lenin like? According to Wikipedia, the Russian government under Lenin was like “Formation. Traditionally, the executive part of a government is directed by a council of ministers nominated by a ruler or by a president. The Bolsheviks considered this to be a bourgeois institution, and wanted to create what they believed was a new government made up of a ‘soviet’ of workers and peasants.” What kinds of tasks did it attempt to achieve? According to Wikipedia, “From his Marxist perspective, Lenin argued that this Russian proletariat would develop class consciousness, which would in turn lead them to violently overthrow tsarism, the aristocracy, and the bourgeoisie and to establish a proletariat state that would move toward socialism.”

(3) What are the primary differences between Marxism and Marxism-Leninism? Marxism predicted a revolution, while Marxism-Leninism forcefully demanded leadership lead by a vanguard party of professional revolutionaries. 

How did an assassination lead to WW1? On June 28 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife Sophie in Sarajev, were assassinated. This led to WW1, but why? Because of the assassination Austria-Hungary sent a list of demands to Siberia, who led the assassination. Austria-Hungary said if these demands were not completed, they would start war. The list of demands were done, but war started anyway. This caused all of the allies to join and start WW1.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th president of the United States of America and president during WW1. He is famous for his fourteen-points. According to Wikipedia, “The Fourteen Points was a statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations in order to end World War I. The principles were outlined in a January 8, 1918 speech on war aims and peace terms to the United States Congress by President Woodrow Wilson.” According to the National WWI Museum, the Fourteen Points are: “1. Open diplomacy without secret treaties 2. Economic free trade on the seas during war and peace 3. Equal trade conditions 4. Decrease armaments among all nations 5. Adjust colonial claims 6. Evacuation of all Central Powers from Russia and allow it to define its own independence 7. Belgium to be evacuated and restored 8. Return of Alsace-Lorraine region and all French territories 9. Readjust Italian borders 10. Austria-Hungary to be provided an opportunity for self-determination 11. Redraw the borders of the Balkan region creating Roumania, Serbia and Montenegro 12. Creation of a Turkish state with guaranteed free trade in the Dardanelles 13. Creation of an independent Polish state 14. Creation of the League of Nations”.

According to Tate, “Modernism refers to a global movement in society and culture that from the early decades of the twentieth century sought a new alignment with the experience and values of modern industrial life.” Modernism has 5 key characteristics. They are individualism, experimentation, absurdity, symbolism, and formalism. In short modernism means what you are currently doing. 

The beginning of World War 1. The assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the key event that led to World War 1. Because of this Austria declared war in Siberia. Because of this Germany (Austria’s ally) declared war on Russia (Siberia’s ally). Then Germany declared war on France (Germany’s ally). The United States declared that they would remain neutral, but that didn’t work out. Everyone thought that this would be a short war, but they were wrong. The war lasted from August 1914 to November 1918.