Chapter 17- The Spirit of Locarno

• What was the aim of the commission on armaments set up by the League of Nations in 1921? (1)

  Develop solutions to disarmament
• Initiatives proposed by the League of Nations commission on armaments 1921 (3)

  1. Ban on bombing of civilians

  2. Restriction on tanks and artillery

  3. Prohibited use of chemical warfare
• Terms of the draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance 1923 (2)

  1. In the event of conflict, the League of Nations had 4 days to decide which nation was the aggressor, then would send forces to defend the victim country

  2. All members expected to contribute troops to the peacekeeping effort
• Problems with the draft Treaty of Mutual Assistance 1923? (4)

  1. Lack of clear guidelines on how to determine aggressor nation in the event of conflict

  2. Many nations didn't want to contribute troops

  3. Britain objected to use of troops as they were needed to defend the empire

  4. Treaty was never enacted
• Problems with the League of Nation's commission on armaments 1921 (1)

  Delegates couldn't past the issue of defence if weapons were surrendered
• Causes of the Dawes Plan 1924 (5)

  1. Germany began to be viewed as a potential barrier against Russian aggression by Britain and France

  2. Communist Russia was now the object of fear in Europe, as opposed to Germany

  3. Britain feared that without a review of Germany's ability to pay reparations and war debts, it would become communist

  4. The Ruhr invasion 1923 had caused economic downturn in France, who couldn't afford to refuse a review of reparations as the economy was bolstered by USA loans

  5. A commission was created between Britain, France, and the USA, with the aim of restructuring reparations and supporting the German economy to encourage German recovery, so it could repay the Allies
• The terms of the Dawes Plan 1924 (6)

  1. German reparations were restructured

  2. The Reichsbank (German bank) would be restructured under Allied supervision

  3. Germany would resume control of the Ruhr

  4. French and Belgium troops would withdraw from the Ruhr to allow Germany to regain key industrial resources, therefore stimulating the economy

  5. Sanctions against Germany were only to be used if they failed to honour commitments

  6. USA loaned 800 million marks to Germany
• How did the USA guarantee French acceptance of the Dawes plan 1924? (1)

  The USA sent a general reparations agent to Germany to supervise payments
• The consequences of the Dawes Plan 1924 - positive (5)

  1. Financed German recovery

  2. Improved Germany's international standing

  3. Highlighted a more conciliatory approach to Germany

  4. Eased reparations as they were seen as catalysts for disputes

  5. French was happy as a commitment had been made to ensure Germany would pay reparations + their own reconstruction had progressed
• The consequences of the Dawes Plan 1924 - negative (2)

  1. French now saw their position as isolated and vulnerable - they were discouraged from another occupation of the Ruhr by Britain and the USA + the plan superseded the reparations commission in which France had greater influence

  2. The plan undermined the Treaty of Versailles 1919
• Aim of the Geneva Protocol 1924 (1)

  Aimed to redefine the term 'act of aggression' as the League of Nations had to make decisions on which nation was the aggressor in the event of dispute
• Terms of the Geneva Protocol 1924 (3)

  1. In the event of dispute, countries would submit their case to the League of Nations and could not go to war while the case was being arbitrated by the Permanent Court of International Justice

  2. 'Aggressor' defined as any power making war during arbitration

  3. All members had to pledge to attend a conference to limit armaments
• Why did Britain refuse to ratify the Geneva Protocol 1924? (2)


  1. It was unpopular in the new conservative government

  2. Britain was wary of committing to entangling treaties
• New realities by 1925 (3)

  1. Statesmen were now focused on balancing German desires for revisions of the Treaty of Versailles 1919 with French demands for security

  2. Foreign secretaries now took the lead in international affairs instead of rulers e.g. Stresemann and Briand

  3. More support for disarmament + a more concentrated effort was made to limit weapons
• What was Stresemann's proposal at Locarno? (1)

  Germany would issue a guarantee of it's western border, thereby giving up claims to Alsace & Lorraine to relieve France. This would therefore ensure that France couldn't invade the Ruhr or the Rhineland again
• Other nations reactions to Stresemann's proposal at Locarno (3)

  1. Britain showed enthusiasm

  2. France said Germany should acknowledge Eastern borders too

  3. Italy hoped to secure guarantee of Germany's southern border to protect Austria
• Signatories of the Locarno treaties 1925 (5)

  1. Britain

  2. France

  3. Germany

  4. Italy

  5. Belgium
• Terms of the Locarno Treaties 1925 (3)

  1. Treaty of Mutual Guarantee was established

  2. Germany, France, and Belgium couldn't go to war with eachother unless the Treaty of Mutual Guarantee was broken or the League of Nations called them an aggressor

  3. Germany agreed treaties with France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland to resolve disputes peacefully
• Treaty of Mutual Guarantee 1925 (2)

  1. Guaranteed borders of Germany, France, and Belgium to Germany's west

  2. Rhineland demilitarised
• Stresemann's demands made in the League of Nations after Germany's entry in 1926 (4)

  1. Germany tried to get Allies to repudiate the war guilt clause in the Treaty of Versailles 1919 (this was ignored)

  2. Demanded faster evacuation of Allies troops from the Rhineland

  3. Demanded an earlier Saar plebiscite

  4. Suggested Germany should police own disarmament rather than it being under Allied supervision (angered Chamberlain so the plans were quickly dropped)
• Reactions to Locarno Agreements 1925 - positive (3)

  1. Britain happy as the Anglo-German détente increased European security

  2 Alleviated French fears of isolation following the Dawes Plan 1924 as Britain and other powers agreed to defend France in the event of German invasion

  3. France now pursued the conclusion of international agreements rather than acting to control and punish Germany
• How did Britain avoid entanglements in the Locarno Agreements 1925? (2)

  1. Refused to commit itself to border disputes in Eastern Europe

  2. Intervention required on Germany's western border would be managed by the League of Nations
• Reactions to the Locarno Agreements 1925 - negative (6)

  1. Germany unenthusiastic about reaffirming Western border

  2. Italy disappointed - secured no gains

  3. Belgium disappointed - remained dependant on France for security

  4. Few guarantees of security for Poland and Czechoslovakia who still relied on France for support against future German invasions

  5. Little was settled for eastern nations

  6. Stalin viewed Locarno as having an anti-Soviet agenda, leading to the Neutrality and Non-Aggression Pact 1926 with Germany
• The Neutrality and Non-Aggression Pact 1926 between Germany and Russia (2)


  1. Both to remain neutral if attacked by a third power

  2. Germany pledged not to join an anti-Soviet plot
• Relations between Germany and the USSR in the 1920s (3)

  1. Relations were close

  2. Both shared bitterness towards exclusion from post-war negotiations + having lost territory to Poland

  3. Soviet union gained benefit of trade agreements with Germany + help to modernise industry
• The Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 (3)

  1. 62 nations pledged to never go to war again

  2. Terms were compromised to ensure no existing treaties or agreements (e.g. the League of Nations covenant) were undermined or contravened

  3. No sanctions were specified however, rendering the pact pointless