Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
What were the economic results of Germany’s decisions to pay their striking workers in the Ruhr in 1923?
The government had pay their workers so they printed more money which led to hyperinflation. The paper money practically became worthless.
How satisfied was the UK with the Treaty of Versailles?
The UK was likely the most satisfied nation out of the Big Three (France, US, UK). This is because it managed to keep a peace with moderate reparations that would allow the European economy to revive, which is largely what the country wanted. The UK mainly got their way, although they disliked placing German-speaking people under the French or Polish rule.
What did the US not get in the Paris Peace Conference that it wanted?
The League of Nations wanted Germany’s former colonies to be mandated territories but Britain, France and Japan made mandates little different from colonies. The self determination agreement for the Austro-Hungarian Empire had noticeable exceptions as Germans were not allowed to join Germany. American President Wilson had failed to persuade the necessary two-thirds of American Congress to join the League of Nations.
What were the main things France wanted from Germany at the Paris Peace Conference? Reparations, lands, industry etc.
France wanted Germany to be too weak to fight another war. So they wanted Germany disarmed and lands taken from it, in particular the return of Alsace Lorraine. Some like Clemenceau wanted Germany broken up into small parts. As a lot of French industry had been destroyed by the war, they also wanted heavy reparations to compensate for this.
What were the main things the UK wanted from Germany at the Paris Peace Conference? Reparations, lands, industry etc.
The UK wanted Germany to pay for the war, but was not as damaged as France so its demands were lower. It also did not want Germany to be so poor it could not trade with them.
The UK wanted German colonies, mostly in Africa, but did not want lands in Europe. They wanted Germany’s navy destroyed so it could not compete with them.
What were the main things the US wanted from Germany at the Paris Peace Conference? Reparations, lands, industry etc.
The US did not want to take German lands, colonies or take reparations from Germany. Wilson wanted to show the US public it had fought for democracy, not to expand the British Empire. As a result, he wanted to establish democracies and free countries in Europe.
The US was also supportive of Germany paying reparations to other powers, as they needed money to pay back loans made to the Allies during the war.
What did France not get that it in the Paris Peace Conference that it wanted and who objected?
Germany did not pay as many reparations as France wanted, since the UK and US didn’t want Germany to be too poor to trade. Germany was not broken up into small states as the US and UK thought it would not work and feared the USSR would spread into Europe without a power in central Europe that could stop them.
What arguments were made that it was unfair to demand Germany pay reparation to the Allies after the war?
Two reasons: Germany was made to pay 6,6000 million mark which & because they weren’t even informed of this decision up until a few years later. The Allies had done damage to the Central Powers they had no intention of repaying. Also, Germany did not feel it had started the war and thus should not be responsible for paying for it.
How did the Allies react to Germany’s behavior in 1923? What did they do to try to enforce reparations?
The French and Belgians, with British approval, occupied the Ruhr industrial area in 1923 in response to Germany stopping reparations payments. They seized goods from German mines and industry.
Why did popular opinion in the US and UK turn against the French occupation?
The French killed 123 protestors and expelled over 100,000 Germans from their homes in the Ruhr. The hyperinflation in Germany also made it seem that reparations were destroying the German economy. This made them seem too much and unfair.
