Workbook: Treaty of Versailles Flashcards
(9 cards)
What was the TOV?
Peace treaty between Germany and their opponents in WW1, signed in 1919
What was the nickname given to the politicians who signed the armistice in November 1918 which ended the war?
‘November Criminals’. They were scapegoats for Germany’s defeat
What is the stab-in-the-back myth?
The view that the army had not really lost WW1 and unpatriotic groups like socialists, democrats and Jews had undermined it. Unsurprisingly, this view was popular with army leaders such as Ludendorff and right-wing groups (like Nazi’s) who used it to attack Weimar democracy and shift the blame away from the German army.
What did the TOV order Germany to do to its military?
- Abolish conscription and reduce its army to 100,000 men
- Demilitarise the Rhineland
- Limit the German navy to 6 battleships
- No submarines
- No airforce
How much did Germany have to pay the Allies in reparations?
£6.6 billion marks
Where did Germany lose territory?
Overseas colonies, West Posen, West Prussia (became apart of Poland), Alsace and Lorraine (to France)
What did the TOV forbid Germany to do in relation to Austria?
Anschluss (political reunification)
Name 4 reasons why Germans hated the TOV
- Territory that was seen as ‘German’ was put under foreign rule - e.g. Austria, Danzig.. This went against the principle of self-determination
- Germans did not accept the full blame for the war (War Guilt) - they argued they were defending Germany in 1914
- Believed the reparations were too high - signing a blank check to the allies
- Diktat - felt that the treaty had been imposed on them without a negotiation
What was the significance of the TOV for the Weimar government?
As they were forced to accept the armistice and later sign the TOV, it was associated with humiliation and defeat. The stab-in-the-back myth severely weakened Weimar Democracy from the start by undermining popular support for the Weimar government
