Treaty Of Versailles

Question 1

When did Germany sign the ceasefire with the allies ?

Answer 1

11th Nov 1918

Question 2

How many nations were represented in the peace terms ?

Answer 2

32

Question 3

Who were the big three?

Answer 3

Lloyd-George, Wilson, Clemenceau

Question 4

What did the Germans think it was ?

Answer 4

A diktat

Question 5

What were the aims of Wilson ?

Answer 5

Peace- no more American involvement in European wars. He wanted the peace based on his 14 points. - he wanted a league set up, and thought self determination should dominate decisions about borders. Reduced armaments and Alsace-Lorraine to be returned to France

Question 6

How many losses did America suffer?

Answer 6

116,000

Question 7

When/why did America join the war ?

Answer 7

1917 after Germans had sunk American ships like the Lusitania

Question 8

What did Clemenceau want from the treaty?

Answer 8

Revengeful peace to make up for the war being fought mostly on French soil. He wanted German armed forces crippled and wanted (at first) £30000000000 in reparations. He wanted germany split into smaller states (like in 1871)

Question 9

How many losses did France suffer?

Answer 9

1.5 million (a quarter of men between 18-30!)

Question 10

How many square miles if French land was destroyed ?

Answer 10

6000 square miles

Question 11

How many French factories were destroyed ?

Answer 11

23000

Question 12

What did Lloyd-George want from the treaty?

Answer 12

Moderate peace- Germany needs to be strong enough to continue trade with Britain. He wanted British navy to dominate but didn’t want Germany too weak so that it turned communist like Russia. He was happy to allow independence for countries in the Austro-Hungarian Enpire and Poland but he did want to expand Britain’s influence in the Middle East.

Question 13

Why were the British public unhappy about the treaty?

Answer 13

They wanted a far harsher settlement - Britain suffered loss of men and an unstable economy

Question 14

How many British soldiers died?

Answer 14

More than a million

Question 15

How much debt was Britain in?

Answer 15

£4,277,000,000 debt to USA alone !

Question 16

What were the 7 main terms of the treaty? (Disclosing armaments and reparations )

Answer 16

Germany was to lose her colonies (became mandates), Alsace Lorraine was to be returned to France, France was to gain the Saar coal fields for 15 years, a polish corridor would be set up to give Poland access to the sea, Rhineland was to be demilitarised and allied troops to be stationed there, Germany was to accept full blame for war, Anchluss was forbidden

Question 17

What happened to Germany’s forces?

Answer 17

Should b e reduced to ‘virtual impotence’ Army reduced to 100,000, only 6 battleships, no submarines/aircraft allowed,

Question 18

How much did Germany have to pay?

Answer 18

£6,600,000,000

Question 19

What was Germany’s initial reaction to the terms?

Answer 19

Outraged. - many terms went against those proposed by Wilson.

Question 20

Why was the war built clause especially hates?

Answer 20

Russia had mobilised her army before Germany

Question 21

Why did Germany criticise it as a diktat?

Answer 21

Germany had no say- Weimar Republic had little choice to accept (or the allies would have resumed fighting)

Question 22

What had Germany expected/hoped would have dominated?

Answer 22

Wilsons 14 points

Question 23

Why was disarmament hated?

Answer 23

No allied country reduced their arms ( they felt weak and vulnerable without sufficient defence)

Question 24

What term of the treaty was most widely criticised by many people ?

Answer 24

The reparations

Question 25

Why was clemenceau’s reaction?

Answer 25

Unhappy that France did not get control of the land west of the Rhine, but was happy it was at least demilitarised

Question 26

What was Wilsons reaction?

Answer 26

Felt reparations were too high but accepted the need for them if allies were to pay back debts- he was disappointed that the polish corridor left many Germans in a foreign country

Question 27

How much debt was owed to America ?

Answer 27

$9,450,000,000

Question 28

5 reasons why the Treaty could be seen as fair

Answer 28

1) Germany was not stopped from becoming a great power again- she was allowed to join Lof N once she had proved she could be peaceful
2) Germany had imposed extremely harsh peace treaties on Russia (Brest-Liovsk 1918 and France 1871)
3) germany wasn’t split up as Clemenceau had demanded
4) Germany got to keep 90% if its industrial capacity which meant it could continue to advance economically (1925 Germanys steel production was double Britain )
5) the majority of the territorial clauses were compromises between the Allie’s original war claims and 14 points

Question 29

5 reasons why Treaty could be seen as unfair

Answer 29

1) was a diktat (Germans used argument that because it was a diktat it should not be morally binding)
2) Germany lost 13% of its territory and 10% of its land. Many German people found themselves living elsewhere- this opposed self-determination
3) Germany was forced to disarm (e.g. 100,000 men) but allies were just encouraged to reduce armed forces -also wasn’t enough to keep law and order at a time of political disturbance
4) Germany had to accept full blame - unfair as Russia was first to mobilise
5) some historians such as Keynes felt £6,600 million was unjustified and unrealistic