conflict and tension - chapter 3 Flashcards
why did the British people have little sympathy for germany after the war
- throughout the war they had been convinced by propaganda that germans were barbarians
- most families had lost a son, brother or husband to the war
- civilians had suffered food shortages
what was happening around the 1918 general election in Britain
- headlines such as ‘hang the kaiser’ were common
- politicians based their campaigns on their promises to be harsh on germany
what was the general feeling in Britain about the TofV
- general feeling that it was fair but could (and probably should) have been much harsher
- on his return, lloyd george was greeted a hero - the streets outside the railway station were lined with people waving and cheering
- british press proclaimed that britain would never be threatened again by the germans
what did Lloyd George think about the TofV
there were parts of the treaty he was pleased with:
- british empire gained extra colonies and now covered a third of the globe
- the german navy was restricted so Britain could ‘rule the waves’ without competition
there were some parts he was concerned with:
- concerned that the loss of german land and people to poland would cause huge problems in the future, especially if those people were determined to be part of germany again
- felt that the reparations were too harsh -> Britain would lose an important trade partner
- felt the people of germany would resent the treaty so much it could lead to another war in years to come
how did the french people feel about the TofV
they were satisfied with:
- they could no longer be threatened by the german army in the rhineland
- they would be receiving reparations
- they were given control of the Saar area for 15 years, which would help them financially
however, many people were furious about the treaty as they felt their suffering during the war had been greater than the germans suffering so they thought the treaty should be tougher
how did clemenceau feel about the TofV
- was angry the germans were allowed to retain an army, even a small one
- felt the rhineland should have been completely taken away from germany and made into a small, powerless independent state
- felt france should be given the saar permanently rather than being lent it
- felt that reparations were too small -> wanted to see germany financially crippled
what happened in france after the treaty was signed and what was the result
- an election
- clemenceau was voted out
how did the american people feel about the treaty
- felt the treaty was unfair on germany
- thought wilson had helped britain and france become more powerful and rich at germanys expense
- they favoured isolationism - thought the US should not get involved in affairs in Europe as it did more harm than good
- wanted a fair treaty that guaranteed peace in the future, but felt that they got the opposite
what was the treaty used for in US politics
- treaty was used to criticise wilson by his rival party, the republicans
- treaty had to be ratified by the senate; they had to vote to accept it
- republicans argued that treaty had not been based on the fourteen points and was not in americas best interests and they refused to ratify it
-> meant that wilson and america could not join the league of nations
how did wilson feel about the treaty
- he was devastated
- feared that a harsh treaty would result in america being dragged into another war
- happy the league of nations was set up and that countries in eastern europe would, largely, have self determination
- the rest of his fourteen points got ignored
- he desperately toured america, campaigning for america to join the league of nations
-> his efforts tired him; he died of a stroke in 1924
what did the german people hope for the TofV (before it was signed)
hoped it would be fair to them and try to guarantee future peace
what caused the germans to think no further punishment was needed
the kaiser abdicating
the allies blamed the kaiser for the start of the war and said he needed to abdicate before the armistice could be signed
when the kaiser had fled to holland, many germans felt that the person responsible had been punished, so no further punishment was needed
what was the german peoples reaction to the TofV
shock
why did the germans dislike the treaty so much
they had not been able to negotiate the terms and people felt that this diktat was neither fair nor justified
what’s diktat
forced treaty
what did many germans want to do with the TofV but couldn’t
wanted to reject it, but couldn’t or war would start again
what did the gov became known as after the signed the TofV and why
became known as the ‘November Criminals’ as it was said they ‘stabbed germany in the back’
what gov was set up to run the country after the kaiser abdicated
the weimar republic
what did the german people think about the new weimar gov
some people said it was not strong enough to run the country - they wanted one, strong leader
others felt that the new gov wasn’t helping people fast enough
what happened due to the peoples initial dislike for the weimar gov
many revolts broke out and the first 5 years after the war, germany was unstable and violent
what part of the TofV did the germans hate the most
article 231 - the war guilt cause
germany and its allies had to accept full responsibility for starting the war and pay reparations
-> the german economy was in ruins and the gov said that 763,000 died of starvation
