Were The Peace Treaties Of 1919-23 Fair? - Focus Points Flashcards
What were the aims and motives of Woodrow Wilson(USA)?
For countries such as Czechs, Poles and Slovakia, he wanted self-determination(plebiscite). He thought France should have Alsace-Lorraine back. He wanted colonies to become mandated - supervised by the victors under the control of the League of Nations.
He wanted the reparations to be minimal towards Germany so that they wouldn’t want revenge.
He wanted all Armies to be dismantled.
He blamed Germany for starting the war.
He was obsessed with the League of Nations and wanted his 14 point plan to be accepted. He didn’t want Germany to join the LoN until they proved themselves peace-loving.
What were the aims and motives of Lloyd George(England)?
He wanted the territory of the losers to go to the winners and he wanted the colonies to be divided between the winners. He wanted Germany to continue being their trading partner and that they are not crushed to pieces.
He wanted Germany’s reparations to be reasonable so they can still be trading partners. He wanted money to pay the war pensions and pay off the debts to USA. He didn’t want Germany to be unpopular and unstable - this could lead to a communist take over.
He wanted Germany’s army to be reduced but for them to still be able to defend themselves. He also wanted Germany to not have a navy so that they can never threaten Britain’s Empire again.
He blames Germany for starting the war.
He thinks that the LoN is indifferent, and a good way of preserving peace. Germany can join once proven peace-loving.
What were the aims and motives of Clemenceau(France)?
Germany’s territory should go to the victors. Their colonies should be divided between the victors. Saar, which is rich in coal and iron should go to France for industrial reconstruction. Rhineland should become an independent state. Alsace-Lorraine should be returned to France. Germany should be broken up into small states, which would ruin Germany’s economy and military.
Germany should have massive reparations. He wanted money to rebuild industry/ homes/ pay debts to the USA. He wanted Germany’s industries weakened.
He wanted Germany’s army to be completely dismantled so that they could never threaten France again.
Blames Germany for starting the war.
He thought the LoN was a waste of time but was a way of enforcing the Treaty of Versailles. Germany would not be allowed to join.
Why did all the victors not get everything they wanted?
The Big 3 had conflicting aims, so all had to compromise. The problems they faced were complicated, so simple solutions were impossible. They were under pressure to complete the treaty quickly - the Austro-Hungarian empire had started to break up before the war ended and the new countries were already quarreling about borders. The blockade of Germany was continuing until the treaty was signed - thousands of German civilians were dying of starvation. There was worry that if a settlement were not reached quickly the Germans and other people of Europe might have Communist revolutions(as Russia did in 1917).
What did France not get/like?
The Versailles Treaty satisfies a number of Clemenceau’s specific demands but he was worried that Germany would regain their strength and seek changes to the treaty. To protect France, he wanted a Treaty of Guarantee with his allied partners that they would come to France’s assistance if Germany ever threatened or attacked them. This treaty failed to materialize because the American congress refused to approve the peace settlement and America withdrew into diplomatic isolation. Britain was unwilling to provide any guarantees to France on her own.
What did Wilson not like about the treaty?
Wilson thought that the treaty was too harsh on Germany. He did not like that free navigation of the seas was abandoned, that Britain, France and Japan rewarded themselves with Germany’s former colonies, even though those colonies were meant to be governed as mandated territories on behalf of the LoN. Austria was not allowed to reunite with Germany and the Sudeten Germans were not consulted about their future.
What did Lloyd George not like?
Lloyd George was probably the most satisfied out of the big 3, but he didn’t like the German-speaking people under French and Polish rule.
What were the reparations that Germany had to pay?
Germany had to pay for the damages caused by the war, for example the cost of rebuilding homes and factories and for paying pensions disability payments to British sailors and soldiers. They had to pay £6,600,000,000
Germany’s disarmament
German armed forces were cut to an army of 100,000 men and a small navy with no tanks, war planes, or submarines.
The War Guilt Clause
Article 231
Germany accepts the responsibility for causing all the loss and damages to which the allied governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies.
New borders
Germany lost territory. The new state of Poland was given a part of West Prussia, Posen and Silesia so that Poland was given access to the sea - Polish Corridor. This meant that East Prussia was cut off from the rest of Germany. The German-speaking city of Danzig was made a free city under the control of the LoN. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France. The Saarland, rich in coal and iron, was to be controlled by the LoN for 15 years. Rhineland stayed part of Germany but was occupied by allied troops for 15 years and no German soldiers were allowed there. The Northern part of Schleswig voted to be part of Denmark and the Southern part voted to stay part of Germany. Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria. Germany lost her colonies which were given to the victors to be run on behalf of the LoN
What was the impact of the War on Germany?
At the end of the war, there had been a revolution in Germany. The Kaiser was overthrown and replaced by a New Democratic government - it became known as the Weimar Republic. This period of democracy lasted until 1934, when it was replaced by Hitler’s dictatorship. The new Weimar Republic faced a very difficult situation in 1918. These problems would have been very difficult to overcome, even without the impact of the treaty. It became convenient for many Germans(especially politicians) to blame their problems on the treaty.
Weimar Republic - left and right after the war
The right side liked the Kaiser’s Germany and they hated the new Germany and the Treaty of Versailles, which they blamed Ebert for agreeing to.
In March 1920 Dr Wolfgang Kapp led 5000 Freikorps into Berlin in a rebellion known as the Kapp Putsch. The army refused to fire on the Freikorps and it looked as if Ebert’s Government was doomed. However it was saved by the German people, especially the industrial workers of Berlin who declared a general strike, which brought the capital to a halt with no transport, power or water. Kapp soon fled once he realized he could not succeed. He was hunted down and died awaiting trial.
The threat from the left - Weimar Republic
One left-wing group was known as the Spartacists. They were a communist party led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg. They wanted Germany to be ruled by workers’ council or soviets. Early in 1919 the Spartacists launched their bid for power. They were joined by rebel sailors and soldiers, they set up soviets in many towns. There were some anti communist ex-soldiers that formed themselves into vigilante groups called the Freikorps, Ebert made an agreement with the commanders of the army and the Freikorps that they would bring down the rebellion. During this time, there was bitter street fighting and heavy casualties. The Freikorps eventually one and Liebknecht and Luxemburg were murdered.
In 1920, there was more communist agitation in the Ruhr and again, the police, army and the Freikorps fought with the communists. There were 2000 casualties.
What were the economic impacts on Germany?
National income was about 1/3 of what it had been in 1913.
War left 600,000 widows and 2 million children without fathers - by 1925 the state was spending 1/3 of its budget in war pensions.
Industrial production was about 2/3 of what it had been in 1913.
There were acute shortages of food. Germany was producing 50% of the milk and 60% of the butter and meat it had produced before the war.
Fuel was short and people were cold. Nearly 300,000 people died from starvation and hypothermia in 1918.
