Conflict & Tension [1918 - 1939] Flashcards
What is the armistice?
an agreement to stop fighting.
Who signed the armistice?
France, Britain and Germany
Why did Germany agree to the armistice?
Germany was short of manpower and supplies, soldiers were refusing to follow orders and thousands of Germans protested against the war.
What were some of the terms of the armistice?
- leave the Rhineland
- Germany would be blamed for the war and pay for reparations
- Germany was to surrender all its machines that were used for war [cannons, machine guns, submarines etc…]
Who were the ‘Big Three’?
the most powerful allies; Britain, France and the USA.
What did Clemenceau [Prime minister of France] want after WW1?
- He wanted to take revenge on Germany; as France experienced the most deaths, damage to Factories etc…
- He wanted Germany to pay to rebuild France
- He also wanted to make sure that Germany was too weak to attack France
What did Lloyd George [Prime minister of Britain] want after WW1?
- He didn’t want to punish Germany severely, they may start another war
- He wanted Germany to be strong enough to trade with Britain.
- Reduce German Navy to protects Britain’s naval supremacy
What did Woodrow Wilson [President of USA] want after WW1?
- He also didn’t want to punish Germany to severely - as it would risk starting another World War
- He was an idealist and proposed the ‘Fourteen points’ - ways to make the world better.
What were some of the agreements of the Treaty of Versailles?
- War guilt Clause; Germany had to take blame for starting the war
- Germanies army reduced to 100’000 men
- Reparations; Germany had to pay £6.6 billion
- Germany lost more than 10% of its territory
- Anschluss was forbidden
- Demilitarisation of the Rhineland
What does Diktat mean?
dictated peace.
Why did Germans describe the Treaty of Versailles as Diktat?
They felt that the Treaty was a punishment - and if they refused to sign, The big three threatened to resume war
What happened to Germany’s military?
It was severely restricted;
–> Number of army soldiers were capped
–> No air force
–> Compulsory military service was banned
–> German Navy was heavily reduced
What was the Anschluss?
The union between Germany and Austria [it was forbidden]
How did the British react to Versailles?
- Most people were satisfied, however, many still thought it should’ve been a lot tougher; since nearly every family had lost a loved one and civilians suffered. Some political campaigns were based on promises to punish Germany
- The treaty was generally popular - The press declared that Germany would never threaten Britain again
What was Lloyd George [British Prime Minister] reaction to the Versailles?
- Although he was praised, he thought it was too harsh and would later on cause another war
- The reparations were too severe and would damage Germanys ability to trade.
How did the French react to the Versailles?
- They thought that their suffering was not being compensated; and Clemenceau was voted out next election
- They felt that Germans were being let off too lightly
- Only some elements were popular; the war guilt clause, demilitarisation of the Rhineland, etc…
What was Clemenceau [French Prime minister] reaction to the Versailles?
- He wanted Germanys military to be utterly crushed
- Felt the reparations costs were to little [£6.6 Billion]
How did USA react to the Versailles?
- It was unfair on Germany and had led Britain and France to become too powerful
- Many believed that the USA should’ve not been involved in foreign affairs in the first place [isolationist]
What was Wilson [President of USA] reaction to the Versailles?
- He was scared the harsh treaty would lead to another war; that they would be pulled into
- His Fourteen Points had been ignored
What occurred to Germany during this time?
- They became unstable
- Suffered from Hyperinflation
- The felt humiliated; due to the war guilt, loss of German territory etc…
What was the Treaty of Sevre [1920]?
Turkey was an ally to Germany during the war and so they were also punished:
- Lost control of its finances
- Capped number of men in the Army
- Lost its European land to Greece, except Istanbul.
What did this cause the Turkish people to do?
They were so angry that they overthrew their government and threatened to go to war with the allies over the treaty.
How did Britain respond to this?
Britain didn’t want to go to war so they agreed to a new Treaty, The Treaty of Lausanne (1923); where they lifted a lot of the restriction and land was given back.
What were the consequences of this wider settlement?
The revolt of the Treaty of Sevres, and Britain’s reaction to it; displayed that nobody wanted to use force to impose a Treaty.
- Hitler and Mussolini knew they could break international agreements and nobody would do anything
What were the main problems faced by the new states created?
- The new states were often created from a mix of ethnic groups, leading to tension
- The new states shared borders with countries that had previously owned their land, which made them vulnerable to being taken back by them.
Explain why some may argue that the treaty was fair.
- The peace talks came at the end of a war, a time that caused huge amounts of death and devastation - and expecting Germany to pay for their damages wasn’t unfair.
- It is normal for the losing side to be treated harshly
- Germany had already agreed to several terms of the treaty [at the armistice] so it was nothing majorly different.
- Germany was able to rebuild it military and economy within 20 years to prepare for another war - and still managed to pay some of the reparation costs… The problem wasn’t the treaty, but that it wasn’t enforced.
Explain why some may argue that the treaty is unfair
- Germany were made to take all the blame
- Germany were made to believe that the Treaty of Versailles would be based on Wilsons ‘14 points’.
- Germany were not allowed to negotiate, and the treaty just became a Diktat
- At the time many people [including Wilson and George] believed it was too harsh and cause another war
- The Treaty of Serves was so harsh it caused a whole revolt
What was the League of Nations?
- An international organisation made up of 42 countries that was committed to promoting international peace
What were the main aims of the League of Nations?
- Tackle disease [Setting up World Health Organisation]
- Improve working conditions [Setting up International Labour Organisation]
- Prevent war [Protecting and respecting territorial right]
- Resolve disputes [Setting up a court of international justice] etc…
Who didn’t join the League of Nations and why?
- Germany; as they had lost the war
- Russia; Britain and France were suspicious of their Communist government
- USA; the US senate refused to allow USA to join, fearing it would lead to America being pulled into another war in Europe.
How did the League deal with disputes?
- The countries discussed the problem
- Moral Condemnation; the country in the wrong would be warned to behave
- Sanction; Members would stop trading with the country, in hope that the economic impacts would give way
- Military intervention; the league did not have an army, but it would attempt to borrow armed forces from another League member
What was the International Labour Organisation [ILO]?
An agency set up by the League of Nations with the aim of improving Labour rights etc.
What were some of the Successes of the International Labour Organisation.
- Got 77 countries to adopt a minimum wage
- Reduced the death rate among workers building a railway in Africa from 50% to 4%
- Helped Greece set up sickness benefit
What were some of the Failures of the International Labour Organisation.
- Failed to ban child labour
- Failed to limit the working day to 8 hours
