Key Question 1: Was the Treaty

of Versailles Fair?
 The Paris Peace Conference
• The 11 November 1918 armistice was a temporary peace arrangement.
• The Paris Peace Conference opened on 18 January 1919 to establish a
permanent peace arrangement.
• Attended by leaders of the former Allied Powers.
• Five treaties were drawn up in the conference. The main was the Treaty of
Versailles, which dealt with Germany. The other treaties dealt with
Germany’s allies.
• 32 nations were supposed to be present, but no one from the defeated
countries were invited
• Germany was banned from the talks
• All of the important decisions on the fate of Germany were taken by
Clemenceau (Prime Minister of France), Lloyd George (Prime Minister of
Britain) and Wilson (USA President), who together was called the ‘The Big
Three’.
PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON

• Don’t be too harsh on

Germany.
• Strengthen Democracy in
defeated nations.
• Give self-determination to
small countries that had
once been part of
European empire.
• International cooperation
 WILSON’S FOURTEEN POINTS
❖No Secret treaties.
❖Free access to the seas at wartime and peacetime.
❖Free trade between the countries.
❖All countries to work towards disarmament.
❖Colonies to have a say in their own future.
❖German troops to leave Russia.
❖Independence for Belgium.
❖France to regain Alsace-Lorraine.
❖Frontier between Italy and Austria to be adjusted.
❖Self-determination for the people of Eastern Europe (they should rule themselves and not be
ruled by empires).
❖Serbia to have access to the sea.
❖Self-determination for the people in the Turkish empire.
❖Poland to become an independent state with access to the sea.
❖League of Nations to Be formed for peace and securing borders.
 GEORGES CLEMENCEAU
• A hard, tough politician with a reputation for
being uncompromising. He had seen his
country invaded twice by Germanys, in 1870
and in 1914
• The major disagreement was over Germany.
Clemenceau and other French leaders saw
the treaty as an opportunity to cripple
Germany so that it could not attack France
again
 WHAT DID CLEMENCEAU WANT?
• Huge territorial loss for Germany- return of key provinces
like Alsace and Lorraine: Taken away from France during
the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71
• Handing over of the Saarland (area around the river
Saar)
• Independence of the Rhineland
• Completely disbanding the German army- ensuring that
it was not able to attack France and other countries
again-Disarmament of the army, navy, air force
• Reparations to be paid to France for losses suffered
during the war.
• His harsh political position earned him the epithet ‘Tiger’
ALSACE-LORRAINE
THE
SAARLAND
 THE SAARLAND

Saarland had
economic and strategic
importance in the
nineteenth century due
to the wealth of its coal
deposits and the heavy
industrialization that
grew as a result
ALSACE-LORRAINE

Because of its ancient German associations and

because of its large German-speaking population,
Alsace-Lorraine was incorporated into the German
Empire after France’s defeat in the Franco-
German War (1870–71).

The loss of Alsace-Lorraine was a major cause of

anti-German feeling in France in the period from
1871 to 1914.

France also suffered economically from the loss of

Alsace-Lorraine’s valuable iron ore deposits, iron-
and steelmaking plants, and other industries to
Germany.
THE RHINELAND
 THE RHINELAND

• For many years the Rhineland area had been a key industrial
region of Germany, producing coal, steel and iron resources.

• The Rhineland also formed a natural barrier to its neighbour

and rival, France.

• It was a territory that was often utilized to station German

military forces.

• This is the primary reason for Clemenceau’s demand for an

independent Rhineland
Why were Clemenceau’s aims so harsh?

• Lost 1.4 million men in the war — workforce had almost been
wiped out.
• Experienced great destruction and suffering.
• World War I was the second time France was invaded by
Germany.
• People wanted harsh and vindictive punishment for Germany.
• Georges Clemenceau’s intention was to punish — make Germany
pay for the destruction and suffering caused by the invasion and
cripple Germany so that it would not happen again
Why did the ‘Big Three’ have different
intentions?

• Not at the forefront of the war and did not suffer heavy
casualties.
• Its people were comparatively oblivious to World War I as it
was, strictly speaking, not their war.
• Woodrow Wilson was idealistic. His intention was to
champion peace, the principle of self-determination and
democracy — Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
DAVID LLOYD GEORGE

• He agreed with Wilson on many issues,

particularly that Germany should be punished
but not too harshly. He did not want Germany to
seek revenge in the future.
• He also wanted to resume her trade with
Germany as it was before the war.
• Unlike Wilson, Lloyd George had the needs of
the British empire in mind.
• He wanted Germany to lose its navy and its
colonies as it threatened the British Empire
• He occupied the middle ground between the
views of Wilson and Clemenceau
• Lloyd George, wished for the British Empire to remain supreme across the
world, and saw Germany’s navy and oversees colonies as a threat to the
British Empire. He therefore supported the disarmament of the German navy.

