Transcript treaty_of_versailles1_0

Treaty of Versailles
November 11th, 1918
--The War is Over
• What were the aims and
motives of the victorious
powers in drawing up the
Treaty of Versailles?
• Was the Treaty a fair one?
• Was the German response
justified?
The Treaty
• Compromise between all victorious nations
• Opinions differed on how to treat Germany
• Allied powers met to decide who caused the
war, who was to pay, and what was to
become of Germany, Austria and Europe as
a whole
France
• Led by Georges Clemenceau
• Heaviest casualties in terms of men and
property--1 250 000 men
• much of Northern France had been a
battlefield
• 90% of coal and iron industry destroyed
• 48 000 km of road and 23 000 factories
destroyed
• wanted reparations (payments made by the
defeated countries to repair the damage
done to the victorious countries)
• Felt Germany needed to be kept from
invading again
• REVENGE
Great Britain
• Led by Lloyd George
• Had lost 750 000 men and spent nearly 8
billion
• had to borrow from the US
• Similar to French but…
• Worried that too harsh a treaty might cause
future hostility
United States
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Led by Woodrow Wilson
Joined the war in April 1917
Lost 113 000 men
businessmen had lent money to countries like
Britain, had also taken over many foreign
markets--PROFIT
• felt they has rescued Europe and now wanted
their money back!
• Put forward the use of “the 14 points” designed
to establish a lasting peace in Europe
The terms of the
Treaty
The Treaty can be divided into
four sections:
• Territorial
• Military
• Financial
• General
Territorial
• Land was taken away from Germany :
– Example: Alsace-Lorraine (given to France),
Germany had to return to Russia land taken in the
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
– Some regions put under the control of the League
of Nations and the people of these regions would
be allowed to vote to stay in Germany or not in a
future referendum.
– The League of Nations also took control of
Germany's overseas colonies.
Military
•Germany’s army reduced to 100,000 men-- not
allowed tanks
•not allowed an airforce
•allowed only 6 capital naval ships and no
submarines
•The west of the Rhineland and 50 kms east of the
River Rhine was made into a demilitarised zone
(DMZ). No German soldier or weapon was
allowed into this zone. The Allies were to keep an
army of occupation on the west bank of the Rhine
for 15 years
Financial
– loss of vital industrial territory--severe blow to
any attempts by Germany to rebuild her
economy.
– Financial penalties linked to reparations, it
seemed clear to Germany that the Allies
wanted nothing else but to bankrupt her.
– Germany was also forbidden to unite with
Austria to form one superstate, in an attempt
to keep her economic potential to a minimum
General
There are three vital
clauses here:
1. Germany had to admit full
responsibility for starting the war.
This was Clause 231 - the
infamous "War Guilt Clause".
This made German people, (who had
also suffered casualties, destruction
and loss), very angry.
– 2. Germany had to pay reparations (mostly to
France and Belgium) for the damage done to the
infrastructure of both countries by the war.
– The figure was not set at Versailles - it was to be
determined later.
– The Germans were told to write a blank cheque
which the Allies would cash when it suited them.
The figure was eventually put at £6,600 million - a
huge sum of money well beyond Germany’s ability
to pay.
• 3. A League of Nations was set up to
keep world peace.
In fact, the first 26 clauses of the treaty
dealt with the League's organisation
Germany agreed to:
• Accept the new map of Europe
• Accept the decisions made by the new
League of Nations
• Limit the size of its army and navy
• To give up its Empire
• To accept blame for the war and to pay
reparations to countries that suffered damage
during the war