conflict and tension Flashcards
When was the Paris Peace Conference?
January 1919
Who were the ‘Big Three’?
Georges Clemenceau - Prime Minister of France
David Lloyd George - Prime Minister of Britain
Woodrow Wilson - Prime Minister of USA
Where was the Paris Peace Conference?
Palace of Versailles in Paris.
Who met at the Paris Peace Conference?
Representatives from 32 winning countries.
When was the Armistice signed?
11 November 1918
ended ww1.
What did Georges Clemenceau want from the Peace talks?
- most of the fighting in the war took place in France, the Germans destroyed mines, railways, factories, bridges and farmland.
- the French suffered the most deaths.
- Many French people wanted revenge, and put Clemenceau under a lot of pressure to make it happen.
- Clemenceau wanted to cripple Germany to make sure that it was not strong enough to attack France again. - He wanted their armed forces dramatically reduced and Germanys Border to be pushed back to the Rhine in Eastern Germany. - taking away Germanys defences and making France less vulnerable to attack.
- Clemenceau needed money to help rebuild France and thought Germany should have to pay compensation for the damage
- He was willing to compromise with other leaders, but prepared to fight for what his people wanted.
What did David Lloyd George want from the peace talks?
- Lloyd was elected by the British public because he promised to ‘make Germany pay’
- Many young British men died in the trenches and many people of Britain wanted revenge.
- Lloyd was more cautious than Clemenceau - Lloyd was concerned that if Germany was treated too harshly it could lead to the Germans wanting revenge and starting another war.
- Lloyd wanted to keep Germany quite strong, so that Britain could trade with Germany, and too stop other countries in Europe becoming more powerful.
- The British empire was an important source of income, so Lloyd was determined to gain German colonies if he got the opportunity.
- Lloyd needed to keep the British Navy powerful - Lloyd saw the peace talks as a good opportunity to reduce Germanys Navy and to stop it from rivalling with Britain’s.
What did Woodrow Wilson want from the Peace talks?
- During the war no fighting took place on American soil - America made lots of Money selling weapons to the allies - so most Americans did not see the need for revenge.
- Like Lloyd, Woodrow was concerned that being too strict with the Germans would lead to another war.
- Woodrow was an idealist, many people said that he was a dreamer that was not very practical. He wanted a future were everyone would be treated fairly - he suggested a world parliament called the League Of Nations was set up, where countries could work and trade together so that war was less likely.
- Woodrow also believed in self-determination, allowing countries the freedom to rule themselves.
- Another one of Wilsons ideas was ‘freedom of the seas’, which meant that everyone could sail trading ships wherever they wanted.
- Woodrow had many ideas for a better world, these were known as the 13 points.
What were Wilson’s fourteen point?
- a list of rules that aimed to create fairness and peace.
some of Wilsons 14 points
- no secret treaties
- disarmament
- Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
- The league of Nations to be formed
- ships of all nations have the right to sail the seas without interference
What are some of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
- German navy was limited to 15,000 men
- only 6 battle ships allowed
- article 231- the war guilt cause - Germany and their allies had to take full responsibility for starting the war
- The Rhineland (land on the border between Germany and France) was demilitarised - this meant that Germany could not put any army or defences in this area.
- article 232 - Germany was blamed for the war and had to pay respirations to the winners, £6.6 billion it was estimated to take until 1998 to pay back
- Anschluss - union between Germany and Austria was forbidden
- Germany was not allowed tanks, submarines or air force
- The League Of Nations was formed, but Germany was not allowed to join
- German army limited to 100,000 men, conscription was not allowed
- Germany was split in two by the polish corridor, a strip of land given to Poland to allow them to have access to the sea
- Danzig was taken from Germany and made a free city under League Of Nations control
- The Saar - an important industrial part of Germany where there were many coal mines, was put under the control of the LoN for 15 years
- Germanys colonies in Africa were given as mandates to the LoN, which meant Britain and France controlled them
What was the aim of the Treaty of Versailles?
- punish Germany
- prevent Germany from
attacking France again by weakening them - give the winning countries compensation, so that they could rebuild
What was Germany told would happen if they did not agree to sign the Treaty of Versailles?
Germany was told that the Allies would resume the war if the German government refused to agree to the terms.
What date was the Treaty of Versailles signed?
28 June 1919
What was article 231 in the Treaty of Versailles?
The war guilt cause, Germany and their allies had to take full responsibility for starting the war
Was Lloyd George satisfied by the Treaty Of Versailles?
