Impact of Treaty of Versailles on Germany Flashcards
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28th June 1919
What is a diktat?
Dictated peace; a order imposed by someone without popular consent
Why was the Treaty of Versailles considered a diktat by the German people?
- Germany weren’t allowed to attend the conference where Allies discussed the peace terms
- Allies only agreed to a few changes suggested by the German govt
- the terms of the treaty were much harsher than what Germans were expecting
What were the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- removed 13% of German territory and all Germany’s overseas colonies e.g. Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; overall, it meant Germany lost 75% of its iron ore, 26% of its coal and 15% of arable land
- demilitarisation of the Rhineland; Allied army occupied Rhineland to ensure Germany was following terms
- army limited to 100000 men
- navy limited to 15000 men
- maximum of 6 battleships
- no air force
- had to accept responsibility for starting the war which made them liable to pay reparations
- reparations set at £6.6 billion
- Saarland (had rich reserves of coal) placed under League of Nation’s control for 15 years (Allies received free coal)
- Austria forbidden from joining with Germany
- not allowed to join the League of Nations
What was the German public’s reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
- horror and disbelief - propaganda had hidden how Germany was losing the war so they didn’t expect the abdication of the Kaiser or the signing of the Treaty
- opposed the harsh terms and many became anti-republic
Which terms were the German public most opposed to?
- Wilson’s 14 points stressed the importance of national self-determination but millions of German-speaking people were now living in Poland, Czechoslovakia etc and East Prussia was separated by the Polish Corridor
- war guilt clause seen as unfair humiliation as they believed Germany was forced into a just war against Allies who were encircling them
- reparation amount seen as too much as it would destroy Germany’s economy
- Allied occupation of Saarland hated by Germans as French banned German festivals and songs in those areas
- disarmament and exclusion from League of Nations seen as discrimination towards a proud nation
Why could German complaints about the Treaty of Versailles be considered unjustified?
- Wilson’s 14 Points had made it clear that Alsace-Lorraine would have to be returned, that a new state of Poland would be created and that significant German disarmament would occur
- treaty wasn’t as severe as Clemenceau had wanted - other Allies had refused some of his terms as they needed Germany strong enough to withstand the spread of communism from Russia
- treaty didn’t punish Germans as severely as they had punished Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
- Germany’s 1914 war aims show that if they had won the war, they would’ve punished the Allies just as severely
- reparations bill was much lower than demanded by the French
What was the political crisis of June 1919?
- when the terms of the treaty were revealed, Chancellor Scheidemann and ministers of all parties agreed accepting treaty would go against German honour
- however, most requests for changes were rejected and they were given 7 days to accept
- Scheidemann wanted to reject but SPD knew Germany had no other choice
- Scheidemann resigned and new coalition formed led by Gustav Bauer
- possibility of military action to resist terms was considered but Groener knew it would be futile
- Bauer’s govt had to sign the treaty
What was the reaction of pro-republican parties to the Treaty of Versailles?
- SPD and its allies were aware that people wouldn’t react well to it but decided the best option was to comply with terms while negotiating modifications (policy of fulfilment)
- it turned some former supporters and moderates who were willing to accept new Republic against Weimar
What was the reaction from the right to the Treaty of Versailles?
- resentment of the republic increased
- extreme nationalists wanted to overthrow Republic
Who were the November Criminals?
This was the name given to the politicians who supported the Weimar government and signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Nationalists believed the government lacked legitimacy as they had betrayed Germany multiple times by abdicating the Kaiser, signing the armistice and accepting the ToV.
What was the ‘stab in the back’ myth?
The myth that the government had betrayed Germany. Promoted by Ludendorff and Hindenburg although Ludendorff was the one who suggested the partial democratisation of Germany so that they would get better peace terms.
How did soldiers who returned to Germany react to the new Republic?
- many working class soldiers accepted the new democratic system
- others turned to communism
- many who couldn’t adjust to civilian life and missed the sense of purpose the war gave them turned to the Freikorps and right-wing nationalist groups; Weimar faced a constant threat from violent nationalist groups
What was Britain’s reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
- public mostly satisfied as Germany wouldn’t be able to threaten European peace
- President Lloyd George believed Germany shouldn’t be too weak because of communist threat from Russia and wanted to restart trading relations with them
- some also felt the French were being greedy and this led to a growing feeling that Germany had been treated unfairly
What was France’s reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
- felt they had suffered the most from the war
- believed the terms were too lenient and blamed Clemenceau for giving in to the Allies’
- Clemenceau defeated at the next election
