Treaty of Versailles Flashcards

1
Q

Who were the Big Three in 1919?

A

Woodrow Wilson (US President), David Lloyd George (British Prime Minister) and Geroge Clemenceau (French Prime Minister). (Big Four if Italy included).

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2
Q

What were the ideas of Lloyd George?

A

-Like Wilson, he didn’t want to punish Germany too harshly (in fear of future revenge) and a harsh treaty might lead to communist revolution as in Russia (1917).

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3
Q

What were the influences on Lloyd George?

A
  1. The British people hated Germany.

2. Had suffered over 1 million casualties in WW1 as well as food shortages.

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4
Q

What were the main aims of Lloyd George?

A
  1. He wanted the British Trade and for the British Empire to have security (unlike Wilson)
  2. He didn’t want to cripple Germany too much as he wanted to start trading with Germany again (before the war Germany had been Britain’s second largest trading partner). As trade meant jobs for the British
  3. He wanted Germany to lose its navy and colonies (threat to British Empire).
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5
Q

What were the ideas of Clemenceau?

A
  1. In public agreed with Wilson, but in private hated Germany and wanted to cripple them so that they could not be able to attack France again.
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6
Q

What were the influences on Clemenceau?

A
  1. French people hated Germany
  2. France had most property damage in WW1. Two-thirds of men who had served in French army had either been killed or injured. Damage to industry and agricultural land. France had also suffered 2 German Invasions (1870 and 1914).
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7
Q

What were the main aims of Clemenceau?

A
  1. Wanted to be harsh
  2. President of France (Poincare) wanted to split Germany into separate states so they would not be able to recover - C knew that W and LG would not agree.
  3. Financial compensation for France.
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8
Q

What were the ideas of Wilson?

A
  1. IDEALIST Did not want to treat Germany too harsh as once they recover they could seek revenge
  2. Feared extremist groups (e.g. communists) may revolt as in Russia 1917
  3. Wanted to strengthen democracy in defeated nations
  4. Wanted to give self-determination to small countries that had once been part of European Empires.
  5. Wanted International cooperation.
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9
Q

What were the influences on Wilson?

A
  1. Had concentrated on keeping USA out of WW1 from 1914-1918
  2. Much of the USA did not want to get involved with European Affairs
  3. Very much keen on peace (even though he did not want to join the war) and he was very controlling
  4. France was damaged much more than USA in WW1.
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10
Q

What were the main aims of Wilson?

A

Fourteen points and to cooperate in order to achieve world peace.

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11
Q

Did the Big Three agree?

A
  1. C clashed with LG (harshness).
  2. C clashed with W (harshness, coalfields in Saar and Rhineland).
  3. LG clashed with W (14P - access to seas threat to British Empire and nations ‘ruling’ themselves was kinda opposite/threat to British Empire).
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12
Q

What were Wilson’s 14 points?

A
  1. No secret treaties
  2. Free access to sea at peacetime and wartime
  3. Free trade between countries
  4. All countries to work towards disarmament LON to be set up
  5. Self-determination for people of EE and Turkish Empire.
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13
Q

What were the benefits of the 14 points

A
  • Germany would not be treated so harsh and so less likely to cut off trade routes and future revolt
  • More independence so less oppressed and new opportunities for trade and international relations can progress
  • More trade routes available and so improving economies across Europe.
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14
Q

What are the possible negatives of the 14 points?

A

Germany ‘got away’, no secret treaties would not work realistically as countries will always want to expand, most of points are too general. B and F think it is impractical.

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15
Q

Describe the terms of the ToV

A
  1. German land losses
  2. Military
  3. Financial
  4. Guilt clause
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16
Q

Describe Germany’s land losses

A
  1. Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.
  2. Saarland (15 years) and Danzig run by LON.
  3. West Prussia and Upper Silesia ceded to Poland.
  4. North Schleswig ceded to Denmark.
  5. Union between Germany and Austria was forbidden (Anschluss).
  6. All African colonies ceded to victorious powers.
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17
Q

Describe Germany’s military restrictions

A
  1. German army limited to 100,000 men.
  2. No conscription allowed.
  3. No airforce, tanks or submarines. (No artillery).
  4. Limited to six battleships.
  5. Rhineland demilitarised.
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18
Q

What were the other terms of the ToV?

