KQ1

How long was the Paris Peace Conference?

12 months from Jan 1919 to Jan 1920

Who was the conference for and who was not invited?

The conference was for the victors and the defeated nations were not invited

Who chaired the conference?

Georges Clemenceau

How was the Council of Ten organised?

2 members from 5 leading countries: USA, Britain, France, Italy, Japan

Who made the important decisions?

The Big Three: USA, Britain, France

Who was there to support the heads of states?

Diplomats and advisers

How many advisery commissions were set up?

Over 50

How many times did the Big 3 meet informally?

Over 140 times

How many treaties would be drawn up?

5

How many nations were represented?

32

Who wanted to be in the Big 4, and was he successful?

Orlando, the Italian PM, but to little success

Who were there to advise the Big 3? Did they listen?

Diplomats, lawyers, and experts but they were often ignored

How did the public feel in 1919?

They were bitter and hateful

What did the people back home want from the Big 3?

They wanted the big 3 to deal with Germany severely

What did the British and French people think and want?

They thought Germany was responsible for the war and should be punished, including having to pay reparations

How many men did Britain lose during the war and how much money did they borrow?

Britain lost 750 000 men and borrowed £9 billion

What slogans did Lloyd George win the election on?

Lloyd George won the 1918 General Election on the slogans ‘Hang the Kaiser’ and ‘Make Germany Pay’

How many men did France lose and what area of France was devastated?

France lost 1.5 million men and North East France was devastated

Why did demands for harsh treatment of Germany increase?

The public found out how harsh the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk had been

What did Clemenceau want at paris? What kind of leader was he? [7]

• Cripple Germany so it couldn’t attack France again (1870 and 1914) by taking land, weakening industry and reducing army

• Compensation for damage suffered to land, industry and people (reparations)

• Return of Alsace-Lorraine

• Split Germany into smaller states

• Germany to lose Saarland, Upper Silesia, Danzig, East Prussia

• Germany to lose all colonies

• Tough and uncompromising

What did Wilson want at Paris? What kind of leader was he? [8]

• No more wars

• Punish Germany but not too harshly so they didn’t want revenge and could still trade

• Strengthen democracy in defeated nations to avoid war

• LoN to promote international co-operation

• Self-determination

• Better and more peaceful world through 14 points

• Disarmament

• Idealist and reformer

What did Lloyd George want at Paris? What kind of leader was he? [7]

• Punish Germany but not as harsh as France

• Confiscate German colonies and navy to strengthen British Empire

• Begin trading with Germany ASAP

• Did not want France to become too powerful

• Did not want free and open access to the seas which was one of the 14 points

• Wanted reasonable reparations

• Realist - knew compromise was necessary

What did Wilson have to compromise with Clemenceau on?

He had to agree to French plans for the Rhineland and Saar

What did Clemenceau and Lloyd George have to compromise with Wilson on?

Self-determination for Eastern European countries

What did Clemenceau criticise Britain for?

Being too lenient on Germany and only harsh on the colonies and navy

What was Lloyd George unhappy with Wilson for?

Wilson’s insistence on access to the seas and self-determination as Britain ruled many overseas colonies

Who took the first major action of WW1 and what was it?

Germany by following the Schlieffen Plan and invading Belgium and France

What was the War Guilt Clause?

Germany had to accept blame for starting the war

What were the reparations?

£6.6 billion - Germany to pay until 1984

What were the territorial changes under ToV? [7]

• Alsace-Lorraine to France

• Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium

• Northern Schleswig to Denmark (plebiscite)

• Saarland run by LoN for 15 years, followed by plebiscite

• West Prussia, Posen, Upper Silesia to Poland

• Danzig made free city, run by LoN

• Union of Germany and Austria forbidden

ToV demilitarisation terms? [5]

• Army limited to 100 000 men

• Conscription banned

• No armoured vehicles, submarines, aircraft, heavy artillery

• 6 battleships

• demilitarisation of Rhineland

What was a mandate?

A territory taken from the defeated powers and controlled by LoN

What was a plebiscite?

A popular vote taken to determine which country the population wanted to be a part of

Why did Germany sign ToV? [5]

• Britain and France threatened to continue the war

• Germany could not continue to fight

• British naval blockade in place

• Germany afraid that continuing the war would lead to communism

• Germany running out of resources

What did the German public think of the War Guilt Clause?

Hated because it justified reparations

German public thoughts on reparations?

Threatened to destroy German economy and many Germans were already starving

German public reaction to disarmament?

Upset as Germany had a proud military, and no other countries were disarmed despite 14 points

German public reaction to Territorial losses?

Blow to pride and economy

Were Germans right to resent ToV? [5]

• Less harsh than treaty of Brest-Litovsk which they created

• Many believed Germany would have been just as harsh on Britain and France

• German economic problems were partly their own fault

• Germans did not think Germany was solely responsible for the war and should not have had to pay reparations

• Germany was not represented at Paris

Consequences of ToV for President Ebert?

Made him and his government very unpopular and contributed to the Kapp Putsch

Could the Treaty of Versailles be justified? [3]

• Too harsh on Germany and contributed to rise of Hitler and Nazis - hindsight

• Probably true that Germany would have been just as harsh if they won

• A more generous treaty would have been declined by British and French public

How far did peace settlements reflect Wilson’s aims? [5]

• LoN was established

• Some new states were established: Poland, Latvia… (self-determination)

• Weimar Republic established (Strengthen democracy in defeated nations)

• Lloyd George resisted freedom of seas

• Germany treated harsher than he wanted

Why was Clemenceau disappointed? [5]

• Germany was not broken up into small states and had to abandon claim to Saar

• Unhappy that reparations were not paid immediately

• Lost public support as was not harsh enough

• Wanted Germany to lose military strength, but was only limited to 100 000

• Wanted the Rhineland to be independent

Why was it difficult for Clemenceau to achieve his aims? [2]

• Unacceptable to Wilson and Lloyd George

• Lloyd George did not want France to be too strong

What was Danzig before the war?

A thriving German sea port

Why did the Allies have difficulty deciding what to do with Danzig?

The population was mainly German but Poland needed a sea port

Extremist attempts to overthrow Weimar?

Spartacist League and Freikorps

Why did the German mark lose its value?

The government kept printing money

What year did German steel production pass Britain?

1923

Why did Hitler become attractive?

He promised to abolish the treaty