RESULTS OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES

Aims of the Big Three Georges Clemenceau, France Blame Germany -- punishment would be hard justice Wanted revenge Make Germany pay for damage Threatened by Germany, wanted an independent Rhineland and wanted Alsace-Lorraine Peace – wanted Germany weak and crippled

Woodrow Wilson, USA 14 Points Wanted a better world ‘safe for democracy’ Fair peace Self-determination International cooperation (League of Nations)

David Lloyd George, Great Britain Compromise Punish and make Germany pay, but not revenge like France Protect British Empire Trade Peace: did not want to create anger in Germany which would lead to war in the future.

6 Terms of the Treaty “GARGLE” Guilt – Clause 231, Germany accepted blame ‘for causing all the loss and damage’ of the war Army – limited to 100,000; no submarines; no airplanes; 6 battleships (ridiculous); Rhineland demilitarized Reparations – 6.6 billion British pounds to be paid in installments until 1984 Germany lost land – Alsace-Lorraine to France; Saar to France (15 years); Malmedy to Belgium; North Schleswig to Denmark; West Prussia and Upper Silesia to Poland; Danzig a ‘free city’; Memel to Lithuania; German colonies became “mandates” of the League of Nations League of Nations – set up Extra Points – Forbade Anschluss; Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania become independent states

Germany’s loss of territory from the Versailles Treaty

Other Treaties The Other Treaties of 1919–1920 The Treaty of Versailles was not the only treaty of 1919–20. But it was the most important. FOUR other treaties were made with the four countries who had helped Germany in the war. The Treaties were all named after parts of Paris: SaiNTS Saint Germain (with Austria), Neuilly (with Bulgaria), Trianon (with Hungary) and Sèvres (with Turkey).

Self-determination [CHAPS] The treaties created new nation-states (on map) Czechs and Slovaks in Czechoslovakia Hungarians in Hungary Austrians in Austria. Poles in Poland, Slavs in Yugoslavia, so it seems that self-determination was a success!

Why Were the Germans Angry? Tiny army – sailors sank their own ships rather than hand them over Loss of land – many Germans were forced to be citizens of other countries because of changed country lines Clause 231 (German guilt) Germany sent a soldier to sign the Treaty He refused to sign it – “To say such a thing would be a lie.” Reparations – said France and Britain were trying to starve their children to death. Refused to pay at first, but France and Britain invaded Germany (January 1921)

What France Thought Clemenceau: liked the harsh things that were in the Treaty: Reparations (would repair the damage to France), The tiny German army, and the demilitarised zone in the Rhineland (would protect France), France got Alsace-Lorraine, and German colonies. But he wanted the Treaty to be harsher.

What Britain Thought Lloyd George: Many British people wanted to ‘make Germany pay’, but Lloyd George hated the Treaty. He liked: the fact that Britain got some German colonies, the small German navy (helped British sea-power). But he thought that the Treaty was far too harsh.

What the United States Thought Wilson: Wilson got self-determination for the peoples of Eastern Europe, and a League of Nations, but he hated the Treaty: few of his ‘Fourteen Points’ got into the Treaty, when Wilson went back to the United States, the Senate refused to join the League of Nations, and even refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles!

Long-Term Importance German anger would turn against Europe Who is this weeping child? What will become of this weeping child in the future?