Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
Eupen-Malmedy to..
Belgium
Rhineland..
Demilitarised
North Schleswig to..
Denmark
Posen and Upper Silesia to..
Poland
Memel to..
Lithuania
Population reduced by..
12%
How did the German Workers feel about the Treaty?
Outraged + regarded as diktat
How did German Nationalists feel about the Treaty?
They branded the government as November criminals and didnt want to surrender
What did Wilson want out the Treaty?
- Self determination
- League of Nations
- 14 points
- Disarmament
What did Clemenceau want out the Treaty?
- Annex Rhineland to create a ‘buffer state’
- Major disarmament on Germany
- Heavy reperations
- Split Germany into separate states
What did Lloyd George want out the Treaty?
- Guarantee British military security
- Secure naval supremacy
- Keep communism at bay
- Limit French demands as they could lead to revenge
What was meant by ‘Armistice’?
- An agreement to stop fighting + withdraw German troops
- Many didnt believe they were defeated
Why was the Treaty not as severe as made out in 1919?
- Clemenceau didnt get his extreme demands
- Self determination not unfair as Germany stated -> Alsace Lorraine would have voted to be part of France, Eastern frontiers of Posen and West Prussia more mixed in ethnicity then Germans wanted
- Austria and Sudetenland never apart of Germany
- Moderate compared to Brest Litovsk
What did the American Diplomat - George F Kennan say about the Treaty?
- Humiliating and “silly”
What did Richard Evans say in “Coming of the Third Reich”
- German Nationalists wouldve felt cheated of victory anyway
- Germany had a chance of success but not in 1919
What did Wolfgang Mommsen say?
- It was harsh but understandable
- Created a political climate -> difficult to develop democracy
- Allies under pressure of the public to be harsh
- Believes less harsh treaty wouldve worked too
What happened to Scheidemann’s government as a result of the Treaty?
He resigned + new coalition formed under Gustav Bauer
Who was Gustav Bauer?
Chancellor of Weimar Republic 1919 to 1920 after Scheidemann resigned
What did Paul von Hindenburg do about the Treaty?
- Renew military actions against Allies instead of signing Treaty
What impact did the Treaty have on support for the Republic?
- Many people turned against republic
How did Right wing react to it?
- Refused to accept + Blamed government for signing it
- Committed to overthrow republic
What were the politicians who signed the Treaty and Armistice known as?
November Criminals
In what way was Ludendorff responsible for Germany’s problems?
- Encouraged civilian government to sign the armistice
- Started revolution from above
- Promoted ‘stab in the back myth’
How did Soldiers adjust to life in the republic and why was this problematic?
- Some did
- Some turned to Freikorps - threat to government
