The League of Nations/expansion and contraction of empire

• What was the purpose of the League of Nations mandates established after World War I?

  To administer territories stripped from Germany and the Ottoman Empire by specified allied powers.
• What territories did Britain gain control of as a result of the League of Nations mandates?

  Britain gained control of Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq, parts of Cameroon and Togo, and Tanganyika.
• How much territory did the British Empire add as a result of the post-war peace treaties?

  1,800,000 square miles.
• What was a guiding principle of the Treaty of Versailles?

  Self-determination.
• Why did the League of Nations struggle to maintain peace in the 1920s and 1930s?

  Due to the refusal of the USA to join, lack of an international army, and the rise of Fascism and Nazism.
• What were the main reasons for Britain wanting to acquire the Palestinian mandate?


  • Economic and strategic importance
  • Proximity to the Suez Canal
  • Control over Indian and Asian trade routes
  • Access to oil-rich regions in Mesopotamia
• Who were the British and French diplomats involved in the secret agreement to divide the Middle East?

  Sir Mark Sykes and Georges Picot.
• What was the Balfour Declaration of 1917?


  A letter expressing British support for a national homeland for the Jews in Palestine.
• What was the impact of the Balfour Declaration on the Arab Palestinian population?


  It promised support for a Jewish homeland but did not undermine the rights of the Arab population.
• What is Zionism?

  A political belief advocating for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.
• What was the role of T.E. Lawrence during World War I?

  He promoted rebellions by Arab tribes against Turkish rule.
• What was the population of Jews in Palestine by 1931?


  About 175,000, which was 17.5 percent of the total population.
• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the League of Nations?

  Strengths:

  • Aimed to prevent war through negotiation
  • Established international cooperation

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • USA's refusal to join
  • Lack of an international army
  • Rise of Fascism and Nazism undermined its authority
• Who was Arthur Balfour?


  He was the Foreign Secretary who sent the Balfour Declaration.
• What was the significance of the Irish Free State created in 1915?


  It provided a compromise for Ireland's independence while remaining part of the UK.
• How did British politicians view support for the Jewish cause in relation to American interests?

  They believed it would win sympathy from influential Jewish interests in the USA.
• What were the main challenges faced by the British Empire after World War I?


  • Internal conflict in Ireland
  • Rising nationalist movements in colonies
  • Economic costs of war
• What was the British Empire's greatest extent in terms of territory?

  It reached its greatest extent by 1920.
• What was the attitude of British and French countries towards self-determination?


  They were at odds with the idea when planning global empires.
• How did the British Empire's expansion impact its internal politics?

  It led to conflicts such as the Irish independence movement.