Unit 1: Were the Peace Treaties of 1919-23 Fair?
Terms
Is it fair?
Aims of the Big Three
Other Peace Treaties
Yes
▫ Germany originally created the principle of paying reparations
➝ Treaty of Frankfurt (1871): Germany forced France to pay large reparations + give them Alsace-Lorraine
▫ The war was mostly in France (neighbours with Germany) = most damages in France
No
▫ Restriction to 100,000 men = large enough to keep order within Germany but wasn't big enough to defend Germany
▫ No exact sum was set for the total reparations payment, when Germany signed ToV, until (£6.6 billion)
Territory
▫ Many Germany's ex colonies became GB and France's mandates
▫ Rhineland became a demilitarised zone
Reparations
▫ Included money and raw materials
▫ Depends on each of the Big Three
e.g Clemenceau wanted Germany to pay more for their
Arms
▫ no tank
▫ 100,000 men in army
▫ no submarines
▫ 6 battleships in navy
War Guilt
▫ Clause 231 states that Germany should take FULL responsibility for the outbreak of WW1
League of Nations (Jan 1919)
▫ World parliament for international peace + co operation
Woodrow Wilson (USA)
George Clemenceau (France)
David Lloyd George (GB)
▫ wanted to make Germany pay but would leave Germany strong enough to trade
▫ wanted justice (not revenge)
▫ wanted to expand British empire
▫ wanted fair peace (make the world safe)
▫ wanted disarmament + LoN (hated Guilt Clause)
▫ wanted self-determination (14 Points)
▫ wanted revenge and punishment
▫ wanted Germany to pay for the damage done during war
▫ wanted to weaken/cripple Germany
Treaty of Trianon (Jun 4th 1920 -- HUNGARY)
▫ 35 000 men
▫ 3 patrol boats
▫ 200mil gold crowns
▫ no union with Austria
Treaty of St Germaine (1919 -- AUSTRIA)
▫ 30 000 men
▫ no navy
▫ no union with Germany
▫ reparations agreed (went bankrupt before reparations were set)
Treaty of Neuilly (Nov 29th 1919 -- BULGARIA)
▫ 20 000 men
▫ 4 torpedo boats
▫ 2.25 billion francs
▫ no air force
Treaty of Sevres (Aug 10th 1920 -- TURKEY
▫ 50 700 men
▫ 7 sail boats
▫ 6 torpedo boats
▫ no air force
Treaty of Lausanne (Jul 24th 1923 -- TURKEY
▫ Cyprus to GB
▫ Dodecanese to Italy
▫ no claim to former Arab provinces
▫ straits between Aegean Sea & Black Sea declared open to all shipping
Impact of Peace Treaties on Germany
Political effects
LEFT WING - COMMUNIST
RIGHT WING - FACIST
Spartacist revolt (Jan 1919)
▫ Communist led by Rosa Luxembourg & Karl Liebneck = Soviet Germany
▫ April 1919: Province of Munich declared itself the latter Republic and said it was an independent Soviet State
▫ Agreement between Elbert & the right wing freikorps
▫ Freikorps (ex-army = military training + military equipment) = extremely right wing, not really on the same political spectrum as the government
Kapp Putsch (1920) = right-wing attempted revolution
▫ Prussian military officer, Freikorps were in the rebellion
↳ Stopped by a strike in Berlin, workers refuse to work
Munich Beer Hall Putsch (Nov 1923)
▫ Hitler led an attempt rebellion in Munich
↳ Was defeated but let off lightly when was put on trial = clear that many Germans hate ToV
Economic effects
▫ Lost all her colonies
1⃣ 13% of land
2⃣ 26% coal deposits
3⃣ 75% of iron ore deposits
↳ Germany can’t pay reparation
▫ Government solve the problem of not having enough money by printing --> caused hyperinflation
↳ Money was worthless so price shot up
▫ French and Belgian invaded Ruhr in January 1923 to take what they were owed.
▫ Income fell = Germany's industry stopped in the Ruhr
▫ Government continue printing money
↳ Civil servants, miners & others went on strike --> all were paid by money that was losing value
▫ Economic collapse, high unemployment, hyperinflation = strike were called off in Sep 1923 by the new coalition government