Treaty of Versailles

• the young plan

  US economic plan in 1929 to reorganise reparations to make it easier for Germany to pay
• The Saar

  Region on the border between France and Germany. Run by the league from 1920-35 until its people voted to be reunited with Germany
• The Ruhr

  Main industrial area in Germany
• Paris peace conference

  Ran 1919-23 to decide how to end WW1, resulted in treaty of Versailles and 3 other treaties
• fourteen points

  Wilsons programme for world peace e.g no secret treaties, free trade between countries, colonies have a say in their future, self determination for people in Eastern Europe, League of Nations set up, German troops to leave russia, free access to seas
• Anschluss

  1938-> the joining of Austria and Germany, forbidden by the Treaty of Versailles
• Economic Impact- Hyperinflation

  6.6 billion in yearly instalments

  Could not pay second instalment- Ebert tried t0 negotiate more time

  French had debts to pay USA so invaded and took raw materials from the Ruhr in Jan 1923

  German government ordered workers to carry out passive resistance

  The french killed 100 workers and expelled 100,000 from the region

  Strikes led to the collapse of the German currency as they had no goods to trade
• Political impacts- Munich Putsch

  November 1923

  Rebellion led by Hitler in Munich, failed but gave Hitler an opportunity to spread his ideas because of the publicity of his trial
• Political impacts- summer 1922


  Walther Rathenau (Ebert’s foreign minister) was assassinated by right wing extremists
• Political impact- Kapp putsch

  March 1920- right wing opponent of Ebert’s government could not bear the treaty, attempted a revolution
• German criticisms- treaty was not fair

  Treaty was a diktat, Austria was also very responsible but received few repercussions

  None of the allies disarmed

  territorial loss- blow to German pride

  Treaty went against Wilsons 14 points e.g self determination given to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania but not Germany

  European rivalries were an ongoing, long term cause- naval race, nationalism, not down to Germany alone

  War guilt: Germans did not believe they were responsible for the war, allies took advantage
• Treaty of versailles signing

  28th June 1919 in the Versailles palace
• Terms of the treaty of Versailles

  Reparations: 6.6 billion in yearly instalments

  Military: 6 battle ships, 0 air force, Rhineland demilitarised, 100,000 men in army, 0 submarines, Navy was 15,000, could not ally with Austria

  Territory: lost all overseas colonies, Alsace Lorraine to France, Saar to France for 15 yrs, Danzig became a free city, owned by League

  War guilt: Could not join league, excluded from peace talks, Article 231 stated Germany was responsible for the war
• Woodrow Wilson’s aims

  (USA)

  Strengthen democracy in defeated countries

  Don’t be too harsh- fear of communist groups
• George Clemenceau’s aims

  (France)

  Revenge: ensure Germany was never a threat again

  Regain land

  there was strong public opinion in France-> carrying out their wishes helped him politically
• David Lloyd George’s aims

  (Britain)

  Punish Germany but not too harshly

  Begin trading with Germany again

  Get rid of Germany’s navy + colonies
• The Treaty was fair:

  France suffered 4 billion in damage during the war as most of the war was fought on french territory
• The Treaty was fair:

  Germany’s treatment of Russia in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1917) was far harsher than the Treaty of Versailles

  > 1/3 of its population

  > most of its oil and coal and iron stores

  > 1 million square miles of Russia’s former territory
• The Treaty was fair:

  Germany encouraged Austria-Hungary by backing their standoff with Serbia

  Germany also invaded France and Belgium
• The Treaty was fair:

  The Schlieffen plan was launched by Germany which stated in that the case of war, Germany would attack France first then Belgium
• The Treaty was fair:

  Germany was able to launch another war 20 years later
• The Treaty was fair:

  Germany’s economic problems were partially self inflicted, as others had raised taxes to pay for the war but the kaiser had let debt mount up because he planned to extract reparations from defeated states
• Why was it difficult to make a peace settlement that would appease everyone?

  1: Clemenceau and Lloyd George’s differing aims

  -> LG wanted to keep Germany as a potential trading partner but Clemenceau wanted to cripple Germany

  2: Wilson and Lloyd George’s differing aims

  -> LG unhappy wit point 2 of the 14 Points which allowed all nations access to seas, also self determination
• What did the treaty of Versailles state about the Polish corridor?

  It would be taken from Germany and given to Poland

  Free German transit was permitted along the Polish corridor