Aims of the Peacemakers - Conflict and Tension

Question 1

George Clemenceau (France) aims of the TofV?

Answer 1

• revenge and to punish the Germans
• he wanted to make Germany pay
• to weaken German military so France would never be invaded again
• German weakness to guarantee peace
• the return of Alsace Lorraine
• he wanted to Rhineland to be made into an independent country as a buffer to protect France from Germany
• he was worried about the threat of communism from the East

Question 2

what did George Clemenceau (France) receive from the TofV?

Answer 2

• Germany was punished harshly, but maybe not as harsh as he wanted
• reparations of 6.6 billion were made but didn’t cover the cost of war
• France were given the Saar coalfields for 15 years
• German army was reduced to 100,000 mean and had their air force and submarines banned
• LofN was created to guarantee peace- Clemenceau didn’t believe in this
• Alsace Lorraine was returned to France
• Rhineland was demilitarised
• Germany was left strong enough to avoid Communist revolution

Question 3

France war facts and statistics

Answer 3

• 1 in 8 French soldiers were killed - over half were wounded
• part of north-eastern France had been occupied by German troops for four years - this left significant damage to agriculture and industry

Question 4

what did the French people think of the TofV?

Answer 4

• they were furious that it was too lenient and Germany should suffer like the French did
• the French liked being given the Saar coalfields
• people voted Clemenceau out the next election as they felt he had not done enough

Question 5

Lloyd George (Britain) aims of the TofV?

Answer 5

• wanted Germany punished but not so harshly that it would start another war
• wanted Germany to be able to be a strong trading partner for Britain
• wanted Britain to receive indemnities
• wanted to expand British empire
• wanted to maintain British control of the seas
• he was worried about the threat of Eastern communism and wanted to keep Germany strong enough
• justice

Question 6

what did Lloyd George (Britain) receive from the TofV?

Answer 6

• Germany wasn’t punished as harshly as France wanted, but harshly enough to encourage support for the Nazis and in turn to WW1
• Germany was crippled by the cost of reparations and couldn’t afford to pay them by 1923, never mind develop trade
• indemnities were received to pay for the pensions of British war veterans
• British benefitted from German colonies in Africa, and from the LofN mandates over Turkish colonies in the Middle East
• German navy was handed to Britain, but then scuttled
• Germany was left strong enough to avoid communism
• there was a lasting sense of injustice about the Treaty in Germany

Question 7

what did Lloyd George predict?

Answer 7

in 20 years German would come back for revenge

Question 8

what did the British public think of the TofV?

Answer 8

• British voters thought the Treaty was fair and that it could have been even harsher
• Lloyd George was hailed by a hero and newspaper said Britain would never be threatened by Germany again
• some individuals criticised the agreement, notably John Maynard Keynes, a government economics, resigned in protest at how harsh the Treaty
• as the years went by, more people felt that the Treaty was too harsh

Question 9

Woodrow Wilson (United States) aims of the TofV?

Answer 9

• he wanted disarmament so it would be impossible for countries to fight
• national self-determination and end of empires to avoid the problems that had triggered the war in 1914
• creation of a League of Nations to avoid future wars by negotiation and collective security
• a peace without victors - one where Germany is not punished harshly so they don’t want revenge
• he wanted peace and the process to be based on his fourteen points

Question 10

what did Woodrow Wilson (United States) receive from the TofV?

Answer 10

• Germany was made to disarm, but not the victorious allies
• new Eastern European nations were indeed self-determination from the defeated powers - however the overseas colonies of the defeated powers were not, they were put under the supervision of the victorious powers
• Britain and France made their empires larger rather than smaller
• LofN was indeed created, but the US didn’t join and it failed
• Germany was left feeling harshly punished
• His fourteen points were not implemented fully and peace was not achieved - the USA ended up getting dragged into WWII

Question 11

when did the US join WW1?

Answer 11

1917

Question 12

how did the American public feel about the TofV?

Answer 12

• the public felt it was too harsh (including Wilson)
• American public opinion turned to isolationism
• the Senate refused to approve the treaty, and the USA failed to join the LofN

Question 13

some key elements for Woodrow Wilsons fourteen points

Answer 13

• a ban on secret treaties
• countries cannot claim colonies without consulting each other and locals
• self determination for countries that were part of Austro-Hungarian empire
• independence for Belgium
• France to regain Alsace Lorraine
• Poland to be independent and have access to the sea
• League of Nations to be set up to settle disputes between countries

Question 14

what did people think of Woodrow Wilson’s fourteen points?

Answer 14

• many people in France and Britain did not agree with these ideas - it was impractical
• it would be very difficult to give the peoples of eastern Europe a chance to rule themselves because they were scattered across many countries