chapter 2 - the impact of the versailles settlement on germany

Question 1

What expectations did Germany have of the Peace Treaty?

Answer 1

they expected that they would be allowed to negotiate, and believed it would be based on Wilson’s 14 points

Question 2

percentage of land that germany lost

Answer 2

13%

Question 3

war guilt clause

Answer 3

article 231
germany accept responsibility for starting the war

Question 4

military restrictions of tov

Answer 4

German Army was limited to 100,000 men
German Navy limited to 15,000 men
Forbidden from having an air force
Conscription banned
Rhineland demilitarised

Question 5

final amount decided for cost of reparations

Answer 5

£6.6 billion

Question 6

things the German citizens found humiliating about the peace treaty

Answer 6

Exclusion from the League of Nations
The ‘war guilt clause’ which justified reparations
Being denied national self-determination
The high amount of reparations

Question 7

When were the terms of the Treaty revealed to the German government?

Answer 7

7th may 1919

Question 8

Which Chancellor’s government had to sign the treaty?

Answer 8

Chancellor Bauer as Chancellor Scheidemann resigned due to the treaty.

Question 9

What reactions did the SPD have towards the signing of the treaty?

Answer 9

The SPD believed it was best to comply
SPD had to ask their main opponents to state those who signed the treaty were not unpatriotic
Some former supporters of the Republic turned against it due to the humiliation of the treaty

Question 10

What did the Right wing name those who signed the treaty?

Answer 10

november criminals

Question 11

What myth did Ludendorff create?

Answer 11

stab in the back myth

Question 12

freikorps

Answer 12

A group of violent soldiers cut from the army who couldn’t/ unwilling to adjust to civilian life.

Question 13

britains reaction to the treaty

Answer 13

British public opinion was satisfied that Germany couldn’t disrupt Europe’s peace.
Lloyd George believed that Germany shouldn’t be so weak

Question 14

french reaction to the treaty

Answer 14

The French people believed they suffered the most and wanted revenge
Many believed the treaty was too lenient!

Question 15

us reaction to the treaty

Answer 15

Widespread opinion that the treaty was very unfair
Believed Britain and France were trying to enrich themselves
Caused the USA to refuse to join the League of Nations

Question 16

brest litovsk

Answer 16

march 1918
treaty between russia and germany
germany heavily punished russia
germany should be happy with the terms of the tov as they are not as harsh as those on russia

Question 17

germany given text of the treaty

Answer 17

7th may 1919
no choice but to accept

Question 18

germany instructed to sign the tov

Answer 18

28th june 1919

Question 19

reactions from pro republican parties

Answer 19

spd and its allies in government in 1919 well aware that signing it would rebound upon them
so concerned that they asked the opponents (DNVP, DVP, DDP) to state that those who voted for the treaty were not unpatriotic

treaty turned some against the republic
treaty cause political demoralisation at the centre of the gov

politicians who agreed to it were forced to become defensive
gains of the revolution seemed unimpressive

Question 20

reaction on the right

Answer 20

right wing resentment of the republic was intensified by the signing of the treaty
german nationalists could not accept german military defeat nor establishment of the new republic

in eyes of extreme nationalists, politicians who governed germany lacked legitimacy as they had betrayed the father land

Question 21

stab in the back myth

Answer 21

ludendorff and hindenburg promoted it
justification for continued nationalist attacks on the republic
appealing to ex soldiers who had suffered in fighting for what they regarded as a noble cause and then experienced insults of humiliation when they returned to a germany in throes of revolution