Was the treaty of Versailles fair?

• Treaty of Versailles


  The peace treaty signed after World War I that imposed harsh terms on Germany
• Clemenceau's aims


  • Punish Germany, and ensure it was too weak to attack France again
  • Return Alsace-Lorraine region to France
  • An independent Rhineland
  • Huge reparations
  • Disband the German Army so they wouldn't be strong enough to attack France
• Lloyd George's aims


  • To please elections who wanted to 'make Germany pay'
  • To leave Germany strong enough to trade with
  • To safeguard Britain's naval supremacy
• Woodrow Wilson's aims


  • To end the war by creating a League of Nations (14 points)
• Reasons the victors did not get everything they wanted


  • They all had different goals for the treatment of Germany
  • France = harsh peace
  • Britain = relatively moderate peace
  • America = liberal peace
• The Treaty of Versailles was punished Germany militarily, territorially, and financially


  This led to hyperinflation which caused an economic crisis in Germany up to the end of 1923
• At the time, the Treaty of Versailles was justified by many allied countries as a way to end World War I, however some thought it was too harsh for Germany
• Clemenceau's role


  • Leader of France
  • Aimed to secure French security
  • Demanded harsh reparations from Germany during the process
• Lloyd George's role


  • Leader of the UK
  • Aimed to balance the interests of the Allies
  • Secure territorial gains for the British Empire during the process
• Woodrow Wilson's role


  • US President
  • The 14 Points for peace influencing the Treaty of Versailles
  • The terms of the Treaty
• Key terms of the Treaty of Versailles


  • Germany had to accept full blame for the war (war guilt clause)
  • Germany had to pay £6.6 billion in reparations
  • Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
  • Germany limited to 100,000 soldiers, no tanks, no air force, 6 battleships, no subs
  • Rhineland demilitarized
  • Anschluss banned
  • League of Nations agreed
• Germany obliged to pay reparations


  Weimar Government could not pay, leading to French and Belgian armies occupying the Ruhr
• Weimar Government instructed Ruhr workers to strike


  This caused hyperinflation, with the German currency losing virtually all value
• Social impact of Treaty in Germany to 1923


  • Food shortages
  • Civilians starving
  • Germany running out of raw materials
  • Revolts across Germany
• Treaty of Versailles


  Fuelled right-wing hatred for democratic parties and democracy itself in Germany
• Contemporary opinions on the Treaty


  • Germany hated everything about it
  • Britain gained some but thought it too harsh
  • France got some but thought it not harsh enough
  • USA got the League of Nations but thought it too harsh
• T.R.A.W.L.

  Territory, Reparations, Army, War Guilt Clause, League of Nations
• Germany had to pay £6.6 billion ($34 billion) as reparations
• These loans led to hyperinflation in Germany
• The war guilt clause made Germany accept full responsibility for starting WWI
• The league of nations was an international organisation that aimed to prevent future wars by resolving disputes between countries peacefully.