Content

Paris Peace Conference date and who was involved and what was produced

Date: 1919-1920, involved 32 states, produced Versailles settlement

Main Allies

GB, France, USA; main players at Versailles: Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson

Soviet Russia and defeated powers

Not invited to the Paris Peace Conference

Clemenceau's main aim

Weaken Germany to prevent future invasions; permanent disarmament, high reparations, return of Alsace-Lorraine and saarland, Rhineland protection

France's war losses

Military: 1.4 million dead, 4.3 million wounded; Northern France devastated

Wilson's 14 Points

long-lasting peace, disarmament, open diplomacy, self-determination for nations

USA's WW1 experience

Entered 1917; no territory invaded; war economically profitable as its neutrality allowed it to become the primary supplier of food and raw materials; no national grievance

David Lloyd George’s initial position

Harsh on Germany like France; concerned about Franco-German border; heavy casualties (~900,000)

Lloyd George's change of view

Realised Europe's stability needed for trade; weak Germany = barrier against communism; too harsh reparations could backfire

demands Clemenceau originally wanted, but agreed to drop or soften because Lloyd George persuaded him.

Germany to loose control of Rhineland
no fixed reparations figure
Saarland transferred to France
Danzig not transferred to Poland

War Guilt Clause

Article 231, the fact that Germany accepts full responsibility for WW1

Reparations

Germany liable to pay reparations, initially 6.6 billion pounds (132 billion golden marks)

German Disarmament

Army limited to 100,000 men
conscription banned
no tanks
no air force
navy restricted to 6 battleships, 12 destroyers, 6 light cruisers
no submarines
Rhineland demilitarised

German Territorial Losses

All colonies lost;
Alsace-Lorraine to France
Moresnet to Belgium
North Schleswig to Denmark
West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia to Poland
Hultschin to Czechoslovakia
Saarland under LON control
Anschluss forbidden

League of Nations

Germany had to accept Covenant but not a member until 1926

France's gains

Security on Eastern border; reduction of German land and colonies; new colonies in Africa and Middle East

France's losses after the ToV

No secuirty guarantee from GB or USA and Clemenceau seen as failing, resigned 1920

USA's gains

League of Nations set up, partial disarmament, self-determination influenced Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia

USA's losses

Free navigation of the seas abandoned
Colonial possessions by Germany taken by allies
Anschluss forbidden
USA did not join he League of Nations

Britain's gains

colonies expanded by 1.8 million sq mi, German navy neutralised; German economy intact

German view of ToV

Too harsh, felt punished twice, reparations heavy, loss of resources, perceived as 'diktat'

Political impact on Germany

Weimar Republic undermined; right-wing & left-wing coup attempts; assassinations of politicians; army involvement in Kapp Putsch

Economic impact on Germany

Reparations hard to pay;
unemployment, poverty, homelessness;
Ruhr occupation in 1923 and passive resistance
hyperinflation
Dawes Plan in 1924 and Young Plan in 1929 reduced reparations to £2 billion

German disarmament issues

100,000 were men insufficient for defence

Wilson's 14 Points influence on the ToV

• Germans felt betrayed because of war guilt, reparations not in 14 points

• allies did not disarm equally and self-determination denied for Germany

Other Peace Treaties

Common features: war guilt, reparations, disarmament, acceptance of LoN covenant

Territorial Losses

Germany lost Alsace-Lorraine to France, Eupen-Malmedy to Belgium, Northern Schleswig to Denmark, parts of Prussia to Poland, and all overseas colonies.

Self-determination

Principle that ethnic groups should have their own nation; ignored in some areas like Silesia and Danzig.

British perspective

Lloyd George wanted a compromise; punish Germany but not too harsh to avoid future problems.

Why were the territorial decisions in the Treaty of Versailles considered unfair to some ethnic groups?

Some ethnic groups were ignored; for example, Germans in the Sudetenland ended up in Czechoslovakia and Poles in Silesia ended up under Polish control, causing resentment.