The First World War and the Peace Settlement: trench warfare, why the Allies won and the Treaty of Versailles for N(A)-Level Humanities (History elective)

Why this module matters

This module covers what the First World War was actually like to fight, why it ended in Allied victory, and the peace settlement that followed. It matters because the Treaty of Versailles is one of the most important documents in the whole course: the anger it created in Germany feeds directly into the rise of the Nazis and the causes of the Second World War. Get the terms and the resentment clear here and later modules fall into place.

This guide ties together the module's dot points, each with its own worked detail and practice. See the subject hub at /sg-n-level/history and the full syllabus list at /sg-n-level/history/syllabus.

The nature of the war: trench stalemate

Many people in 1914 expected a short war, but on the Western Front it became a long, deadly stalemate. Machine guns, barbed wire and artillery made defence far stronger than attack, so soldiers who climbed out of the trenches to attack were cut down in huge numbers while the front line barely moved. The result was years of grinding attrition in terrible conditions. Work through the detail at trench warfare and the nature of the war.

Why the Allies won by 1918

The deadlock broke in 1918, and the Allies won for several connected reasons: the entry of the United States in 1917, which brought fresh troops and supplies; the British naval blockade, which slowly starved Germany; and new tactics and weapons such as tanks that finally cracked the trench lines. At the same time Germany's last great offensive failed and its home front collapsed. See why the Allies won the First World War.

The peace settlement: the Treaty of Versailles

The war ended with the armistice of November 1918, and the peace was settled at Versailles in 1919. The main terms can be grouped as blame, money, land and arms: the war-guilt clause, heavy reparations, loss of territory and colonies, and strict limits on Germany's armed forces. Germans bitterly resented the treaty and called it a dictated peace. Study the Treaty of Versailles and its terms.

Check your knowledge

Try these under timed conditions, then test yourself with the module quiz.

1. Explain why the war on the Western Front became a stalemate. (3 marks)
2. State two reasons the Allies won the First World War. (2 marks)
3. Explain how the entry of the United States helped the Allies. (3 marks)
4. State two main terms of the Treaty of Versailles. (2 marks)
5. Explain why Germans called the Treaty of Versailles a dictated peace. (3 marks)