2- Impact of TofV on Germany Flashcards
When did the Paris Peace Conference open?
12 Jan 1919
What had the Germans assumed about the peace treaty?
That it would be fair bc
- Defeat hadn’t been expected
- It was assumed it would be based on Wilson’s 14 points
What happened on 7 May?
German delegates were presented with the first draft of the treaty
There was national outrage
What happened on 16 June 1919?
Allies gave Germany 7 days to agree to the treaty, this provoked a political crisis and led to the creation of a new coalition gov- Scheidemann resigned on 20 June in protest and cabinet collapsed.
What happened on 28 June?
German delegates signed TofV.
What powers were present in TofV conference?
President Wilson, prime minister Lloyd George, french prime minister George Clemenceau.
What was the TofV regarded as and why?
As a diktat.
Because:
- Germany had not been allowed to participate in the conference or negotiate terms
- Imposed much harsher conditions than expected by Germans
What is a diktat?
A dictated peace
What were the terms of the treaty?
- Territorial losses
- removed 13% of German territory and all overseas colonies were taken
- Alsace Lorraine returned to France
- Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium
- Nothern Schleswig-Holstein given to Denmark
- Territories to Poland that created the Polish corridor
- Danzig under rule of League of Nations
- Saarland which contained coal separated from Germany for 15 years - Material losses
- 75% of iron
- 68% of zinc
- 26% of coal
- 15% of arable land - Disarmament of Germany
- Disarmament and demilitarisation of Rhineland
- Conscription forbidden
- Army limited to 100,000
- No tanks or gas
- Navy could have 6 battleships and no submarines
- No airforce - War guilty
- Under Article 231 Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war
- Justified the reparation payments to cover cost of damage in war
- Reparations decided by Inter-Allied Reparations Commission at 6.6 billion pounds - Anschluss of Austria with Germany forbidden
- Germany couldn’t join the League of Nations
What were the aims of the big 3?
WILSON:
- reduce armaments
- apply the principle of self-determination
- create a League of Nations
CLEMENCEAU
- motivated by revenge
- impose major disarmament on Germany to weaken it
- impose heavy reparations to weaken it
LLOYD GEORGE
- guarantee British naval supremacy
- keep communism at bay
- limit French demands bc he feared weakening Germany would affect european economy
What were the reactions to the treaty?
German propaganda had had portrayed an imminent victory for Germany even when the Allies had begun to force Germany to retreat. People and soldiers were not told how desperate the situation was and the abdication of the Kaiser, signing of the armistice and acceptance of the harsh terms of the treaty came as a shock to everyone. There was an atmosphere of resentment
What were German objections focused on?
- Wilson’s principle of self-determination, the right of a state to govern itself was denied to many Germans, as many now lived in non-German states such as Poland. Polish corridor that separated East Prussia from rest of Germany cause d general resentment
- War guilt clause seen as unjust national humiliation as most people believed Germany had been forced into war against the Allies as they were being encircled
- Reparations payments major cause of anger as the level was considered too high and would cripple German economy, and it was also not justified as they did not agree with the war guilt clause
- Allied occupation of areas of Germany (Saarland coal mines controlled by French) led to friction
- Disarming and exclusion of League of Nations seen as unjust discrimination.
How justified were German complaints against the treaty?
German reaction is partially based on unrealistic expectations:
- Wilson’s 14 Points made it clear that Alsace-Lorraine would return to France, that a new Poland with access to the sea would be created and that Germany would have to hand over some assets and disarmament could be expected
- Treaty could have been + severe. French demanded harsher provisions.
- Treaty did not punish Germans as severely as Germany had punished Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918.
- Germany’s war aims of 1914 had included annexation of territories from its enemies, expansion of colonial empire and very severe reparations bill paid by the Allies
- It wasn’t beyond Germany’s capacity to pay
When and what was the political crisis after the draft of the TofV?
June 1919
Scheidemann cabinet resigned on 20 June and a new coalition cabinet was created by Gustav Bauer.
What was the reaction of pro-republican parties to the TofV?
SPD and allies knew that their signing would cause great upheaval and asked their main opponents- DNVP, DVP and DDP to state that those who had signed were not being unpatriotic.
