Chapter 2: The League of Nations and international relations in 1920s Flashcards
Impacts of WWI?
Social: war casualties, great loss
Economic:
Europe-decline
Soviets-turned to New Economic Policy and recovered some strength
US-economic boom based on speculation
Political impacts:
- Altered territorial map
- Communist Russia
- Political unrest
Problems faced by policy makers after WWI?
- Communist Russia:
Germany close to revolution
Communism shortly took over Hungary - Spanish flu
- Famine
- Supreme Economic Council was created to deal with financial and economic problems.
Problems of the Paris Peace Conference?
- only discussed disarmament and outlines of territorial settlement
- none of defeated powers present
- no authority overlooking peace negotiations–>caused contradictions in treaties
- divisions among great powers
The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Wilson?
To promote the Fourteen points
Failure: Senate refused to ratify the Treaty of Versailles
Success: self-determination profoundly impact the postwar world powers
The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Clemenceau?
Revenge & weaken Germany to the most extent
Failure: Germany was not dismembered
Success: Germany was largely weakened
The Armistice–Demands, success and failure of Lloyd George?
To rebuild the balance of power in Europe
Failure: the peace was temporary
Success: balance of power restored: British naval hegemony maintained
The 14 points on Germany and how successful was it?
- punish leniently: put Germany on probation
- yet blockade against Germany by Britain wasn’t immediately lifted
- Wilson failed to make 14 points a consensus for peace negotiations: didn’t overcome imperial rivalry and national interests, public opinion wanted to return to isolationism
Paris peace conference—France primary goal and suggestions?
Revanchism
Primary goal:
- To contain Germany (1.3million deaths, 2.8 million wounded; bad economy due to expensive loans from US)
- Germany still strong compared to France (natural resource, more men power)
- Contain communism
Suggestions:
Germany:
- Maximum disarmament: no army/navy/airforce
- high reparations to cripple Germany’s economy
- independent Rhineland (most Germany industry in Rineland)
Russia:
- set up independent Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia
Paris peace conference—British standpoint and suggestions?
Reconciliation
- Germany no longer a threat to Britain (fleet surrendered, trade rivalry no threat)
- Germany’s colonial empire liquified
- Britain more focused on middle east
Suggestions:
- weaken military, strengthen economy (a prosperous Germany would be a strong bulwark against Russia)
- reparations and the war guilt
Paris peace conference—Italy primary goal and outcomes?
- wanted territory promised in the Treaty of London in 1915
- wanted reparation from Austria-Hungary colonies in former Ottoman and Aegean Islands
–> only got Tyrol - France and Britain regretted
- USA promoted self-determination
- Austria-Hungary collapsed
Paris peace conference—Japan primary goal and outcomes?
- wanted recognition of territorial gains made in war (Shandong question)
- tried to have racial equality clause included in the covenant of the League of Nations–>lift immigration restriction
–> Britain, USA, Portugal, Romania and Belgium didn’t approve racial equality (proposal violated stated interests of dominions, especially Australia)
–> To placate japan, Wilson promised to support Japanese claims on former German possessions in China
War Guilt clause and German reaction?
- German took full responsibility for starting the war–>pretext for harsh terms of the treaty
- Clemenceau insisted Germany pay compensation for damage done to France, USA and Italy had reservations about this
German reaction: - Many Germans thought Austria-Hungary started the war
- Stab-in-the-back myth: German Army betrayed by Jews, revolutionary socialists who fermented strikes
Countries that need to pay reparations in the Treaty of Versailles?
- Austria-Hungary didn’t need to pay due to major economic problems
- Turkey should have paid a small amount, yet was eliminated in Treaty of Lausanne in 1923
- Bulgaria assigned to £100 thousand, only a fraction paid before cancellation in 1932
- Therefore, Germany paid the most, £6.6 million
Unfair to defeated nations as when they signed the treaties, they had no idea how much they had to pay.
Disarmament of Germany?
- Britain & USA: to destroy the tradition of conscription to taproot of militarism
- Allow Germany to maintain peacetime army 100,000
- France general feared this would become strong specialized army but was overruled
- dissolution of air force–>placate France
- Reduction of Navy–>placate Britain
Problems regarding SAAR(saarland)?
- Had been occupied by France during Napoleonic Wars
- France wanted to take it back
- Reason: France needed mines as many were destroyed in France
- Appealed to the principle of self-determination
Problems on Rhineland?
- France wanted to make it independent
- Britain feared it would create area of constant tension and would shift balance of power to France
Compromise: - French occupation gradually reduced over 15 years
- Anglo-American treaty guaranteeing France against German attack
Germany’s Eastern Frontiers
- France suggestion for the frontier regions to go to new Polish state
Reasons: deprive Germany access to the sea; weaken German economic power - Lloyd George opposed it
Reasons: would cause resentment between Germany and Poland; many German-speaking people in the area; Germany turn to Russia - Lloyd George threatened to withdraw from Anglo-American guarantee pact
Compromise: plebiscite for Marienwerder
Free city of Danzig controlled by Leauge