A
  1. Guilt Clause: Germany had to accept blame for starting the war.
  2. Germany was not invited to negotiate in the Treaty, nor to join the LON.
  3. Germany had to pay £6.6 billion agreed in 1921, to be paid in yearly instalments.
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19
Q

What parts of the ToV was Clemenceau pleased with?

A
  • Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.
  • Land and Colonies taken from Germany, and military restricted significantly so Germany became powerless and would not be able to attack again. Weak army.
  • Took full blame so France look ‘good’.
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20
Q

What parts of the ToV was Clemenceau not pleased with?

A
  • Germany still had an army.
  • Wanted Germany to be split up even more.
  • Saarland given to LON (could have all been to France).
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21
Q

What parts of the ToV was Lloyd George pleased with?

A
  • Navy restricted allowed Britain to be ahead in arms race.
  • African colonies could go to Britain increasing their empire.
  • Germany stripped of a lot of power and military so LG looks like a good Prime Minister as British public wanted this.
  • Took full blame so Britain look ‘good’.
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22
Q

What parts of the ToV was Lloyd George not pleased with?

A
  • Economy would suffer and high unemployment increase chance of future revolt.
  • Loss of land may negatively affect Britain trade. (would then negatively affect British economy and unemployment)
  • Self-determination could threaten British Empire.
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23
Q

What parts of the ToV was Wilson pleased with?

A
  • LON set up.
  • Poland and Belgium will have more territory/ independence (self-determination).
  • Rhineland demilitarised (demilitarisation).
  • Germany not too destroyed but still punished.
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24
Q

What parts of the ToV was Wilson not pleased with?

A
  • Excluding Germany and taking full responsibility would not result in peace.
  • F,B and Belgium did not allow self-determination in their colonies.
  • African colonies does not promote self determination (however Wilson did not have a good-record in regard to the rights of African Americans).
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25
Q

What were the negative political impacts on Germany?

A

1919 - New government set up called Wiermar Republic. Between 1919-1923 there were several attempts to overthrow this new government.
Jan 1919 - communist revolutionaires (‘Spartacists’) tried to stage a revolution in Berlin and in April, communists tried to seize power in Munich - both of these rebellions were smashed down by the Freikorps.
1920 - Kapp Putsch defeated by a general strike by Berlin workers which paralysed power and transport.
1922 - Foreign Minister Walther Rathenau murdered by extremists.
Nov 1923 - Hitler led an attempted rebellion in Muncih (Munich Putsch).

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26
Q

What were the negative economic impacts on Germany?

A
  • After fail to pay reparations French and Belgium soldiers march into Ruhr (centre of German Industry) in 1923.
  • This resulted in German workers going on strike so that the French would not be able to take anything. However French just killed over 100 workers and expelled over 100,000 protesters from the region.
  • German Government respond by printing more money to pay workers, but this got out of hand leading to hyperinflation.
27
Q

What were the negative social impacts on Germany?

A

Civilians will be forced into (high) unemployment, have restricted food and families will be split up and land loss means agricultural land taken away.

28
Q

What were the other European Peace Treaties?

A

Treaty of St Germain 1919 (Austria)
Treaty of Neuilly 1919 (Bulgaria)
Treaty of Trianon 1920 (Hungary)
Treaty of Sevres 1920 (Turkey)

29
Q

Treaty of St. Germain

A

1919 Austria
Lost South Tyrol, Istria to Italy and huge areas of land to 3 new states: Czech, Poland and Yugoslavia.
Anschluss
Army limited to 30,000 men.
Austro Hungary empire broken up.
Large minority groups and economic collapse because lost industrial areas to Czech.

30
Q

Treaty of Neuilly

A

1919 Bulgaria
Lost land to Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia.
Army restricted to no more than 20,000 men
£10million in reparations
Many Bulgarians governed by foreign powers by 1920 and less harshly treated than Germany’s other allies overall.

31
Q

Treaty of Trianon

A

1920 Hungary
2/3 of territory given to Czech, Romania and Yugoslavia.
Population reduced from 18mil to 7mil as a result of these changes.
Army limited to 35,000 men.
Industry suffered as loss of people and raw materials
Economic collapse (due to pay reparations but never did).

