The Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
What date did the Armistice happen on?
11th November 1918
When was the Treaty of Versailles (TOV) signed?
28th June 1919
Who were the ‘big three’?
David Lloyd-George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson.
What was the idea behind the TOV?
To prevent future wars
What was Georges Clemenceau also known as?
The Tiger
What did Clemenceau want?
To punish Germany; revenge; for Germany to remain forever weak; to weaken Germany by taking away territory, industry and armed forces
What did Wilson want?
A perfect solution - “war to end all wars”; a just (fair) and lasting peace; to prevent Germany from becoming aggressive again; did not want Germany paying heavy compensation; wanted TOV based upon 14 points for peace
How can Wilson be described?
An idealist
What was the most important aspect of Wilson’s 14 Points?
Self determination - people of different national groups ruling themselves
What did Lloyd-George say to the German public?
‘Squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak’, ‘hang the Kaiser’, make Germany pay’ - he wished to win the election.
What did Lloyd-George want?
To prevent Germany becoming so weak that a revival of trade/industry was hindered - he saw Germany as a valuable trading partner; to prevent Germany from becoming so poor it would turn to communism; of avoid Germany being humiliated to prevent revenge desire; stop France being too powerful whilst making sure Germany could not invade it; an end to the German threat to the British Navy and Empire; to make Germany a non-aggressive country without colonies.
The TOV was a…
Compromise peace - the best deal that all leaders could make with each other
What were the names of the three aspects of the TOV?
Military restrictions, territorial changes and economic terms
What were the military restrictions?
Army no more than 10,000 men; no conscription; no military aircraft, tanks, submarines or heavy artillery; Rhineland demilitarised; navy only allowed 6 battleships and 10000 sailors. Made Germany a non threatening country
However Germany felt unable to defend itself.
Territorial changes
All colonies given to victorious countries as mandates; 10% of land lost, 12.5% of population lost, and 16% of industrial production lost; Alsace-Lorraine returned to France; Northern Schleswig returned to Denmark; Eupen and Malmedy given to Belgium; land given to new countries of Poland and Czechoslovakia.
Economic terms
In Article 231 Germany was forced to accept War Guilt; this allowed the Allies to force the, to pay reparations of £6.6billion over 42 years; German economy already in ruins and treaty had taken away industrial land; Germany remained in poverty and failed to pay reparations in 1923
What did the Germans call the TOV?
A diktat - dictated peace
What did the Germans think of the TOV?
Diktat; humiliated by War Guilt Clause (Article 231); restrictions placed on Germany took away pride - especially as they were a militaristic nation; German reps not present during negotiations; the Germans had to accept the treaty or would be invaded; Kaiser had abdicated; also they had not surrendered, only a ceasefire
In which ways was the Treaty fair?
Consider what Germans had done if they had won - in 1871 made France pay harsh reparations; in 1917 the Germans took much land from Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk; at the time nations defeated in war expected harsh treatment; when Germans signed armistice they knew reparations and have restrictions would be imposed; reparations only 2% of Germany’s GDP; consider what the people of Britain who had lost family members expected
In which ways was the Treaty unfair?
They were not necessarily to blame for the war starting; German representative not present in negotiations; restrictions may not have been fair considering that Germany was surrounded by heavily armed countries; only Germany forced to disarm; thought TOV was going to be based on the WW’s 14 points for peace; 12.5% of German speakers now living in foreign countries and so denied WW’s self-determination; it was a Diktat (dictated peace); they were threatened with invasion - they signed an armistice/ceasefire, NOT a surrender, but they were treated as a defeated nation
