1 Were the peace treaties of 1919–23 fair?

Focus Points

Events Year Date

th
End of WW1 1918 11 November
Paris Peace Conference 1918 18th January
Treaty of Versailles 1919 28th June
Treaty Saint Germain 1919 September
Treaty of Neuilly 1919 November
Treaty of Trianon 1920 June
Treaty of Sevres 1920 August
Treaty of Lausanne 1923 June

What were the motives and aims of the Big Three at Versailles?
France (George Clemenceau)

- Future security of France

Reasons
▪ Share border with German
▪ No natural frontier
▪ Have lost to German in Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871
(Treaty of Frankfurt)
1. 5 billion Franc
2. Alsace-Lorraine
- Weakened Germany
Reason
▪ The most damaged country in WW1
▪ Revenge
- Permanent disarmament
- High Reparation
- Return of Alsace-Lorraine
- German colonies to be handed over France
- Rhineland to be independent state
- Gain access to Saar Basin
- Cripple Germany to small states (President Poincare)
- Reduce industrial strength

United States (Woodrow Wilson)

- Wilsons 14 point (January 1918- before WW1 end)

1. No more secret treaties
2. Free access to the sea
3. Free trade between countries
4. All countries to disarm
5. Self-determination for colonies
6. German troops to leave Russia
7. Independence of Belgium
8. France to regain Alsace and Lorraine
9. Frontier between Austria and Italy to be adjusted
10. Self-determination for people in eastern Europe
11. Serbia to have access of sea
12. Self-determination of people in Turkish empire
13. Poland to become independent with access to the sea
14. **League of Nation to be set up**

- Not to be too harsh on Germany

Reason
 ▪ War don’t take place on USA (few fatalities)
▪ War provide profitable trading and business opportunities to USA

- Strengthen Democracy in Defeated Countries

Lloyd George (Britain)

- Harsh treatment to Germany at first

Reasons
▪ Britain suffer attack on her land
▪ Heavy causalities of war
▪ Economy have been disrupted

- Change objectives toward harsh treatment (Not too high reparations)

Reasons
▪ Revival of European economy (It’s depends on Germany)
▪ German buy large scale of goods from Britain before WW1 (Trade partner)
▪ Barrier against Communist Russia

- Lose navy and all colonies

Reason
▪ It threatens British empire
- Didn’t want France to be too powerful

Main Terms of Treaty of Versailles (28th June 1919)

1. War Guilt
2. Reparation
▪ 6.6 billion pounds (132 billion gold mark)
3. Disarmament
▪ Army restricted to 100,000 men only
▪ Conscription banned
▪ Tanks, submarine, aircraft aren’t allowed
▪ No navy and air force
▪ Rhineland to become demilitarized zone
4. Territories
▪ Lost all the oversea colonies
▪ Alsace-Lorraine returned to France
▪ Lands taken from Russia in 1918 become independent state (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia)
▪ Danzig become free city
▪ Saar Basin to be run by League for 15 years (hold plebiscite later on)
▪ West Prussia and Upper Silesia to Poland
▪ No Anschluss (Union between Austria and Germany)
5. League of Nations
▪ Not invited to join League (1926-1933 member)
▪ Accept Covenant of League although it’s not member

Why did all the victors not get everything they wanted?
Clemenceau agreement:

- Return of Alsace and Lorraine

- German former colonies
- Major receipt of reparation
- Future security for France
▪ Rhineland become demilitarized zone
 ▪ Treaty reduce economic and military power of Germany

Clemenceau disagreement:

- Cripple Germany (both Britain and USA)

▪ As Lloyd George and Wilson didn’t want harsh treaties
- Permanent Disarmament (USA)
- Lands
Saar Basin to be transfer to France
▪ Instead got the control of coals mines Saar Basin
Danzig to be handed to Poland
▪ It became free city
Independent of Rhine Land (border between France and Germany)
▪ It became demilitarized zone
- Hight reparation figures Germany (both Britain and USA)
▪ Britain think the reparation might take away money to invest in business (for economic revival)
- Anglo American Treaty of Guarantee for France (both Britain and USA)
▪ Fail as American congress refuse to approve the treaty

Wilson agreement:

- League of Nations
- Defeated powers to be disarm (partly agree)
- Rhineland not divided into separate state
▪ Remain economic power to do business with USA
- Reparation figure isn’t too burdened
- Creation of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia

Wilson disagreement:
- Soft punishment toward Germany (France)
▪ France pointed out that USA didn’t suffer badly in war
- Self-determination for colonies (both Britain and France)
▪ As it directly affects British and France
- Self-determination for Eastern Europe (both Britain and France)
▪ Successful to some extent but they’re scattered across many countries so some people end up being ruled by different
customs and different languages. (Wilson could be blame for talking about the area while he doesn’t know well)
- Free navigation toward sea (Britain)
▪ As it affected British navy power
- Britain, France, Japan rewarding themselves former German colonies as mandate under League (both Britain and
France)
- Self-determination for Austro-Hungarian empire (France)
▪ Union between Austria and German forbidden (Anschluss)
▪ Germans in Sudeten land
- American public didn’t want to join to League

Lloyd George disagreement:

- German-speaking people under French or Polish rule (France)

- The British public wanted to see Germany punished hardly
▪ Want it moderate one to maintain it as trade partner

Lloyd George agreement:

- Europe economy to revive
- Extend colonies
- Navy threat removed
 - Still able to keep German buffer state against Communist
- Moderate Treaty

What was the impact of the peace treaty on Germany up to 1923?

