impact of the versailles settlement on germany

Question 1

Where and when did the conference to settle the peace terms occur?

Answer 1

At the Palace of Versailles, in January 1919.

Question 2

When were the Germans invited to see the terms of the treaty?

Answer 2

May 7th 1919.

Question 3

What did the final terms of the peace treaty cause to happen in Berlin?

Answer 3

The Allies gave the Germans 7 days
from June 16th to accept the terms, provoking political crisis and causing a new coalition government to form.

Question 4

When had the Treaty of Versailles been signed by all powers?

Answer 4

June 28th, 1919.

Question 5

Why had Germans been shocked by the treaty?

Answer 5

It had imposed much harsher conditions than expected and many were not prepared to accept them.

Question 6

What territorial losses had the Treaty of Versailles imposed?

Answer 6

• It removed 70,000km of German territory (13%)
• Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France
• West Prussia and part of Pomerania (the Polish Corridor) was given to Poland

Question 7

How much of its iron ore had Germany lost?

Answer 7

75%.

Question 8

How much of its arable land had Germany lost?

Answer 8

15%.

Question 9

How was Germany disarmed?

Answer 9

• Surrendered all heavy weapons
• Dismantled fortifications in the Rhineland
• Conscription was forbidden
• Army was cut down to a max 100,000 men
• German army was forbidden to use tanks or gas
• Navy limited to 15,000 men and allowed max of 6 battleships but no submarines
• Air force was forbidden

Question 10

How many men were allowed in the German army?

Answer 10

100,000.

Question 11

How many men were allowed in the Navy?

Answer 11

15,000.

Question 12

How many battleships was the Navy limited to?

Answer 12

6.

Question 13

What did Article 231 of the treaty mean?

Answer 13

That Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war, making them liable to pay reparations to the Allies.

Question 14

What was the final amount of reparations that Germany needed to pay?

Answer 14

£6.6 billion.

Question 15

Why had Germany’s defeat come as a shock to the German population?

Answer 15

Because up until the end of the war victory had seemed close, but this was due to the intense propaganda that was used to display Germany’s war effort.

Question 16

Why were reparations a major cause of anger for the Germans?

Answer 16

Because the value was too high and would cripple the German economy, and they also did not accept the war guilt clause which the reparations were justified under.

Question 17

What did ministers from all German parties believe when the terms of the treaty were revealed?

Answer 17

That accepting them would be humiliating for the country and dishonourable.

Question 18

Why was there a political crisis after the demand for Germany to accept the treaty within 7 days?

Answer 18

Chancellor Scheidemann and some of his ministers did not want to accept the terms, but the majority of the cabinet and SPD members believed they had no other choice.

Question 19

Who replaced Scheidemann as chancellor?

Answer 19

Gustav Bauer.

Question 20

What had some high-ranking officers been considering in relation to the treaty?

Answer 20

They discussed the possibility of resisting the signing of the treaty through renewed military action.

Question 21

What had President Ebert told General Groener?

Answer 21

That he would support rejection of the treaty through military renewal if it could be successful. Groener informed Ebert that it would be futile and so Germany must sign the treaty.

Question 22

What had the SPD and its allies had to ask their main opponents to do after signing the treaty?

Answer 22

They had to ask the DNVP, DVP and DDP to state that those who’d signed were not being unpatriotic.

Question 23

What was the policy of fulfilment?

Answer 23

The belief that the most sensible course of action would be to comply with the terms whilst negotiating modifications of the terms of the treaty in the long-term.

Question 24

What other damage had signing the treaty caused?

Answer 24

It had alienated the moderates who had been happy to accept the new constitution, many had become hostile towards the Weimar Republic.

Question 25

What could German nationalists not accept?

Answer 25

The fact of Germany’s military defeat, nor the establishment of the new republic.

Question 26

What had the signing of the treaty caused some right wing supporters to do?

Answer 26

They’d join groups committed to overthrowing the Republic.

Question 27

Why had the politicians in power after signing the treaty been seen as lacking legitimacy?

Answer 27

Because many believed they had betrayed the country in several ways.

Question 28

In what ways had people believed the politicians had betrayed the country?

Answer 28

• Dethroning the Kaiser
• Signing the armistice
• Acceptance of the Versailles treaty

Question 29

What were the names given to those who’d signed the treaty and what were their actions known as?

Answer 29

The November Criminals. Their actions became referred to as the ‘stab in the back’.

Question 30

What had Ludendorff advised the Kaiser in the months leading up to defeat?

Answer 30

That he should appoint a new civilian-led government in hope to influence better peace terms.

Question 31

Why had Ludendorff’s support of the stab in the back theory been hypocritical?

Answer 31

Because he had advised the Kaiser that the army was on the verge of defeat in September 1918, yet this was conveniently forgotten.

Question 32

Who was the stab in the back theory appealing for?

Answer 32

The army as they had suffered in fighting what they thought was a noble cause and had then experienced insults and humiliation as they returned to Germany.

Question 33

Who had many working-class soldiers supported?

Answer 33

Despite many being hostile to the new republic, working-class soldiers who’d been apart of trade unions and supported the SPD had supported the Weimar. Others gravitated towards communism.

Question 34

Where had many ex-soldiers gravitated towards?

Answer 34

The Freikorps and right-wing nationalist groups as they could not adjust to civilian life.

Question 35

What was the opinion of the British public on the treaty?

Answer 35

They were satisfied that Germany had lost its overseas empire and its large fleet, and would be unable to threaten Europe again.

However, over time many saw that Germany had been treated unfairly and the French had become greedy. An economist had argued that the level of reparations was far too high and it was an act of ‘serious political unwisdom’.

Question 36

What was the opinion of Prime Minister Lloyd George?

Answer 36

In private he believed that Germany should not be so weak that it would be unable to resist the expansion westwards of the USSR.

He also wanted Germany to be a strong trading partner with Britatin again.

Question 37

What was French opinion on the treaty?

Answer 37

They felt they had suffered the most out of all the nations and were seeking revenge at Versailles.

Many of their key demands had been met, such as the demilitarisation of the Rhineland and the payment of reparations but they still regarded the treaty as being too lenient.

The French public blamed Prime Minister Clemenceau for making too many concessions and he was defeated at the next election in 1920.

Question 38

What had been the United States’ reaction to the treaty?

Answer 38

It had received a generally negative opinion, as many viewed it as unfair upon Germany and that Britain and France had used the treaty as an excuse to enrich themselves at Germany’s expense.

Republicans in American Congress opposed the treaty and Wilson failed to win the Congressional vote to ratify the treaty. This left the USA to make separate peace with Germany in 1921.