Core Topic 1 Flashcards
Who was Woodrow Wilson and what were his ideas?(4)
Born in 1856, American President at the time of the peace conference. Idealist and reformer.
Didn’t want to be too harsh on Germany because there were worries that communists could rise up in the weak German government.
He also wanted to strengthen democracy in defeated countries to keep peace in Europe.
He wanted International co-operation and was hell-bent on this idea of a League of Nations.
He created 14 points, the most important of which stating that the League should be set up.
Who was Georges Clemenceau and what were his views?(3)
Born in 1841, Prime Minister of France at the time. Reputation for being uncompromising.
Believed in serious compensation for France - 300,000 houses, 6,000 factories over 1000 miles of railway and 112 coal mines had been destroyed in the war.
He also wanted a treaty harsh enough that Germany could not attack France again, as well as a buffer zone to be created for French security - hence spiralling from this it made sense he wanted to restrict Germany’s army and France to regain Alsace Lorraine.
Who was David Lloyd George and what were his views?(5)
Born in 1863, Prime Minister of Britain at the time. Realist and experienced politician.
The British empire was ever weakening, and hence he not only wanted no German Navy, but no overseas Empires - therefore Woodrow Wilson’s point of all countries to have access to the sea in peacetime unsettled DLG.
In 1895 the Kiel Canal was opened in Germany which gave German ships easier access between the Baltic and the North Sea - this rose tensions and hence in 1904 Sir John Fisher was appointed First Sea Lord, HMS Dreadnought a new battleship was commissioned. Germany after Dreadnought was launched in February 1906 made a similar warship in 1908 called the Nassau.
However, DLG did not want to cripple Germany completely as they had been Britain’s second largest trading partner before World War 1 and hence were important in providing Britain with jobs and economic growth.
What was the Fontainebleau Memorandum(3)
This was the document written by David Lloyd George and his advisers, 25th March 1919. It in essence stated that Lloyd George was opposed to the French demand of the Allied occupation of the Rhineland except on the basis of a temporary measure to be used as a guarantee Germany pay their reparations.
The memorandum also called for a peace based on justice that would not provoke future wars. It warned of the danger of provoking Germany into becoming Bolshevik and endorsed the creation of a League of Nations to ensure international right and the abolition of competitive armaments.
What did the Treaty Of Versailles state about reparations?(2)
Article 231 stated that Germany was responsible for causing all the loss and damage caused by the war, which hence led to Article 232 which stated that Germany had to pay £6,600 million.
This was eventually adjusted to a lower value later in the Dawes and Young Plans.
What did the Treaty Of Versailles state about territory?(6)
Germany was required to recognise Belgium sovereignty over Moresnet and cede control of the Eupen-Malmedy area to Belgium.
The Saar coal-mines output was ceded to France, and the control of the area was given to the League Of Nations for 15 years after which a plebiscite would be held - Article 45.
The provinces of Alsace-Lorraine were ‘restored’ to France - Article 51.
The sovereignty of Schleswig-Holstein was to be resolved by a plebiscite held at a future time.
In Central Europe Germany had to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and cede parts of Upper Silesia, other portions were either returned to Poland or to be decided by a plebiscite. The province of Posen that had rich farmlands was also to be ceded to Poland - Article 87.
Eastern Pomerania was transferred to Poland as well which gave them access to the sea through the Polish Corridor. Furthermore, the East Prussian Soldau area was transferred to Poland outright without plebiscite.
All in all, an area of 51,800 km2 was given to Poland at the expense of Germany. Finally, Germany had to cede the city of Danzig(Gdansk) including the delta of the Vistula River on the Baltic Sea, to the League of Nations to establish the Free City of Danzig - Article 100.
What did the Treaty Of Versailles state about military?(5)
The Treaty prohibited Anschluss which was the conjoining of Germany with Austria - Article 80. Germany’s army was limited to 100,000 and conscription was banned; soldiers had to be volunteers - Article 160.
Germany was also not allowed armoured vehicles, subs or aircraft and the navy could only have six battleships - Article 181.
Germany was not invited to the League until it showed it was a peace-loving country - 1-26.
German military was forbidden from all territories west of the Rhine or within 50 km east of it - Article 42. This was reaffirmed as permanent in the 1925 Locarno Treaties.
It should also be mentioned that lots of overseas military points were lost because all of Germany’s colonies were taken and given to France and Britain as ‘mandates’ - Article 119.
When did Friedrich Ebert reluctantly sign the Treaty Of Versailles compared to when it was announced?
28th June 1919 but the terms were announced on the 7th May.
What was the Treaty of Brest Litovsk?
The Treaty of Brest Litovsk which was signed on the 3rd of March 1918 was an extremely harsh treaty on Russia. From the Treaty, Russia lost 34% of its population, 54% of its industrial land, 89% of its coalfields and 26% of its railways. It also was fined 300 million gold marks.
When was the Paris Peace conference?(2)
18th January 1919 - 21st January 1920.
In what way did Woodrow Wilson not get everything he wanted out of the Versailles Treaty?(2)
Wilson stated he wanted to strengthen democracy in defeated countries but in the end Germany was not invited to the League Of Nations.
Wilson also wanted self-determination to small countries that had once been part of the European empires, yet all of Germany’s colonies either went to Britain or France.
In what way did Georges Clemenceau not get everything he wanted out of the Versailles Treaty?(2)
The French President discussed with him about splitting up Germany into separate states although that it only got certain land restricted from them.
Clemenceau also wanted France to receive the Rhineland and coalfields in the Saar but in the end only got the Saar as a mandate.
In what way did Lloyd George not get everything that he wanted out of the Versailles Treaty?
Lloyd George and Britain were unhappy that all nations got access to the sea which would threaten Britain’s strongest aspect; their navy.
When and what was the Kapp Putsch rising?(2)
In 1920 13th March, Right-Wing opponents of Ebert’s government attempted a revolution called the Kapp Putsch.
It was stopped by a General Strike of Berlin workers. However, while it saved Ebert’s government it paralysed essential services like power and transport.
When and what was the conflict in the Ruhr?(3)
In 1923 after Germany couldn’t pay any more money out of the £6,600 million in reparations, French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr region and simply took what was owed to them in the form of materials and goods.
German government ordered the workers to go on strike so that they were not producing anything for the French to take, but the French killed over 100 workers in reply.
