1: Were the Peace Treaties Fair? - YK Flashcards
What were the death counts of some countries after WW1 (both sides)?
Britain: 750,000 France: 1.4 million Russia: 1.7 million USA: 116,000 Germany: 2 million Austria-Hungary: 1.2 million Turkey: 325,000 Bulgaria: 100,000
What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Germany’s (harsh) peace treaty of March 1918 with Russia after invading; Russia lost 34% population, 89% coalmines
What were the priorities of the main victorious leaders?
Clemenceau: prevent Germany from being a threat to France (invasions in 1870 & 1914 caused damage),
wanted a harsh treaty to cripple Germany and please French public opinion
Lloyd-George: remove Germany as a threat to Britain’s navy and empire, understood dangers of punishing Germany too harshly but had won an election promising to make Germany pay
Wilson: 14 points, especially the LON, idealistically aiming to rebuild a better world, Germany not punished too harshly, strengthen democracy in defeated countries (USA entered the war in 1917 and suffered no destruction of its territory)
What was the Paris Peace Conference?
Conference of leaders creating peace treaties with terms to punish losers; 12 months (Jan ’19 – Jan ’20); Defeated countries not represented; 5 treaties drawn up: Versailles, Saint-Germain, Neuilly, Trianon, Sevres
What problems were there with the Paris Peace Conference?
- Differing objectives, so negotiations based on compromise
- Wilson gave way on Rhineland and Saar in return for self-determination in eastern Europe
- French frustrated that British wanted Germany treated fairly but not prepared to make imperial or naval concessions
- Reparation figure not agreed on so Reparations Commission formed to set figure after treaty signed
- Self-determination proved difficult to implement in areas of cultural and ethnic diversity
What were some terms of the Treaty of Versailles (signed June 1919)?
- Loses 10% land; 12% population; 16% coalfields; 50% iron & steel; all colonies
- Reductions in army & navy. No air force
- Accepts war guilt and reparations later set at £6.6 bill
- Forbidden to unite with Austria (Anschluss)
- Anger that Germany not represented at talks - “diktat”
What was the Treaty of Neuilly?
Treaty with Bulgaria signed 1919; less harsh, lost some land to Greece + Romania + Yugoslavia, lost access to Mediterranean, military restrictions, £100 million reparations
What was the Treaty of St. Germain?
Treaty with Austro-Hungarian Empire signed Sep 1919; empire broken up, land lost to Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia, army reduced, economic problems because industry largely in Czechoslovakia, millions given self-determination
What was the Treaty of Trianon?
Treaty with Hungary signed June 1920; lost land to Romania, Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia, 3 million Hungarians in other states, industry suffered from loss of people and raw materials, never paid due reparations because economy was so weak
What was the Treaty of Sevres?
Treaty with Turkey signed 1920; harsh, end of Ottoman Empire, Middle East territories become British/French mandates, Smyrna to Greece, tax & finance & budget controlled by allies, army limited to 50K, no air force, Turks angered and humiliated
What was the Treaty of Lausanne?
New Treaty with Turkey signed July 1923 (first Treaty too harsh); Smyrna returned to Turkey after Turks drove Greeks out, more land
When was the armistice for WW1 signed?
11th Nov 1918
When did the Paris Peace Conference start?
12th Jan 1919
When was a draft of the Treaty of Versailles submitted to the German delegation?
7th May 1919
What happened on the 28th June 1919?
The Treaty of Versailles was signed, many in GB+FR angered that German Kaiser and other war leaders of Central Powers weren’t tried