Lloyd George was please with
- British Empire gained extra colonies - and now covered 1/3 of the globe
- German navy was restricted - so Britain could rule the sea without competition
Lloyd George was concerned
- the loss of German land and people to Poland would cause huge problems in the future
- Lloyd George felt the respirations were too harsh - Britain would loose an important trade partner and the people of Germany would resent the treaty so much that it could lead to another war
What was article 232 in the Treaty of Versailles?
Germany was blamed for the war and had to pay £6.6 billion in reparations to the winners, estimated to take until 1988 to pay back
How much did Germany have to pay in reparations to the winners of WW1?
- £6.6 billion in respirations to the winners
- estimated to take until 1988 to pay back
How did the general people in Britain feel about the Treaty of Versailles?
- generally people felt that the treaty was fair - but should have been much harsher.
- on Lloyd Georges return from Versailles, he was greeted as a hero - the streets outside the railway station were lined with people waving and cheering.
Was Georges Clemenceau satisfied by the Treaty Of Versailles?
Clemenceau was angry:
- Germany managed to retain an army, even a small one
- He felt that the Rhineland should have been completely taken away from Germany and made into small, powerless, independent state
- He felt that France should have been given the Saar permanently, rather than being lent it
- when reparations were settled at £6.6 billion - Clemenceau felt this was too small - he wanted to see Germany financially crippled.
How did the general people in USA feel about the Treaty of Versailles?
- America only joined the war in 1917 - not being near the battle sites - many people felt that the treaty was unfair on Germany and that Wilson had helped Britain and France become more powerful at Germanys expense
Was Woodrow Wilson satisfied by the Treaty Of Versailles?
- he felt it was unfair on Germany, and he had helped Britain and France become more powerful and rich at Germanys expense.
- They favoured isolationism, they felt that the US should not get involved in current affairs in Europe.
- Wilson feared that a harsh treaty would result in America being dragged into another war.
- he was happy the LON was created, America did not join the LON because his rival party the republicans argued that the treaty had not been based off Americas 14 points, so it was not in their interest.
What was the Germans reaction to the Treaty of Versailles?
- Germany were not allowed to negotiate terms of treaty, people thought it was a diktat (dictated peace)
- People wanted to reject the treaty, but they knew the other option was to start fighting again, and nobody wanted that. German Government knew they had no choice and they had to sign the treaty, they were hated by the population when they signed it, the government became know as ‘November criminals’ and it was said that Germany had been stabbed in the back.
- Many Germans hated article 231, the war guilt cause. Germany had to accept full responsibility for starting the war and pay respirations.
- Germany lost 13% of its land, nearly 6 million Germans now found themselves living in different countries.
- Germany was humiliated by its loss of the army, which was a source of national pride. it was limited to 100,000 men.
How much of its land did Germany lose in the Treaty of Versailles?
Germany lost 13% of its land.
Around 6 million Germans lived outside German territory because of this.
What were the negative consequences of the Treaty of Versailles?
- around 6 million Germans found themselves living outside of German territory, they feared prosecution, especially since Germany had been forced to sign the war guilt cause
- Germany lost 13% of its land, German families were forced off land they had owned for generations.
- Many people said treaty was too harsh and would lead to another war. Lloyd George predicted there would be another war in 25years.
- Germans felt vulnerable as they were worried that the reduced army and navy were not big enough to protect themselves from attack.
- Germany and their allies were forced to accept full responsibility for the war, when it was not just their fault.
- Treaty was a diktat (dictated peace), Germany was not allowed to negotiate, they had to accept whatever terms they were given.
- The respirations crippled Germany, it was estimated to take until 1980 to pay it.
- The Germans thought that the treaty would be based on Wilsons 14 points, set to achieve a fair world for everyone. If they had known that only a few would make it through to the final treaty, they may not have signed the armistice.
What was the Treaty of St Germain?
- for Austria at the end of WW1.
- Austria lost land to Italy and Romania.
- Land was taken to create the new states of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, Poland, which was also a new country was given land too.
- Respiration amount was never fixed, but Austria were told to pay respirations.
- 30,000 men in army no conscription
- no navy
- Anschluss forbidden - Austria uniting with Germany.
What was the impact of the Treaty of St Germain?
- Eastern Europe now consisted of lots of new, small states instead of one powerful empire.
- The new states formed were a mix of different nationalities that often clashed.
- Much of Austria’s industry was in land given to Czechoslovakia, so Austria lost a huge source of income. Their economy collapsed in 1921.
- Italy had joined the war in 1915, they promised to support the allies, and would be given land in return when the allies won. However, the Italians did not feel they were given enough land.
What was the Treaty of Neuilly?
Bulgaria after WW1
- Bulgaria lost land to Yugoslavia, Greece and Romania. However Bulgaria gained some land from Turkey.
