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Was the Treaty of Versailles fair? - Coggle Diagram
Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?
Jan 18th 1919 - Paris Peace Conference
David Lloyd George (Britain)
Aims:
Had to placate a
public
which fesired
revenge
for the war
Had
800,000 dead
+
1.6 million
wounded during war + families were affected + public wanted a harsh treaty
Wanted to ensure Germany could return to trade
Since Germany was Britain's main trading partner prior to outbreak of war
Didn't want Germany to fall to
communism
feared a weak Germany would fail to prevent spread of communism in Europe
Lloyd George was a
realist
and saw the need to compromise
Wanted to maintain a balance of power in Europe
Woodrow Wilson (USA)
Aims:
Was prepared to
compromise
on some issues so long as
League of Nations
was established
joined war in
1917
and faced
100,000
casualties
Wilson was an
idealist
and saw the Treaty as a chance to build a long-term peace & bid nations together in LON
ended the war as the world's leading creditor nation
14 points
hoped would change modern international relations
German troops must leave Russia
No more secret treaties
No restrictions on ships
Barriers to trade should be removed (created economic power struggle)
Armaments reduced / only for defence
Disputes of colonies must take into consideration the people of the colony and their government
LoN created
7.Belgium's independence from Germany
Alsace Lorraine returned to France
Borders of Italy adjusted to match nationalities
Self-determination for Austrian-Hungarian groups
Romania, Serbia and Montenegro created
Turkish parts of Ottoman form one country
Independent Poland (+sea access)
Germany should lose territorial gains
Disarmament
Georges Clemenceaus (France)
Aims:
Revenge
had
1.7 million dead
(
10%
of entire French population) along with
4.3 million
wounded
French GDP was
24% less
in 1918 than in 1913
To
weaken
Germany and prevent the prospect of a 3rd invasion of France in his lifetime + independency of Rhineland
Germany invaded France
twice
before (e.g. French Prussian War of 1870 which led to Germany annexing Alsace-Lorraine
Wants Germany to pay
all the costs of war
(weaken Germany while helping rebuild France)
most of
fighting
took place in France and areas were laid with waste by mines and trenches
areas which had been occupied by Germany were
40% of her industry
and were left in ruins
Wanted
Alsace-Lorraine
to be returned to France
No Germany (seen as responsible so no representative) or Russia (Bolshevik government was not recognized by the Allies.
Terms of the Treaty
(BRALT) - June 1919
Blame
Germany accepts all blame (harsh) + diktak, dictated settlement
Reparations
￡6,600 billion (only agreed in 1921 but later changed under Young Plan in 1929)
Army
Army was limited to 100,000 men
Conscription was banned. (only volunteers)
Germany wasn't allowed armoured vehicles, submarines & aircrafts
Navy could only have 6 battleships
League of Nations
was set up as an international 'police force'
Germany was not invited to join until after it had shown that it was a peace-loving country
Territories
Treaty forbade Germany from joining with old ally Austria
Germany's overseas empire was taken away (taken over by mandates from LoN
Some of east Germany was given to Poland (including Polish Corridor)
Alsace-Lorraine was given to France
Rhineland become a demilitarised zone (no German troops)
Danzig was made a 'free city'
Total - Germany lost 10% of its land
Saar given to France for 15 years (then plebiscite)
Why did the Victors not get everything they wanted?
The Council of Four
USA, Italy, France, Britain
Inefficient - meetings took place without agenda
Satisfaction
USA
LoN
Disarmament for Central Powers
Rhineland demilitarised but still part of Germany (self-determination)
+
Point 2 not accepted by Britain (used navy as protection)
British & French empire expanded from Germany's colonies (not self-determination) -> Saarland, region was entirely German (but plebiscite after)
France
Return of Alsace Lorraine
Most reparations would go to France (rebuild country + pay off debts)
Claimed Saarland, compensation for losing mines (compromised, plebiscite after 15)
+
Did not trust LoN
Did not fully secure its borders -> wanted full control of Rhineland but Britain thought it would be giving France too much power
Britain
Maintained economic trading with Germany
Empire grew from German colonies
Impacts on Germany
Humiliation - War Guilt Clause - blamed Weimar - Stab in the back myth
Freikorps - led to Putsch's - Kaap Putsch
defeated by general strike - paralysed essential services, transport and power - increased political violence
Could not afford reparations - budget deficit - printing more money - inflation
#
led to Invasion of Ruhr - violence - bad economically - inflation
100 workers dead
took Germany's valuable resources, no goods to trade, coal, couldn't produce in factories, higher prices
Fair?
Also argued their economic problems were partly self-inflicted (Kaiser did not raise taxes to pay for war, allowed debts to mount up)
Germany was harsh with Russia in Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1918) -> defeated Russia were fined 6 billion marks + Russia lost 25% of its territories compared to 12% of Germany
Mostly, self-determination was applied
Germany had invaded France twice (1870 & 1914), resulting in great material and human cost (1.7million French dead) -> Treaty justified in its attempt to prevent another invasion of French territory
Unfair?
Many Germans found themselves in foreign countries, against Wilson's principle of self-determination (principle that people have right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference of other countries) -> particularly resented in Polish Corridor and Danzig (largely German-speaking areas given to Poland so it could have sea access)
Germany had to disarm while no other nations had to do so, 100,000 was little more than a police force