Topic 1: Treaty of Versailles

When was Wilson’s speech on the 14 points?

1918

What were Wilson’s 4 aims? DISS

Don’t be too harsh, International Cooperation, Strengthen Democracy, Self-Determination (Point 10)

Acronym for Wilson’s 4 aims:

DISS

What years was Wilson president?

1912 - 1921

What type of person was Wilson?

Idealist and Reformer

With what did Wilson have a poor record with?

Rights of African Americans.

What did Wilson do against African Americans?

Segregation of federal offices, Praised ‘Birth of A Nation’.

When was the Paris Peace Conference?

1919 - 1920

How long did the Paris Peace Conference last?

12 months

Where was the Paris Peace Conference?

Palace of Versailles, near Paris

What was the 14th Point of Wilson’s 14 points?

League of Nations set up.

When was Lloyd George Prime Minister?

1916 - 1922

What type of person was Lloyd George?

Realist

What were Lloyd George’s aims from ToV?

Don’t be too harsh (Comm. revolution + war), Secure trade with Germany (2nd largest trade partner), Loss of German Colonies + Navy.

What were the Public Pressures on Lloyd George?

Huge Public Pressures: Casualties, Propaganda, Brest-Litovsk.

When was the Communist Revolution in Russia?

1917

How many British people died in ww1?

Over 1 million

Why did so many British people die in ww1?

Casualties fighting, food shortages and disease in Britain.

When was the treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

1918, after Russia Surrendered.

What were the Russian territorial losses in the Treaty of Brest Litovsk?

25% of Population, 90% of coal mines and 1/3 of agricultural land.

What did Lloyd George promise to make him win the 1918 election?

“Make Germany pay”

How old was Clemenceau in the Paris Peace Conference?

77

What type of person was Clemenceau?

Hard, Tough, Uncompromising, Realist.

When had Germany previously invaded France before ww1?

In 1870 and in 1914.

What were Clemenceau’s aims in Treaty of Versailles?

Germany broken up, No army, Huge reparations, Full blame.

What did Clemenceau say about Wilson?

“Even God only had 10 Commandments”

What did Clemenceau see the Treaty as an opportunity to do?

Cripple Germany.

What were the Pressures on Clemenceau?

Enormous damage during ww1, Population in decline, Public opinion wanted Germany weakened.

How was France damaged in ww1?

To its land, industry, people, and self-confidence.

Named effects of ww1 on French land (on Western Front):

“villages détruits” (villages that were lost during the war and were not rebuilt), Red Zone (areas too damaged for farming or living)

How large was the Red Zone?

1.4 million hectares of land.

How much of French land was affected during ww1?

10%

What were the effects of ww1 on French Industry?

6000 factories destroyed, 2 million workers diplaced.

What were the effects of ww1 on the people?

2/3 of men who had served in army were casualties, population in decline, 1.4 million people dead.

How did ww1 affect the French self confidence?

Devastation of ww1.

What was French and German population in 1920?

French was around 40 million, German was around 75 million.

Who was the french President in 1919?

Poincaré

What did Poincaré want at the Treaty of Versailles?

Germany split up into smaller states.

How many leaders were at the Paris Peace Conference?

32 leaders (with officials and advisers)

On what did Clemenceau clash with Wilson?

Harshness of the Treaty, Rhineland & Saar, Self determination of Colonies, Trade

On what did Clemenceau clash with Lloyd George?

Harshness of the Treaty, Navy and Trade.

On what did Lloyd George clash with Wilson?

Access to seas (Point 2) & Self-determination of Colonies.

Acronym for Terms on ToV:

BRAT

What does BRAT L stand for?

Blame, Reparations, Army, Territory, League of Nations

What article gave Germany full blame for ww1?

Article 231

When was the amount of reparations decided?

1921

What was the amount that Germany had to pay in Reparations?

6.6 billion pounds.

When was the Young Plan?

1929

What did the Young Plan do?

Reduced total reparations that Germany had to pay.

When would Germany have finished paying for reparations if not for the Young Plan?

1984

For how long did France receive coal from the Saarland?

