Why do you think a few nations came to control so much of the globe during this time period

First of all... what period? because if you are talking about this time, I think it is becaise they want to feel powerful to be able to have more allied countries in any situation, they also do it because they want to control most of the world natural sources that other countries have.

this means that germany had to pay the allied countries. reparations are/is essentially payment for something that they have done wrong, so after ww1, germany was forced to pay reparations so they could replenish the allied countries resources' that they had lost during the war.