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MsBarbensRevisedEditedNoPoliticalCartoonsTreaty of Versailles
MsBarbensRevisedEditedNoPoliticalCartoonsTreaty of Versailles
MsBarbensRevisedEditedNoPoliticalCartoonsTreaty of Versailles
· At 11 a.m. on
November 11, 1918,
Germany agreed to the
armistice, ending
World War I.
The armistice was signed in a railway
carriage in the forest of Compiegne.
How and why are these two images of
the same event so different?
•News of the Armistice brought great relief.
• On both sides of no-man’s land, trenches erupted, they threw their helmets in the air,
discarded their guns, waved their hands, then the two groups of men all up and down
the fronts began edging toward each other, hesitantly at first, but when they met up, they
began hugging each other, dancing, jumping, passing out cigarettes and chocolate.
•The French & the Germans were not only hugging each other but kissing each other on
both cheeks as well.
•The final toll of the war was staggering.
•It lasted 4 years, involved more than 30 nations & was the bloodiest war in history to
that time.
•Deaths numbered over 30 million, half of them civilians who died as a result of disease,
starvation or exposure.
•In addition, 20 million more people were wounded & an additional 10 million became
refugees.
• Historians estimate the direct economic cost of the war to have been about $350
billion.
Total casualties: Russia = 9,300,000 Germany = 7,209,413
France = 6,220,800 Austria-Hungary = 4,650,200 Britain = 3,428,535
U.S. = 325,236
Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences
Social:
• almost 10 million soldiers were killed and over
20 million are wounded
• millions of civilians died as a result of the
hostilities, famine, and disease
• the world was left with hatred, intolerance, and
extreme nationalism.
Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences Continued
Economic:
• the total cost of the war: over $350 billion. How was
this paid for???
– heavy taxes: causes lower standard of living for the
European people.
• international trade suffers: nations raise the tariffs on
imports and exports.
• Russia: communist seize power and introduce a new
economic system.
• economic collapses bring on the Great Depression of
the late 1920’s and 1930’s.
Aftermath of World War I:
Consequences Continued
Political:
• U. S. emerges as a world power because of the assumption of
international responsibilities.
• 3 major European dynasties are taken out of power:
Romanovs--Russia, Hohenzollerns--Germany, Hapsburgs--
Austria-Hungary.
• New states are created in central Europe, some containing
several different nationalities, especially in Poland and
Czechoslovakia.
• The League of Nations is created to solve international
problems and maintain world peace. Will be a failure.
• Many nations turn to military dictatorships—primarily Russia,
Italy, and Germany, to control their political problems.
Does this information help you to understand why so many people wanted
revenge after the war? Why or why not? Respond on Left Side.
•The cost of the war was roughly nine thousand million pounds
•Millions more people died after the war due to famine and disease
“In France and Belgium, where most of the war was fought,
300,000 houses, 6,000 factories, 1,000 miles of railway,
2,000 breweries and 112 coal mines were destroyed…In
some ways, mankind has never recovered from the horrors
of the First World War.”
Discuss how difficult must it have been for the Allies to get the
right balance between punishment and creating a lasting peace? Do
with your partner and write on Left Side.
David Lloyd George
• The prime minister of Great
Britain.
• He was a realist.
• An experienced politician
who realised there must be
compromise.
• The people of Britain
wanted revenge.
• He knew this would lead to
war but he represented the
people.
Lloyd George (UK)
BUT Overall, Lloyd George did not want to punish Germany too
harshly as he did not want Germany seeking revenge in the future
Britain
• Protect overseas territory
and naval superiority
• Germany can remain a
major power
• Public opinion wanted
Germany to pay
• Represented by David
Lloyd George
Great Britain’s Peace of
Vengeance
• David Lloyd George of Great Britain had two views on
how Germany should be treated.
• His public image was simple.
• He was a politician and politicians needed the support of
the public to succeed in elections.
• If he had come across as being soft on Germany, he would
have been speedily voted out of office.
• The British public was after revenge and Lloyd George's
public image reflected this mood.
• "Hang the Kaiser" and "Make Germany Pay" were two
very common calls in the era immediately after the end of
the war and Lloyd George, looking for public support,
echoed these views.