- 100 million in respirations
- Bulgaria army limited to 20,000 and no conscriptions.
- No air force
- only 4 battleships
What was the Treaty of Trianon?
Hungary after WW1
- Hungary lost land to Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Austria.
- 30,000 men in Hungarian army.
- no conscription.
- only allowed 3 patrol boats.
- Agreed that respirations should be set but the amount was never fixed. The Hungarian economy collapsed, so nothing was ever actually paid.
What was the Treaty of Sevres?
- Turkey lost land to Greece
- The Turkish (Ottoman) Empire was split up.
- Turkish army restricted to 50,000 men
- Navy restricted to 7 sail boats and 6 torpedo boats.
- The allies were allowed to keep troops in Turkey.
What was the impact of the Treaty of Sevres?
- The people of Turkey were so furious abou the treaty that they revoulted and overthrew the government
- The new president threatened to fight the allies over the Treaty. The British were not prepared to fight the another war so they agreed to overwrite Treaty with the Treaty of Lausanne.
What was the Treaty of Lausanne?
Turkey regained:
- some of the land Greece had taken.
- control of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus staits.
- the right to decide how big their armed force were.
- Respirations were also cancelled and allied troops were withdrawn.
What was the significance of the change of the Sevres?
- proved other treaties were enforceable, when a country rebelled against harsh terms there was very little other countries could do because people were scared of returning to war, so they were reluctant to use force to deal with broken treaties.
- The British agreed to make a new, fairer treaty, it looked as if they were accepting the original treaty was unfair. This undermined all of the treaties.
- Mussolini and Hitler realised that they could also get away with breaking international laws as no one would stop them.
Was Clemenceau’s aim of punishment and revenge achieved in the TOV?
- Germany and its allies had accepted responsibility for starting the war. Damaged German pride and made them an international laughing stock.
However.. - most people wanted Germany to be destroyed, not just weakened
- People felt Clemenceau had not given them the revenge that they wanted. They voted him out of office in the next election.
Was Clemenceau’s aim of Protection - reduction of Germanys armed forces and power, achieved in the TOV?
- German army + navy were reduced.
- Germany not allowed submarines or tanks.
- Rhineland was demilitarized
- no Anschluss - Germany uniting with Austria.
However… - Clemenceau felt Germany should not be allowed an army.
- People in France wanted an independent Rhineland rather than a demilitarized one.
Was Clemenceau’s aim of Recovering loses and respirations achieved in the TOV?
- 1921 respiration amount set at £6.6 billion
- France gained coal from the Saar for 15 years.
However… - Estimated the war had cost France 200 billion Francs, the respirations were far less than this.
- France lost more soldiers that any other country in WW1, money could not make up for this.
- French people felt the should have been given the Saar for good.
Was Wilsons aim of Self-determination achieved in the TOV?
- Many small nations that had been part of the Austro-Hungarian empire were given independence.
However… - Parts of the German empire were given to the LON as mandates, but in reality Britain and France ran them.
Was Wilsons aim to Start the LON achieved in the TOV?
- LON was created.
- 42 countries joined the LON when it was established in 1920.
However… - American Senate refused to join the LON.
- During 1920s USA was governed by a political party that pushed for isolationism - far from the idea of LON and collective security.
When was the LON (League of Nations) established and how many countries joined?
- established in 1920.
- 42 countries joined.
Was Wilsons aim to stop future wars achieved in the TOV?
- Countries in the LON agreed to work together to keep the peace.
However… - Wilson felt the TOV was so harsh that Germany would seek revenge and another war would follow.
Was Lloyd Georges aim of revenge and respirations for the people of Britain achieved in the TOV?
- War guilt clause (article 231) pleased the British people.
- Britain received respirations to help rebuild even though little damage had been done on British soil.
However… - Lloyd George worried that the treaty was too harsh and that the people of Germany would seek revenge.
Was Lloyd Georges aim to retain naval supremacy achieved in the TOV?
- German army reduced to 100,000 men and only 6 battleships.
Britain was once again confident that they ‘ruled the seas’
Was Lloyd Georges aim to retain a trade relationship with Germany achieved in the TOV?
NO
- German economy was crippled by the war efforts, repairs and respirations. Germany was not in a strong position to trade with anyone.
Was Lloyd Georges aim to reduce the German empire, and preserve the British empire achieved in the TOV?
- At the end of WW1, British Empire was bigger than it had ever been before.
- Britain gained territory from the German empire.
Was Lloyd Georges aim to reduce the risk of another war achieved in the TOV?
NO
- Lloyd George felt that the treaty was so harsh that Britain would have to fight another war in 25 years time, and that the cost would be double that of the first time.
