Question 1

What was the Treaty of Versailles and why did it fail to keep peace?

Accepted Answer

The Treaty of Versailles was the peace agreement signed in 1919 to end World War I with Germany. It imposed harsh terms, including the War Guilt Clause (Article 231), heavy reparations, military restrictions, and territorial losses such as the Polish Corridor. The treaty failed to keep peace because it left Germany humiliated and economically unstable, which helped Hitler's rise. However, its failure was not inevitable – if the League of Nations had been stronger and international cooperation greater, peace might have been maintained.

Question 2

How did the Cold War develop between 1945 and 1975?

Accepted Answer

The Cold War developed through a series of crises and periods of heightened tension punctuated by temporary thaws. It began with the division of Europe after 1945, marked by the Berlin Blockade (1948–49) and the formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The arms race and the Korean War (1950–53) intensified rivalry. The 1960s saw dangerous moments like the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and the construction of the Berlin Wall (1961). By the 1970s, détente emerged, with both sides seeking to limit nuclear weapons through agreements like SALT I, but suspicion persisted.

Question 3

What were the main apartheid laws in South Africa?

Accepted Answer

The apartheid system was built on a series of laws passed by the National Party government from 1948. Key laws included the Population Registration Act (1950), which classified every person by race; the Group Areas Act (1950), which enforced residential segregation; the Bantu Education Act (1953), which ensured inferior education for black children; and the Pass Laws, which controlled black movement. In the 1960s, further laws banned opposition groups and created the Bantustans, pseudo-independent homelands for black ethnic groups, stripping many of their citizenship.

Question 4

Why did apartheid end in South Africa in the 1990s?

Accepted Answer

Apartheid ended due to a combination of internal resistance and international pressure. Inside South Africa, mass protests, strikes, and armed struggle by groups like the ANC and the United Democratic Front made the country increasingly ungovernable. International sanctions, trade boycotts, and sports isolation damaged the economy and isolated the white regime. Also crucial was the changing global context: the end of the Cold War meant the communist threat used to justify apartheid vanished. Finally, leaders like F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela chose negotiation over continued conflict, leading to the dismantling of apartheid laws between 1990 and 1994.

Question 5

What role did Nelson Mandela play in ending apartheid?

Accepted Answer

Nelson Mandela was a leading figure in the ANC and became an international symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle. Imprisoned in 1962, his continued activism from prison galvanised global campaigns for his release. After his release in 1990, he played a crucial role in negotiations with the government, promoting reconciliation rather than revenge. His election as South Africa's first black president in 1994 marked the official end of apartheid. While Mandela was vital, it is important to note that many other activists and ordinary South Africans also fought for freedom over decades.

Question 6

How did international pressure contribute to ending apartheid?

Accepted Answer

International pressure took several forms: economic sanctions, which restricted trade and investment; cultural and sporting boycotts, which isolated white South Africa; and diplomatic condemnation, such as expulsion from the UN. These measures damaged the South African economy, causing capital flight and a severe decline in the value of the rand. They also undermined the legitimacy of the apartheid government, both internationally and among white South Africans. Combined with internal unrest, this pressure convinced the government that apartheid was unsustainable and that negotiations were necessary.

International Relations: the changing international order 1918–1975 with South Africa 1960–1994

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