Welcome to International History (1870–1945)!

Hello! Welcome to your study guide for the International option of your AS Level History course. History isn't just a list of dates to memorize; it's the story of how our world became what it is today. In this chapter, we will look at how big empires grew, how countries tried (and sometimes failed) to keep the peace, and how power shifted across the globe from Europe to the USA and Asia. Don't worry if this seems like a lot at first—we’re going to break it down into small, easy-to-understand pieces.

Part 1: Empire and the Emergence of World Powers (1870–1919)

In the late 1800s, European countries were like players in a high-stakes game of "Capture the Flag," but the flags were actual countries in Africa and Asia. This period is known as New Imperialism.

Why did they want Empires?

Imagine you run a massive factory. You need two things: cheap materials to make your products and people to buy them. This was the main economic motive.
1. Economic: Nations needed raw materials (like rubber, oil, and gold) and new markets to sell their goods.
2. Political: Owning more land made a country look powerful. It was a matter of national pride.
3. The Scramble for Africa: This was a mad dash where European powers divided Africa among themselves. To avoid fighting each other, they met at the Berlin Conference (1884–85). Think of it as a group of people carving up a cake that didn't belong to them without asking the person who baked it!

New Kids on the Block: Japan and the USA

While Europe was busy in Africa, two other nations were becoming "World Powers."
Japan: Japan realized that if they didn't modernize, they would be taken over. They went through a "rapid makeover" (modernization) and military development. They proved their power by defeating Russia in 1905, which shocked the world!
The USA: For a long time, the USA stayed out of world business (Isolationism). However, they needed more trade to grow. After winning the Spanish–American War (1898), they gained territories like the Philippines and became a major player in international politics.

Quick Review:
- Imperialism = Growing an empire for money and power.
- Berlin Conference = Europe's "rulebook" for taking over Africa.
- 1905 = The year Japan proved an Asian nation could beat a European power (Russia).

Key Takeaway: By 1914, the world was no longer just about Britain and France; Japan and the USA were now powerful forces that everyone had to respect.

Part 2: The League of Nations and the 1920s

After the horrors of World War I, world leaders wanted to make sure a war like that never happened again. Their solution? The League of Nations.

The Peace Settlements (1919–20)

The most famous treaty was the Treaty of Versailles. It dealt with Germany.
- Reparations: Germany was forced to pay huge sums of money for war damages.
- Diktat: This is what the Germans called the treaty. It means "dictated peace" because they were forced to sign it without any say.
Memory Aid: Think of the treaty as a very harsh school detention where the student has to pay for the broken window and isn't allowed to argue back.

The League of Nations: A Neighborhood Watch without a Phone

The League was designed to use Collective Security—the idea that if one country was attacked, all the others would jump in to help.
Why it struggled:
- The USA didn't join: Even though the US President came up with the idea, the US government voted to stay out.
- No Army: The League had no soldiers of its own. It could only "scold" countries or stop trading with them (sanctions).
Successes in the 20s: It wasn't all bad! The League's Agencies did great work improving global health and helping refugees. They also solved small fights, like the Aaland Islands dispute.

Did you know? Germany suffered from Hyperinflation in 1923, where money became so worthless that children played with stacks of cash like toy blocks and people took wheelbarrows of money to buy a loaf of bread!

Key Takeaway: The 1920s was a period of "trying." Countries tried to recover, tried to cooperate through treaties like Locarno (1925), and tried to make the League work.

Part 3: The 1930s and the Path to War

The 1930s was like a dark cloud moving over the world. It started with the Great Depression, which made people desperate and angry.

The Rise of Dictators

When people are poor and hungry, they often listen to "strongman" leaders who promise easy fixes. This led to the rise of extremism and dictators like Hitler in Germany.
Hitler began Expansionism—taking back land Germany had lost.
- 1936: Remilitarisation of the Rhineland.
- 1938: Anschluss (union with Austria).
- 1938: Taking the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia).

Appeasement: Keeping the Tiger Happy?

Britain and France used a policy called Appeasement. They gave Hitler some of what he wanted, hoping he would stop there and avoid a war.
Analogy: Appeasement is like giving a bully your lunch money on Monday, hoping he won't ask for it again on Tuesday. Spoiler: The bully usually comes back for more.

The League Fails

The League of Nations completely failed when big countries started bullying others.
1. Manchuria (1931): Japan invaded China. The League did almost nothing.
2. Abyssinia (1935): Italy invaded Ethiopia. The League tried sanctions, but they didn't work.
By the time Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, everyone realized that talk wasn't enough, and World War II began.

Key Takeaway: The 1930s showed that "Collective Security" only works if the powerful nations are willing to fight for it. Because they weren't, the world slid back into war.

Part 4: China and Japan (1912–1945)

While Europe was in chaos, huge changes were happening in East Asia.

China’s Internal Struggle

China was a mess for many years, ruled by local Warlords (military leaders who acted like kings of their own small regions).
Two main groups fought to unite China:
1. The Kuomintang (KMT): Led by Sun Yat-sen and later Chiang Kai-shek. They were nationalists.
2. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP): Led by Mao Zedong. They wanted a revolution for the peasants.
The Long March (1934–35): The CCP had to retreat across China to escape the KMT. It was a brutal 6,000-mile journey, but it made Mao a hero to the peasants and helped the CCP survive.

Japan’s Military Dictatorship

In the 1930s, the military took control of Japan's government. They believed Japan needed to conquer other countries to get resources. This led to a full-scale war with China in 1937. Eventually, Japan’s desire for an empire led them to attack the USA at Pearl Harbor, bringing the Asian conflict into World War II.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't assume the KMT and CCP were always fighting. They actually teamed up twice (the "United Fronts") to fight against the Warlords and later against the Japanese invaders!

Key Takeaway: China was weakened by internal civil war, which gave Japan the opportunity to invade. This conflict eventually merged with the global war happening in Europe.

Final Wrap-Up Checklist

Before your exam, make sure you can explain:
- Why countries wanted empires (Gold, Glory, God, and Goods).
- Why the League of Nations was like a dog with a loud bark but no teeth.
- How the Great Depression led to the rise of dictators.
- What the "Long March" was and why it mattered for Mao Zedong.
You've got this! Focus on the "why" and "how" of these events, and the dates will eventually fall into place.