conflict and tension - chapter 5

Question 1

in the early 1920s what was the relationship between france and germany like

Answer 1

still very hostile

Question 2

why was the relationship between france and germany so hostile

Answer 2

• france was rebuilding after being ravaged by war (blamed germany)
• germany was rebuilding after the treaty of versailles left the country devastated (blamed france)
• france had invaded germany when it had failed to make reparation payments in 1923

Question 3

what did stresemann (german foreign minister) do to try improve relations between germany and france

Answer 3

in 1925 he invited the french foreign minister, Aristide Briand, to meet and sign a treaty to help improve relations

germany was the country that suggested the locarno treaties, and since they weren’t a member of the league, the meetings were organised independently

Question 4

where did french and german representative meet and what did they do (to try and improve relations between them)

Answer 4

• met in Locarno, Switzerland
• they signed seven treaties in which germany officially accepted the borders that the treaty of versailles had defined, giving up any claim they had on areas such as alsace-lorraine
• they agreed to work together to try to settle disputes peacefully

Question 5

who else signed the locarno treaties (other than france and germany) and what did they agree

Answer 5

• britain, italy, belgium and czechoslovakia
• each country agreed not to go to war with any of the others and that if one of the countries broke the treaty they would support the country that was invaded
• this was very significant for germany who feared that the TofV left them open to french attack

Question 6

why were the locarno treaties extremely significant

Answer 6

• many felt they represented an end to german resentment of the TofV, and signed voluntarily, unlike the Diktat of 1919
• other countries saw this as germany trying to become a peaceful nation, and relations improved so much by 1926 that germany was allowed to join the league of nations
• however, some historians have said that this important treaty marked a failure for the league of nations, which should have been at the forefront of any international agreements regarding peace, but had nothing to do with it

Question 7

when was the Kellogg-Briand pact

Answer 7

1928

Question 8

how many countries signed the kellogg-briand pact

Answer 8

65

Question 9

what did the kellogg-briand pact state

Answer 9

the 65 countries that signed it would not use war as a way to solve disputes

Question 10

why did the kellogg-briand pact take place outside the league and why was it not good for the league

Answer 10

the first countries involved were germany, france and the usa -> since germany and the usa were not members, it took place outside the league

individual countries acted independently of the league and made it look like it was really just a place for countries to air their problems, without being a place where a practical solution can be found