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Difficulty: HardUnresolved Tensions After World War I

“The Allied and Associated Powers are urged to establish a code of law for the international protection of the natives of Africa... The League of Nations should establish a permanent bureau charged with the duty of overseeing the application of these laws to the political, social, and economic welfare of the natives... and the natives of Africa must have the right to participate in the government as fast as their development permits.”
— Resolutions of the Pan-African Congress, Paris, 1919

Which of the following post-First World War developments most directly explains the context of the recommendations in the petition?

  1. The determination of European powers to maintain imperial control under new international systems despite global calls for self-determination.Answer
  2. B
    The immediate granting of sovereign independence to all former German colonies and territories in Africa.
  3. C
    The formal annexation of all African territories by European powers, bypassing any oversight by international organizations.
  4. D
    The shift of European imperial powers away from territorial colonization toward purely economic concessions in West Africa.

Answer

The determination of European powers to maintain imperial control under new international systems despite global calls for self-determination.
The correct answer is correct because the peace settlements after the First World War, particularly the creation of the League of Nations mandate system, allowed European powers to maintain control of their empires (and take over former German and Ottoman territories) under the guise of international supervision, which directly prompted anti-colonial activists at the Pan-African Congress to petition for native rights and eventual self-government.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document.
The document is a petition from the 1919 Pan-African Congress held in Paris, urging the Allied powers and the newly proposed League of Nations to protect the rights of Africans and allow them to participate in government.
Understanding the source and its context is essential to identifying the historical development it addresses.
2
Evaluate the post-World War I global context regarding colonialism.
Following World War I, colonized peoples expected self-determination in line with Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points. However, victorious European powers wanted to maintain imperial control and created the mandate system under the League of Nations to manage former German and Ottoman territories.
This links the petition's appeal to the League of Nations with the reality of continued imperial control.
3
Determine which option aligns with this analysis.
The option stating that European powers maintained imperial control under new international systems (the mandate system) despite calls for self-determination accurately captures this context.
It explains why colonized peoples felt the need to petition the peace conference and the League of Nations for oversight and rights.

Key Concept

The post-World War I mandate system and continued imperial control

Hints

1
Consider the goals of the Allied powers at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 regarding their colonies and the territories of defeated powers.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Unresolved Tensions After World War I

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