WWI End and the Treaty of Versailles Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the collapse of the German Empire, the establishment of the Weimar Republic, the goals of the 'Big Three' leaders, and the specific terms and reactions to the Treaty of Versailles.

Kiel Mutiny

The October 1918 event where German sailors refused orders, occurring as Germany faced food shortages and impending defeat.

Kaiser Wilhelm II

The German leader who abdicated and fled to Holland on 9 Nov 1918.

Friedrich Ebert

The leader of the newly formed Weimar Republic who signed the armistice with the Allies.

Armistice Day

11 November 1918, the date and time (11am) when WWI officially ended.

Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919 at the Palace of Versailles that officially ended WWI.

Georges Clemenceau

The French leader whose goal was to punish and permanently weaken Germany, summarized by the phrase "Make Germany Pay."

Woodrow Wilson

The USA President who proposed the 14 Points and the League of Nations with the goal of "Peace not Punishment."

Self-determination

The principle supported by Woodrow Wilson where national groups are allowed to form their own countries.

David Lloyd George

The British leader who sought a "Middle Ground" or fair compromise, wanting Germany punished but strong enough to trade and stop the spread of communism.

Article 231

Known as the War Guilt Clause, it required Germany to accept full blame for the war.

Reparations

The financial penalty Germany had to pay for war damage, set at £6.6 billion.

Military Restrictions

Terms for Germany including an army limited to 100,000 soldiers, no tanks, no air force, and a navy limited to 6 battleships.

Demilitarised Rhineland

A treaty requirement that no German military forces were allowed in the Rhineland region.

Anschluss

The union between Germany and Austria, which was strictly banned under the Treaty of Versailles.

B-M-T-M

A memory trick for the main terms of the treaty: Blame, Money, Territory, and Military.

November Criminals

The nickname given to Weimar politicians by Germans who felt the peace terms were a betrayal.

"Stabbed in the back"

The claim by the German public and military that the army had been betrayed by politicians rather than defeated on the battlefield.