conflict and tension part one Flashcards
how many winning countries sent representatives to the Paris Peace conference?
32
when was the Paris Peace Conference?
January 1919
who was the prime minister of Britain in 1919?
David Lloyd George
who was the Prime minister of France in 1919?
Georges Clemenceau
who was the president of the USA in 1919?
Woodrow Wilson
which country had suffered the most deaths in ww1?
france
what did Clemenceau want?
- to cripple Germany so it wouldn’t be powerful enough to attack France again
- to make Germany’s army smaller
- wanted to push Germany’s border to the Rhine in Eastern Germany
- reparations
why was Lloyd George worried about being too harsh?
he was concerned that it could lead to the Germans wanting revenge and could start another war
why did the British public elect Lloyd George?
because he promised to make Germany pay
why did Lloyd George want Germany to remain kinda strong?
to be able to trade with them and to prevent other countries in Europe becoming stronger
what did Lloyd George want?
- he wanted to make Germany’s navy weaker so Britain’s was stronger
- he wanted some of Germany’s colonies if possible to grow the British empire and to get income from it
why did Wilson not want the treaty to be too harsh?
to prevent another war and also because the American people didn’t see the need for revenge as they weren’t affected as negatively as other countries
what did Wilson want?
- he was an idealist and wanted a future where everyone was equal
- he proposed the LoN
- believed in ‘self-determination’ (allowing countries freedom to rule themselves however they want)
- wanted freedon of the seas, so everyone could sail trading ships wherever they want
- the rest of his Fourteen Points
what had Germany agreed to in the armistice?
- paying reparations
- giving Alsace-Lorraine back to France
- demiliterisation of the rhineland
what countries had been promised land by the Allies in return for their support in ww1?
Italy in the Austro-Hungarian empire and Japan with it’s claims on land in China
what were the Fourteen Points?
a list of rules that aimed to create fairness and peace
what were some of Wilson’s Fourteen Points?
- no secret treaties
- ships of all nations have the right to sail the seas without interference
- disarmament
- Alsace-Loraine returned to France
- self determination in the Austro-Hungarian Empires and Ottoman Empires
- Independance given to Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro
- independent Polish state created
- league of nations formed
when was the ToV signed?
28 June 1919
what was forbidden between Austria and Germany in the ToV?
anschluss (union)
what was the german navy limited to in the ToV?
15,000 men, 1500 officers and 6 battleships
what was article 231 of the treaty?
the guilt clause: Germany and it’s allies had to take full responsibility for starting the wat (most hated term by the Germans)
what part of Germany had to be demilitarised in the treaty?
the Rhineland
what was article 232?
Germany was blamed for the war so had to pay reparations. the agreed figure in 1921 was £6.6 billion (estimated it would take until 1988 to pay it back)
what was the German military not allowed?
tanks, submarines, or an air force
what happened to Germany’s colonies in Africa?
given as mandates to the LoN so controlled by France and Britain
what % of land did Germany lose from the ToV?
10%, including : Alsace-Lorainne, Eupen and Malmedy - given to Belgium, and North Schleswig - given to Denmark
what happened to the Saar in the ToV?
put under control of LoN for 15 years
what was the Saar?
an important industrial part of Germany where there were many coal mines
what happened to Danzig in the ToV?
it was taken from Germany and made a free city under LoN control
what split Germany in two?
the Polish Corridor, which was a strip of land given to poland to give them access to the sea
what restrictions were put on the army?
max 100,000 men, no conscription
where had the Kaiser fled to?
Holland
what status did Germany have pre-ww1?
arguably one of the strongest countries in Europe
how did the British people feel about the ToV?
- saw a lot of propaganda about German people being barbarians
- they thought it was fair but could’ve + should’ve been a bit harsher
- Lloyd George was treated as a hero when he came back
- the press claimed that Britain would never again be threatened by the Germans
what did Lloyd George think of the the ToV?