32
Q

Treaty of Sevres

A
  • 1920 Turkey
  • Lost nearly all its land in Europe to Greece
  • Lands of the Turkish Empire in the Arab Middle East were confiscated: France took Syria and Britain took control in Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.
  • Pay reparations.
  • No air force
  • Army restricted to 50,000 men.
  • Empire was broken up, angered and humiliated by the terms.
33
Q

What was the Treaty of Lausanne?

A
  • Turkish Nationalists drove the Greeks out of Smyrna
  • TL (1923) recognised the changes that the Turks had brought about and so returned Smyrna to Turkey and no reparations were to be paid
  • Smyrna, Anatolia and parts of Thrace became Turkish lands, and Turkey regained much of the land lost to Greece
  • Turkey’s borders were fixed more or less as they are today
34
Q

Reasons why the ToV was just

A

1.Military:
-Restricted army and weapons would reduce their power to revolt but not all taken away is significant as they were still left with some power. Also protected other countries. -Allowed them to spend their money on rebuilding economy instead.
German army leaders retained to maintain peace.
2. Territorial
-Took limited land (Alsace-Lorraine) and polish corridor and many were anyway french and polish speakers and not German.
3. Germans only used 14 points in their favour as when they were defeated they said that they should get peace, but ignored it when winning (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk).
4. Financial
German economy recovered by 1925 and was producing twice as much steel as Britain.

35
Q

Reasons why ToV was unjust

A
  1. Military
    -Reducing military (and loosing industrial land), mass unemployment and civilians will suffer not only the leaders.
    -German army restriction was also unfair as other countries were failing to disarm.
  2. Financial
    -The Treaty aimed to destroy the German economy however that was a mistake as the whole of Europe would loose out with no German businesses and factories as well as trade.
    -Reparations and hyperinflation hurt ordinary people not the rulers of Germany.
    -Germany needed to rebuild economy as they too had spent lots of army.
  3. Germany had been expected to be dealt with under fourteen points, but there was nothing about guilt clause and reparations.
  4. Unfair to put sole blame on Germany as other countries had been aggressive in the years leading up to 1914 and one of major causes was Imperialism - including Britain and France who tried to build up world empires.
  5. Territorial
    Most raw materials and industrial had been taken away so hard to rebuild economy.
36
Q

Reason that the ToV was wise

A

German army leaders were retained to maintain public order.

German economy recovered in 1925, Germany was then producing twice as much steel as Britain.

37
Q

Reasons that the ToV was unwise

A

Aim to destroy German economy was no good for European Trade.
Reparations bill was not decided until 1921, and that was £6.6 million.
The signatories of the ToV (Weimar Republic) were called ‘November Criminals’ causing distrust between people and government leading tot he rise of radical groups.

38
Q

Why was it hard to come to a completely successful ToV?

A

LG, WW and GC all had conflicting views.

39
Q

Was the ToV too harsh?

A

It was harsh concerning financial and territorial as it led to the rise of radical groups, but militarily just as military not completely destroyed but other countries were protected.

40
Q

What did the Allies say in public about the Treaty of Sevres?

A
  1. All the big three agreed that Trukey’s time as a reat power had to end
  2. Turkey had been unstable for some time. Many of its people (including Greeks, Armenians and Arab peoples) wanted independence so the Treaty should try to establish stable new states in EE and the Middle East
  3. They agreed that Turkey would be punished for supporting Germany in the War
  4. President Wilson was keen for Armenia to become an independent state and that Armenians should rule themselves
41
Q

What did the Allies say in private about the Treaty of Sevres?

A
  1. Italy essentially wanted Turkish territory as a reward for supporting the Allie in WW1
  2. France and Britain wanted to extend or strengthen their empire and especially their commercial interests. France, Britain and Italy actually singed a secret Tripartie Agreement in August 1920 in which they effectively protected their commercial interests. Britain was particularly interested in the oilfields of Iraq and already had a large involvement in the oil industry of neighbouring Iran
  3. Britain had made promises to the Arab peoples in return for their help in war but was effectively unable or unwilling to honour these promises
42
Q

What was the effect of the Treaty of Sevres?

