UNIT 1

• Woodraw Wilson - AIMS

  • Don't be too harsh on Germany to ensure they don't want to seek revenge.
  • Strenghten Democracy in defeated countries
  • Give self determination to smaller countries
  • Create International Co-operation
• David Loyd George - AIMS

  • Don't be too harsh on Germany to ensure they don't seek revenge
  • Restore Germany as a trading partner
  • Make Germany loose their navy
  • Make Germany loose their colonies
• Georges Clemencau

  • Punish Germany as much as possible
  • Break up Germany into smaller states
  • Cripple Germany so much they won't ever threaten France again
• Treaty of Versailles - TERMS

  • Create a international police force called the LoN
  • Limit Germanies military to 100 thousand men, no submarines, no armoured vehicles or aircraft, only 6 battleships and the Rhineland has to be demilitaries
  • Let Germany accept the blame for starting the first world war (Article 231.)
  • Germany has to pay repperations of 132 Billion Gold marks
  • Germany has to give away it's extensive european borders to Poland, France and Dennmark. Additionally, it's overseas colonies were taken away too.
• Treaty of Versailles - IMPACTS

  • Germany felt insulted it wasn't allowed in the LoN and it didn't like the idea of self determination as German people living in taken away territories were ruled by non Germans
  • German people were angry that their government wasn't represented at the peace talks.
  • Germany lost valuable industiral land, 10% of European land, 16% of coal fiels and 50% of steel and iron industry.
  • The army wich was the pride of Germany was reduced wich angered the Germans.
  • Germany felt they didn't start the war and that Germany had to pay even though they were in financial ruins.
• Treaty of Versailles - Social Impacts

  • Hyperinflation began as the Government attempted to solve the lack of money by printing more money causing money to become worthless and making prices rise. However, some Germans gained from this and allowed industires to pay debts in worthless money.
  • Political violence was constant, many politicians were killed and uprising were frequent.
• Ruhr Conflict 


  In 1922 Germany did not pay the allies their sum of money. Germany tried to negociate with the allies but the French ran out of patience. In 1923, the French and Belgian soldeirs entered the Ruhr and took raw materials and goods. In response, Germany ordered a strike of workers so the French and Belgians would have nothing to take. The French responded with Murdering 100 workers. As a result Germany ahd no goods to trade and no money to buy things with.
• Paris Peace Conference 1919 - 1920


  • Took place in the palace of Versailles
  • Lasted 12 months
  • Thirty two nations were supposed to be represented, but the defeated nations were not invited.
  • Five treaties were made during the conference, the main one was the Treaty of Versailles
  • All important decisions regarding Germany were taken by big three
• Loyd George - Wilson

  • Loyd supported him in public, but in private he was less positive
  • He agreed with wilson on many issues, especially that to prevent Germany seaking revenge.
  • Like wilson, he thought that a harsh treaty could lead to communist revolution like in Russia in 1917.
  • Loyd George agreed with Wilson also to maintain Germany as a trading partner as before the war it was Britains second biggest partner. Even though many Britihs people didn't want this, Loyd George wanted it.
  • Unlike wilson, Loyd had the British empire in mind.
• Clemenceau - Wilson

  • In public, he agreed with wilsons for a fair peace.
  • In private, he found wilson very hard to work with.
  • Disagreed with Wilson and Loyd mainly over Germany because the French that suffered a lot of damage to it's land, industry and people wanted to weaken Germany as much as possible, but the other two poewrs disagreed
• Germany main losses - Territory

  • Upper silesia
  • West Prussia
  • Alsace Lorraine
  • Rhineland
  • North Schleswig