• However, despite this loss of territory overseas, Lloyd George, knew that the
treaty shouldn’t punish Germany too much as this may provoke another war.

• Lloyd George also had another reason for ensuring that Germany wasn’t
punished too harshly. Many British jobs depended on trade with Germany.

• Lloyd George faced a difficult challenge as the British public wanted to

punish Germany harshly for the war in the Peace Treaty. Llyod George had
won the 1918 elections in Britain by “promising to make Germany pay”. He
therefore had to deal with constant pressures at home.
Why did the ‘Big Three’ have different
intentions?

• The fiercest fighting did not take place on its land.

• Losses not as great compared to France.
• Did not feel as aggrieved as the French.
• Seeking stern justice and deterrence, not
vengeance.
• David Lloyd-George’s intention was to deter
Germany from starting. another war and achieve a
severe but not overly-harsh justice
 Who do you think said this?

We want a peace which will be just,

but not vindictive... Above all, we
want to protect the future against a
repetition of the horrors of this war.
 MAIN TERMS OF THE
TREATY OF VERSAILLES

• WAR GUILT CLAUSE

• TERRITORIAL LOSS FOR GERMANY
• MILITARY CUT-DOWN FOR GERMANY
• LEAGUE OF NATIONS WAS TO BE
FRAMED AS AN ‘INTERNATIONAL
POLICE’.
 WAR GUILT CLAUSE
• Germany to bear full responsibility for the war and
compensate for it
• A reparation commission was set up to make the financial
estimates.
• The estimate was later made to reparations totaling £6,600
million.
• This was implemented in order to financially cripple Germany.
 TERRITORIAL LOSS FOR
GERMANY

• Lost all of its overseas colonies.

• Alsace and Lorraine was handed over to France
• Forbidden to form a union or Anschluss with Austria
• Lost control of the coal-rich region, the Saar, to the French for 15
years, after which a plebiscite would be organized to allow the
inhabitants to decide which country they wished to belong to.
• Cancellation of the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk-three
independent states Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia formed
 ALLIES
DIMEMBERING
GERMANY
 MILITARY LOSS

Size of German army- Restricted to 100,000 professional soldiers. Ensured that

Germany would never be able to build up a large reserve force that it could call up in the
event of war.
Wartime weapons- All were to be destroyed.
Conscription was prohibited to prevent build-up of armed forces.
Removal of war machines: No air force, submarines or tanks. The Navy was limited to
six battleships and a few smaller ships.
Demilitarized zone: No German military forces were allowed to be stationed in the
Rhineland, an area along Germany’s western borders with France. Instead, Allied troops
would occupy it for 15 years and thereafter, there was to be no troops in the zone.
The Allied and Associated Governments affirm
and Germany accepts the responsibility of
Germany and her allies for causing all the loss
and damage to which the Allied and Associated ARTICLE 231,
Governments and their nationals have been TREATY OF
VERSAILLES
subjected to as a consequence of the war
imposed upon them by the aggression of
Germany and her allies… Germany has to pay
compensation to the Allies,… failing which the
Allies will have the right to occupy its territories.
 WAR GUILT CLAUSE

We
We wanted
wanted aa fairfair treaty
treaty andand got got
nothing
nothing of of the
the sort.
sort. The
The German
German
population
population feels feels angry
angry and and in in part,
part,
humiliated
humiliated by by the
the terms.
terms. ThisThis treaty
treaty
does
does not not stand
stand for for right.
right. ItIt is
is aa
dictated
dictated peace
peace that that will
will provoke
provoke
fresh
fresh hatred
hatred between
between the the nations.
nations.
This
This peace
peace willwill not
not bebe aa peace
peace that that
German will
will last.
last.
President
Friedrich Ebert
 WHY WERE WOODROW
WILSON’S AIMS NOT MET
COMPLETELY?

