Evaluate the contribution of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) to the rise of national identity in China.

Candidates are required to make an appraisal of the contribution of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) to the rise of national identity in China. In appraising its contribution, candidates may highlight Chinese reaction to Japanese retention of German possessions in Shandong, in violation of the principle of self-determination that had been endorsed in Wilson’s Fourteen Points. The Chinese refused to sign the treaty, which was seen as another unequal treaty forced on them by foreign powers further stimulating nationalism. There may be an appraisal of the role of the May Fourth Movement, a direct reaction to the humiliation of Versailles, which called for equality with foreign powers, a remodelling of national institutions and the abandonment of Confucianism. Candidates may argue that other factors also led to increased nationalism including the impact of Japan’s 21 Demands, the New Culture Movement, and the leadership of Sun Yixian.