- he liked that Britain gained colonies (and now covered a third of the globe)
- he liked that the German Navy was restricted
- he was concerned about the amount of land and people lost to Poland
- he thought the reparations were too harsh and was upset that Britain would lose a trade partner
- worried that ToV would lead to another war
what did the French people think of the ToV?
- they were happy about the demilitarisation of the Rhineland so they were no longer threatened
- happy about being given the Saar for financial help
- many were furious about the treaty as a whole
- they felt that their suffering had been far greater than the German’s suffering so they thought the treaty should’ve been more harsh
- voted out Clemenceau at the next election for letting Germany off too lightly
what did Clemenceau think of the ToV?
- angry that the Germans were allowed an army at all
- thought the Rhineland should’ve been completely taken away from them
- thought Germany should have been made into a small powerless independent state
- thought the Saar should have been given to the French permanently
- thought £6.6bill wasn’t enough and wanted germany to be financially crippled
what did the american people think of the ToV?
they thought it was unfair on the Germans and helped Britain and France more powerful and rich at Germany’s expense. they wanted a treaty that ensured peace and was fair but felt that they had gotten the opposite. they also favoured isolationism and didn’t want to get involved in Europe’s politics too much. also, the treaty was used to criticise Wilson, and the senate refused to ratify the treaty (because they didn’t think the Fourteen Points were in America’s best interest) so the USA couldn’t join the LoN
what did Wilson think of the ToV?
- he was devastated
- he was worried that a harsh treaty would mean another war
- he was happy that the LoN was created but the rest of his Fourteen Points had been ignored
- he was happy that countries in Eastern Europe would (mostly) have self-determination
- he desperately campaigned for America to join the LoN but the Americans didn’t want to
what did German people think of the ToV?
- they were shocked at the severity
- they thought the person responsible (the Kaiser) had been punished already and didn’t think any further punishment was necessary
- they thought the diktat was not fair or justified
- many wanted to reject it but that would mean fighting (which no one wanted)
- referred to the politicians who signed the treaty as the ‘November Criminals’
when was the Weimar Constitution formally accepted?
11th August 1919
when did the LoN agree on a price for reparations?
April 1921
what did Germans think of the Weimar gov?
they weren’t very happy about it; some wanted one strong leader, others thought the new gov wasn’t handling things quick enough
how was the politics in Germany in the first five years after the war?
it was violent and unstable
how many did the German gov claimed died of starvation?
763,000
how much of their coal did Germany lose?
16%
how much of their steel did Germany lose?
48%
how much of it’s land did Germany lose?
13%
how many Germans were now living in a different country (because of Germany’s land being split)
6,000,000
when did the Dawes Plan happen?
August 1924, America agrees to lend 800 million gold marks to Germany to help rebuild their economy
when did Lloyd George predict that there would be another war after the ToV?
in 25 years time
was ww1 really Germany’s fault?
not really, the causes were complex and things such as the arms race (britain and germany competing for biggest/best navy) were not Germany’s fault alone
what did the Germans think the treaty would be based on?
the Fourteen Points, if they knew it wouldn’t be they may not have signed the armistice
when was it estimated Germany would be able to pay back the reparations by?
1980
what treaties created new independent countries?
the Treaties of Saint Germain and Trianon
what were the problems with the treaties of siant germain and trianon?
they often united groups who did not want to be united, and countries fought in bloody civil wars to be separate (eg Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia)
what was the treaty of saint Germain?
it was signed by Austria agreeing to break up the Austro-Hungarian empire to create new countries (eg Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia). it forbid Anschluss and aimed to weaken Austria
when was the Treaty of St Germain signed?
10th September 1919
what was the treaty of Neuilly?
signed with Bulgaria, had to give up land to Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia. it aimed to reduce Bulgaria’s military power
when was the Treaty of Neuilly signed?
27th Nov 1919
what was the treaty of trianon?
signed with Hungary, had to give land to neighbouring countries like Romania, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia - left Hungary much smaller and weaker
when was the treaty of trianon signed?