Wilson got:
1. A League of Nations
2. Demilitarization of the Rhineland
2. Self-determination for the peoples of Eastern Europe,
But he was disappointed with the Treaty:
a. Some of his ‘Fourteen Points’ did not get into the Treaty
• Free access to the sea was not acceptable to Britain because its naval
strength was important for protecting the British empire. (Point 2)
• While the colonies of Germany had been taken away, Britian and France
expanded their colonies. This meant that the principle of self-determination
had not been met.
 WHY WERE WOODROW
WILSON’S AIMS NOT MET
COMPLETELY?

b. Opposition at home:
• When Wilson went back to
America, the Senate refused
to join the League of Nations,
and even refused to ratify the
Treaty of Versailles.
• Wilson did not get the two
third’s majority needed to
ratify the treaty.
 WERE CLEMENCEAU’S AIMS
MET COMPLETELY?

Clemenceau liked the harsh things that were in

the Treaty:
1. Reparations (would repair the damage to
France),
2. The tiny German army, and
3. The demilitarized zone in the Rhineland
(would both protect France). The Rhineland
would act as a buffer zone between the two
countries
4. France got Alsace-Lorraine, and German
colonies.
 WHY WERE CLEMENCEAU’S
AIMS NOT MET COMPLETELY?

a. He wanted the Treaty to be harsher

b. He wanted Germany to be split up into smaller countries.
c. Refusal of the US to join League of Nations and support
the Treaty of Versailles:
• This prevented a US guarantee for protection against any
further German attack.
 DID DAVID LLYOD GEORGE GET
EVERYTHING HE WANTED?

Many British people wanted to ‘make Germany pay’, and Lloyd George liked:
1. The fact that Britain got some German colonies expanded the British
Empire. This included German South-West Africa (Nambia) and German East-
Africa (part of Tanzania), Togoland and Cameroon.
2. The small German navy helped Britain to continue to 'rule the waves’. Naval
supremacy of Britain was boosted.
But Lloyd George still had some disagreements the Treaty:
a. He thought that the Treaty was far too harsh and would ruin Germany
economically. This would have repercussions for Britain and the whole of
Europe as well.
b. He thought it would cause another war in 25 years time.
 GERMAN REACTION TO THE
TREATY

WAR GUILT AND REPARATIONS-

Germany accepted the guilt, but believed that they alone did not start the war
and others, including Russia and France, too should share the blame. This
created bitter feelings as Germany had to pay all the war damages even
though their economy was weakened. Article 231 was regarded as a moral
criticism. Also, how could Germany pay the reparations if their important
resources, including industrial regions like the Saar, were taken away from
them?
 GERMAN REACTION TO THE
TREATY

GERMAN TERRITORIES- Germany had lost all of its overseas colonies, whereas
France and Britain were allowed to keep theirs.
DISARMAMENT- with an army of 100,000 Germany was crippled. It could not defend itself
against stronger neighbours like France and Britain. Despite Wilson’s 14 points calling for
disarmament, it was only enforced on Germany and not being followed by the Allies.
FOURTEEN POINTS AND THE LEAUGE OF NATIONS- The treatment towards Germany was not
keeping with the 14 Points and the League of Nations
NON-REPRESENTATION- Germany was angry because their government was not represented in
the peace talks. The treaty had been a diktat- it had been dictated to Germany without its
consent.
 Cartoon
published in
the Daily
Herald
 IMPACT ON GERMANY

POLITICAL VIOLENCE

HYPERINFLATION

CONFLICT IN THE RUHR

 POLITICAL VIOLENCE

THE KAPP PUTSCH: This was the name of a coup that was staged in the capital, Berlin, in
March 1920 under the command of Wolfgang Kapp. The aim was to overthrow the Weimar
government in Germany and establish a right wing government. This led to a strike by Berlin
workers and a disruption of essential services like power and transport. The coup was crushed
but internal disorder escalated.
POLITICAL ASSASSINATIONS: The finance minister Matthias Erzberger was assassinated by
a group called the Organization Consul. In 1922, the foreign minister of Germany, Walter
Rathenau, was assassinated for arranging the armistice and agreeing to the terms of the Treaty
of Versailles. Another unsuccessful rebellion was led by Adolf Hitler, known as the Munich
Putsch. He got off lightly on trial as many Germans shared his resentment with the Treaty of
Versailles. This resentment was later exploited by Hitler to gather support for the Nazi party.
 THE STAB IN THE BACK THEORY

According to this conspiracy theory, the German army had not been
defeated on the battlefield, but because social democratic politicians
had signed the armistice in order to take control. They believed that the
Weimar Government was made of cowards that had stabbed Germany
in the back by agreeing to sign the armistice.
The German politicians or the leaders of the Weimar Republic who
negotiated and signed the armistice that ended World War I in 1918
were referred to as the 'November Criminals'.
 HYPERINFLATION

