Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28th June 1919
Insert the missing word of this phrase:
‘A __________ peace”
Compromise
What is meant by the term “a compromise peace”?
Getting your own way partially, but not completely.
Who made up the Big Three?
- David Lloyd-George (British prime minister)
- Georges Clemenceau (French President)
- Woodrow Wilson (President of the USA)
What was the main idea behind the Treaty of Versailles?
To prevent future wars.
Why was the Treaty of Versailles difficult to create with 3 people working on it?
Because each of the Big Three had different ideas as to how peace was to be achieved.
Where was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
The Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles, Paris, France
What was Georges Clemenceau’s nickname?
“The Tiger”
Why was Georges Clemenceau’s nickname “The Tiger”?
Because he was a fierce character who wanted the harshest outcome of the Treaty of Versailles upon Germany.
How did Clemenceau want to weaken Germany?
- Take away German territory
- Weaken German industry
- Reducing Germany’s armed forces
Why did Clemenceau want to punish Germany and have revenge on them?
Because of the suffering inflicted upon the people of France during the war, as most of the fighting took place in North Eastern France.
What did Clemenceau want Germany to remain as?
Forever weak
Why did Clemenceau want Germany to remain forever weak?
In order to prevent them from ever invading France again.
What was the name of the Italian leader that also played a part in the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles?
Vittorio Orlando.
Why were Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd-George and Woodrow Wilson nicknamed “The Big Three”?
Because they were the 3 major powers in the world at the time.
What political party did David Lloyd-George stand for?
The Liberal party.
When else (before the first world war) did Germany invade France?
During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871
What was Woodrow Wilson?
An idealist.
What did Wilson want from the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles?
A perfect solution
What did Wilson hope that WW1 would be?
The war to end all wars.
What did Wilson want the world to be safe for?
He wanted the world to be safe for democracy.
What is meant by the term ‘idealist’?
Wanting perfect peace leading to a perfect world.
a) What kind of view was Woodrow Wilson able to take during the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles?
b) Why was this?
a) A detached/unbiased view.
b) Because the USA had not entered the war until 1917.
True or False?
Wilson wanted a fair and lasting peace.
True.
What did Wilson want to happen to Germany through the Treaty of Versailles?
He realised that German aggression had to be punished, and he wanted to prevent Germany from becoming aggressive again, so he did not want Germany to have to pay heavy compensation/reparation.
What did Wilson want the Treaty of Versailles to be based upon?
His ‘14 Points for Peace’.
What was the most important part of Wilson’s ‘14 Points for Peace’?
Self-determination
What is meant by the term ‘self-determination’?
People of different national groups ruling themselves and not being ruled by a foreign power (e.g. Britain)
Leading up to a General Election, what did David Lloyd-George promise the British people he would do?
“Squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak”.
What two things did Britain want to do? (bonus points for a third)
- ‘Hang the Kaiser’
- ‘Make Germany pay’
- ‘Search their pockets for the uttermost tuppence’
What did Lloyd-George feel he had to do in order to win the election?
He had to do what the public wanted, which was to be very harsh upon Germany. The public wanted to hear ‘tough talk’ and assurance that Germany would be punished. He knew he couldn’t win the election by being soft on Germany.
What did Lloyd-George really see Germany as?
A valuable trading partner.
What is another term for communism?
Bolshevism
What did Lloyd-George want through the Treaty of Versailles? (6 things)
- To prevent Germany from becoming so weak that a revival of trade and industry was hindered
- To prevent Germany from becoming so poor that it would turn to communism
- To avoid Germany being humiliated, so that Germans would not want revenge
- To see France secure from threat of German invasion, but Lloyd-George did not wish to see France from becoming too powerful and so able to dominate Europe
- An end to the German threat to the British navy and empire
- To make Germany a non-aggressive country without colonies.
True or False?
The British Royal Navy was (at the time) the largest in the world.
True.
Give two things that would happen to the people of Germany if it turned to communism/bolshevism.
- No freedom of speech
- No private property
What is meant by ‘revival of trade’?
Trade would grow again/start up again
Why was the Treaty of Versailles a compromise peace?
- None of the Big Three got entirely what they wanted (they had to compromise)
- Some parts of the Treaty they were satisfied with
- Some parts of the Treaty they were dissatisfied with
- The Treaty of Versailles was the best deal they could make with each other
In the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, what was stated about the size of the German army?
The army was to be no bigger than 100,000 men.
In the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, what could the German army no longer be?
A conscription army.
In the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, was there to be no usage of for the German army?
No military aircraft, tanks, submarines, or heavy artillery.
a) In the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, where were no troops allowed to be stationed?
b) What term can be used to describe this?
a) In the Rhineland
b) Demilitarised
In the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles, what were the restrictions placed upon the German navy?