4th June 1920
what was the treaty of Sevres?
it was signed by the Ottoman Empire, created new countries in the middle east like Iraq and Syria (put under British and French control), Turkey lost land to Italy + Greece
what treaty was made to stop the anger for the treaty of Sevres in Turkey + what was the impact of this?
the treaty of Lausanne, showed leaders like Hitler and Mussolini that the allies would ignore peace treaties if threatened with violence + showed that these treaties couldn’t be enforced properly
what were the terms of the Treaty of St Germain?
- end Austro-Hungarian empire
- land lost to H, C, Y, R, P, I
- Anschluss forbidden
- Austria limited to 30,000 men in the army
- no conscription
- no navy
- reparations
- blame
- recognition of LoN
what were the impacts of the treaty of st Germain?
- land given to Cz had most of Austria’s industry
- Austria’s economy collapsed in 1921 (no industry)
- Austria never paid the reparations
- small states caused conflict and instability in Europe
- new states were formed with clashing nationalities
- Italy didn’t think it had been given enough land
what were the terms of the Treaty of Neuilly?
- loss of land to Y, G, R
- gained land from Turkey
- recognise existence of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes
- Bulgaria limited to 20,000 men
- no conscription
- no airforce
- only four battleships
- reparations set at £100 mill
- blame
- recognition of LoN
what was the impact of the Treaty of Neuilly?
- loss of access to Aegean sea
- allies cancelled 75% if Bulgaria’s reparation bill
- Bulgaria continue to claim their right to Macedonia
- continued unrest in the Balkans
what were the terms of the treaty of Trianon?
- end of Austro-Hungarian empire
- land lost to Cz, Ro, Yu, Au
- loss of 2/3 of land and 1/3 of population
- Hungary limited to 30,000 men
- no conscription
- only 3 patrol boats allowed
- reparations
- blame
- recognition of LoN
what were the impacts of the treaty of Trianon?
- collapse if its economy which resulted in not paying reparations
- treaty forced many ethnic Hungarians (Magyars) out of Hungary
- conflict within Hungary in the 1920s
what were the terms of the treaty of Sevres?
- ending of Ottoman Empire
- Britain and France take control of land in Middle East
- loss of control of the Dardanelles Strait (an important waterway) + Bosphorus strait
- Turkey limited to 50,000 men
- navy limited to 7 sail boats + 6 torpedo boats
- Allied control of Turkey’s tax system and budget
- allies were allowed to keep troops in Turkey
- reparations
- blame
- recognition of LoN
what were the impacts of the Treaty of Serves?
- the people of turkey overthrew the gov
- new president threatened to fight the British over the treaty
- alies negotiated a new treaty with Turkey in 1923 (treaty of Lausanne)
- the new treaty gave Turkey land back in Europe - gained back control of the Dardanelles Strait
- Turkey no longer had reparations or army restrictions
- proved other treaties were unenforceable
- when the British agreed to another treaty it showed they thought the first one was unfair
what had the Russians had to sign when they withdrew from ww1?
the treaty of Brest-Litovsk (with Germany), which had taken away more than 1/4 of farmland and population - many said this was evidence that Germany would’ve been stricter with the Allies if they had won that the Allies had been with Germany
what are the factors in defence of the peacemakers?
- the ToV came after the most devastating war the world had seen
- losers typically agree to harsh terms at the end of a war
- Europe was falling apart, they had to act quickly and were under lots of pressure so they did the best that they could
when was the treaty of Sevres signed?
10th August 1920
when was the Treaty of Lausanne signed?
July 1923
what were the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne?
- turkey regained some of the land from Greece
- turkey regained controll of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus straits
- Turkey regained the right to decide how big its army is
- reparations cancelled
- allied troops withdrew
why did the Allies create Poland?
to create a strong buffer zone between Germany + USSR
why was the Polish Corridor created?
to give Poland access to the sea so it would be easier to defend, but it also made Germany weaker
what were the problems with Poland?