What was the LON?
LON was a vision for bringing the world together in peace. It was meat to be a group of countries that would work together and solve problems, like a world parliment.
Who joined the LON when it was created?
- There were 42 members when the league was founded and it rose to 58 by 1934.
- There were 4 permanent members of the council who made all the big decisions; Britain, France, Italy and Japan.
Did all of the powerful countries join the LON when it was created?
- No, Britain and France were suspicious of the new communist government in Russia, so Russia was not allowed to join. And the countries that had lost the war could not join, so no Germany at first.
- In 1926, Locarno Treaty was signed and Germany was allowed to join the LON. When Hitler came to power he took Germany out of the LON. Japan and Italy both left after they invaded other countries in the 1930s.
When did Germany join the LON?
1926
Why was the LON formed?
Countries would work together to:
- stop war from breaking out again.
- to encourage disarmament.
- to improve working conditions.
- to tackle deadly diseases.
Where was the LON based?
- Geneva, Switzerland - Switzerland had not been involved in the war so it was seen as a peaceful country. The red cross was also based here so it seemed a sensible place for the headquarters.
Was USA a member of the LON?
No, the Senate refused to agree to it. Wilson tried to convince his people that it was a good idea, but people had seen many young Americans die in WW1 and wanted to isolate themselves from Europe, Wilson was devastated.
What did Britain and France think of the LON when it was created?
- In the TOV colonies taken from Germany and other loosing countries were given to the LON as mandates, the League would run them until they were ready to be independent. Some historians believe Britain saw this as a chance to add to their already vast empire.
- Britain saw the League as a place for countries to discuss ideas, without real power.
- France was glad of anything that might help protect it from another German invasion.
How did the League plan to keep peace when it was created?
- The League would work through collective security, the idea that if all countries worked together they could make sure that peace was kept and the interests of every nation were looked after.
- 1920, the League set up an international court that would establish international laws. Called the Permanent Court of international justice. If every country was following the same laws, there would be less chance of them disagreeing.
What would happen if the League could not prevent disputes?
- Mitigation - getting countries together to talk through problems.
- If that did not work they would use moral condemnation - a good telling off!
- Economic sanctions could be enforced, where members of the League would not trade with the countries in conflict.
- The League did not have its own army as it was a peaceful organisation. If an army was necessary the League was to ask its members to lend them armed forces.
What was the Assembly in the LON?
- Every member could send representatives to the Assembly, which met once a year, on the first Monday of September, to discuss and vote on matters.
- Every country had an equal vote and in order to pass a vote the decision had to be unanimous (every country had to agree). If not the motion could not be passed and would have to be referred to the council.
- Assembly was in charge of; deciding if a new country could join, election of judges to the Permanent court of international justice, voting for the non-members of the council, and deciding how the Leagues money was going to be spent.
What was the assembly in the LON in charge of?
- Deciding if a new country could join.
- Election of judges to the Permanent court of international justice.
- Voting for the non-members of the council.
- Deciding how the Leagues money was going to be spent.
How often did the assembly of the LON meet?
Once a year, on the first Monday of September.
What was the council in the LON?
- Met more frequently than the assembly.
- There were 4 permanent members; France, Britain, Japan, Italy. Four over countries would be chosen to sit in on the council, for a three-year term, this was later increased to 9 non-permanent members.
- The council had the power of veto; it could stop a ruling with its vote. Even if the assembly managed to make a unanimous ruling, the council could still stop it.
Why was the council in the LON created?
- An Assembly of 42 countries which met once a year, would not be enough to ensure that the League ran smoothly. It was too large to react quickly in an emergency situation, so a Council was created which met more frequently.
What was the aim of the international labour organisation in the LON?
To bring workers, employers and government together to improve the conditions that people worked in.
What were the successes of the International Labour Organisation in the LON?
1928 - 77 countries agreed to get a minimum wage.
1930 - helped Greece set up social insurance (to help if people were unemployed because of an illness)
1922 - recommended banning the use of white lead in paint as it was poisonous.
What were the failures of the International Labour Organisation in the LON?
1919 - tried to stop children under the age of 14 working. This suggestion was not adopted by most members because they thought it would cost them too much money.
1935 - Suggested that the working day should be limited to 8 hours, only 4 members voted in favour of this.
The suggestion that workers should be paid holidays was unpopular, as one member said it was social suicide.
How many countries agreed to set a minimum wage, and when?
- 77 countries agreed to set a minimum wage.
What was the aim of the Commission for Refugees in the LON?
To return prisoners of war home and support refugees by improving camp conditions, finding new homes, or returning them to their own countries once the threat of conflict had passed.
