World History Course Essay: Analyzing Key Developments 1919-1945

This essay explores three crucial developments in world history between 1919 and 1945. The first significant event discussed is the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, held to establish peace terms and strategies after World War I, with the primary goal of preventing future conflicts. The second development highlighted is the League of Nations, established in 1920 to maintain global peace through collective security and diplomacy, though it ultimately failed to prevent World War II. Finally, the essay examines the Education Act of 1944, which introduced comprehensive reforms to the education system, providing opportunities for social mobility, and establishing a more equitable standard of education in England and Wales. The essay analyzes the impact of these developments on the global landscape.

HISTORY
HISTORY
University Name
Name of course
Author Note

HISTORY
World History from 1919 to 1945 cannot be described as uneventful. What three
developments were especially crucial in that 26 year period ?
History has been said to repeat itself and everybody will agree with this argument in one way or
another. It's evident from the history of the planet that conflicts, plagues and many other disasters
have affected the planet. The world history is an entire collection of several chapters that
includes both eventful and glorious periods. These events has shaped the entire culture and the
economy of the world as well as major contribution to the current state of the countries in the
world. Majority of the research articles on the context of world history discussed about conflicts
and the challenges among the countries, thus disrupting peace. This essay will showcase and
highlight the events within the time period of 1919 to 1945. This period of time are not
uneventful and this essay will majorly focus over the three developments that have been crucial
within that time period of 26 years.
The three development that were crucial within this period of time were, Paris Peace Conference
of 1919, League of Nations of 1920 and The Education Act of 1944
Paris Peace Conference
In 1919 and 1920, a gathering of triumphant allies after the end of the first world war was held in
Paris called the Versailles Peace Conference in order that the crippled Central Government
would be able to maintain a degree of stability1. In 1919, at Versailles in and around Paris, the
Paris Peace Conference took place. Following World War I, the conference was called upon to
determine the terms of peace. While only three decades attended, it was dubbed the "Big Four"
by members from the United Kingdom, the United States France and Italy. The 'Big Four'
contributed to the negotiation of the Treaty of Versailles, a declaration ending the First World
War. At the Conference, the Treaty of Versailles expressed commitments2. It involved the
expected preparation of the League of Nations, both as a regional forum and as a regional
collective safety agreement. President Woodrow Wilson was the League's influential supporter
because he felt it was going to deter future conflicts. Treaty negotiations were also weakened by
the absence of other important nations. To summarize, the main purpose of the Paris peace
conference was to conduct an international meeting for signing the treaty of Versailles3. The
1 vel Grajewski PŻ. The Great Powers’ Policy towards the Central-Eastern Europe in the Time of
the Paris Peace Conference (1919)–the Nature of the Game and the Motives of the Players.
Дриновський збірник. 2019;12:240-50.
2 Konopska B. The cartographic materials auxiliary in the determination of the borders of Poland
during the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) in the light of archival records. Polish
Cartographical Review. 2016 Jul 1;48(2):67-75.
3 Tillman SP. Anglo-American Relations at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Princeton
University Press; 2015 Dec 8.

