Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty that officially ended World War 1 between Germany and the Allied Powers in 1919. The treaty had disastrous effects on Germany in the years to come. For starters, the treaty blamed Germany for starting the war and made them pay heavy fines to Britain and France. It also made Germany drastically reduce its army and give up all of its colonies overseas. Under the treaty, Germany also had to give up about 1/8 of its land to the Allied Powers and lost about 1/10 of its population as a result. The Treaty Of Versailles wasn't really fair to Germany because it singled out Germany as the main cause of the war when in reality, there were many different causes. A lot of the German people felt betrayed because of the harsh and unfair conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, but they didn't really have a choice. Many historians believe that the treaty was actually what led to World War 2. The German people were frustrated because of how much they had to endure due to the treaty. They wanted a strong leader that could restore Germany to greatness and they turned to Adolph Hitler.

Mustafa Kermal and the Modernization of Turkey

The Ottoman Empire was a powerful empire that had control over land in three different continents at the height of it's power. However, like all great empires, it's power eventually declined. Times were changing and the Ottoman Empire couldn't keep up. The final blow came when World War 1 began. The Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers and lost. The Empire was broken apart and from its ruins, the nation of Turkey was formed. Mustafa Kermal was the founder and 1st president of Turkey. It was under his rule that Turkey began to modernize itself and adapt to the changes of the 20th century. His reforms allowed all people to freely practice their faith, creating a secular system- a system where religion doesn't dominate the government or economy in Turkey. He wanted create a society where everyone was treated as an equal without prejudice from opposing religions. His reforms in the legal system allowed all of the Turkish citizens to live as equals.

Ghandi

Mohandas K. Ghandi is known as the father of India. He played a major role in bringing about the independance of India from British rule. Ghandi experienced first hand the oppresion that that the Indian citizens faced and wanted to make a change. He used peaceful practices and civil disobedience to gain results rather than violence. He would even fast at times in order to get his supporters to stop using violence. Ghandi's non-violent approach in opposing the British made him incredibily popular worldwide. Many people respected and followed Ghandi. The British tried to stop Ghandi from opposing them by repeatedly throwing him in jail, but every attempt only brought him more popularity and support. Eventually, the British would be overwhelmed. The losses caused by World War 2 and Ghandi's protests against England eventually caused the British to grant India its independance in 1947.