Allowed up to 6 battleships only and no more than 10,000 sailors.
Why were the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles so restrictive?
To prevent Germany from becoming an aggressive country
How did Germany feel about the Military terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
They felt unable to defend themselves and surrounded by powerful enemies.
What were the three parts that made up the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles?
- Military Terms
- Territorial Changes
- Economic Terms
Why was the Rhineland demilitarised?
Because it was an area directly between Germany and France and Germany would have easily been able to invade France again.
Germany said that through the Treaty of Versailles, they were the only country made to do what?
The only country made to disarm.
What is meant by the term ‘conscription’?
Forcing people to join the army
How big was the German army before the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles were put in place?
4.4 million people
What happened to all of Germany’s colonies as a part of the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles?
They were given to the victorious countries of the war as mandates.
In the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles, how much German land in total was given away?
10%
In the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles, how much of the German population in total was given away?
12.5%
In the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles, how much of Germany’s industrial production in total was given away?
16%
What happened to Alsace-Lorraine as a result of the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles?
It was returned to France.
What happened to Northern Schleswig as a result of the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles?
It was returned to Denmark
What happened to Eupen and Malmedy as a result of the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles?
They were returned to Belgium
Where else was German land given to as a result of the Territorial Changes of the Treaty of Versailles?
To the new countries of Poland and Czechoslovakia
What did Article 231 say that Germany had to accept?
‘War Guilt’
What did Germany accepting War Guilt mean?
They had to accept that the war was their fault
What year were the reparations payments of the Treaty of Versailles fixed?
1921
In 1921, what were the reparations payments of the Treaty of Versailles fixed as?
£6,600 million (£6.6 billion)
How were the reparations payments of the Treaty of Versailles supposed to be paid?
In installments over 42 years
Why was having to pay such a high reparations payment going to be a problem to Germany?
The German economy was already in ruins before the negotiations of Treaty of Versailles were put in place. Germany remained in poverty.
Where was Germany’s industrial land of the Saar given to?
France
How long was Germany’s industrial land of the Saar given to France for?
15 years
Where was Germany’s industrial land of Upper Silesia given to?
Poland
What did Germany refuse to do in 1923?
They refused to pay their reparations payments because they were in such poverty.
What happened as a result of Germany not being able to pay their reparations in 1923?
The industrial heartland of Germany, the Ruhr, was invaded by the French and Belgians.
What did the Germans feel the Treaty of Versailles was?
A Diktat.
What was the meaning of the German term ‘Diktat’?
Dictated peace - forcing to do something who has no say in it.
Why did the Germans feel that the Treaty of Versailles was a Diktat (dictated peace)?
Because German representatives were not present during the negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles and they had no choice but to sign it on threat of invasion.
What happened to the German Kaiser Wilhelm?
He abdicated.
What is meant by the term ‘abdicated’?
Gave up the throne.
Why did Kaiser Wilhelm abdicate?
Because he knew that the French, British, and the Americans were after him, because they felt the 11 million death war was his fault as the leader of Germany
What happened when the Kaiser abdicated?
Germany became a republic as opposed to a monarchy.
How did the Germans feel when they had to accept war guilt?
Extremely humiliated.
Why did the Germans feel so humiliated with the restrictions placed upon them through the Treaty of Versailles?
It took away their pride - as a militaristic nation, their pride came from their strong military forces, which had been taken away.
a) In 1871, after beating the French in the Franco-Prussian war, how much did the Germans make the French pay in reparations?
b) What else did the Germans do?
a) 5 billion francs
b) Took away the French provinces of Alsace & Lorraine
In 1917, Germany took much land from Russia under the harsh terms of the Treaty of ________.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
What did the Royal Navy do to German ports?
They blockaded them so there were no supplies going into Germany, and the people began to starve.
What is another word for ‘Armistice’?
A ceasefire, which means that the fighting stopped.
When was the Armistice signed?
11am, 11th November 1918
a) Why might some say that Germany signing the Armistice was odd?
b) What was Hitler’s response to this?
a) Because the German army was still an intact fighting force, and they still occupied their positions in the trenches.
b) He said that the German army had been defeated because it had been ‘stabbed in the back’ by the Jews and Communists
Did the fighting stop immediately after the Armistice was signed?
No - the fighting only completely stopped on the 28th June 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
For what reasons did the Germans sign the Armistice? (5 things)
- To avoid an allied invasion (the war of attrition had led the Germans to running out of sufficient troops to hold off an attack)
- To avoid a revolution (similar to that of Russia) in Germany
- Because Germany were starving as a result of the Royal Navy’s blockade on their ports
- They wanted to take advantage of Wilson’s 14 Points for Peace which would set up the League of Nations, which Germany hoped would protect them
- The League of Nations called for an international approach to disarmament and economic cooperation.
