Key topic 1- Were the peace treaties of 1919-23 fair? Flashcards
Aims of the Big three at Versailles
France- Clemenceau wanted permanent disarmament of Germany and for Germany to have to pay a very high level of reparations.
GB- Davild lloyd George wanted Germany to rebuild and wanted to improve Britains position by having a share of Germanys colonies and to have Britains Navy remain strong
USA- Woodrow Wilson did not want Germany to be treated harshly and didn’t want empires.He wanted world peace and countries to co-operate.He came up with the Leauge of Nations
Why did the leaders not get everything they wanted?
(USA)
Was happy the LON was created, that Germany had to disarm, the plebiscites (allowing self determination) and that Germany was allowed to keep the Rhineland, allowing them the ability to regrow
was unhappy because he believed the Treaty of versailles was too harsh, his idea of free navigation of the sea wasn’t taken on board, Britain and France grew their Empires and that German speaking people were now under the rule of other people i.e Sudetenland given to Czechoslovakia
Why did the leaders not get everything they wanted?
(GB)
Happy:
- lightened Clemenceau’s approach to Germany
- Able to grow British empire
-Rhineland remained part of Germany allowing the return of economy
Unhappy:
-German-speaking people were now under the rule of other countries
Was probably the happiest bcos of this
Why did the leaders not get everything they wanted?
(France)
Happy:
-Secured eastern frontier with Germany
-Germany’s economic and military power drastically reduced
-Alsace- Lorraine returned to France
- Able to extend the French empire
Unhappy:
-Abandoned idea of independent Rhineland
- Abandoned French claim to Saar Basin (though did get its coal)
- Abandoned idea of splitting Germany into smaller states
What was the impact of the treaty on Germans up to 1923?
Political violence
Hyper inflation
Ruhr crisis:
‘November criminals’ and. ‘Stan in the back’
1923 Ruhr Crisis
- French and Belgian troops entered the Ruhr and took what was owed to them in raw materials and goods after german didn’t pay reparations in 1922
- German government instructs workers to begin ‘passive resistance’ refusing to work. French kill 100 and expel 100,000 from the area
-Germany had no goods to trade and started printing more money = hyperinflation
1923 Hyper inflation
- German government printed extra money but this meant prices shot up. Wages could not keep up and money became worthless.
Hyperinflation wiped peoples savings and created social chaos.
Article 231
War guilt clause- Germany was forced to accept total responsibility for the war
Reparations
Germany had to pay £6.6 billion in reparations for damage caused by the war.
Made the German people bitter.
Disarmament
German army was limited to 100,000 men and they had to be volunteers as conscription was banned.No Tanks, air force and no submarines and the navy was limited to 36 warships including 6 battleships and 15,000 soldiers.
Versailles humiliated the Germans as their army was a symbol of national pride
Treaty of St Germain
Austria,1919
- separated from Hungary
- Had to recognise the new independent states Czechoslovakia,Yugoslavia and Poland
- Territory from former empire given to new independent states (Galicia to Poland)
-Anschluss was forbidden
-Army restricted to 30,000
- had to pay reperations
Treaty of Trianon
Hungary,1920
- Had to accept the breaking of Austro-Hungary empire
-Had to recognise the independence of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia - Old territory given to Czechoslovakia,Romania and Yugoslavia
- Lost 70% of its territory & 1/3 of its population
- 3 million Hungarians ended up in other states
- Had to pay reperations (never did)
Treaty of Neuilly
Bulgaria,1919
- Had to recognise the independence of Yugoslavia
- Lost territory to Greece,Yugoslavia and Romania
- Army restricted to 20,000
- Had to pay £100 million in reperations
Treaty of Sevres
Turkey , 1920
- Had to recognise independence of the Kingdom of Herjaz and Armenia
- Lost provinces in the Middle East to Britain (Palestine,Iraq and Transjordan) and France (Syria) under LON mandates
-Lost territory to Greece and Italy
-The Dardanelles Straight was to become an international water way - Was divided into ‘zones of influence’ by British, Italians or the French
-No air force - limited army to 50,000
Treaty sparked a national movement led by Ataturk who challenged the peace treaties by force thus forcing re-negotiation
Treaty of Lausanne
Turkey , 1923
- Confirmed loss of its provinces in the middle east
- Most of its lost European land was returned
- Dardanelles Strait was returned to Turkey
- No restrictions on armed forces
-No reperations