Was the Treaty of Versailles Fair? – CIE IGCSE History

These question-and-answer flashcards cover key events, motives, treaty terms, compromises, impacts, and related post-war settlements needed for Cambridge IGCSE study of the Treaty of Versailles and its fairness.

What alliance groups fought during WWI?

The Triple Alliance/Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, their allies) versus the Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia).

Which German military plan of August 1914 was later used as evidence of German aggression?

The Schlieffen Plan.

What treaty forced Russia out of WWI and was cited against Germany at Versailles?

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).

On what date was the Armistice signed, ending WWI fighting?

11 November 1918.

Name the three main leaders at the Paris Peace Conference, known as the ‘Big Three’.

Georges Clemenceau (France), Woodrow Wilson (USA), David Lloyd George (Britain).

Where and when did the Paris Peace Conference open?

Palace of Versailles, 18 January 1919.

What were Woodrow Wilson’s key ideals called?

The Fourteen Points.

Which of Wilson’s Fourteen Points promoted national self-rule?

Self-determination for all national groups.

Why did Clemenceau demand high reparations?

To rebuild war-damaged France and make Germany pay for starting the war.

What British election slogan in 1918 pressured Lloyd George to punish Germany?

“Make Germany Pay.”

Which clause of the Treaty blamed Germany for WWI?

Article 231 – the War Guilt Clause.

How much were German reparations finally set at in 1921?

£6.6 billion (132 billion gold marks).

What limit did Article 160 place on the German army?

Maximum 100,000 soldiers, no conscription.

Which region bordering France was demilitarised under Article 42?

The Rhineland.

How many battleships was Germany allowed to keep?

Six battleships (no submarines).

What happened to Germany’s air force under the treaty?

Germany was forbidden to have an air force (Article 198).

Which coal-rich region was given to France for 15 years?

The Saar Basin (Article 45).

Which former French territory was returned from Germany?

Alsace-Lorraine (Article 51).

What term banned union between Germany and Austria?

Anschluss forbidden (Article 80).

What corridor split Germany, giving Poland access to the sea?

The Polish Corridor (loss of Posen & West Prussia, Article 87).

How many colonies did Germany lose, and how were they administered?

All 11 overseas colonies, ruled as League of Nations mandates by Britain and France (Article 199).

Why was Germany initially excluded from the League of Nations?

Articles 1-26 created the League but denied German membership, isolating Germany politically.

What German term described the imposed treaty?

‘Diktat’ – a dictated peace.

What accusation did right-wing Germans level at Weimar politicians who signed the Armistice and treaty?

They were ‘November Criminals’ who delivered a ‘stab in the back’ (Dolchstoss).

Name two early uprisings threatening the Weimar Republic.

The Spartacist Revolt (Jan 1919) and the Kapp Putsch (Mar 1920).

Why did French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr in 1923?

Germany failed to deliver reparations coal shipments.

What economic crisis resulted from Germany printing money to pay striking Ruhr workers?

Hyperinflation of 1923.

By November 1923, how much could a loaf of bread cost?

About 200 billion marks (example in notes: 200,000 million).

Which failed Nazi coup occurred in November 1923?

The Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch.

Who led the Freikorps elements that tried to overthrow the government in 1920?

Wolfgang Kapp (Kapp Putsch).

What was the maximum German navy size under Versailles?

Six battleships, 15,000 sailors; no submarines or large ships.

Why did Lloyd George want Germany to keep some strength?

To act as a trading partner and bulwark against communism spreading from Russia.

Which treaty revised the harsh terms on Turkey in 1923?

The Treaty of Lausanne (replacing Sevres).

List one shared feature of all 1919-20 peace treaties besides Versailles.

Acceptance of a War Guilt clause / obligation to pay reparations / army restrictions / territorial losses / recognition of League of Nations (any one).

What treaty dealt with Austria and dissolved the Austro-Hungarian Empire?

The Treaty of St Germain (September 1919).

What were Bulgaria’s terms under its peace treaty?

Treaty of Neuilly (Nov 1919): land losses, 20,000-troop limit, £100 m reparations.

Which treaty stripped Hungary of two-thirds of its territory?

The Treaty of Trianon (June 1920).

Name two reasons the Big Three had to compromise at Versailles.

Differing aims/motives; domestic public pressures; need for mutual agreement to avoid further conflict.

Which leader thought the treaty did NOT restrict Germany enough militarily?

Georges Clemenceau.

What U.S. body refused to ratify the Treaty and League membership?

The United States Senate.

Which British economist predicted the treaty would destabilise Europe?

John Maynard Keynes (The Economic Consequences of the Peace, 1919).

Give one argument contemporaries used to justify the treaty.

Germany’s own harsh Brest-Litovsk terms showed it deserved severe treatment / Germany could afford reparations / public desire for punishment, etc.

Give one argument that the treaty could NOT be justified.

It bred German resentment leading to extremism / economic terms were too harsh / excluded Germany from League, etc.

What article number set German reparations?

Article 232 (implementation of reparations payments).

How long were Allied troops to occupy the Rhineland?

Until 1930 (15 years nominally with staged withdrawals).

Which Saar decision was to be revisited after 15 years?

A plebiscite to decide whether the Saar would return to Germany or stay under League control/France.

Why did Wilson abandon ‘freedom of the seas’?

Opposition from Britain, which wanted to maintain naval supremacy.

Name one Eastern European nation created or enlarged through self-determination in 1919-20.

Examples: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia (any one).

What was the maximum size of Austria’s post-war army?

30,000 troops (Treaty of St Germain).

Which clause forbade Germany from possessing submarines?

Naval restrictions under Articles 181-191 (specifically Article 181 limits).

What international organisation was Wilson’s key hope for maintaining peace?

The League of Nations.

Explain ‘self-determination’ as used by Wilson.

The principle that each national group should govern itself in an independent state.

What was the principal cause of German unemployment among ex-soldiers post-1919?

Army reduction to 100,000 men under Article 160.

Which British Prime Minister observed, ‘We shall have to fight another war in 25 years’ time’?

Attributed to David Lloyd George (reflecting fears over treaty’s harshness).

How did the Versailles Settlement redefine Europe’s map overall?

It dissolved empires (German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman), created new states, shifted borders, and mandated colonies.

What was one major economic consequence in Germany of losing the Saar and Upper Silesia?

Loss of significant coal resources, hampering industrial recovery and ability to pay reparations.

Which clause most angered Germans, and why?

Article 231 War Guilt Clause – forced Germany to accept sole blame for WWI, seen as unfair.

What paramilitary group supported the Kapp Putsch?

The Freikorps.

State one result of the French occupation of the Ruhr.

German passive resistance; industrial shutdown; hyperinflation; seizure of goods by France (any one).