Heimler 8.4 AP EurVideo: The Treaty of Versailles: Historical Impacts and Legacy
This assignment focuses on the significance of the Treaty of Versailles, exploring its historical impacts and how it set the stage for future conflicts, including World War II and current tensions in the Middle East. You will answer a series of questions, including multiple-choice and short answer, to demonstrate your understanding of the treaty's consequences.
Question 1
Which of the following best describes the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany?
It reintegrated Germany into the European economy with favorable trade terms.
It provided German colonies with increased autonomy under League supervision.
It imposed harsh reparations and territorial losses that fostered resentment.
It restored the German monarchy and emphasized national unity.
Question 2
The League of Nations failed to prevent future conflicts primarily because:
It was viewed as a threat to monarchies and was undermined by royalty.
It focused too much on economic issues rather than military ones.
It required unanimous decisions, which delayed global trade agreements.
It lacked participation from major powers and had no enforcement mechanism.
Question 3
What was a major consequence of the post-WWI redrawing of borders in the Middle East?
Borders of the Middle East After WW1
The Ottoman Empire was strengthened with League oversight.
Nationalist movements faded as new states gained independence.
Mandates imposed by Britain and France led to long-term regional tensions.
The United States took direct control of the region to protect oil interests.
Question 4
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of self-determination as applied unevenly in the Versailles settlement?
“The Principle of Self-Determination”: Historical Imagination and Indian Home Rule in 1919
Ho Chi Minh, 1919, petition to the Versailles Peace Conference
"When the President of the United States talks about self-determination, what nations does he have in mind? Does he mean only European nations, or does he include the peoples of Asia and Africa as well?"
German colonies received independence while European colonies did not.
Eastern European ethnic groups gained new states, but Middle Eastern populations were placed under mandates.
France regained Alsace-Lorraine while losing territory in Indochina.
The Balkans unified under one government, representing all Slavic peoples.
Question 5
One of the stated goals of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points that was not fully realized in the Treaty of Versailles was:
The following excerpt is taken from a March 2019 Carnegie Council podcast entitled “The Crack-Up: Egypt & the Wilsonian Moment, with Erez Manela.” The podcast is based off The New York Times opinion piece “Woodrow Wilson and 'the Ugliest of Treacheries” written by historian Erez Manela.
EREZ MANELA: [W]hen Wilson started using the term self-determination he was using it in a way that's very different from the way it was perceived by many others at the time—and certainly the way it has been perceived since by a lot of people around the world. From his perspective he was simply using the term as a synonym to this notion of consent of the governed, which is a central piece of rhetoric that undergirded [was a basis of] the American Revolution…
[Wilson] picked up on the term self-determination because the Bolsheviks (Lenin, Trotsky) used it and injected it into the conversation in international affairs….[O]ne of the things he [Wilson] wanted to do, of course, was contain and hopefully roll back the Bolshevik Revolution. One way in which he tried to do that was by co-opting[1] their rhetoric…
From his [Wilson’s] perspective the importance of government by consent was that it was more stable than the alternative, which he saw as autocratic government.[2] So he was looking at the Russian Empire before the Revolution, the tsar; he was looking at the German kaiser, and what he saw was militarism and autocracy. That was his analysis and his word. The antidote to that was government by consent, that is to say, government that was answerable to the people. [Wilson’s] basic instinct was that the people as such were on the whole less likely than elites or militarists to get into conflicts and war because they were more likely to pay the price…
The right to self-determination for all colonial peoples
The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France
The dismantling of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
The establishment of the League of Nations
Question 6
Why did Wilson claim to promote the concept of “self-determination”?
(Answer based on Wilson’s stated intentions, not possible ulterior motives or real-world outcomes.)
To encourage all colonized nations to immediately gain independence
To align with the Bolsheviks and support revolutionary movements
To weaken European powers and prevent them from rebuilding their empires
To promote stability by encouraging governments based on the consent of the governed
Question 7
Using your knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and the Versailles settlement, explain how Woodrow Wilson’s promotion of “self-determination” reflected both democratic ideals and imperial contradictions.
In your response, consider:
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Wilson’s stated reasons for promoting self-determination
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How colonized or non-European peoples reacted to his message
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Contradictions in U.S. actions at home and abroad (e.g., the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Monroe Doctrine)
School Begins: Critique of US Imperialism
Uncle Sam (to his new class in Civilization) Now, children, you've got to learn these lessons whether you want to or not!
Question 8
Part A: How did participating in the Versailles Peace Treaty role-play change or deepen your understanding of the challenges involved in creating peace after a major war?
Part B: What perspectives or emotions did you better understand by representing a specific country or group?
Wesley speaking as Woodrow Wilson from the USA Delegation
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