The impact of the Versailles Settlement Flashcards
When was the treaty of Versailles signed?
28th June 1919
How much land did Germany lose in the treaty of Versailles?
13%
(including Alsace-Lorraine, Eupen and most of Posen)
-Removal of German overseas colonies
What percentage of coal and ion ore did Germany lose from the terms of the treaty of Versailles?
coal= 26%
iron ore=75%
What disarmament of Germany occurred due to the treaty of Versailles?
-Conscription to the armed forces forbidden
-Army limited to 100,000 men
-Maximum of 6 battleships
-No submarines and no airforce
What article of the treaty of Versailles made Germany accept responsibility for starting the war?
the “war guilt clause”
Article 231
How much in reparations did Germany owe?
The final amount was fixed by a commission in 1921 at £6.6 billion
What happened to the Rhineland in 1919?
-Parts were permanently demilitarised and allied occupation was based in the Rhineland to ensure Germany fulfilled its treaty’s obligation
What happened to the Saarland in 1919?
Placed under the League of nations control for 15 years. This area was rich in coal so Germany supplied France, Belgium and Italy free coal as part of the reparation payments
State some other terms to the treaty of Versailles
-Germany not allowed to join the League of Nations
-Kaiser and other German to be put on trial for war crimes
What was the German reactions to the treaty?
-the terms of the treaty were treated with horror and disbelief by the majority of Germans, until 1914 Germany had been one of the strongest military powers in Europe, combined with the publics false perception that victory was close particularly in the early months of 1918 after the Russian defeat in March and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
German objection of the treaty particularly focused on:
-The denied right to self-determination (which Wilson’s Fourteen Points stressed the importance of to maintain a basis of peace) as millions of people who considered themselves Germans now lived outside the border in states such as Czechoslovakia and Poland. The separation of East Prussia by the creation of the Polish corridor hit hard
-The war guilt Clause was seen as an unjust national humiliation as Germany felt they had been forced into the war by Allies who had been encircling Germany
-Reparations caused much hatred, not only due to the impact on the German economy but also the fact if Germans acknowledged the reparations they would also be acknowledging the War guilt clause
Allied occupation of Western Germany and French occupation of the Saarland coal minds led to friction. German nationalists were outraged by the banning of German songs and festivals as well as the outlawing of Nationalist groups
-The disarming and exclusion from the League of nations was considered an unjust discrimination
What were the terms to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?
Russia lost:
-1 million sq km
-90% of its coal mines
-74% if its iron ore
How justified was the German complaints about the Treaty of Versailles?
It is possible to sympathise with the German reaction as they were being fed propaganda that distorted the reality of the war, as in truth the German reaction was entirely unrealistic, but in a way realistic to them based on they way the officials portrayed it to the public.
-Wilsons 14 points and the armistice agreement made clear that Alsace-Lorraine would be returned to France, that Germany would have to turn over her assets and that considerable disarmament would occur
-The treaty was not as harsh as it could have been. Had Clemenceau had his way he would have extended the French border to the Rhine as the French wanted to ensure Germany could never threaten them again
-The treaty did not punish Germany as harshly as Germany did to Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918
-The reparation bill was much lower than demanded by the French, as though it caused friction it was not beyond Germany’s capacity to pay
What was the political crisis of June 1919?
Minsters from all parties shared Chancellor Scheidemann’s view that accepting the treaty would be incompatible with German honour
-the demand for acceptance of the treaty within seven days and the rejection of extensive change from the German caused a political crisis
=Scheidemann resigned
New coalition government introduced led by Gustav Bauer who signed the treaty on June 28th 1919
What was the reaction to pro-republican parties to the treaty of Versailles?
The division created by the signing of the treaty of Versaille continued to dominate German political life throughout the years of the Weimar Republic
-The treaty turned some former supporters against the Weimar Republic
-Its real damage was in alienating the moderates who had been happy to accept the new constitution and its promise of a better Germany but who could not stomach politicians who had appeared to betray their country
-the treaty caused political demoralisation at the very centre of government, associating the republic with weakness and failure
What were the reactions of the Right to the Treaty of Versailles?
-Right wing resentment for the Weimar republic intensified
-Considered the final straw for many, resulting in them joining groups committed to overthrow the Weimar Republic
-For the extreme nationalists ,the politicians who now governed Germany lacked legitimacy as they had betrayed the country
-Used the “stab in the back” myth to justify continual nationalist attacks on the Republic