A
  1. Turkish nationalists under Mustafa Kemal Pasha set up a new Grand Assembly. They stopped the government signing the Treaty and began to reverse the Treaty terms by force
  2. The nationalists were unable to restore the Turkish empire’s territories but they drove the Greeks out of Smyrna and force the French to negotiate withdrawing from Turkish territory
  3. They reached terms with the British over access to the Straits
  4. Wilson could not get support from the USA on his policies for Armenia and so it was forced to abandon its hope of becoming an independent state and opted to become part of the Soviet Union rather than being forced to become part of Turkey
  5. There were many alleged atrocities in the fighting such as the burning of Smyrna, however the most controversial was the forced movement and mass killing of Armenians, which today is regarded as genocide by Armenians
43
Q

What was the effect of treaties in Hungary?

A
  1. The peace treaties created great bitterness and instability in Hungary, they were horrified about how much had been lost especially considering their previous power
  2. After 1920 Hungarian foreign policy was completely dominated by the wish to ‘get back’ the lost lands, and as a result Romania, Czch and Yug felt threatened and the governments of these three countries formed an alliance in order to protect themselves from the threat of a Hungarian invasion, this became known as the Little Entente
  3. Left-Wing and Right-Wing militant tried to seize power and following the War and peace treaties and in 1919 communist Béla Kun set up a Soviet-style government briefly
  4. He was overthrown and Admiral Horthy a right-wing military dictator came to power. He remained in charge until WW2 and under Horthy there was no democracy in Hungary
44
Q

What was the effect of the treaties in Czechoslovakia?

A
  1. Czech was the only new state in EE that allowed free speech and democracy
  2. There was great tension between the different ethnic groups
  3. The Czechs in the Western part of the country were much wealthier than the Slovaks of the east and the Slovaks complained that they were being treated as second-class citizens
  4. Only 65% of the population were Czech or Slovaks and there were over 3 million Germans, known as Sudeten Germans and in many border areas the Germans were in majority
  5. Like the Slovaks, some Sudeten Germans said that they were not treated fairly by the Czechs
45
Q

What was the effect of the treaties in Poland?

A
  1. Poland was the largest State set up by the treaties with 30 million people
  2. The new Polish State was immediately involved in a series of brief wars with most of its neighbours and the Poles were not content with the borders set up by the Treaties
  3. Between 1918-1921 Poland fought against Germany, Czech, Lith and SU and these wars showed how difficult it was to impose the terms of the peace treaties
  4. In 1920 the Poles defied the treaties and took control of the Lithuanian city of Vilna and by 1921 Poland had conquered a huge area of Belarus and Ukraine from the Soviet Union
  5. In the early 1920s Polish politics were chaotic and it seemed impossible to form a stable government and the country was close to Civil War
  6. The chaos came to end in May 1926 when Marshal Pilsuski seized power and ended democracy in Poland
46
Q

When was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

A

28th June 1919

47
Q

What was the armistice (end of war)?

A

11th November 1918

48
Q

When were the Treaty of Versailles terms announced?

A

May 1919

49
Q

When was the Treaty of St.Germain (Austria) signed?

A

10th September 1919

50
Q

When was the Treaty of Neuilly (Bulgaria) signed?

A

27th November 1919

51
Q

What was the Treaty of Trianon (Hungary) signed?

A

4th June 1920

52
Q

When was Sevres (Turkey’s first Treaty) signed?

A

10th August 1920

53
Q

When was the Turkish War of Independence? (Mustafa Kemal Pasha)

A

May 1919 - 1923

54
Q

When was Lausanne (Turkey’s second Treaty) signed?

A

24th July 1923

55
Q

When was the reparations bill (£6.6 billion) announced?

A

April 1921

56
Q

When did Congress vote on joining League of Nations?

A

19th January 1920

57
Q

When was the US Presidential election?

A

2nd November 1920

58
Q

When were the UK general elections?

A
  1. 14th December 1918

2. 15th November 1922

59
Q

When was the French Legislative (Parliamentary) Election?

A

November 1919

60
Q

When was the Spartacist Putsch (Effect of TOV)?

A

January 1919

61
Q

When was the Weimar Constitution announced (Effect of TOV)?

A

11th August 1919

62
Q

When was the Kapp putsch (Effect of TOV)?

A

13th March 1920

63
Q

When was the Munich putsch (Effect of TOV)?

A

November 1923

64
Q

When was the French Occupation of the Ruhr (Effect of TOV)?

A

Begins January 1923