how many germans found themselves living in a new country due to german land being taken away in TofV and why was it so bad
6 million germans
they were now under control of a gov that resented germany
what percentage of their coal did germany lose due to land being taken away in TofV
16%
what percentage of their steel did germany lose due to land being taken away in TofV
48%
what percentage of their land did germany lose due to land being taken away in TofV
13%
what term of TofV humiliated germany
the loss of their army - their army was a huge source of national pride before the war
it was limited to 100,000 men
why was the loss of german army so bad for germany
was a source of national pride before the war
germany felt vulnerable and alone in a ring of hostility
many felt france could attack at any stage
in the east a new communist threat was emerging - a communist gov was in control in russia and no one knew how much of a threat this would be
why do many historians argue the TofV was unfair
- around 6 million germans found themselves living outside of germany territory -> they feared prosecution, especially since germany had been forced to accept blame for starting the war
- germany lost 13% of its land -> german families were force off land that had been owned for generations as it was claimed by other countries under the terms of the treaty
- many people said the treaty was too harsh and would lead to another war -> lloyd george predicted another war in 25 years time
- germans felt vulnerable -> they worried the reduced army and navy were not big enough to protect them from an attack
- the causes of ww1 were very complex, yet germany and its allies were forced to accept full responsibility
- the treaty was a diktat (a forced peace) and germany was not allowed to send representatives or negotiate -> they had to accept whatever terms were given
- the germans thought the peace treaty would be based on wilson’s 14 points that set out to achieve world peace for everyone -> if they had known so few of these would have made it through to the final treaty, they may not have signed the armistice
- the reparations crippled germany -> was estimated it would take until the 1980s to pay them back
what other treaties were there
Treaties of Saint Germain and Trianon
Treaty of Sevres
Treaties of Saint Germain and Trianon:
- created and recognised new, independent countries
- often united groups who did not want to be united
- countries such as czechoslovakia and yugoslavia no longer exist today because different groups in these countries fought bloody civil wars
Treaty of Sevres:
- was so harsh on Turkey that the country revolted against it and had it overturned by the Treaty of Lausanne
- this showed that these treaties could not be enforced and showed people like Mussolini and Hitler that the allies would soon ignore such treaty’s if violence was threatened
why do some historians argue the TofV was not harsh enough/the right amount of harsh
- the TofV was signed at the end of the most devastating war the world had ever seen -> it was only right the loosing countries should pay for damage
- was normal for the losers of a war to agree to harsh terms -> when russia had withdrawn from ww1 germany made them sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which had taken away more than 1/4 of their farmland and population -> many said this was evidence that if germany had won they would have treated the allies even more strictly
- europe was falling apart -> the austro-hungarian and ottoman empires had ruled over most of eastern europe, but with the collapse of these empires, politics in the regions became unstable -> the peacemakers had to act quickly - under so much pressure they did the best job they could
when was the Treaty of Saint Germain
10th september 1919
what was the main country affected by the treaty of saint germain
austria
land (treaty of st germain):
- austria lost land to italy and romania
- land was taken to create the new states of czechoslovakia and yugoslavia; poland, which was also a new country, was given land as well
reparations (treaty of st germain)
the amount was never fixed, but austria was told to pay reparations
military restrictions (treaty of st germain)
- 30,000 men in the army; no conscription
- no navy
other terms (treaty of saint germain)
austria was forbidden from uniting with germany
impact of the treaty of saint germain
- italy had joined the war in 1915. they promised to support the allies, and in return would be given land when the war was won. however, the italians did not feel they had been given enough land
- much of austrias industry was in land given to czechoslovakia, so austria lost a huge source of income. their economy collapsed in 1921
- the new states that were formed were a mix of different nationalities that often clashed
- eastern europe now consisted of lots of new, small states instead of one powerful empire
who were germanys allies in ww1
austria-hungary, bulgaria, and turkey
what treaties were made after ww1 to deal with germany and its allies
- treaty of versailles
- treaty of saint germain
- treaty of neuilly
- treaty of trianon
- treaty of sevres
- treaty of lausanne
when was the treaty of neuilly
27th november 1919
what was the main country affected in the treaty of neuilly
bulgaria
land (treaty of neuilly)
bulgaria lost land to yugoslavia, greece and romania.
