History KQ1- Was the treaty of Versailles fair?

Who was Woodrow Wilson

President of USA 1913-1921

Who was George Clemenceau

Prime Minister of France

What were the pressures for the Big three? (why did they have to compromise)

Public pressure- Britain and France had huge casualties

• Lloyd George won the 1918 election with the campaign ‘make Germany pay’

• British people were not sympathetic to Germany and over 1 million casualties from the fighting, However Germany was Britain’s 2nd largest trading partner

• over 2/3 of French army died or wounded

• the French wanted a treaty to punish and weaken Germany as much as possible

USA did not want revenge

• USA had given loans to allies

• after the conflicted had ended USA recalled the loans, causing an economic boom

German view on Weimar politicians

‘dolchstoss’- stab in the back

called them the Novemeber criminals

called the treaty a diktat

Germany loss of territory stats-

• lost 10% of its land in Europe

• lost all of its overseas colonies

• lost 12.5% of its population

• lost 16% of its coal fields

• lost almost half of its iron and steel industry

(for example Germany lost Alsace-Loraine, Polish city Danzig, the Saarland- to LofN for 15 years, Polish corridor (West prussia), Upper Silesia, overseas colonies)

Who were the Freikorps?

• Their leader was Wolfgang Kapp

• right wing

• armed ex-soldiers who became unemployed because of the TofV

• beat the Spartacist uprising (January 1919)

• attempted to overthrow government in the Kapp Putsch (March 1920)

Compromises by the ‘Big three’

• Wilson allowed Clemenceau to control the Saar, and demilitarise the Rhineland

• Clemenceau and Lloyd George accept Wilsons demand to make independent states in Eastern Europe

• Wilson allowed Britain and France to have Germany’s colonies

Political and Economic terms of the TofV

• Germany cant join League of Nations until it had shown it was a peace-loving country

• war guilt clause (Article 231)

• reparations- £6.6billion (have until 1984 to pay)

Territorial terms of the TofV

France gains coal from Saarland for 15 years

Alsace-Loraine back to France

Danzig (polish city lost)

Anschluss (union of Germany and Austria) is forbidden - many austrians consider themselves German

Lost West Prussia and Posen (Includes Polish Corridor)

France and Britain now control all 11 of Germany’s colonies in Africa and Far east

Military terms of TofV

Demilitarise Rhineland

Germanys army 100,000 men

conscription was banned (had to be volunteers)

Navy= 6 battleships, no submarines, 15,000 sailors

No airforce

How different were the aims of the ‘big three’ for the TofV

Clemenceau- Harsh on all three

Wilson- soft on Military and political+ economic, but moderate for territorial aims

DLG- Moderate on all three

Lloyd George’s main aims and motives for the PPC

• maintain strong trading relationship with Germany

• peace

• take Germany overseas colonies

• Germany lose its colonies and navy (so Britain’s is superior)

• harsh terms - to satisfy public

• British public hated Germany and wanted revenge

• German military strong to avoid Russian communism spreading

Wilson’s main aims and motives at the PPC

• strengthen democracy in defeated countries

• freedom of seas (trade ships safe)

• international co-operation

• self determination

• Wilson was an idealist

• avoid blaming Germany for ww1 and avoid high reparations (for trading)

• all countries follow disarmament

• LofN

Clemenceau’s main aims and motives at PPC

• to cripple Germany

• Clemenceau wanted security for France

• he wanted to take revenge on Germany

• he wanted Germany to be prevented for launching an attack on France

• wanted to disarm Germany's armed forces

• he wanted Alsace-Loraine from Germany

• He wanted some of the German colonies.

When did Germany fail to meet reparations

November 1922

When did PPC start and end

18th January 1919—→21st January 1920

When was ‘14 Points’ speech and by who

Woodrow Wilson, 8th January 1918

1. No secret treaties

2. Free access to the seas in peacetime or wartime

3. All countries work towards disarmament

4. League of Nations to be set up

5. Colonies have a say in their own future

What was the Paris Peace conference

Conference with 32 Nations to discuss the future of Germany and what was to happen after the War. Took place in Versailles, and was where the TofV was created. Lasted 12 months. No one from defeated countries were represented

What is Self-Determination

Eastern Europe should be ruled by themselves and not empires

Main areas of Agreement between the ‘Big Three’ (ppc)

• Alsace-Lorain back to France

• Fair and lasting peace (C+W)

• LG+W= not too harsh punishment for Germany so they dont look for revenge or start a war

• League of Nations

Clemenceau’s attitude towards Germany’s punishment

Agreed with punishment because if Germany was crippled they could not attack France

wanted to bring up French population and Economy

Main areas of disagreement between Big three

• Clemenceau and Wilson- about Rhineland and the coal fields in the Saar.

