KQ1: Were the Peace Treaties of 1919-1923 fair?

• WW1 ended on 11th November 1918 when Germany signed the Armistice
• January 1919 delegates from 32 countries met (Paris Peace Conference)
• Europe shattered by WW1 and economy in ruins
• over 15 million people were killed in the war
• Russian and Austrian empires collapsed
• map of Europe had to be redrawn
• many nationalities wanted 'self-determination'

Lloyd George (Britain)

• a 'comprimised peace'
• safeguard Britain's naval supremacy, land for British empire
• make Germany pay, but leave it strong enough to trade

Georges Clemenceau (France)

• a 'harsh peace'
• revenge and punish Germany with £200 billion reparations
• demilitarise Rhineland, gain land, Germany have no army

Woodrow Wilson (USA)

• a 'just peace'
• create League of Nations based on his Fourteen Points
• wanted equal disarmament and self-determination

• military restrictions: 100,000 soldiers in German army, 6 battleships in navy, no submarines, no airforce, Rhineland demilitarised, no tanks, 15,000 men in navy
• land loss: Danzig and Saar under League control, Polish Corridor, Alsace-Lorraine, Memel, Upper Silesia
• reparations: £6600 million set in 1921
• Anschluss - Germany can't unite with Austria
• League of Nations set up (Germany can't join)
• war guilt clause - Germany accept blame for the war (loss and damage)
• all German colonies given to France and Britain as 'mandates'
• Article 231

Saint Germain (Austria 10th September 1919)

Trianon (Hungary 4th June 1920)

Neuilly (Bulgaria 27th November 1919)

Sevres (Turkey 10th August 1920)

• each country had to lose land and reduce their military

• Germany thought it would be based on 14 Points
• called it a 'diktat' - a dictated peace
• called the politicians who made the peace 'November Criminals'
• extremists tried to overthrow the new democratic Weimar Republic (Spartacus 1919, Kapp Putsch 1920)
• Germany missed a reparations payment in 1923 which led to the French invading the Ruhr and hyperinflation

• the Big Three didn't get all what they wanted, had to compromise

• problems facing peacemakers were complex, could have been harsher
• Germans forced a much harsher peace on Russia in March 1918
• signed the Armistice agreeing to reduce armed forces, lose territory, pay reparations; so why surprised they were included in treaty?
• peacemakers set up League of Nations - assumed the League would deal with any issues the treaties caused

Summary;

• Germany hated everything about the treaty
• America hated nearly everything too
• Britain agreed with some parts of treaty
• France agreed with some parts