1. Peace Treaties Flashcards
What attitude was there towards peacemaking in 1919?
Great optimism
How was Wilson’s character?
Idealist, reformer, obstinate
Name some points on Wilson’s ‘Fourteen Points’
- No secret treaties
- Free trade+access to the sea
- Disarmament
- Colonies’ self determination
- League of Nations
What were Wilson’s main ideas towards peacemaking?
- Germany should be punished, but not too harsh:
feared revenge + rev. of extremist groups like communists. (like Russia, 1917) - Strengthen democracy in defeated countries:
so that leaders couldn’t go to war - Self-determination (e.g. Poland, Czechoslovakia)
International Co-operation to achieve world peace:
LoN
How was the Paris Peace Conference, 1919-20 organised?
- Palace of Versailles
- Lasted 1 year
- 32 nations (not defeated countries)
- 5 treaties
- Important decisions made by Big Three
- Diplomats + Advisers were present (but big three often ignored the)
How was Lloyd George’s character?
Realist, Experienced politician.
Knew he would have to compromise.
What was the main problem with Wilson’s idea of Self-determination?
Different ethnicities of the east were scattered.
People will end up being ruled by people from another culture. (e.g. Germans in Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia)
How did Lloyd George disagree with Wilson’s ideas?
- He didn’t like the idea of Wilson coming to rescue the European savages
- Wanted Germany to lose their navy+empires
- Didn’t like the idea of self-determination (Britissh empire)
How did Lloyd George agree with Wilson’s ideas?
- Germans shouldn’t be punished too harshly:
Feared revenge, com. rev. (like Russia 1917) + loosing Germany as 2nd trading partner.
Why did Lloyd George experience public pressure for a harsh treaty?
- British had been fed with anti-German propaganda for 4 years.
- People saw how Germany treated Russia in Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (took 1/4 of Russian pop + agricultural land)
- Had won the 1918 election by promising to ‘make Germany pay’
How did Clemenceau disagree with Wilson?
- Found him very hard to work with
- Privately criticised the 14 points
- Wanted to cripple Germany (feared an attack)
Why did Clemenceau experience public pressure for a harsh treaty?
- 2/3 of soldiers died in WWI
- Germany had a bigger population (75m vs 40m)
- French president (Poincaré) wanted Germany broken into smaller states.
How was Clemenceau’s character?
Hard, tough, determined
Realist
Had seen Germany attack France twice
How did Clemenceau clash with Wilson during the negotiations?
Wilson had to give away on Saar+Rhîneland
Clemenceau (+Lloyd George) gave away on Self-determination in eastern europe.
How did Clemenceau clash with Lloyd George during the negotations?
Lloyd George wanted to treat Germany less harshly than Clemenceau.