HISTORY IGCSE CIE

AIMS AND MOTIVES OF THE BIG THREE

Clemenceau: German army dismantled as it was stronger than Frances, high reparations to rebuild France and pay off debts, Rhineland to be independent, breakup Germany

Lloyd George: Didn’t want to cripple Germany and risk revolution, reduce army and navy, not destroy them so trading opportunities still available

Wilson: 14 points (self-determination), all countries to dismantle armies, G.B and France to be under L.O.N, reasonable reparations

HOW SATISFIED WERE EACH OF THE BIG THREE

France: Biggest recipient of German reparations, secure on the eastern border w/ German army reduction, still felt vulnerable, unable to convince US/G.B to agree to treaty

G.B: Moderate peace, European economy recovers, naval restrictions strengthened British navy, empire peaked in 1919

US: L.O.N, treaty not very harsh, self-determination, exceptions made to disarmament and self determination

LEAGUE OF NATIONS SUCCESSES

→ Aaland islands: The league decided that the islands would remain with Finland, but the Swedish population must be protected and given autonomy.

→ Bulgaria: The league orders a ceasefire and asks Greece to pay compensation as the aggressor.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS FAILURES

→ Corfu: The league asks Mussolini to leave, but he ignores the league decision and instead asks the conference of ambassadors to make a decision. The conference asks Greece to pay compensation to Italy in exchange for Corfu.

→ Manchuria: In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria but the League failed to take effective action against the aggression, undermining its authority. This also caused Japan to leave the league in 1933, further highlighting its ineffectiveness.

TERMS OF T.O.V

Guilt (Article 231)

Armament (100,000 men and 6 battleships)

Reparations (6.6 billion pounds)

German territory (distributed among the Allies)

League of nations

REACTIONS OF T.O.V

Many Germans believed it was a Diktat (unfair treatment without negotiation), the high reparations were seen as embarrassing, the French believed it wasn’t harsh enough, USA and G.B were worried it was too harsh.

T.O.V WAS FAIR

→ Germany was the most aggressive during the war

→ Germany annexed Alsace-Lorraine

→ Germany had also forced harsh reparations on Russia in 1918

→ Gave Austria a blank cheque (unwavering bill of support) which may have ignited WW1

T.O.V WAS TOO HARSH

→ War had nothing to do with Germany, only Archduke assassination triggered it

→ Citizens felt punished by what the government did in 1914 (giving Austria-Hungary blank cheque of support)

→ Big Three was selfish in their aims

→ 100,000 soldiers left Germany defenceless against other countries.

IMPACTS OF T.O.V

→ Hyperinflation due to war debt leads to France occupying the industrial part of Germany (Ruhr crisis, 1923)

→ Workers of the Ruhr went on strike on orders of the Weimar government

→ Led to French robbing their resources and killing 100 workers, people lost trust in the government

→ Stresseman’s strategy

WHAT WAS STRESSEMAN’S STRATEGY? (1923-1929)

1) Reitenmark (backed up by gold mines and factories) to battle the inflation of Reichmark

2) Ended the strike to drive the French out; it worked AND helped the economy again

3) Used loans given by America (not popular amongst Germans) from Dawes Plan

4) Locarno signed, Germany becomes apart of L.O.N (1926)

SPARTACIST REVOLT (1919)

The Spartacists were a group of communists who wanted a real socialist revolution and did not trust Ebert as they thought he wouldn’t look after the interests of the working class. Wanted to overthrow Ebert’s Government in Berlin while the government was still in turmoil.

The whole uprising was badly prepared/planned, partly because their leader (Rosa Luxemburg), was murdered, and they did not get any support from other left-wing groups and had no hope of success.

Ebert sent members of the Freikorps to settle the issue. 100 Spartacists were killed compared to 13 Friekorps. Freikorps helped Ebert crush many left-wing revolutionaries and put Ebert’s government at the top (Or so he thought)

KAPP-PUTSCH (1920)

The Freokorps was an armed group formed of unemployed ex–soldiers with extreme right-wing views who helped Ebert keep control of Germany; their leader was Wolfgang Kapp. Due to the Treaty of Versailles, many army personnel were left unemployed and, thus, in droves, started joining the Freikorps, which grew in number and power.

When Ebert made the Freikorps put down the attempted revolutions, he had indirectly given the country power. When Ebert realised this, he ordered the Friekorps to be limited to just 100,000 men as well.

Kapp marched into the streets of Berlin in March 1920 and declared the establishment of a new national government. Ebert was forced to flee to Dresden temporarily and appealed to the workers to strike and shut down the economy. This general strike was so successful that Kapp’s Putsch collapsed within a few days.

HITLERS FOREIGN POLICY TIMELINE

1936 - Rhineland remilitarised (G.B & France didn’t act)

1938 - Anschluss w/ Austria

1938 - Sudetenland (Appeasement fails)

1939 - Nazi-Soviet Pact & invasion of Poland (G.B acts)

WWII STARTS

LIFE IN NAZI GERMANY

Control: Gestapo, S.S, censorship, Propaganda

Nazi: Great depression, weimar weaknesses, Hitler’s leadership

Kristallnacht: When they destroyed Jews homes, shops and businesses

HITLERS RISE TO POWER TIMELINE

1919 – Hitler joins German Workers’ Party (DAP)

1923 – Munich Putsch fails

1929 – Wall Street Crash: economic crisis boosts Nazi support.

1932 – Nazi Party becomes largest in Reichstag: Hitler demands to be Chancellor.

Jan 1933 – Hitler becomes Chancellor: appointed by President Hindenburg who thinks he can control Hitler

Feb 1933 – Reichstag Fire: blamed on communists.

Hitler uses it to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree: suspends civil rights.

Mar 1933 – Enabling Act passed: Hitler can make laws without Reichstag = dictatorship begins.

June 1934 – Night of the Long Knives: Hitler purges SA leaders (e.g., Röhm); secures army loyalty.

Aug 1934 – Hindenburg dies; Hitler becomes Führer: Hitler combines Chancellor + President roles.