15 years from 1919.

What were the Territorial changes in Europe after ToV?

Rhineland, Saarland, Alsace Lorraine, North Schleswig, Danzig, Eupen & Malmedy, East Prussia, West Prussia & Posen (Polish Corridor), Upper Silesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Anschluss.

What happened to the Rhineland?

Demilitarized zone

What happened to Alsace Lorraine?

Returned to France.

What happened to Saarland?

Run by LoN and then a plebiscite to be held after 15 years.

What happened to North Schleswig?

Given to Denmark after a plebiscite.

What happened to Danzig?

Became a free city and was run by the LoN. Was to give Poland a sea port.

What happened in West Prussia and Posen?

Given to Poland.

What happened to Upper Silesia?

Given to Poland.

What happened to Eastern Prussia?

Was cut off from the rest of Germany by the Polish Corridor.

What happened to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia?

Became independent states. Germany had taken these states from Russia in 1918.

What happened to Eupen & Malmedy?

Given to Belgium.

What happened to Anschluss?

Forbidden.

What does Anschluss mean in German?

Union

What were other territorial losses for Germany?

Overseas empire taken away, loosing 10% of land in Europe, 12.5% of population, 16% of coal fields, half of ion and steel industry.

Example of Mandate that used to be German colony:

Cameroon.

Effects of ToV on Army:

100,000 men, conscription banned, no submarines, tanks or aircraft, 6 battleships, 15,000 sailors.

What was the League described as?

“International Police Force”

When were the terms on the Treaty of Versailles announced?

7 of May 1919

When was the treaty eventually signed?

28 June 1919.

What did the German government do after the ToVs terms came out?

Refused to sign the Treaty & German Navy sank its own ships in protest.

What were the consequences of the ToV on Germany?

Political Violence, Conflict in Ruhr, Hyperinflation.

Who were the November Criminals?

Weimar politicians who signed the treaty.

Who was Germany’s president after Germany’s defeat in ww1?

Ebert

What wasthe name of the ex-soldiers who were ordered to dispatch?

Freikorps.

When were Freikorps ordered to disband?

1920

Who lead the Kapp Putsch?

Wolfgang Kapp

When was the Kapp Putsch?

March 1920

What was the Kapp Putsch?

An uprising to overthrow Ebert and install a Nationalist Government.

By what was the Kapp Putsch defeated?

General strike of Berlin workers that paralyzed essential services such as power and transport.

What was the effect of the defeat of Kapp Putsch?

Added chaos in Germany.

Who was murdered due to political violence in Germany?

Germany’s foreign minister Walther Rathenau by extremists.

When was Walther Rathenau murdered?

Summer 1922

When did Hitler lead an attempted rebellion in Munich?

November 1923

What was the name of Hitler’s attempted rebellion in Munich 1923?

Munich Putsch.

Was the Munich Putsch defeated?

yes

How much did Germany pay of reparations in the first installment?

50 million pounds in 1921

How much did Germany pay of reparations in 1922?

Nothing.

When was the Ruhr crisis?

1923

What was the Ruhr crisis?

French & Belgian soldiers entered the Ruhr and took what they were owed in raw materials.

Was the Ruhr occupation by french and belgian legal under the ToV?

yes

What was Germany’s reaction to Ruhr invasion?

German workers went on strike.

How did the French react to the strike?

Killed over 100 workers, expelled 100,000 protesters from the region.

What was the effect of the strike on Germany?

Germany had no goods to trade and no money - hyperinflation.

What are the 2 reasons possible why Germany didn’t pay the reparations in 1922?

Couldn’t pay because Germany was essentially bankrupt, didn’t want to pay to create a crisis to force revision of terms on crisis.

How did the German government solve the problem of not having enough money?

Printing more money.

How often were wages paid after hyperinflation?

Daily instead of weekly

Who gained from hyperinflation and how?

Government and Big Industrialists who could pay off huge debts.

Who were worst affected by hyperinflation?

Pensioneres.

Comparison of what could be bought in 1921 to 1923:

What could have bought a house in 1921, by 1923 would not even buy a loaf of bread.