Political Impacts
- Uprisings of Left-wing and Right-wing
▪ Left wing (Spartacist) – 3 times but fail
▪ Leaders - Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg
- Kapp Putsch 1920 (Right Wing)
▪ Led by Dr. Wolfgang Kapp to overthrow government
▪ Fail - as berlin workers strike and halted essential services (ex. transportation)
- Munich Putsch 1923
▪ Led by Hitler but fail
- Treaty of Versailles deprived the support for Democratic Government Weimar Republic since the start
- Lead to uprising of extreme parties (Communist and Nazi)

Economic Impacts
- Conflict in Ruhr
▪ German couldn’t pay reparation for second installment in 1922
▪ In 1923, French and Belgium soldier entered to take raw material and goods
▪ Workers strike
▪ Kill over 100 workers and expelling over 100,000 protestors from region
▪ Need to rehoused and displace Ruhr population
- Hyperinflation
▪ Government solve the problem by printing out more money
▪ Money became worthless
▪ Middleclass lost savings
▪ Goods become currency
- Problems solve by Stresemann 1923-1929 (Social, Political, Economic)
- Face economic problem again in 1929 (Wall Street Crash)

Could the treaties be justified at the time?

Fair
- Germany wasn’t cripple
- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Russia in 1918 is much harder
▪ 300 million gold rubles
▪ Territory lost (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia)
- Treaty of Frunk-fart in 1871
▪ 5 billion Francs
▪ Alsace-Lorraine
- Kaiser’s government allowed debts to mount up instead of taxes
▪ With the plan of extracting reparation from defeated states when they win
- Reparations are helped by Dawn Plan (1924) and Yong Plan (1929) of USA
▪ Their industry revived again until World Street Crash Started
▪ Dawn plans $29 billion (800 million mark)
- German still remain it great power position
▪ As collapse of Russian empire and Austria-Hungary empire
Unfair
(Germans reaction toward treaty)

- War guilt and reparations

▪ Blame should be shared
(Countries like Serbia and Russia is also part of causing the war)
▪ Pay reparation even their economy was already damaged due to war
- Disarmament
▪ 100,000 man was very little for German to protect their country
▪ Difficult to deal with revolt and uprisings
▪ According to 14 point every country should disarm
- German Territories
▪ Saar and Upper Silesia is both industrial area
▪ British and France enlarging their empire by German former colonies
▪ Some German need to live in foreign countries now
- Non- Representation in negotiation for Peace Settlement (Paris Peace Conference)
- League of Nation and Wilson’s 14 point
▪ Self-determination wasn’t followed.
(German speaking people are moved into non-German countries like Czechoslovakia)
(Union with Austria is forbidden – Anschluss)
▪ Not being invited into League

The peace treaties of 1919–23:

Treaty of Saint- Germain

- With Austria in 10th September 1919

Terms

- Break up of Austro-Hungarian empire

- Recognize creation of new sate
▪ Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland
- Transfer of lands
▪ Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania, Italy
- Austria’s army limited to 30,000 men
- No Anschluss with the Germany
(No reparation due to severe economic problems)

Result

- Austria end up as small landlock nation (no access to sea)

▪ Suffered severe economic problem
- 3 million Sudeten Germans are place in Czech rule
▪ Against the self-determination

Treaty of Trianon

- With Hungary in 4th June 1920

Terms

- Break up of Austro-Hungarian Empire

- Recognize creation of new sate
▪ Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland
- Transfer of lands
▪ Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania,
 - Reparation was requested but never paid

Results

- 70 percent of territories lost

- One-third of population lost
- Economy became weak

Treaty of Neuilly
- With Bulgaria in 27th November 1919
- Less harsh compare to other treaties

Terms
- Territory lost
▪ Greece, Czechoslovakia, Romania
- Army limited to 20,000 me
- 10 million pound as reparation

Treaty of Sevres

- With Turkey in 10th August 1920

Terms

- Disarmament
▪ Armed forces limited to 50,000 men
▪ Navy limited and no air force
- Territory lost
▪ To Bulgaria, Italy and Greece
▪ Lost province to Britain and France as mandate
▪ Recognize independent of Armenia
- Turkey’s tax system and finance are controlled by allies
- Bosporus and Dardanelles to become international waterway

Result

- Nationalist Mustafa Kemal Pasha object the treaty

- The treaty was readjusted as Treaty of Lausanne in 1923

Treaty of Lausanne
- With Turkey in 24th July 1923
- Renegotiated treaty of Sevres

Terms adjusted

- Control of Bosporus and Dardanelles

- No longer to pay reparation
- Smyrna, Anatolia and parts of Thrace become Turkish land
- Restriction on Armed Forces remove