International Relations 1919-1935 Flashcards
(38 cards)
Why did Entente powers insist on Article 231 and the War Guilt cause ?
. Universal agreement that Germany was guilty for having started the war
. Principle of war guilt which provided moral justification for the reparation clauses, as stressed in Article 231
Why were demands for reparations so high ?
What difficulties were there on settling on a figure ?
. Need to cover the costs of financing the war .Britain covered 1/3 of their war expenditure through taxes, France just 1/6
. Nature of damage deserving compensation and how Germany could raise large sums of money without rebuilding export which might harm Allied industries.
How did nations disagree on idea of disarmament ?
. British and USA wished to destroy Germany’s tradition of conscription. Instead wanted small professional army created along lines of British/US peacetime armies
. French feared professional German army would become lightly organised centre of trained men, capable of quick expansion
USA and France disagreement over the Saarland ?
. Clemenceau insisted restoration to France of part of the Saar which’d been given to Prussia
^ Aimed to detach mineral and industrial basin to north (never been French), place it under non-German industrialisation
. Demanded ownership of Saar coalmines to compensate for destruction of pits in France by Germany
. Wilson agreed to French access to coalmines until production of their own mines had been restored, outright to other demands
Frances aims in Rhineland
. Clash between Britain and France
. British had no ambition on the Rhine
. French saw it as unique opportunity to weaken Germany permanently by making whole region independent of Berlin
^ would deprive Germany of natural defensive line of the Rhine
. British feared this would create new tension between France/Germany and tilt balance of power in Europe towards France
David Lloyd George (PM Britain) solution to Danzig ?
. Opposed inclusion of Danzig as feared long-term resentment of predominantly German-speaking population
^ Feared Berlin may turn to Bolshevik Russia for help
. Threatened to withdraw from Anglo-American guarantee, forced Clemenceau to establish a free/autonomous city of Danzig
. Also forced Clemenceau to hold a vote for Marienwerder (town in Poland) - vote decision was for it to stay in Germany
How were German colonies divided up ?
. Wilson insisted League should have ultimate control over Former German colonies
^ Accepted reluctantly by British Dominions (New Zealand, Aus, South Africa)
. Britain, France, South Africa = most German colonies in Africa
. Aus, New Zealand, Japan = German possessions in Pacific
. Italy = Control of Juba Valley (East Africa), few minor territorial adjustments made to its Libyan frontier with Algeria
. Japan determined to get ex-German territory in Shantung
^ China argued any former German rights should automatically revert to Chinese state (recognised Japanese rights in Shantung)
. Wilson anxious to block growth of Japanese influence in Pacific and supported China
^ France and Britain backed Japan (wanted to protect own rights in China)
. Wilson already locked in conflict with Italians over claims to Fiume had no option but to concede
^ Arguable this humiliating defeat did a lot to turn US senate against TOV
Recovery of Alscae - Lorraine
Reoccupied by France in 1920 as part of ToV, although annexed by France in 1918
^ effort to limit German influence and please the French
What was the Conference of Ambassadors
. Victorious powers set up series of inter-related commissions to organise votes, monitor German disarmament and examine Germany’s financial position
^ reported to conference of ambassadors
. Real decisions taken by Allied Prime ministers (met 24x between 1920-1924)
What differences were there between Britain and France to weaken Germany ?
. Britain = balance of power, prevent either French/German domination
^ Only peaceful Germany could pay reparations
. France = swung between occasionally exploring possibilities of economic co-operation with Germany and applying forceful measures to permenantly weaken Germany
Polish Borders - Upper Silesia
^ (Search for peace in 1920s)
. Had a population of 2,280,000 Germans and Poles, divided along ethnic lines and coalmines/industries
. Votes didn’t solve Anglo-french disagreements
- Britain: keep industrial regions German = help with reparations and feared Berlin would turn to Russia
France: should be awarded to Poland
. Poland seized control of industry areas (legally German) uprising May 1921
^ order restored by British and French troops - handed over to LofN, league decided to hand most of it over to Poland
Britain and France attitudes to reparation payments ?
. Fixing a global total - once Germany knew full sum could start raising money in the USA from the scale of Government bonds
^ Crash on Wall Street (Oct 1929)
Reparation Commission
. April 1921 fixed global total of 132 billion gold marks over 42yrs
^ Germany rejected (too high) ultimatum dispatched to Berlin giving them 1 week to accept or Ruhr would be occupied
What did Walter Rathenau (Austrian) do ?
