The Treaty Of Vesailles Flashcards
What and why did Britain want to do with Germany after the war?
It wanted compensation so the war but wanted Germany to be strong enough to trade. It was nine billion pounds in dept and needed to trade with Germany to pay it.
Still wanted to have navel suripority.
750,000 dead and 1,500,000 wounded.
He felt being too harsh would cause another war.
He wanted to increase the empire by taking some of Germany’s colonies.
What and why did France want to do with Germany after the war?
Clemenceau was alive when Germany invaded in France in 1870 and also alive when it invaded again in the war. He and others hated Germany and wanted to crush it to act as repayment and also to insure Germany would never attack again.
1,400,000 dead.
2,500,000 wounded.
Area size of Wales ruined.
5,600KM and 48,000 KM of railway and road wrecked.
It had always hated Germany ever since it invaded France in 1870
What and why did The USA want to do with Germany after the war?
It wanted Germany to be pushed but didn’t want resentment. Wanted Eastern Europe to be able to govern it’s self. It had some sympathy.
116,000 dead.
Wanted his 14 points and a LoN.
What were the main terms of the treaty?
G uilt. Germany accepted full blame for causing the war.
A rmy. It was heavily restricted.
R eparations. Pay £6,600 million. (217 billion in 2013)
G ermany lost land
L eague of nations set up.
What military restrictions did the ToV put on Germany?
Only six battle ships.
100,000 soldiers. No conscription.
No submarines,tanks or planes.
The Rhienland near France was demilitarised.
What were the reparations Germany had to pay?
£6,600 million.
Germany wasn’t consulted about this.
It was only 2% of annual production.
What land did Germany lose?
All over seas colonies went. 12.5% of the population. Half of the iron and steel industry. 16% of coal fields. 13% of its land. It was still the largest country in Eastern Europe. 48% of the iron industry. 10% of manufacturing.
Give reasons why the treaty was fair.
When Germany defeated Russia they made them sign the treaty of Brest Litosk in 1918. Russia lost 300 million gold rubbles, 34% of it’s population and half it’s industry the would have done the same to the allies if they won.
The economic reparations were only 2% of the annual GDP.
In 1925 Germany produced twice as much steel as Britain.
America gave them loans to help.
Still the largest country in Western Europe.
Give reasons why the ToV was not fair.
The government that started the war was not the one who signed the treaty.
They had to pay large reparations which was made harder Asti also lost lots of industry and land.
It lost the army which would have employed people. It was a source of national pride and the other nations still had large army’s.
They has to accept the way guilt clause even though Germany wasn’t the only responsible party.
Germany couldn’t negotiate at the treaty.
Why did the big three disagree over Germany?
Wilson felt the treaty was too harsh. He got a League of Nations but America didn’t join it. Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia didn’t survive.
Many French people wanted an independent Rhienland. Many thought it wouldn’t protect France from Germany.
Lloyd George thought it was too harsh”we shall have to fight another war in 25 years time.” John Maynard Keynes said the reparations would ruin the European economy.
What was the Germain reaction to the ToV?
They wanted to be at the negotiations.
They hated the war guilt clause. The leader of the Germain delegation at Versailles said it was “a lie” and in 1927 it officially denied it.
They had to pay the reparations. In 1921 they couldn’t pay and were invaded.
Many Germans were living in new countries when they still considered them selves German.
It lost the army when other nations didn’t disarm. The German high seas fleet scuttled their ships than hand them over to Britain.
The German people had a lot more propaganda. They felt they were in a defensive war and didn’t know that the army was lose to defeat in 1918. Losing came as a shock.
Explain the invasion of the Rhur
In January Germany was failing to pay reparations. They said they couldn’t as it’s people were starving. France and Belgium didn’t believe them and invaded. Everyone went on strike and didn’t work with the French. 150,000 people were deported and 132 Germans killed. Money was printed to pay the striking workers.
The police were arrested.
Explain hyper inflation.
The government printed money to pay the striking workers. The prices of everything went up. Wages were payed twice a day so the value didn’t fall. In 1918 a load of bread cost 0.6 marks. Jan1923 250 marks. Sept 1923 1.5 million marks.
Savings became worthless. Business mens dept was erased. Farmers could charge more for food.
What was the situation in Europe in 1919?
The allied blockade meant many were starving and this continued when the Versailles conference went on. Them a flu epidemic killed over a million.
When nations were in chaos. The Kaiser had abdicated, and the current government had trouble controlling.
There were communist uprisings in Berlin in March.
Which countries couldn’t meet at Versailles?
All those who lost. Germany Austria-Hungarya, turkey and Bulgaria.
Russia also couldn’t join as it had a communist government and it had broken its’t alliance with the Allies by making its own peace.
