Impact of versallies

• Political impact of Versailles settlement- Political crisis of June 1919

  • when terms of treaty revealed, many ministers had same view as schiedmann that accepting it is incompatible with German honour
  • The demand for acceptance in 7 days caused political crisis as some wanted to reject and others thought best to accept.
  • Schiedmann resigned an new coalition led by Gustav Bauer formed
  • High ranking army generals discussed rejection and military movement instead
  • Ebert told Groener he would support military resistance, Groener said not possible and Bauer cabinet signed treaty
• Reaction of pro republican parties

  • SPD aware signing treaty would rebound upon them so asked rivals: DNVP,DVP and DDP to state those who voted for treat weren't being unpatriotic
  • Outwardly complied with treaty whilst negotiating changes known as policy fulfilment
  • Turned some against Weimar
  • Caused political demoralisation associating Weimar with weakness again
• Reaction on the right

  • right wing resentment of Weimar Republic intensified by signing of treaty.
  • Betrayed 'father land'
  • Labelled politicians responsible for all these betrayals 'The November Criminals'
  • Ludendorff and Von Hindenburg promoted 'stab in the back myth'
  • Many working class soldiers supported new democratic system
  • Some couldn't find a place after returning and so gravitated towards Freikorps and right wing groups
• reactions from abroad

  • Britain= Lloyd George given rapturous reputation from crowd, public satisfied with what Germany lost, Lloyd George felt Germany shouldn't be so weak it couldn't resist USSR expansion, wanted to become trade partners again, many saw French as greedy and vindictive, some thought reparations too high
  • France= Recovered Alsace-Lorraine and demilitarisation of Rhineland so pleased, Thought treaty to lenient, minister Clemenceau defeated at next election
• Reactions from abroad

  • US= Negative reactions, view that Britain and France used it to enrich themselves, republicans in congress opposed treaty and Wilson failed to win congressional vote to ratify treaty, leaving US to make separate peace in 1921, US refused going League of nations in 1920s
• • War ended with armistice on 11th November 1918
  • Armistice not a surrender but an agreement to stop fighting and withdraw German forces from occupied territory pending full peace settlement
  • Conference to settle terms between allied powers and Germany at Palace of Versailles in January 1919, Germany not invited till 7th May.
  • German gov. suggested changes but few accepted; 16th June, 7 days to accept. provoked political crisis
  • 28th June signed by all powers
  • Germany saw treaty as diktat as they hadn't been allowed to participate in the negotiation of terms.
• Diktat= Order or decree imposed by someone in power without popular consent
• terms of the treaty

  • Territorial losses- Removed 13% of German territory and all overseas colonies, land given back to countries such as France, Belgium, Poland and Denmark, territorial loss meant they lost a lot of iron and zinc ore, coal and arable land
  • Disarmament- Dismantle fortifications and surrender all heavy weapons, navy allowed 6 battleships, 0 subs and small costal defence but no Air Force. Conscription to army banned, army limited to 10,000 and navy 15,000
• Terms of the treaty part 2

  • War guilt- Had to accept responsibility for starting war, this clause made Germany liable to pay 6.6 billion in reparations
  • The Rhineland- Permanently demilitarised, allied army of occupation to ensure Germany complied
  • The Saarland- Rich in coal and separated from Germany, became under League of Nations for 15 years
  • Other- Austria and German unite forbidden, not allowed in League of Nations
• German reaction to treaty

  • Until 1914, Germany had been one of the greatest military powers
  • Neither soldier of civilian told how urgent situation was until Autumn 1918
  • Abdication of Kaiser and surrender of Germany came as a shock to German people
• German objections to treaty focused on no. of provisions:

  • Wilsons 14pts stressed importance of right of national self determination as a basis for a just peace, this was denied to Germans.
  • National self determination= nations being able to decide whether they govern themselves, independent of larger empires or groupings of nations
  • War guilt Clause seen as unjust national humiliation since germans felt they had been trapped into war by allies
  • Disarming of Germany and its exclusion from league of nations were seen as unjust discrimination
• German objections to treaty focused on no. of provisions:

  • Reparations major cause of anger, partly because Germans felt level too high and would cripple economy, didn't accept war guilt clause which justified reparations
  • Allied occupation of parts of Western Germany and French control of Saarland coal mines =continued friction, German nationalists outraged by outlawing of nationalist groups and German ban of patriotic songs and festivals in areas of French control