What does the AQA Conflict and tension 1918 to 1939 option cover?

It is a Paper 1 wider world depth study tracing the international crisis between the two world wars: the peace settlement and the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the League of Nations and its failures in the Manchurian and Abyssinian crises, Hitler's foreign policy and his breaking of Versailles, and the policy of appeasement, the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the invasion of Poland that brought war in 1939.

Why was the Treaty of Versailles so resented in Germany?

Germans called it a diktat, a dictated peace they had no part in negotiating. They resented Article 231 (the War Guilt clause), reparations of 6.6 billion pounds, the loss of all colonies and large amounts of territory, severe limits on the armed forces, and the ban on union with Austria. The treaty also damaged the Weimar government that signed it.

Why did the League of Nations fail?

The League had weaknesses from the start: the USA never joined, it had no army, and decisions needed unanimous votes. The Depression made states selfish, and in the 1930s it could not stop strong aggressors. Japan got away with invading Manchuria in 1931 and Italy with invading Abyssinia in 1935 to 1936, which destroyed its credibility.

What were the steps on the road to war?

Hitler aimed to overturn Versailles, unite German-speakers, win Lebensraum and destroy communism. He rearmed openly from 1935, remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936, formed the Axis and Anti-Comintern alliances, achieved the Anschluss with Austria in March 1938, took the Sudetenland at Munich, and seized the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939.

Why did appeasement fail to prevent war?

Appeasement gave Hitler concessions, hoping to satisfy him, but his aims were not limited. After Munich in 1938 he broke his promises and seized the rest of Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Britain then guaranteed Poland, but the Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 1939 freed Hitler to invade Poland on 1 September 1939, and Britain and France declared war on 3 September.

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AQA GCSE History Conflict and tension 1918 to 1939: a complete overview of the road from Versailles to war

A complete overview of the AQA GCSE History wider world depth study Conflict and tension 1918 to 1939. Covers peacemaking and the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations and its failures, Hitler's foreign policy and the road to war, and appeasement, the Nazi-Soviet Pact and the outbreak of war, with the key dates and crises the exam rewards.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.815 min readAQA-8145-BCUpdated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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What this option demands
Peacemaking and the Treaty of Versailles
The League of Nations
The road to war
Appeasement and the outbreak of war
Check your knowledge

What this option demands

Conflict and tension 1918 to 1939 is the most popular AQA Paper 1 wider world depth study. It examines the international story between the two world wars: how the 1919 peace tried and failed to keep order, and how that failure, the weakness of the League and Hitler's ambitions led inexorably to war in 1939. Because it is a depth study, the exam rewards detailed knowledge of crises, dates and decisions, and tests source usefulness, interpretation and the 16-mark essay. This overview ties the four dot-point pages together.

Peacemaking and the Treaty of Versailles

The Big Three (Clemenceau, Wilson and Lloyd George) brought clashing aims to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, so the Treaty of Versailles was a compromise. Its terms (remembered as BRAT) imposed Blame (the War Guilt clause), Reparations of 6.6 billion pounds, severe Army limits and major Territory losses, plus a ban on union with Austria. Germans condemned it as a humiliating diktat. Separate treaties redrew the map of central and eastern Europe.

The League of Nations

The League of Nations (1920) aimed to keep peace through collective security. But the USA never joined, it had no army, and the unanimous voting rule paralysed it. After mixed results and real social successes in the 1920s, the Depression and two crises destroyed it: the Manchurian Crisis (1931) and the Abyssinian Crisis (1935 to 1936), in which strong aggressors defied the League and got away with it.

The road to war

Hitler aimed to destroy Versailles, unite German-speakers, win Lebensraum and crush communism. He moved step by step: open rearmament from 1935, the remilitarisation of the Rhineland (March 1936), the Rome-Berlin Axis and Anti-Comintern Pact, and the Anschluss with Austria (March 1938). Each move broke Versailles, and Britain and France let them pass.

Appeasement and the outbreak of war

Appeasement, led by Chamberlain, gave Hitler concessions to avoid war. At Munich (September 1938) Britain and France handed him the Sudetenland, but in March 1939 he seized the rest of Czechoslovakia, discrediting the policy. Britain guaranteed Poland; the Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939) secretly divided Poland and freed Hitler to attack. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, and Britain and France declared war on 3 September 1939.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall questions covering the whole option. Attempt them, then check the solutions.

Name the three leaders of the Big Three and their countries. (3 marks)
What did Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles state? (1 mark)
Give two weaknesses of the League of Nations. (2 marks)
Name the two 1930s crises that destroyed the League's authority. (2 marks)
State two of Hitler's foreign policy aims. (2 marks)
What did Hitler do in the Rhineland in March 1936? (1 mark)
What did Britain and France agree to at Munich in September 1938? (1 mark)
What event triggered the British and French declaration of war in September 1939? (1 mark)

Sources & how we know this

AQA GCSE History (8145) specification — AQA (2016)