Chapter 1: Paris Peace Conference

Question 1

Who were the main leaders at the PPC?

Answer 1

US, Britain, France

Question 2

Who were the leaders representing those countries?

Answer 2

US: Woodrow Wilson
Britain: David Lloyd George
France: Georges Clemenceau

Question 3

How did Wilson feel about punishing Germany?

Answer 3

He believed that Germany should be punished, but not too harshly

Question 4

Why did Wilson not have as strong of a stand towards Germany than Britain and France did?

Answer 4

US was very far away from those countries, so they did not feel as involved as Britain and France did with Germany.

Question 5

What did Wilson think of his Fourteen Points?

Answer 5

He thought that it would help to restore civilisation and world peace.

Question 6

What were the most important points out of the Fourteen Points for Wilson?

Answer 6

League of Nations, self-determination for Eastern Europe and freedom to the seas

Question 7

What did Lloyd George think about punishing Germany?

Answer 7

He also believed that Germany should be punished but not too harshly.

Question 8

Why did Lloyd George not want Germany to be punished so harshly?

Answer 8

1. To achieve the best possible outcomes for Britain.
2. To act as a buffer against the rise of communism in Europe.

Question 9

What were Lloyd George’s key priorities?

Answer 9

1. Protect Britain
2. Rebuild Britain’s economic prosperity
3. Maintain the British Empire

Question 10

What was the relationship between Lloyd George’s key priorities for Britian and Wilson’s Fourteen Points?

Answer 10

1. Protect Britain - This was why Lloyd George was not keen on Wilson’s idea for freedom of the seas.
2. Rebuild Britain’s economic prosperity - This was tricky as Germany was Britain’s second largest trading market before WWI.
3. Maintain the British Empire - This was why he felt concerned and threatened about Wilson’s point about self-determination as it would result in Britain losing its colonies.

Question 11

Why was Lloyd George concerned about the rise of communism in Europe?

Answer 11

During the PPC, the Russian Empire had collapsed and was in the middle of a civil war.
Lloyd George was worried htat if the Bolsheviks won, Russia would emerge as a strong power and would try to spread communist beliefs throughout Europe through revolutions or war.

Question 12

What did Georges Clemenceau feel about punishing Germany?

Answer 12

He wanted Germany to be punished harshly.

Question 13

Why did Georges Clemenceau want Germany to be punished harshly?

Answer 13

He wanted revenge for the war and compensation for war losses that Germany had caused.

Question 14

What did Germany do to France?

Answer 14

1. France had been invaded by Germany twice, in 1870 and 1914.
2. Most of the fighting was done in France territories during WWI, thus France suffered enormous damage during WWI.
3. Large stretches of Nothern France had been damaged, with 1.7 million deaths.
4. Out of the Big 3, France had the largest proportion of deaths compared to population with 4%, while Britain had 2% and US had 0.1%.

Question 15

What were the future possible threats that Germany posed to France?

Answer 15

1. They had a younger and larger population of 65 million compared to France’s population of 40 million. This meant that Germany would be able to use its people in a future war.
2. As there was no fighting in German territories, its industrial regions were not damaged. This would allow Germany’s economy to recover faster than France’s.

Question 16

What were the key terms of the TOV?

Answer 16

1. War Guilt Clause
2. Reparations
3. Territorial Changes
4. Armed Forces
5. League of Nations

Question 17

What was under the War Guilt Clause?

Answer 17

Germany had to accept total blame for starting the war.

Question 18

What was under Reparations?

Answer 18

Germany had to pay 6.6 billion pounds to the Allies for war damage.

Question 19

What was under Territorial Changes?

Answer 19

1. Germany had to give up land to neighbouring countries, resulting in them losing 10% of their land and 12.5% of their population.
2. Germany was forbidden to make alliances with Austria-Hungary to form a union.
3. Germany had to give up its overseas empires. This meant that they effectively became mandates controlled by the LON, meaning that they came under British and French control.

Question 20

What was under Armed Forces?

Answer 20

1. The German Army was limited to 100 000 men.
2. Conscirption was banned; soldiers had to be volunteers.
3. No armoured vehicles, aircrafts or submarines were allowed.
4. The navy could only have 6 battleships.
5. The Rhineland, the border area between Germany and France, was demilitarised.

Question 21

What was under League of Nations?

Answer 21

Germany was not allowed to join League of Nations.

Question 22

Were the Germans aware of the terms of the TOV being discussed at the PPC?

Answer 22

No.

Question 23

What were Germans first reaction to the TOV?

Answer 23

They were outraged as they felt that the terms were unfair and the fact that they were forced to sign the TOV was unreasonable.

Question 24

What were German officials reactions to the TOV?

Answer 24

1. The German Chancellor chose to resign rather than sign the TOV.
2. His successor asked for small revision to the TOV on 23 June 1919.
3. The Allies threatened to invade Germany if the TOV was not signed within 24 hours.
4. The TOV was signed on 28 June 1919.

Question 25

Why did Germans hate the War Guilt Clause?

Answer 25

They felt that they alone did not start the war.

Question 26

Why did Germany hate Reparations?

Answer 26

1. Germany already had huge debts from war efforts. 2. Germans felt that the reparations were unreasonable as Germany's economy was already damaged.

Question 27

Why did Germany hate Territorial Changes?

Answer 27

1. Losing so much territory was a blow to German pride. 2. Losing land only added to its economic issues as loss of land meant loss of manpower and resources. 3. They felt that it went against the principle of self-determination.

Question 28

Why did Germany hate Armed Forces?

Answer 28

1. The German Army was a symbol of pride to them. Loss of army felt like another blow to Germany’s pride. 2. They were left feeling defenceless and vulnerable against their neighbouring countries as an army of 100 000 was too small to defend a country of Germany’s size.

Question 29

What was the Short Term Impact of the TOV on Germany?

Answer 29

1. Many Germans believed that they were winning the war. 2. They felt betrayed by and resented the new democratic government for signing the TOV.

Question 30

What was the medium term impact of the TOV on Germany? (Political)

Answer 30

1. In 1922, Germany fell behind on reparation payments. 2. This led to French and Belgium troops invading the Ruhr region of Germany in 1923. 3. They took what was owed to them in the form of raw material and goods. This was legal in the TOV. 4. The invasion was not only humiliating but also violent, killing 130 civilians.

Question 31

What was the medium term impact of the TOV on Germany? (Economic)

Answer 31

1. Germany’s economy faced hyperinflation as Germany printed more money to pay the reparations. 2. Prices shot up and money became worthless. 3. Germans suffered economic hardship and poverty 4. They blamed the government for their hardship, causing political instability.

Question 32

What was the long term impact of the TOV on Germany?

Answer 32

1. The TOV became a festering sore to the Germans. 2. They hated it and blamed it for Germany’s problems 3. This feeling was later exploited by Hitler’s Nazi Party in 1930s