CIE IGCSE History - Treaty of Versailles

What was it?

A peace conference held in France. It was between the winning allied powers and the defeated Germany. It aimed to set out peace terms for Germany. It was in 1919.

Who were the Big Three?

Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, and David Lloyd George

What were key things Wilson wanted?

1. Didn't want to cripple Germany in a way they would want revenge or be unable to trade with the US.

2. Wanted Self - Determination for Eastern European countries, like Poland. Also wanted this for European colonies.

3. Wanted Collective Security. This was to be done through the League of Nations.

What were key things Lloyd George wanted?

1. Preserve Trade between the UK and Germany by limiting terms that would inhibit German economic recovery. Germany had been the UK's second largest trading partner before the war.

2. Punish Germany - The British public was angry and Lloyd George had won the 1918 elections on the motto 'make Germany pay'.

3. Protect the Empire - Wanted to keep British colonies and receive German colonies as well. Wanted to secure naval superiority by limiting the German Navy.

What were key things Clemenceau wanted?

1. Revenge for the war since 1.3m French had been killed and there was immense public pressure to exact revenge on Germany.

2. Wanted land and reparations to pay off war-debts and rebuild large areas that had been destroyed since the war was fought on French soil.

3. Remove Germany as a threat to France since they had invaded them twice in 50y. This was to be done through the demilitarization of the Rhineland or even the dissolution of Germany into its states.

4. Return of Alsace - Lorraine since it had been taken by Germany in 1871.

What were Wilson's 14 points?

Guidelines for the rebuilding of the post-war world. (Note: Wilson was idealist)

What were some key points from Wilson's 14 points?

Mutual Disarmament

Self Determination

Collective Security

Free access to the sea

No more secret agreements

Return of Alsace - Lorraine.

What was Article 231?

The war guilt clause which said sole responsibility for the war placed in Germany's shoulder. It justified harsher peace terms for Germany.

What terms were imposed on the German armed forces?

Conscription was banned

Army limited to 100,000 men

Navy limited to 6 battleships

No air force, tanks or submarines

Rhineland demilitarized

How much was Germany forced to pay in reparations?

£6.6 billion

What were German territorial losses in 1919?

Colonies lost

Anschluss banned

Baltic states formed (gained from Russia earlier)

Rhineland demilitarized

Polish corridor to Poland

Alsace - Lorraine to France

Danzig became a free city

The Saar was run by the League of Nations for 15 years.

North Schleswig to Denmark

Was Clemenceau satisfied? (Yes)

1. Revenge - War guilt clause and Germany lost 13% of its land and 10% of its population and £6.6bn in reparations.

2. £6.6bn in reparations which crippled Germany and helped France pay off war debt.

3. Alsace Lorraine returned to France, France given access to the Saar and the Rhineland demilitarized.

4. German military was limited (by means already mentioned) while Franc kept 3+ million soldiers, Germany was no longer a threat.

Was Clemenceau satisfied? (No)

1. Rhineland didn't become independent, the Saar wasn't given to France, Germany wasn't dissolved into its states.

2. Wanted even harsher peace terms on Germany. This is shown through the fact that he lost the 1920 elections meaning the French were dissatisfied with the terms achieved in Versailles.

Was Lloyd George satisfied? (Yes)

1. Germany lost its colonies, some of which were given to Britain, like Tanzania.

2. German Navy was limited and merchant vessels were given to Britain. The UK had naval superiority again.

3. Poland was created as a buffer state to protect Germany from communist Russia.

Was Lloyd George satisfied? (No)

1. Germany lost key industrial areas (Saar). This included 48% of its iron production, which Britain wanted to trade for.

2. Reparations were unachievably high. It would take a while for the German economy to rebuild and become a strong trading partner again.

3. Many thought the treaty was harsh, shown through the policy of appeasement in the 1930's.

Was Woodrow Wilson satisfied? (Yes)

1. Self- determination was given to the Baltic States and Poland, who also got free access to the sea through the Polish corridor.

2. League of Nations was created, albeit congress banned the US from joining later on.

3. Poland was created as a buffer state to protect Germany from communist Russia.

Was Woodrow Wilson satisfied? (No)

1. Treaty was harsh (reasons already mentioned). High reparations meant that the US was unable to resume trade with Germany.

2. Colonies weren't given self-determination.

3. No mutual disarmament as France kept over 3m soldiers.

What was French reaction to the treaty?

Many believed the treaty should have been harsher, this is shown when Clemenceau loses the 1920 elections due to bitterness over the treaty.

What was American reaction to the treaty?

They were suspicious of foreign entanglements. Viewed the treaty as too harsh and associated the League of Nations with it (a reason the US did not join). Isolationism became dominant for the next decade.

What was British reaction to the treaty?

At first many believed the treaty to be fair. However, by the early 1920's many thought it to be too harsh.

What was German reaction to the treaty?

Considered it to be a 'diktat', believing it to be unreasonable and unfair. The Weimar government came to be known as the 'November Criminals'.

Was the Treaty of Versailles fair? (Yes)

1. Germany would have been harsher, evidenced through the Treaty of Brest - Litovsk, where Russia lost most of its food and iron stores (Ukraine) and lost 1/3 of its population ( Germany lost only 10% in the TOV).

2. Germany's economic issues were self-inflicted. The Kaiser funded the war by accumulating debt, which he had hoped to pay back through reparations.

3. It was the best balance between satisfying the public and protecting the future.

4. Military restrictions were fair.

Was the Treaty of Versailles fair? (No)

1. Unrealistic reparations, which were only set to finish in 1984. Caused Hyperinflation (1923), which hit the average German instead of those responsible. Had to be renegotiated twice (Dawes Plan, 1924 and the Young Plan, 1929).

2. War guilt clause was seen as unfair as many felt the old alliance system and rising tensions had caused the war.

3. 12% of Germans were living outside of Germany and Anschluss was banned. This contradicted the goal of self-determination.

4. Other defeated powers received far lighter peace terms.

5. Crippled the new Weimar Government, while states like Poland received support. [see more on Weimar revision]

What was the political impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany?

Went from an Autocracy to a democracy

Was politically destabilized

Many political assassinations

Weimar Government called the 'November Criminals'

Threats from the far left and right

What was the economic impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany?

Occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 after missed payment by Germany. This caused hyperinflation which hit the middle class.

Were the peacemakers successful? (Yes)

1. League of Nations was established, which had many immediate successes such as the refugee committee and the Aaland islands dispute.

2. France was protected from future German attacks. The Rhineland was demilitarized and the German military was crippled while the French still had 3m soldiers.

3. Self-determination given to Poland, Yugoslavia and the Czechs.

Were the peacemakers successful? (No)

1. WW2 broke out. Compromise had caused Germany to be neither restored nor destroyed. This allowed Germany to grow back while resenting the Allies.

2. Treaty hit ordinary people, not those responsible. Most military officials kept their places while the middle-class was hit hard during hyperinflation in 1923.

3. Germany was invaded in 1923 due to unpaid reparations. The reparations set had to be renegotiated in 1924 and 1929.

4. Treaty of Lausanne replaced the Treaty of Sevres, which had been unable to draw successful borders.

5. In the Treaty of Trianon, Hungary was unable to pay reparations, so it never paid them.

Other stuff that could be useful.

1. Definition of Mandate

2. Definition of a Plebiscite