however, bulgaria did gain some land from germany
reparations (treaty of neuilly)
£100 million
military restrictions (treaty of neuilly)
- bulgarian army limited to 20,000. no conscription
- no airforce; only allowed four battleships
when was the treaty of trianon
4th june 1920
main country affected by treaty of trianon
hungary
land (treaty of trianon):
hungarian land was lost to romania, czechoslovakia, yugoslavia and austria
reparations (treaty of trianon)
agreed that reparations should be set but the amount was not fixed. the hungarian economy collapsed so nothing was ever actually paid
military restrictions (treaty of trianon):
- 30,000 men in hungarian army
- no conscription
- only allowed 3 patrol boats
when was the treaty of sevres
10th august 1920
who was the main country affected by the treaty of sevres
turkey
land (treaty of sevres):
- turkey lost land to greece
- in europe, turkey lost all its land, except a small area around the capital of constantinople
- the turkish (ottoman) empire was split up
military restrictions (treaty of sevres)
- turkish army restricted to 50,000 men
- the navy was restricted to 7 sail boats and 6 torpedo boats
other terms (treaty of sevres)
- turkey had controlled the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus straits, important waterways that connected the black sea to the mediterranean, but the treaty said they must open these to other countries
- the allies were allowed to keep troops in turkey
impact of the treaty of sevres
- the people of turkey were so furious about the treaty that they revolted and overthrew the gov
- the new president threatened to fight the allies over the treaty. the british were not prepared to fight another war so agreed to overwrite the treaty with the treaty of lausanne
when was the treaty of lausanne
july 1923
what did turkey regain in treaty of lausanne
- some of the land greece had taken
- control of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits
- the right to decide how big their armed forced were
- reparations were also cancelled and allied troops were withdrawn
how were the changes to the treaty of sevres significant
- it proved that the other treaties were unenforceable; when a country rebelled against harsh terms there was very little other countries could do. people were scared of returning to war, so were reluctant to use force to deal with broken treaties
- when the british agreed to make a new, fairer treaty it looked as if they were accepting that the original treaty was unfair. this undermined all the treaties
- seeing this, mussolini and hitler realised that they could also get away with breaking international law as no one would stop them
what’s an example of a newly made country that worked well at the end of ww1
czechoslovakia
why did czechoslovakia work well
it was rich in natural resources and home to a well-established industry
it was a rich country
it was politically stable and well respected in european politics
why was poland created
the allies wanted to create a strong buffer zone between germany and the USSR, so created poland
why was poland not a good buffer country between germany and the USSR
it had no natural barriers, like rivers or mountains, on its borders so the country was difficult to defend
what was the polish corridor
a strip of german land given to poland
what was the aim of the polish corridor
to weaken germany but splitting it in half
giving poland access to the sea
why was poland unpopular with germany and the USSR
the polish corridor meant lots of germans lived in poland, which they hated
the USSR argued about polands eastern borders
poland was surrounded by enemies who wanted to reclaim its territory
what was the evidence that clemenceau did achieve his aim of punishment and revenge
germany and its allies had to accept responsibility for starting the war. this damaged german pride and made them an international laughing stock
what was the evidence that clemenceau did not achieve his aim of punishment and revenge
- most people wanted germany to be destroyed, not just weakened
- people felt that clemenceau had not given them the revenge that they wanted. they voted him out of office next election
what was the evidence that clemenceau did achieve his aim of protection - reduction of germanys armed forces and power
- the german army and navy were reduced
- germany was not allowed to have, tanks, submarines or aeroplanes
- the rhineland was demilitarised
- germany could not unite with austria
what was the evidence that clemenceau did not achieve his aim of protection - reduction of germanys armed forces and power
- clemenceau felt that germany should not be allowed any army at all
- people in france wanted an independent rhineland - demilitarising it was not enough
what was the evidence that clemenceau did achieve his aim of recover losses and reparations
- in 1921 the amount for reparations was set at £6.6 billion
- france gained the coal from the saar for 15 years
what was the evidence that clemenceau did not achieve his aim of recover losses and reparations
- it is estimated the war cost france 200 billion francs; the reparations was far less than this
- france lost more soldiers during the war than any other country. money could not make up for this
- many french people felt that they should have been given the saar for good
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did achieve his aim of self-determination
many small nations that had been part of the austro-hungarian empire were given independence
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did not achieve his aim of self-determination
parts of the german empire were given to the league of nations as mandates, but in reality britain and france ran them
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did achieve his aim of starting the league of nations
- the league of nations was created
- 42 countries joined the league when it was established in 1920
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did not achieve his aim of starting the league of nations
- the american senate refused to join
- during the 1920s the USA was governed by a political party that pushed for isolationism - far from the idea of collective security
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did achieve his aim of stopping future wars
countries in the league of nations agreed to work together to keep the peace
what was the evidence that woodrow wilson did not achieve his aim of stopping future wars
wilson felt that the treaty of versailles was so harsh that germany would seek revenge and that another war would follow
what was the evidence that lloyd george did achieve his aim of revenge and reparations for the people of britain
- the war guilt clause pleased the british people
- britain received reparations to help rebuild even though little damage had been done on british soil
what was the evidence that lloyd george did not achieve his aim of revenge and reparations for the people of britain
he was worried that the treaty was too harsh and the people of germany would seek revenge
what was the evidence that lloyd george did achieve his aim of retaining naval supremacy
the german army was heavily reduced. britain was once again confident that they ‘ruled the seas’
what was the evidence that lloyd george did not achieve his aim of retaining a trade relationship with germany
- the german economy was crippled by the war effort, repairs and reparations. germany was not in a strong position to trade with anyone
- john maynard keynes, a british economist, said that the reparations would destroy the economies of europe
what was the evidence that lloyd george did achieve his aim of reducing the german empire, preserving the british empire
- at the end of ww1, the british empire was bigger than it had ever been before
- britain gained territory from the german empire
what was the evidence that lloyd george did not achieve his aim of reducing the risk of another war
he felt the treaty was so harsh that britain would have to fight another war in 25 years time, and that the cost would be double that of the first
