1.2- Treaty of Versailles  

Why did the combatants of WW1 meet in Versailles ?
  • an armistice had been signed on the 11th of November 1918 to stop fighting but a full peace settlement was needed
  • They met in January 1919
Armistice
  • signed on the 11th of November 1918
  • Article 231- war guilt clause
  • Navy was restricted to 15,000 soldiers, 6 battleships, no airforce
  • £6.6 billion reparations
  • 13% of land was given to France
  • the Rhineland was demilitarized
  • no league of nations
  • No alliance with Austria
  • Kaiser was tried for war crimes
  • 75% iron ore, 68% Zinc ore, 26% cole , 15% of arable land gone
Political Crisis of 1919
  • Sheidemann resigns over ToV
  • Scheidemann replaced by Bauer
  • Bauer wanted to reject ToV via the military and asked Groener for advice and he said no
The reaction from abroad

UK

  • Lloyd george percived as a hero back home because massive success as UK gained all their key terms
  • however Lloyd george secretly thought he was too harsh with the terms

France

  • all terms were achieved
  • Clemencau loses next election because of the consessions he grants for conditions
  • Foch thinks that ToV is ‘not a peace treaty just a 20 year armistice ‘

USA

  • ToV was recieved negatively
  • thought the other countries were too greedy
  • They don’t actually sign ToV as the senit didn’t agree with it
  • they signed their own peace treaty with Germany in 1921

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What did the Germans and the Allies want from ToV?

France

  • Harsh consequences for Germany
  • German army gone
  • take occupied land off Germany
  • Rhineland given independence
  • No entry for Germany into the league of nations

Germany

  • Still can trade with other countries
  • Keep occupied colonies for resources
  • Limit their losses

USA

  • wanted league of nations
  • No blame for Germany

UK

  • Medium consequences
  • Small reparations
  • Small army reduction
  • A Navy reduction
  • Allow German trade
  • Want African land that Germany had

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German reaction to ToV

Pro Republic

  • SPD asks other parties if what they were doing was undemocratic
  • came up with the policy of fulfillment

anti republic

  • wanted to oppose ToV militarily
  • ‘November Criminals’ refered to those who signed the armistice
  • friekorp

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