2 - The Impact of the Versailles Settlement on Germany Flashcards
(30 cards)
When did the Paris Peace Conference open?
12th January 1919
Where were meetings held for the Paris Peace Conference?
Various locations in and around Paris
Who attended the meetings?
Leaders representing 75% of the worlds population, they excluded defeated powers
Who took all major decisions in these meetings?
US President Woodrow Wilson, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, French Prime Minister and conference chairman George Clemenceau, Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando
When were Germans allowed to see the terms of the treaty?
Germans weren’t invited to attend the meetings or see the terms of the treaty until the 7th of May
What did the Allies do on the 16th of June?
They gave the German government seven days to accept the treaty which provoked political crisis in Berlin and the formation of a new coalition government
What happened on the 28th of June?
The Versailles Treaty was signed by all parties
What did Germans regard the treaty as?
‘Diktat’ - dictated peace
How much territory did Germany lose?
Over 70,000km² (13%)
What resources did Germany lose?
75% of iron ore, 68% of zinc ore, 26% of coal, 15% of arable land
What happened to Germany’s colonies in Africa and the Far East?
All were placed under the league of Nations control
What did disarmament mean?
Surrendered all heavy weapons, dismantled fortification in the Rhineland and on the island of Heligoland, conscription to Germany armed forces forbidden, German army limited to a maximum of 100,000 men, German army forbidden to use tanks or gas, Germany navy limited to 15,000 men, the Navy allowed a maximum of six battleships, no submarines, small number of coastal defence vessels, and forbidden from having an Air Force
What was war guilt?
Under article 231 of the Treaty, Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war, making them liable to pay reparations to the Allies to cover the cost of the damage suffered from war
What was the total amount of reparations paid?
Final amount was fixed by a commission in 1921 at £6.6 billion
What happened to the Rhineland?
Areas of the Rhineland were permanently demilitarised, an Allied army occupied the Rhineland to ensure Germany fulfilled the obligation
What happened to the Saarland?
Separated from Germany and placed under League of Nations control for 15 years, supplying France, Belgium, and Italy with free coal as part of reparations, France was allowed to exploit coal mines in the area
What were other terms of the treaty?
Austria was forbidden from uniting with Germany, Germany not allowed to join new League of Nations, Kaiser and other Germans on trial for war crimes
How did Germans react to the treaty being signed?
Shock, horror, and in disbelief and thought victory was only a matter of time (as had been portrayed in all German war propaganda)
What were the Germans main objections to the treaty?
Wilson’s 14 points stressed importance of national self-determination but this was denied to many Germans, war guilt clause seen as unjust national humiliation, felt reparations were too high, continuing friction from allied occupation and french control of Saarland coal mines, disarmament and exclusion from League of Nations seen as unjust discrimination
How justified were German reactions?
Possible to sympathise but in many ways based on unrealistic expectations.
Many terms made clear in Wilson’s 14 points and armistice, treaty not as sever as might have been, didn’t punish Germany as severely as they punished Russia in treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Germany’s war aims meant it would have been harsh if it were the other way around, reparations bill much lower than demanded by french and not beyond Germany’s capacity to pay.
What did ministers of all parties in Germany agree with Chancellor Scheidemann about in May 1919?
That accepting the terms of the treaty would be incompatible with German honour
What caused the political crisis in Germany?
The rejection of the German requests for extensive changes to the terms of the treaty and the demand for acceptance of the treaty within seven days
Why did Scheidemann resign and what did this lead to?
Him and some of his ministers wanted to reject the treaty but the majority of the cabinet and SPD members believed Germany had no other choice but to sign.
A new coalition cabinet led by Gustav-Bauer was formed.
What were some high-ranking German officers discussing?
The possibility of resisting the signing of the treaty through renewed military action