When did Kaiser Wilhelm abdicate?
9th November
Where did the Kaiser flee to when he abdicated?
Holland
When the Kaiser abdicated, what did the new democratic government fear?
A communist/bolshevik revolution as there was extreme hardship in Germany
Why were Germany starving following the Treaty of Versailles?
Because the Royal Navy were blockading German ports and preventing supplies reaching Germany which led to appalling food shortages, severe hunger and malnutrition.
When was the Russian Revolution?
October/November 1917
The Big Three countries involved in ___a)___ the Treaty of ___b)___ were represented by David Lloyd-George, Georges ___c)___ and Woodrow Wilson.
a) negotiating
b) Versailles
c) Clemenceau
The idea behind the TOV was to ___a)___ future wars. Each of the Big Three had different ___b)___ as to how this was to be ___c)___.
a) prevent
b) ideas
c) achieved
Clemenceau wanted to ___a)___ Germany and wanted ___b)___ on Germany for the suffering caused to the French people (given that most of the ___c)___ had taken place in ___d)___ France).
a) punish
b) revenge
c) fighting
d) North-Eastern
Clemenceau wanted Germany to remain ___a)___ weak, in order to prevent Germany from ___b)___ France again.
a) forever
b) invading
How did Clemenceau want to weaken Germany?
By taking away German territory, weakening German industry, and reducing Germany’s armed forces?
Woodrow Wilson was an _________.
Idealist
Woodrow Wilson wanted a ___a)___ solution so that WW1 was the ___________b)____________.
a) perfect
b) war to end all wars
Woodrow Wilson was able to take a more ___a)___ view as the USA had not entered the war until ___b)___.
a) detached
b) 1917
Woodrow Wilson wanted a ___a)___ and ___b)___ peace.
a) fair
b) lasting
Woodrow Wilson realised German ___a)___ had to be punished, and wanted to ___b)___ Germany from becoming aggressive again. He did not want Germany paying heavy ___c)___.
a) aggression
b) prevent
c) compensation
Wilson wanted the TOV based upon his ___a)___, the most important of which was ___b)___.
a) 14 points for peace
b) self-determination
Self-determination is when people of different ______ groups rule themselves.
National
Leading up to a ___a)___ election, Lloyd-George promised the British people he would _________b)___________.
a) General
b) “squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak”
The British public wanted to ___a)___ the Kaiser and make _______ b) _________.
a) Hang
b) Germany pay
Lloyd George saw Germany as a valuable ___a)___ partner so wanted b). (6 things)
a) trading
b) - To prevent Germany from becoming so weak that a revival of trade and industry was hindered
- To prevent Germany from becoming so poor it would turn to communism
- To avoid Germany being humiliated, so that Germans would not want revenge
- To see France secure from the threat of German invasion, but Lloyd George did not wish to see France from becoming too powerful
- An end to the German threat to the British navy and empire
- To make Germany a non-aggressive country without colonies
None of the ‘Big Three got all they wanted. Some parts of the Treaty they were ___a)___ with, others they were ___b)___ with. It was a ___c)___ peace.
a) satisfied
b) dissatisfied
c) compromise
Under the military terms of the TOV, the German ___a)___ was to be no bigger than than 100,000 men. There would be no ___b)___. There were to be no German military aircraft, tanks, ___c)___ or heavy artillery. No German troops were to be stationed in the ___d)___ - it was to be ___e)___. The German navy was allowed only ___f)___ battleships and ___g)___ sailors.
This was to prevent Germany from becoming an ___h)___ country.
a) army
b) conscription
c) submarines
d) Rhineland
e) demilitarised
f) 6
g) 10,000
h) aggressive
Germany felt unable to ___a)___ itself and surrounded by powerful ___b)___.
a) defend
b) enemies
Under the territorial changes in the TOV, all of Germany’s ___a)___ were given to victorious countries as ___b)___. 10% of German ___c)___ was given away, ___d)___ of it’s population and 16% of its ___e)___ production was given away.
a) colonies
b) mandates
c) land
d) 12.5%
e) industrial
Under the territorial changes in the TOV, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to ___a)___, ___b)___ was returned to Denmark, Eupen and ___c)___ were given to Belgium. Land was also given to new countries of ___d)___ and ___e)___.
a) France
b) Northern Schleswig
c) Malmedy
d) Poland
e) Czechoslovakia
Article ___a)___ said that Germany had to accept ‘___ b) ___’, meaning that the war was Germany’s ___c)___.
a) 231
b) War Guilt
c) fault