. Determined to pursue policy of negotiation
. 1st instalment paid, Rathenau made good progress persuading French to accept payment in forms of industrial goods and coal
. End of 1921, German Gov couldn’t raise currency to meet next instalment
The Genoa Conference (1922)
^ disarmament
. Britain convinced Germany needed a temp suspension of payments (moratorium)
^ key to payment and a European economic revival lay in creating European group of international nations, rebuild Russia - generate international trade boom
. French agreed to hold conference in Geneva both Germany and Russia invited
. Germany and Russia secretly negotiated Rapallo Agreement - wrote off any financial claims on each other
^Germany would consult with Russia before participating in international plans - investing in Soviet economy
- Secret annex signed in July allowed Germany to train in Russian territory = violating ToV
Occupation of the Ruhr
July 1922 request for 3yr moratorium
^ same time Britain announced USA demanding repayment of British wartime debts - insist on repayment of money loaned to former allies
. 27th Nov Poincare Cabinet decided occupation of the Ruhr only way of forcing Germany to pay
11th Jan = French and Belgain troops moved in
^ Britain didn’t - adopted ‘benevolent neutrality’ towards France
. 9 months hit by strikes funded by German Gov - triggered hyperinflation and Streseman called off
. Ruhr crisis marked end of attempts to carry out TofV by force and beginning of gradual revision of the treaty
USA’s aims and principles after WWI
. Wilson strongly believed Germany had to be punished for starting the war - should be put on probation before joining LofN
. Determined to ensure 14 points was the basis of peace negotiations and anchor the covenant of LofN
^ Key to creating just and lasting peace
. General agreement for set up on independent nation states in East Europe and Balkans, confine Turkey to its ethnic frontiers = points 10-13
. Point 7 and 8 = liberation of Belgium and return of Alsace Lorraine to France
. Wilson ready to compromise on other issues
France’s aims and principles after WWI
. 14 points failed to impress - only effective balance of power could contain Germany
. Reduced birth rate, 1.3 million dead - faced a Germany which was potentially stronger than in 1914
. Anxious to enforce max disarmament and reparation payments - instead set up strong independent Polish states and independent Rhineland state
. Wanted alliance with Britain and USA to continue - inter-allied financial and economic co-operation
Britain’s aims and principles after WWI
. Already achieved many of its aims:
- German fleet surrendered
- German trade no longer a threat
- German army driven back
^ territorial ambitions in Middle East
. Peaceful, united Germany would act as a barrier against spread of Bolshevism
. Avoid long-term British commitments on Europe and prevent annexation of German minorities by Poland or France
. Objectives opposed to the French policy
. Policy pointed towards peace rather than revenge
. Reparations and war guilt were fundamental
Italy’s aims and principles after WWI
. Prime minister anxious to convince voters they’d done well out of the war
^ Concentrated initially on holding the Entente to their promises made in Treaty of London and demanding port of Fiume
Japan’s aims and principles after WWI
. Wanted recognition for territorial gains
. Pushed hard (unsuccessful) to have racial equality clause included in convent of LofN
^ hoped would protect Japanese immigrants in UK
Failures of the League of Nations
(Fiume)
Fiume - Italy and Yugoslavia:
- 1919: Italy decided ‘big three’ had broken promises to them
^ Captured small port of Fiume - given to Yugoslavia by treaty
. 15 months governed by Italian nationalists d’Annunzio - league did nothing
^ Sorted by Italian Gov, bombarded port and forced surrender = couldn’t accept d’Annunzio was more popular
Failures of the League of Nations
(Russia and Poland)
War Between Russia and Poland
- 1920 Poland invaded land by Russians
^ Poles overwhelmed Russian army
. 1921 Russia had to sign Treaty of Riga handing over 80,000sq km of land
^ doubled size of Poland
. Russia was communist - greatly feared
Failures of the League of Nations
(Invasion of the Ruhr)
France/Belgium and Germany
- 1922 = Germany failed to pay an instalment - claimed they couldn’t
^ France and Belgium decided they needed strong punishment
. 1923 (against league rules) invaded the Ruhr and LofN did nothing
^ for league to be enforced, needed support of major brackets in Europe
. Made it seem you could break league rules with no punishment
