Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
Who were the Big Three in 1919?
Woodrow Wilson (US President), David Lloyd George (British Prime Minister) and Geroge Clemenceau (French Prime Minister). (Big Four if Italy included).
What were the ideas of Lloyd George?
-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).
What were the influences on Lloyd George?
- The British people hated Germany.
2. Had suffered over 1 million casualties in WW1 as well as food shortages.
What were the main aims of Lloyd George?
- He wanted the British Trade and for the British Empire to have security (unlike Wilson)
- 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
- He wanted Germany to lose its navy and colonies (threat to British Empire).
What were the ideas of Clemenceau?
- 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.
What were the influences on Clemenceau?
- French people hated Germany
- 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).
What were the main aims of Clemenceau?
- Wanted to be harsh
- 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.
- Financial compensation for France.
What were the ideas of Wilson?
- IDEALIST Did not want to treat Germany too harsh as once they recover they could seek revenge
- Feared extremist groups (e.g. communists) may revolt as in Russia 1917
- Wanted to strengthen democracy in defeated nations
- Wanted to give self-determination to small countries that had once been part of European Empires.
- Wanted International cooperation.
What were the influences on Wilson?
- Had concentrated on keeping USA out of WW1 from 1914-1918
- Much of the USA did not want to get involved with European Affairs
- Very much keen on peace (even though he did not want to join the war) and he was very controlling
- France was damaged much more than USA in WW1.
What were the main aims of Wilson?
Fourteen points and to cooperate in order to achieve world peace.
Did the Big Three agree?
- C clashed with LG (harshness).
- C clashed with W (harshness, coalfields in Saar and Rhineland).
- LG clashed with W (14P - access to seas threat to British Empire and nations ‘ruling’ themselves was kinda opposite/threat to British Empire).
What were Wilson’s 14 points?
- No secret treaties
- Free access to sea at peacetime and wartime
- Free trade between countries
- All countries to work towards disarmament LON to be set up
- Self-determination for people of EE and Turkish Empire.
What were the benefits of the 14 points
- 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.
What are the possible negatives of the 14 points?
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.
Describe the terms of the ToV
- German land losses
- Military
- Financial
- Guilt clause
Describe Germany’s land losses
- Alsace and Lorraine returned to France.
- Saarland (15 years) and Danzig run by LON.
- West Prussia and Upper Silesia ceded to Poland.
- North Schleswig ceded to Denmark.
- Union between Germany and Austria was forbidden (Anschluss).
- All African colonies ceded to victorious powers.
Describe Germany’s military restrictions
- German army limited to 100,000 men.
- No conscription allowed.
- No airforce, tanks or submarines. (No artillery).
- Limited to six battleships.
- Rhineland demilitarised.
What were the other terms of the ToV?
- Guilt Clause: Germany had to accept blame for starting the war.
- Germany was not invited to negotiate in the Treaty, nor to join the LON.
- Germany had to pay £6.6 billion agreed in 1921, to be paid in yearly instalments.
What parts of the ToV was Clemenceau pleased with?
- 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’.
What parts of the ToV was Clemenceau not pleased with?
- Germany still had an army.
- Wanted Germany to be split up even more.
- Saarland given to LON (could have all been to France).
What parts of the ToV was Lloyd George pleased with?
- 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’.
What parts of the ToV was Lloyd George not pleased with?
- 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.
What parts of the ToV was Wilson pleased with?
- LON set up.
- Poland and Belgium will have more territory/ independence (self-determination).
- Rhineland demilitarised (demilitarisation).
- Germany not too destroyed but still punished.
What parts of the ToV was Wilson not pleased with?
- 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).
What were the negative political impacts on Germany?
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).