Part 1- Peacemaking Flashcards
what did the Armistice say?
Who was it signed by?
The Germans signed the Armistice saying they would:
- pay reparations
- give Alsace-Lorraine back to France
- Move the German army out of the Rhineland
What year was the Paris peace conference?
How many countries met at the Palace of Versailles?
The Paris peace conference took place in January of 1919
32 countries met to decide the final terms of the peace treaties
Who were the Big Three?
The Big Three consisted of:
Georges Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France
Woodrow Wilson, President of the USA
David Lloyd George, Prime Minister of Britain
Why was there lots of pressure on the big three?
where was the pressure coming from?
the Big Three had to make peace that would keep everyone happy but act quickly as Europe (post war) was falling apart
pressure came from:
other european countries
their own countries/people
devastated countries
What were the aims of France and Georges Clemenceau- what did they want to achieve from the treaties?
- make Germany pay reparations to rebuild areas of France badly effected by the war
- revenge for all the lives lost
- weaken Germany so it couldn’t attack again
- push the German border back to the Rhine so French would feel safer
What were the aims of Britain and David Lloyd George- what did they want to achieve from the treaties?
- cautious approach:
• British people wanted revenge and Germany to be punished
• LG feared this would lead to Germany wanting revenge - Wanted to keep Germany strong for trade and to help against communism
- wanted German colonies to add to British empire
- wanted naval supremacy by reducing Germanys navy
What were the aims of the USA and Woodrow Wilson- what did they want to achieve from the treaties?
- Wanted a fair peace treaty so Germany wouldn’t seek revenge
- Proposed the 14 Points (including)
• League of Nations
• Self Determination
• Freedom of the Seas - American public didn’t want to get involved in European affairs again
What were the TWO main problems with the ToV?
- no one was really satisfied with it
- Germans felt it was unfairly harsh and that it would ruin them
When was the Treaty Of Versailles signed?
Why was the final treaty a Diktat?
28th June 1919
It was called a diktat as Germany wasn’t allowed to negotiate the terms
(ToV terms)
What was Article 231?
What was article 232? How much was it set at?
How many men was the navy restricted to?
How many men was the army restricted to?
What was forbidden?
Article 231- the war guilt clause
Article 232- reparations, set at £6,600 million in 1921
15,000 men and 1500 officers (navy)
100,000 men (army)
Anschluss (joining)
others-
conscription not allowed
rhine demilitarised
couldnt join the LoN
what was Clemenceau happy about?
what was he unhappy about?
happy:
- France gained Alsace-Lorraine
- Germany had no army present in the Rhineland
unhappy:
- felt Germany should pay more in reparations
- Germany still had a (small) army
- Rhine wasn’t completely taken from Germany
What was David LG happy about?
What was he unhappy about?
happy:
- Britain had naval supremacy
- British empire gained more colonies
unhappy:
- lost trade with Germany (due to harsh reparations)
- Germany upset caused a threat of future war
What was Woodrow Wilson happy about?
What was he unhappy about?
happy:
- creation of the LoN
unhappy:
- 14 points being ignored in the treaty terms
- harshness of the treaty terms
Why couldn’t the Big Three get everything they wanted?
- Europe was unstable post war
- USA followed a policy of isolationism and didn’t join the LoN
- Disagreement on how to treat Germany
- Promised made in alliance of the Allies had to be kept (eg Italy promised land)
- compromises had to be made
How did Britain react to the ToV?
- lots of british killed in the war
- propaganda told Brits to hate Germany
- Brits thought the Treaty was fair and could’ve been harsher
- LG hailed as a hero
- newspapers said Britain would never be threatened by Germany again
