3 What was the impact of the peace treaty on Germany up to 1923? Flashcards
What was Germany’s general objection to the treaty?
That it was too harsh
What did many Germans feel that the treaty made their country do?
They thought that their country was being punished twice over:
- They had to pay reparations
- They were deprived of the very resources (coal, iron ore) that were needed to pay these reparations
What did Germans object that the treaty was?
a “diktat” or a dictated peace
How were German statesmen and officials included in the formation of the treat?
They were excluded from the negotiations leading up to the treaty
They were simply handed a draft copy and were invited to express comments and criticisms in writing
What changes did Germany make to the draft copy of the Treaty of Versailles?
They made some minor changes like the holding of a plebiscite in Upper Silesia.
What would have happened if the Germans refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles?
The Allied naval blockade would have continued and the Allies would have restarted the war
What was insisted to be included in the Treaty of Versailles by the lawyers of the Allies?
Article 231 or the War Guilt Clause
Why did lawyers of the Allies insist to include the War Guilt Clause?
So that they could establish a legal basis for reparations: if you cause damage, and it is entirely your fault, then you must pay compensation
Who did the Allies believe started the war?
The Allies were not convinced that they, together with their allies, were totally responsible for starting the war. After all, it could be argued that the first military action in the immediate lead-up to the conflict was the Russian mobilisation of July 1914.
What was the Treaty a symbol of for Germans?
It was a symbol of Germany’s dishonour and humiliation
What did the authority of the new republic in Germany do to be thought of as seriously undermined?
- Right-wing politicians and activists expressed their disapproval by supporting attempts to overthrow the government, such as the Music Putsch of November 1923
- Right-wing extremists carried out a number of assassinations of high-ranking government ministers, such as Walter Rathenau (foreign minister) and Matthias Erzerger (finance minister)
- Left-wing extremist groups exploited the unpopularity of the Weimar Government by promoting rebellions, such as that in the Ruhr of March 1920
- Many members of the army, furious with the government for agreeing to disarmament clauses of the Treaty, joined the Freikorps, an unofficial, anti-communist vigilante group.
What did the Germans claim that the signing of the treat was the same as?
Signing a blank cheque as there was no figure stated in the treaty
What did Germany claim when the £6.6 billion reparation amount in 1921 was released?
That the amount was more than it could afford to pay
How did Germany face major economic problems in general terms?
They lost valuable economic resources + They had to repay war debts together with reparations
What did French and Belgium troops do in January 1923, because they believed that Germany was trying to escape from its Treaty obligations by stating that they were unable to pay the reparations amount for 1922?
French and Belgium troops occupied the Ruhr region, Germany’s most valuable industrial area, with an intention to seize coal and other resources to the value of the missed payments
What did the German government order the people of the Ruhr region to do when French and Belgium troops occupied it and why?
They told the German population of the Ruhr to offer passive resistance or peaceful strike action because the German Government was not in a position to order armed resistance
How did the French respond to the German population of the Ruhr when they offered passive resistance and peaceful strike actions?
The French responded by expelling more than 100,000 Germans from the region and killed over 130.
What did the German government do to make up for the lost revenue and what did it cause?
They started to print money, which stoked up the existing high inflation into hyperinflation. This caused the German mark to become worthless and middle class savings lost their value. This meant eggs, cigarettes and bags of sugar were used as a form of currency
What did Gustav Stresemann, the Chancellor who was voted in in August 1923, do in September 1923?
He took the unpopular decision of ending the passive resistance in the Ruhr.
What did Gustav Stresemann introduce in October?
He introduced the temporary new currency, the Rentenmark, with a strictly controlled circulation and soon after this he agreed to resume reparation payments.
What made the reparations problem partly solved in April 1924?
the Dawes Plan, which introduced a more flexible repayments schedule
What were the reasons for Germany’s dislike of the disarmament clauses?
They were partly due to do with the status and prestige but there were also practical objections
What were Germany’s practical objections of Disarmament?
- Germany claimed that 100,000 men was insufficient for border defence
- it would also be difficult to deal with revolts and uprisings
How did the German population react when they found out that the peace settlement was not based upon Wilson’s Fourteen Points, when they were told that it would be?
They felt that the Treaty of Versailles was a betrayal to the German population
How is the Treaty of Versailles different to Wilson’s Fourteen Points?
- There is no mention in the Fourteen Points of war guilt or reparations
- The Fourteen Points proposed disarmament for all and a general assembly of nations. In the Treaty, Germany was required to disarm but there was no equivalent requirement for the victorious countries
- Germany was not allowed to join the League of Nations, at least not for the time being
- The Fourteen Points stressed the idea of self-determination yet in the treaty it was clear that this was not to apply to Austria, Alsace-Lorraine or, until 15 years had passed, the Saar Basin
