Reaction From Abroad To The Weimar Constitution

Question 1

What was the reaction of some of the British public to the Weimar constitution

Answer 1

Some of the British public were satisfied that Germany had lost its overseas empire along with its large fleet. They were also happy because they felt Germany would not now be able to threaten European peace for a generation

Question 2

What was the opinion of prime minister Lloyd George and other members of the British public

Answer 2

• Prime minister Lloyd George was unhappy with the treaty as he believed Germany should not be so weak that it could not resist the expansion of the USSR westwards. He also wanted Germany as a strong trading partner for Britain again
• Many in Britain also saw the french as being greedy and vindictive and there was a growing feeling that Germany was being treated unfairly
• Economist John Maynard Keynes put forward an influential view that the reparations were one of “the most serious acts of political unwidsom”

Question 3

What was the overriding feeling in France about the treaty however

Answer 3

• Many in France regarded the treaty as being too lenient on Germany as they believed they had suffered the most and were determined to seek revenge at Versailles
• Prime Minister Clemenceau was blamed for making too many concessions and was defeated at the next elections in 1920

Question 4

What did France like about the treaty

Answer 4

France liked that the treaty included the recovery of Alsace Lorraine, the demilitarisation of the Rhineland and the payment of the reparations as these were all key french demands that had been met

Question 5

What were reactions to the treaty like in the US

Answer 5

• Reactions to the treaty in America were generally negative. There was widespread opinion that the treaty had been unfair on Germany and Britain and France had used it as a way to enrich themselves at Germany’s expense.
• The republicans in American congress opposed the treaty and Wilson failed to win the congressional vote to ratify the treaty , leaving the USA to make a separate treaty with Germany in 1921

Question 6

What future problems did the treaty cause for Britain

Answer 6

• Britain were very unlikely to work hard in order to enforce the treaty because they disagreed with it
• Britain’s negative view of the treaty led to their approach of appeasing hitler as they thought Germany had already been hard done by in the treaty so were willing to give hitler territory and other materials back

Question 7

What were the future problems for the drench caused by the treaty of Versailles

Answer 7

• There was an undercurrent of wanting revenge from both the french and the Germans and France still felt they hadn’t got revenge from WW1 and reparations hadn’t been harsh enough.
• Germany also had resentment towards France as they felt they had taken too much in reparations

Question 8

What were the future problems for the US caused by the treaty

Answer 8

• The US never actually ratified the treaty
• The US refused to join the League of Nations , distancing themselves from the European allies
• The US adopted a policy of isolationism in the 1920s where they would not get involved in European affairs

Question 9

What political problems were caused by the treaty for Germany

Answer 9

For many Germans the signing of the treaty was seen as a betrayal by the socialist led government that signed it . It tainted their view of the Weimar government as they now felt they had been betrayed by them

Question 10

What were the German reactions to the war guilt clause

Answer 10

-The war guilt clause was seen as an unjust national humiliation since the Germans believed they has been forced into a just war against the allies who had attempted to encircle them

Question 11

Was the German reaction to the war guilt clause justified ?

Answer 11

The German reaction to the war guilt clause was somewhat justified as they were made to take responsibility for starting the whole war desperately their being other factors and nations at fault

Question 12

What were the German reactions to the reparations faced during due to the treaty

Answer 12

-The reparations were a major cause of anger because the Germans felt they were too high and that they would cripple the German economy. There was bitterness that Germans had to face the brunt of reparation payments

Question 13

Was the German reaction to the reparations justified or unjustified

Answer 13

In some ways the German reaction to the reparations was justified in some ways as it could be argued they should not have had to bear the brunt of payments for the damage done in WW1

However in some senses the reaction was unjustified as it was not beyond Germany’s capability’s to pay the reparations as they were not more than 6.6 billion

Question 14

What was the German reaction to the disarmament and exclusion from the League of Nations

Answer 14

The disarming of Germany and its exclusion from the League of Nations were seen as unjust discrimination against a proud and once powerful nation

Question 15

Was the German reaction to the disarmament and the exclusion from the League of Nations justified or unjustified

Answer 15

-The German reaction was in most ways unjustified as considerable German disarmament should have been expected due to the french view that Germany had to be so weak that they could never threaten again

Question 16

What was the German reaction to the territorial losses they faced due to the treaty

Answer 16

Due to the territorial losses millions of people who spoke German and considered themselves to be German were now living outside of Germanys borders. This made the Germans furious due to their general feeling of superiority over these other countries. The separation of east Prussia by the polish corridor was another source of resentment

Question 17

Were the German reactions to the territorial losses justified or unjustified ?

Answer 17

• The German reactions to the territorial losses were mostly unjustified as Wilson’s fourteen points had made it clear Alsace-Lorraine would be retuned to the French, and that parts of Germany would be given away
• Germany’s war aims of 1914 also included the annexation of territory from its enemies so Germans could not be surprised to have territory taken off them

Question 18

What was the German reaction to the allied occupation

Answer 18

• Allied occupation of western Germany and french control of the Saarland coal mines, led to continuing friction.
• German nationalists were also outrages by the outlawing of nationalist groups and banning of German patriotic songs and festivals under french control

Question 19

Was the German reaction to the allied occupation justified or unjustified

Answer 19

In most ways the German reaction to the allied occupation was unjustified as under the treaty of Brest Litovsk (1918 March) the Germans had broken up much of the Russian empire and annexed large amounts of territory, the treaty of Versailles had not been this severe on them.

• Wilson’s fourteen points made it clear Alsace Lorraine would be returned to France and the new state of Poland with access to the sea would be created so Germany would have had to expect this allied occupation
• The treaty was also not as severe as it might have been. Had Clemenceau had his way he would have extended the French border to the Rhine or annexed the Saar coal fields and created an independent Rhineland