Treaty of Versailles Flashcards

1
Q

Clemenceau attitute towards Germany

A
  • Had seen first hand damage Germany caused to France - Franco-Prussian war 1871 where they took Alsace-Llorraine
  • Hated Germany and wanted to make sure they could never attack again
  • Suffered 6 million casualties in army, 1.4 million deaths
  • Vast amounts of damage in economy and infrastructure
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2
Q

Clemenceau aims

A
  • Disarmament
  • Reparations
  • Alsace-Lorraine
  • German colonies
  • Rhineland and Saar
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3
Q

Lloyd George attitude towards Germany

A
  • Britain had suffered attacks on mainland
  • Sustained heavy casualties during the war
  • Economy was severely disrupted
  • Concerned about security of France’s border
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4
Q

Lloyd George aims

A
  • Economic revival of Europe
  • keep reparations low + let them keep Rhineland for trade
  • Germany rebuild to defend (provide buffer) against communism in the east
  • Prevent Germany from regarding it as too harsh - wanting revenge
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5
Q

Wilsons attitude towards Germany

A
  • Had not declared war on Germany until April 1917 and was not involved until around a year later
  • At no point was territory invaded
  • Few American lives lost: less than 800 civilian casualites
  • War provided trade and business opportunities
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6
Q

Wilson aims

A
  • Wanted to achieve 14 points
  • Included open diplomacy/no secret treaties
  • Disarmament
  • Principle of self determination
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7
Q

Terms of treaty: territory (6)

A
  • Alsace-Lorraine went to france
  • Saar basin administered by league of nations for 15 years
  • Eupen-Malmady went to Belgium
  • West Prussia and Upper Silesia went to Poland
  • Danzig was to be run by League of Nations
  • North Schleswig went to Denmark
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8
Q

Terms of treaty: Reparations

A
  • Had to pay £6,600 million
  • Decided by Reparations Commission in 1921
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9
Q

Terms of treaty: Armaments

A
  • Rhineland to become a demiliterised zone with allied occupation for 15 years
  • Army restricted to 100,000
  • No tanks, armoured vehicles or heavy artillery
  • No airforce
  • Navy restricted to 6 battleships and no submarines
    *
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10
Q

Terms of treaty: War guilt clause

A
  • Article 231 - Germany and her allies were to take full responsibilities for starting the war
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11
Q

Terms of treaty: League of Nations

A
  • Germany had to accept the covenant of the League of Nations
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12
Q

Germany colonies

A
  • German east africa - Britain
  • German South West Africa - Britain
  • Togoland and Cameroon - Britian and France
  • Marshall, Mariana and Caroline islands - Japan
  • New Guinea - Australia/Britain
  • Samoa - New Zealand
  • Turkish colonies: Iraq, Transjordan and Palestine - Britain
  • Turkish colonies: Syria and Lebanon - France
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13
Q

France successes

A
  • Alsace-Lorraine
  • German colonies
  • Reparations
  • Secure easter border
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14
Q

France failures

A
  • Clemenceau was afraid eastern border would still not be safe
  • He proposed the Anglo/American Treaty of Guarantee for France - Britian and USA would be committed to protection of France against future aggression - failed to materialise
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15
Q

USA successes

A
  • League of Nations + creation of Poland
  • Defeated powers disarmed
  • Reduced harshness of peace - able to continue business with Germany + not to high reparations
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16
Q

USA failures

A
  • Treaty was too harsh
  • Principle of free navigation of seas was rejected
  • Colonies went to main powers - supposed to be under LoN
  • Exceptions to self-determination - Austria + Sudatenland
17
Q

Britain successes

A
  • Persuaded France to take a more moderate approach
  • Promoted British interests - colonies
  • German naval threat removed fro forseable future
18
Q

Britian failures

A
  • German speaking people under French or Polish rule
19
Q

Impact of treaty to Germany: too harsh

A
  • Vast reparations
  • Deprived of resources needed to pay these reparations
  • HOWEVER, Germany imposed equally harsh reparations on Russia at Brest-Litovsk
20
Q

Impact of treaty to Germany: Diktat

A
  • A dictated punitive peace
  • Excluded from negociations
  • No choice but to sign
21
Q

Impact of treaty to Germany: War guilt cause

A
  • Article 231 - Germany were to take entire responsibilty for starting the war
  • Not true - first military action was Russian mobilisation July 1914
22
Q

Impact of treaty to Germany: Political impact

A
  • Weimar republic little option but to sign - instantly unpopular for having done so
  • Symbol of Germany’s dishonor and humiliation
  • Right wing extremists supported attempts to overthrow government: Munich Putch November 1923
  • Right wing extremists carried out a number of assasinaitons including the killing of (finance minister) Matthieus Erzberger and (foreign minister) Walter Rathenau
  • Left wing extremists exploited the unpopularity of the Weimar Government by promoting rebellions e.g that in the Ruhr in March 1920
  • Feikorps, under command of Wolfgang Kapp, staged a coup in Berlin and declared a new national government - government survived due to general workers strike
  • Not allowed to join the league
23
Q

Impact on Germany: Economic impact

A
  • No fee when treaty was signed
  • £6,600 million was too high
  • Had lost valuable economic resources e.g Rhineland
  • Had to pay debts
  • Led to hyperinflation, unemployment and poverty
  • Led to Ruhr crisis
24
Q

Ruhr Crisis January 1923

A
  • Germany paid first installment in 1921 but couldnt pay in 1922
  • France and Belgium decided to take action: occupied area to sieze coal and other resources to account for missed payments
  • Population went on strike and French responded by expelling 100,000 from the region and killing 130
  • Led to hyperinflation from printing more money
25
Q

Impact on Germany: Disarmament

A
  • Status and prestige
  • Claimed it was insufficient for border defence
  • Would be difficult to deal with revolts and uprisings e.g Munich putch November 1923
26
Q

Impact on Germany: 14 Points

A
  • Thought treaties would be based off wilsons 14 points
  • Not followed: no disarmament for all countries, no self determination, no mention of war guilt in 14 points,
27
Q

Could the treaties be justified at the time? Yes:

A
  • Effect on France was vast: casualties, not as harsh as some people wanted which shows extent of damage to France
  • Russia treated harshly in Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918 + France treated harshly in 1871 - France were taking back what was theirs
  • Demilitarisation of Rhineland justified - they wanted to prevent future war and avoid aggression
  • Germany economic problems were self inflicted - taxes not raised to pay for the war + still head industrial potential
  • Best that could be done - Wilson
28
Q

Could the treaties be justified at the time? No

A
  • Vindictive punitive peace - ‘Diktat’
  • Very harsh - loss of land and defences, not allowed into league, reputation destroyed
  • War guilt - could Germany be blamed for starting the war? COULD be blamed for the damage
  • Crippled Germany’s economy, signed a black cheque