The Treaty of Verailles
- Created by: mhamaia21
- Created on: 27-01-15 18:15
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- The Treaty of Versailles
- January 1919, delegates from 32 countries in Paris to mke peace after war, Germany not invited, no negotiations, signed 28th June 1919 in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles.
- The Big Three
- David Lloyd George
- British PM, realist
- Opinions between France and USA, happy for compromises
- Public pressure to make Germany ay for loss or he would lose next elections
- Aware of economic benefits of trading links with Germany
- Thought criipling was too harsh
- "Squeeze German lemon until the pips squeak."
- Aim: Punish Germany for wrongs, reward allies as victors and a just and lasting peace.
- Backed idea of reducing German navy and giving colonies to League.
- Aware of Communist threat and wanted a strong Germany against them.
- Georges Clemenceau
- Aim: Cripple Germany's resources, pay for damage and death
- Bitter about Prussian war (1870-71), losing Alsace-Lorraine
- Realist and aware of compromises being needed and public opinion
- Bombing hit major cities, factories and houses in war
- Unemployment had led to national debt
- Planned to take Rhineland, Saarland, Upper Silesia, Danzig, East Prussia away from Germany
- Wanted to weaken Germany by splitting her into smaller states.
- Woodrow Wilson
- Aim: a just and lasting peace
- Annoyed others by saying America was superior
- Idealist but lacked support in his own country
- USA less affected by war and bombs
- 14 Points: No secret treaties, free access to seas, free trade, disarmament, German troops leave Russia, Alsace Lorraine returned, self determination, League of Nations
- Why different aims? Disagreements?
- Different experiences (war, loss...)
- Intense damage to France and loss of life in Britain
- Lloyd George influenced by media and public
- Lloyd George keen to maintain naval supremacy, key to her Empire
- David Lloyd George
- Clauses of the treaty
- War Guilt (clause 231)
- Germany responsible for all loss and damage
- Germany admitting full responsibility for starting war
- Justification for reparations
- Reparations (clause 232)
- 132 billion goldmarks, (£6,600 million), well beyond ability to pay
- Blank cheque that could be cashed when it suited the Allies
- Money used to address damage to infrastructure
- Territories (clauses 42, 45, 51, 87 and 119)
- Land in Eastern Germany and Polish Corridor given to Poland
- Rhineland was demilitarized, German army forbidden entry
- Saar coalfields given to France for 15 years
- Alsace Lorraine returned to France
- All Germany's colonies given to France and Britain
- Armed forces (clauses 160, 181 and 198)
- 100,000 men in army
- 6 battleships, no submarines
- no air force
- Rhineland demilitarized
- League of Nations (clauses 1-26)
- Germany not allowed to join
- An assembly of all nations formed to protect world peace in the future
- War Guilt (clause 231)
- The Ruhr Crisis
- First installment of reparations were paid in 1921
- 1922, Germany could not pay, so in 1923, French and Belgium troops entered Ruhr (industrial area), and took what was owed in raw materials
- Legal under treaty, but Germans could take no more loss and so workers took up passive resistance, so there was nothing to take.
- 100 workers killed, 100,000 protestors expelled
- Reparations and Ruhr Crisis plunged Germany into national Crisis
- Hyperinflation, savings and pensions were worthless and prices and wages rocketed out of control
- Sometimes burning bank noes were cheaper than wood
- Hyperinflation, savings and pensions were worthless and prices and wages rocketed out of control
- Reparations and Ruhr Crisis plunged Germany into national Crisis
- 100 workers killed, 100,000 protestors expelled
- Legal under treaty, but Germans could take no more loss and so workers took up passive resistance, so there was nothing to take.
- 1922, Germany could not pay, so in 1923, French and Belgium troops entered Ruhr (industrial area), and took what was owed in raw materials
- First installment of reparations were paid in 1921
- Other Treaties
- St Germain, Austria, September 1919
- Neuilly, Bulgaria, November 1919
- Trianon, Hungary, June 1920
- Sevres, Turkey, August 1920
- All lost lands, only B. and A. had regulations on army, only B. paid reparations, T. outraged by amount of land lost
- Was the Treaty fair?
- Hindsight, it led to Hitler
- Germany would have done the same, ver well known fact plans had been drawn
- Neighbouring countries needed to feel safe from further attacks
- Germany treated Russia harshly, treaty of Brest - Litovsk
- At time and circumstances, anything else would have been unacceptable
- Diktat, Germans had no say and other countries lost as well but were not so harshly treated.
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