• Clemenceau and Lloyd George- Over Lloyd Georges desire to not treat Germany too harsh.

• Lloyd George and Wilson- free seas (point 2 on 14 points) and Self-determination

• disarmament

• Wilson's focus on self-determination and free seas versus Clemenceau's push for harsh penalties, while Lloyd George sought a middle ground to prevent future conflicts.

What were the consequences of the TofV in Germany?

Political

Political Violence- Right wing opponents of Ebert’s government could not bare the treaty. They attempted the Kapp Putsch in March 1920- causing Chaos in Germany. After Kapp Putsch violence was still a threat- numerous political assassinations. 376

Hitler used TofV to help gain power (Munich Putsch)

When was the Armistice signed? (WW1)

11 November 1918

When was TofV signed by Ebert?

28th June 1919

when was Spartacist uprising in Berlin

5-12 January 1919

Who’s idea was the LofN

Woodrow Wilson - didnt join in the end.

he wanted to communicate problems to get rid of violence, and wanted all countries to join

How much were German reparations?

£6.6billion

How much did a loaf of bread cost in November 1923

200,000 million German Marks

When did the French occupy the Ruhr?

11 January 1923

when was the Kapp Putsch and what side were they?

13-17th March 1920, Nationalist

when did Hyperinflation start gripping Germany

October 1923

When did Hitler lead the Munich Pustch

8 November 1923

How many assassinated between 1919-1923

376- not 1 right wing assassin found guilty, ten left wing assassins executed

Who was included in the Political assassinations in Germany

Hugo Haasse (Weimar Politician) - 1919

Matthias Erzberger (signed surrender to allies 1918)- August 1932

Walter Rathenau (Weimar politician) - 1922

What were consequences of TofV (Part 2)

Conflict in Ruhr

How was TofV percieved at the time

Many thought it was unfair, however some said it was more than fair and Germany deserved a bigger punishment

conflict in the Ruhr continued

Government ordered the workers to go on paid strike, French reacted harshly, killing over 100 workers and expelling over 100,000 protesters from the region

there was also no goods or money to trade with now leading to hyperinflation

How could TofV be seen with Hindsight

a mistake- main causes for Hitler to gain power

Lloyd George’s attitude towards Germanys punishment

Wanted Germany to be punished but not too harshly, to avoid communist revolution and so Britain and Germany could continue trade

Wilson’s Attitude towards Germany’s punishment

not too harsh so Germany wont look for revenge when they recover. Also was worried extremist groups such as the communist might exploit the hatred towards Germany and try seize power over it

What was the peace making process at the PPC

All 32 leaders with officials and advisers discussed main issues like borders and reparations. Quickly it became impossible to consult everyone

Main terms of the Tof V (BRAT)

Blame- war guilt clause

Reparations- £6.6

Army- Reduce to no more than 100,000 men 6 battleships and no submarine or air force

Territory- Germany to submit its colonies and give back any territory they took

How happy were the Big three with the eventual terms of the Treaty

none of them were happy. After months of negotiations they had to compromise

Key German critisisms of the TofV

• blame was forced on them

• it was unjust they had to unarm they were proud of their army

• Angry about having to pay reparations even though their economy was severely weakened

• Germany was not represented at the peace talks

• lost territory, Saar and upper Silesia were big industrial areas (bad for economy)

who was David Lloyd George

Prime Minister of UK

Occupation of Ruhr summary

French and Belgian troops enter the Ruhr, January 1923- seized coal etc

government calls for strike and passive resistance by sabotaging machinery and striking

insisted on paying striking workers

began importing coal to meet requirements

outcome of the Ruhr

to pay the striking Ruhr workers, Weimar government printed more money

caused hyperinflation- Nov 1923 the German Mark was wrthless

What were plebiscites in the peace settlement 1919-1920