HISTORY
main target of this remarkable historical event of 1919 was to establish terms as well as develop
eventful strategies to restore peace after the world war I and also to prevent the nations from
further conflicts.
League of Nations of 1920
The goal of the League of Nations was to preserve universal peace in the context of the Pact
principles agreed by its Members "to establish solidarity between nations and guarantee peace
and security."4 It developed out of the desire of the victors of the First World War to prevent the
repetition of a destructive war. Established in 1919 after the Paris Peace Conference, the
League's objectives were to avoid war by means of collective security and settle conflicts
between nations through diplomacy in negotiations and improve global welfare. The League's
political approach was a significant change in thinking from the last century. In order for the
League to implement its own laws, to follow the economic penalties imposed by the League, or,
when appropriate, to provide the army with the League to administer them, it lacked an arms
force of its own. After the first world war, the League of Nations was established as an
international division in order to settle differences among countries prior to the outbreak of open
war5. The League is a forerunner of the United Nations, which had few successes, often holding
self-interest before it became interested in the settlement of disputes, and often contending
towards governments which did not accept its authority. Throughout World War II, the League
practically suspended its activities.
Some of the League attempts included the Geneva Agreement, which was designed to regulate
what is currently known as chemical and biological weapons in the nineteen-twenties, and the
World Conference on Disarmament which, after Adolf Hitler split off the Conference as well as
League in 1933, was intended to bring about disarmament. In the 1920s the League proved to be
incapably of avoiding violence by the Axis Powers at 1930s, despite a few significant victories
and some early defeats6. The beginning of the Second World War exposed the League's primary
objective — to prevent potential conflict. It failed. The United Nations succeeded it after the
Second World War and retained many League departments and organizations.
The Education Act of 1944
4 Ihalainen P. Internationalization and democratization interconnected: the Swedish and Finnish
parliaments debating membership in the League of Nations in 1920. Parliaments, Estates and
Representation. 2019 Jan 2;39(1):11-
5 Shields S. Forced Migration as Nation-Building: The League of Nations, Minority Protection,
and the Greek-Turkish Population Exchange. Journal of the History of International Law/Revue
d'histoire du droit international. 2016 Oct 30;18(1):120-45.
6 Pedersen S. The guardians: the League of Nations and the crisis of empire. OUP Oxford; 2015
Jul 9.

HISTORY
A comprehensive reform of the education system was part of the Education Act of 1944.
Because of a government responsible for overseeing and regulating the local school authorities
the School Board was set up to ensure a more even-handed standard of education in England and
Wales. The legacy of the Education Act has been felt for seventy years7. The Education Act of
1944 offered real opportunities for social mobility, something educator has continued to expand
on since then.
Learning for all years 5-14 (to be increased to 15 in the years to come) was sought by the
Education Act of 1944. At the age of 11, secondary education will start. It also established the
system by means of a school department, but the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) controlled
the system. The program was under local jurisdiction, the time of the year, the duration of the
school day8. The Act also provided for Church Schools which, under different agreements, had to
be absorbed into the state system and the operating costs covered by LEAs, but regulation of
religious education was maintained in the curriculum. The Education Act of 1944 provided a
comprehensive system of education9. Two main reforms of the act of 1944 which influenced the
history of education, were the provision of secondary education, which meant that there was no
charge of the schools maintained by public authorities; and a new division of three stages, which
were known as basic, secondary and other, replaced the former distinction between elementary
and higher education by three grades.
7 Cox E. Changing aims in religious education. Routledge; 2018 Dec 7.
8 Makin D. Policy making in secondary education: evidence from two local authorities 1944-
1972 (Doctoral dissertation, University of Oxford).
9 Quigley JA. The Art of the Possible–Seventy Years On-Theological Pragmatics of the
Education Act, 1944 (Doctoral dissertation, Heythrop College, University of London).

HISTORY
Reference
1. vel Grajewski PŻ. The Great Powers’ Policy towards the Central-Eastern Europe in the
Time of the Paris Peace Conference (1919)–the Nature of the Game and the Motives of
the Players. Дриновський збірник. 2019;12:240-50.
2. Konopska B. The cartographic materials auxiliary in the determination of the borders of
Poland during the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) in the light of archival records.
Polish Cartographical Review. 2016 Jul 1;48(2):67-75.
3. Tillman SP. Anglo-American Relations at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Princeton
University Press; 2015 Dec 8.
4. Ihalainen P. Internationalization and democratization interconnected: the Swedish and
Finnish parliaments debating membership in the League of Nations in 1920. Parliaments,
Estates and Representation. 2019 Jan 2;39(1):11-31.
5. Shields S. Forced Migration as Nation-Building: The League of Nations, Minority
Protection, and the Greek-Turkish Population Exchange. Journal of the History of
International Law/Revue d'histoire du droit international. 2016 Oct 30;18(1):120-45.
6. Pedersen S. The guardians: the League of Nations and the crisis of empire. OUP Oxford;
2015 Jul 9.
7. Cox E. Changing aims in religious education. Routledge; 2018 Dec 7.
8. Makin D. Policy making in secondary education: evidence from two local authorities
1944-1972 (Doctoral dissertation, University of Oxford).
9. Quigley JA. The Art of the Possible–Seventy Years On-Theological Pragmatics of the
Education Act, 1944 (Doctoral dissertation, Heythrop College, University of London).