Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations

Treaty of Versaille

BRAT

Blame: Germany was blamed for causing the war through the war guilt clause. Germany did not want to sign so Britain warned that they would want to declare army

Reparations: Had to pay 132 billion gold mark, had to give the coal mines of the saar for 15 years, after those years they could vote wether they wanted to join France or Germany/

Army: Rhineland de-militarized,, not allowed to join LON. 100,000 men maximum for Germany army. Not allowed to build fortifications on the west side of the Rhine. Could not have submarines, no Airforce.

Territory: Alsace-Sorraine returned to France, forbidden to unite to with Austria, Saar rich in Coal mines given to France for 15 years. Germany had to give the Polish corridor, Silesia and East Prussia given to Poland.

Resentment:

Italy:

Italy left because they could not get Fiume.

Japan:

Japan left as the League of Nations that Woodrow Wilson wanted did not accept the equality cause. Making them feel inferior

Germany:

Was not at the conference. Had to secede a lot of land and money. But didn’t have that much money so instead gave its agricultural , coal and iron production. The german government was mad at the war guilt clause initially refusing to sign it. he german population felt stabbed in the back by their own government they then blamed the jews by creating a political myth that the Jews sold them to the allies.

Leaders

Woodrow Wilson:

  1. USA representative.

  2. 14 Points in it he wanted creation of League of Nation

  3. Opposed to harsh punishment inflicted on Germany

  4. Benefited economically from the war

David Lloyd George:

  1. British representative

  2. Punish Germany but also keep it strong engouh so it could trade with it

  3. In between France and USA in terms of the severity of punhments

George Clemenceau:

  1. French representative

  2. WW1 was mostly fought on french soil

  3. Return Alsace Lorraine to France and demilitarized Rhineland

  4. Disbandment of the german army thus creating a week Germany

League of Nations

Brought to operation by the treaty of Versaille, the headquarters of the League of Nations were in Geneva, Switzerland, a neutral country which had previous organizations like the Red cross.

Aims:

  1. Maintain peace through collective security. So if one state attacked another stated, the members states would work together against the aggressor

  2. To encourage international co-operation in order to solve economic and social issues

Early Successes:

  1. It created the International Labour Organization (ILO), improving conditions for laborers all over the world. 

  2. Through the Refugee Organization half a million soldiers marooned in Russia as former prisoners of war

  3. Settled small disputes between countries such as between Greece and Bulgaria, Finland and Sweden, and Germany and Poland.

Weaknesses:

  1. The Covenant (agreements) was seriously weak. The league had no military force of its own, member states had to supposedly supply troops to the league of Nations but an accord made it so only if they wanted to they would send troops.

  2. The league of Nations was a French and British affair as it had a continued absence of the USSR and did not include the US.

  3. Too closely linked to the treaty of Versailles favoring the victors of the war not promoting peace in the long term. For example Germany was not in the League of Nations at the start joining in 1926.

Failures:

  1. After the invasion of Manchuria by Japan (1931), the league made a decision that Manchuria should be ruled by the league. But Japan did not agree, so it left the league, with no consequences applied to her, damaging the prestige of the league. 

  2. The Italian attack on Abyssinia (1935), the League of Nations imposed half hearted sanctions so Mussolini could invade Ethiopia easily. Furthermore, a few weeks later the league fully abandoned sanctions. This led to Italy being more close with Hitler, small states lost their trust in the league and Hitler was encouraged to break the treaty of Versailles. 

  3. The League of Nations was powerless against Germany's determination to acquire more territory. When Germany wanted the Sudetenland, instead of intervening it was resolved in the Munich agreement between Germany, UK and France without the input of Czechoslovakia. When Germany invaded Poland it again did nothing against Germany instead, France and Britain declared war on her starting WW2.