Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?

Question 1

What were the motives and aims of the Big Three at Versailles?

Answer 1

Woodrow Wilson (President of the United States):
-Believed all parties were to blame for starting WW1
-Keen to avoid another war (want to start LoN), don’t want to punish Germany to avoid resentment
-Set out ‘14 points’ which aimed that all countries reduce the likelihood of future war, every country should reduce their armies

David Lloyd George (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom):
-Not keen to punish Germany, don’t want another war
-However British president promised to punish Germany during his campain. (British citizens really want to punish Germany and hang the Kaiser)

Georges Clemenceau (Prime Minister of France):
-Want to weaken Germany to a point where they will no longer be a threat
-France suffered most during the war (land was damaged and population declined), wanted to get revenge and weaken Germany
-Satisfied from getting back the land of Alsace-Lorraine which Germany borders
-Fully blames Germany for starting WW1 as Germany was first tp use poisonous gas and starting to bomb towns for no military reason

Question 2

Why did the victors not get everything they wanted?

Question 3

What was the impact of the Treaty on Germany up to the end of 1923?

Answer 3

Social impacts
Economical impacts
Political impacts

Question 4

Could the Treaty be justified at the time?

Question 5

The roles of Wilson, Clemenceau and Lloyd George in the peacemaking process

Question 6

The terms of the Treaty

Answer 6

The treaty was a negotiation at the Paris Peace Conference. Signed June 28, 1919
- Germany was made to sign the “war guilt clause” accepting all responsibility for causing ww1
- Germany had to pay reparations (fines) of £6.6 billion to the victorious countries. (This was a massive amount)
- Germany could never again form an alliance with Austria
- The League of Nations was established but Germany was not allowed to join
- Germany’s colonies were taken away and placed under the control of the League of Nations
- The Germany army was limited to 100,000 men with no tanks, submarines or aircraft and only 6 battleships
- Germany could not place troops in The Rhineland (an area of Germany the borders France)
- Germany lost land to Poland, Lithuania and Denmark (almost half of its iron and steel industries were in these areas)
- Area of Alsace-Lorraine given to France
- It was also decided that Austria-Hungary would be split into 2 countries (Austria and Hungary) and the the Ottoman Empire would be occupied and governed by the allies. - - Austria, Hungary and Turkey would also have their armies limited

Question 7

Contemporary opinions about the Treaty