Treaty Of Versailles Flashcards
When and where were the terms of Treaty of Versailles discussed?
January 1919, Palace of Versailles outside Paris
Until when were the Germans not alloeed to see the terms of the Treaty?
The 7th May 1919
On which day did the Allies give the German Government 7 days to accepted the Treaty? What did it cause in Germany?
16th June 1919
Caused political crisis in Berlin and led to a new coalititon government being formed
On what day was the Treaty of Versailles signed by all the powers?
28th June 1919
What did Germans view the Treaty as and why?
A diktat (dictated peace) as they were unallowed to participate in the conference or negotiate terms
Which four powers took up the major decisions of the Treaty and who were their leaders?
US (President Wilson)
Britain (Prime Minister Lloyd George)
France (Prime Minister Clemenceau)
Italy (Prime Minister Orlando)
How much land did Germany lose within the Treaty?
70 000 km² (13%) and all overseas colonies
Which area was given to France?
Alsace-Lorraine
What areas were given to Belgium?
Eupen and Malmedy
What area was given to Denmark?
Northern Schleswig-Holstein
Which areas were given to Poland?
Most of Posen, West Prussia, part of Pomerania, Eastern Silesia
What city was made a free state under the League of Nations protection?
Danzig
What area was taken by Lithuania?
Memel
How much did Germany lose of its iron ore, zinc ore, coal, arable land?
• 75% of iron ore
• 68% of zinc ore
• 26% of coal
• 15% of arable land
What happened to Germany’s overseas colonies in Africa and the Far East?
Placed under League of Nation’s control
What did Germany have to do with the Rhineland and Heligoland?
Surrender all heavy weapons and dismantle fortifications
What happened to conscription and Germany’s army?
Conscription was banned
German army limited to 100 000 men and forbidden to use tanks or gas
What happened to the German Navy?
Limited to 15 000 men and no submarines, 6 battleships maximum and a small number of coastal defence vessels
What happened to the German air force?
Banned
What Article of the Treaty stated that Germany had to accept all blame for the war?
Article 231 - the war guilt clause
What did the war guilt clause (Article 231) make Germany liable for?
Paying reparations to the Allies to cover the cost od damages suffered in the war
When was the final ammount of reparations decided and how much was it?
Fixed by a commission in 1921
£6.6 billion
What did Germany have to do with most of their merchant shipping fleet, railway locomotives, rolling stock, patents and overseas investments?
Hand them over to the Allies
How much of the Rhineland was permanently demilitarised?
The left bank of the Rhine (Western side) and a 50 km strip on the right bank (Eastern side)
What was based in the Rhineland by the Allies and why?
An Allied army of occupation to ensure Gsrmany fulfilled its Treaty obligations
What is the Saarland?
An area of South-western Germany which contained rich reserves for coal
What happened to the Saarland?
It was seperated from Germant and placed under the League of Nations’ control for 15 years so Germany would supply France, Italy and Belgium with free coal as part of reparations
What happened to Austria in relation to Germany?
Austria was forbidden from uniting with Germany
Was Gernany a part of the League of Nations?
No, they were not allowed to join
What would happen to the Kaiser and other germans?
Put on trial for war crimes
How did German government portray the war in propaganda during the war? What did this cause in terms of the Treaty among German people?
During the war, propaganda portrayed Germany as the winning country throughout the entire war, making victory seem certain.
This caused shock and horror when the new government signed the Treaty as the harsh terms was sudden as was the armistice and abdication.
Why were German people so against the Reparations?
• They felt that it would cripple German economy
• They did not accept Article 231 (war guilt clause) which justified the reparations
How did Germans view the ban of Germany from the League of Nations?
Discriminitory