Total losses incurred by Germany:

• 13% of her land
• 26% of coal deposits
• 75% of iron ore deposits
• All her colonies
• Alliances with other countries
• Most of the army and navy
 HYPERINFLATION

• The huge losses incurred by Germany meant that it was unable to pay the bill set up
by the Reparations Commission. The economy was in a state of complete downfall.
• High government expenditure was coupled with low income from taxes.
• The government responded to this crisis by printing more money. But this was money
was virtually worthless and this led to Hyperinflation. There was a tremendous
increase in prices.
• Wages began to be paid daily instead of weekly.
• A prosperous middle class family would find that the savings that would be enough for
them to buy a house in 1921, would not even allow them to buy a loaf of bread by
1923.
Compare the two
viewpoints.

Was does it reflect on

the domestic situation of
each of these
countries’?
CONFLICT IN THE RUHR
 CONFLICT IN THE RUHR
In January 1923, there was an invasion of the French and Belgians in the Ruhr region
to take its resources as compensation for the lack of payment of reparations.

Industrial growth stopped in the Ruhr and the Government’s income fell as a result.

This situation, coupled with hyperinflation, made the economic situation worse in
Germany. The workers, miners and civil servants organized a strike as a protest against
this.
The protest could not remain non-violent as the Government had intended. Bridges
and railway lines were blown up by the protesting workers.
With the escalating violence, the strike was finally called off in September 1923, with
the coming to power of the new coalition government under Gustav Stresemann.
However, the violence and civil unrest triggered by this invasion led to widespread
anarchy in Germany.
 HOW HAS THE TREATY BEEN SEEN
WITH HINDSIGHT?

❑Looking back at the treaty from today’s point of view we knew that it
helped to create the cruel Nazi regime in Germany and helped cause the
Second world War.
❑Hindsight means- when we look back at historical events and judge it
knowing its historical consequences.
❑Some historians side with critics of the treaty and its makers.
❑Others point out that the majority of people outside Germany thought that
the treaty was fair and that more generous treaty would have been totally
unacceptable to public opinion in Britain and France. They highlight that the
peace makers had a difficult job handling public opinion.
❑Some even say that the treaty was the best that could be achieved under
such circumstances.
 THE TREATY WAS FAIR!

In some ways it could be argued to have been a very fair treaty.

butchered. The German Kaiser Wilhelm II had been aggressive in pursuing his aims
pre-1914.

Moreover, at Brest-Litovsk Germany had been exceptionally hard on a defeated

Russia and many felt it was nothing less than they should expect. Russia had lost
54% of its industry and so it was felt that Germany would have imposed a similar
set of harsh terms, perhaps harsher still, on the Allies had she been victorious.
 THE TREATY WAS FAIR!

•The Treaty could be justified militarily also. Remember France had been invaded by
Germany twice, in 1870 and 1914, and so many, especially in France, felt that the
German war machine simply could not be trusted and that geopolitical reasons
meant Germany was simply a natural aggressor.

•Thus the reduction of the army to a puny 100,000, the banning of both
conscription and the Anschluss, and the removal of all armoured vehicles,
submarines, and aircraft all seemed reasonable at the time.

•The Rhineland was demilitarized for this reason also – it was on the west of the
country and thus a crucial buffer area between France and Germany.
 THE TREATY WAS UNFAIR!
•One reason for this is in the obvious hatred it generated in Germany which,
many believe, laid the seeds for the Second World War.

•Germans had expected kinder treatment (remember Wilson’s 14 Points

were regarded by many Germans as a blueprint to peace and they were
issued 10 months prior, in January 1918). Wilson was an idealist. However,
many of his points such as the second (freedom of the seas) and the tenth
(self-determination) went wholly against British interests.

•At the time many in Britain felt the war was wholly caused by Germany.
However, it could be argued that this was double standards and that
Germany was not the only nation to cause war. Britain had been growing
militarily. Moreover, Britain had alliances (Triple Entente, 1907), Britain
was imperialistic (at one point two thirds of the world’s land surface
was ruled by Britain.
 THE TREATY WAS UNFAIR!

As such, if the traditional views of the causes of the war are accepted
(militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism) it can be argued
that Britain should share at least some of the blame with Germany.

Finally, when considering how fair or justified the Treaty was we should
consider the economic and political stability it was to lead to.
The new post-war German government faced massive problems from the
start and the Treaty led to massive economic problems for Germany. The
widespread discontent among the people has been regarded as the main
cause of the Second World War.