- hard to defend
- Germans living in it (they hated it)
- USSR upset about Eastern borders
- surrounded by enemies who wanted to reclaim its territory
what were the three main aims of Clemenceau?
- punishment and revenge
- protection - reduction of Germany’s military and power
- recover losses and reparations
what was the evidence that Clemenceau reached his aim of punishment and revenge?
Germany and its allies had to accept responsibility for the war which damaged German pride and made them an international laughing stock
what was the evidence that Clemenceau’s aim of protection/reducing German military + power was achieved?
- the German army and navy were reduced
- germany was no allowed to have tanks, submarines, or aeroplanes
- the Rhineland was demilitarised
- Anschluss was forbidden
what was the evidence that Clemenceau achieved his aim of recovering losses and getting reparations?
- in 1921 the amount for reparations was set at £6.6 billion
- France gained coal from the Saar for 15 yeas
what was the evidence that Clemenceau’s aim of punishment and revenge had not been achieved?
- most of the French wanted Germany to be destroyed not just weakened
- the French felt that Clemenceau had not given them the revenge they wanted so they voted Clemy out next election
what was the evidence that Clemenceau’s aim of protection had not been achieved?
- Clemenceau felt that Germany shouldn’t be allowed an army at all
- people in France wanted an independent Rhineland, demilitarising it wasn’t enough
what was the evidence that Clemenceau’s aim of recovering losses and reparation had not been achieved?
- it is estimated that the war had cost France 200 billion Francs, the reparations were far less than this
- ## France lost more soldiers during the war than any other country, money couldn’t make this up
what were Wilson’s three aims?
- self-determination
- start the LoN
- stop future wars
what was the evidence that Wilson’s aim of self-determination had been achieved?
- many small nations that had been part of the Austro-Hungarian empire had been given independence
what was the evidence that Wilson’s aim of starting the LoN had been achieved?
- it was created
- 42 countries joined the LoN when it was established in 1920
what was the evidence that Wilson’s aim of stopping future wars had been achieved?
- countries in the LoN agreed to work together to keep the peace
what was the evidence that Wilson’s aim of self-determination had not been achieved?
- parts of the German Empire were given to the LoN as mandates, but in reality Britain and France ran them
what was the evidence that Wilson’s aim of starting the LoN had not been achieved?
- the American senate refused to join the LoN
- 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 Wilson’s aim of stopping future wars had not been achieved?
- wilson felt tat the treaty of Versailles was so harsh that Germany would seek revenge and that another war would follow
what were the five aims of Lloyd George?
- revenge and reparations for the british
- naval supremacy
- retain trade relationship with germany
- reduce Germany empire + preserve British empire
- reduce risk of another war
what was the evidence that Lloyd George’s aim of revenge and reparations for the british had been achieved?
- the war guilt clause pleased the British
- Britain recieved reparations to help rebuild even though little damage had been done on British soil
what was the evidence that Lloyd George’s aim of naval supremacy had been achieved?
the german army was heavily reduced, Britain was once again confident that they ‘ruled the seas’
what was the evidence that Lloyd George’s aim of reducing the German Empire and Preserving the British Empire had been achieved?
- at the end of the first world war 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’s aim of revenge and reparations for the british had not been achieved?
Lloyd George worried that the treaty was too harsh and that the people of Germany would seek revenge
what was the evidence that Lloyd George’s aim of maintaining a trade relationship with Germany had not been achieved?
- the German economy was crippled by the war effort, repairs, and reparations. it was not in a position to trade
- John Maynard Keynes (a british economist) said that reparations would destroy the economies of Europe
what was the evidence that Lloyd George’s aim of reducing the risk of another war had not been achieved?
Lloyd george flet that the treaty was so harsh that Britain would have to fight another war in 25 years, and that the cost would be double that of the first