“The Children” by Rudyard Kipling 1917
• These were our children who died for our • They bought us anew with their blood,
lands: they were dear in our sight. forbearing to blame us,
• We have only the memory left of their • Those hours which we had not made good
home-treasured sayings and laughter. when the Judgement o’ercame us.
• • They believed us and perished for it. Our
The price of our loss shall be paid to our
statecraft, our learning
hands, not another’s hereafter.
• Delivered them bound to the Pit and alive to
• Neither the Alien nor Priest shall decide the burning
it. That is our right. • Whither they mirthfully hastened as jostling
• But who shall return us the children? for honour---
• Not since her birth has our Earth seen such
• worth loosed upon her.
At the hour the Barbarian chose to
disclose his pretences,
• Nor was their agony brief, or once, only
• And raged against Man, they engaged, on
imposed on them.
the breasts that they bared for us, • The wounded, the war-spent, the sick received
• The first felon-strike of the sword he had no exemption:
long-time prepared for us, • Being cured they returned and endured and
• Their bodies were all our defence while achieved our redemption,
we wrought our defences. • Hopeless themselves of relief, till Death
marvelling, closed on them.
“The Children” continued
• That flesh we had nursed from the first in all cleanness was given
• To corruption unveiled and assailed by the malice of Heaven---
• By the heart-shaking jests of Decay where it lolled on the wires---
• To be blanched or gay-painted by fumes---to be cindered by fires---
• To be senselessly tossed and retossed in stale mutilation
• From crater to crater. For this we shall take expiation.
• But who shall return us our children?
• What stance does this poem take towards the peace process?
• How can you tell?
Lloyd George’s Private Views
• He was very concerned about the rise of
communism in Russia .
• He feared that it might spread to western Europe.
• After the war had finished, Lloyd George believed
that the spread of communism posed a far greater
threat to the world than a defeated Germany.
• Privately, he felt that Germany should be treated
in such a way that left her as a barrier to resist the
expected spread of communism.
• He did not want the people of Germany to
become so disillusioned with their government
that they turned to communism.
Private Views of Lloyd George
Continued
• Lloyd George did not want Germany treated
with lenience but he knew that Germany
would be the only country in central Europe
that could stop the spread of communism if
it burst over the frontiers of Russia.
• Germany had to be punished but not to the
extent that it left her destitute.
• However, it would have been political
suicide to have gone public with these views.
•Lloyd George (UK)
•
e a ce
P
Treaty of Versailles – end of WWI
• The main points of
the Treaty [BRAT]
• 1. Germany had
to accept the
Blame for
starting the war
• 2. Germany
paid
Reparations for
the damage done
during the war.
Versailles cont. .
• 3. Germany
was forbidden to
have submarines
or an air force.
She could have a
navy of only six
battleships, and
an Army of just
100,000 men.
Versailles
• 4. Germany
lost Territory
(land) in
Europe (see
map).
Germany’s
colonies were
given to
Britain and
France.
Germany had to hand over some
70,000 square kilometres of land.
This accounted for about 13% of
all of her land and six million of
her people who lived there.
An Allied Army was to occupy
the Rhineland for a period
of fifteen years.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Ger_claims_Prof_Delbruck_1917.jpg
Middle East Mandates
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3860950
The Treaty was designed
to cripple Germany
militarily, territorially and
economically
WAR GUILT CLAUSE
Germany had to accept GERMANY’S MILITARY
blame for starting WW1 FORCES REDUCED
NO UNION WITH AUSTRIA
- Army restricted to
100,000 men.
REPARATIONS
- No modern weapons
Germany forced to pay
massive fine for war
THE TERMS such as tanks, military air
OF THE TREATY OF force.
damages - 1,000,000,000
Marks (6.6bn pounds). VERSAILLES - Navy could not have
battle ships over 10,000
GERMAN OVERSEAS
1919 tons and no U-Boats.
TERRITORRIES
RHINELAND TO BE DE-MILITARISED
Germany lost Chinese
ports [Amoy and
Tsingtao], Pacific GERMAN NATIONAL TERRITORY
Islands, and African - Germany lost national territory which was given
colonies [Tanganika and to Belgium and Denmark, most went to Poland.
German SW Africa].
Things to Consider about the
Treaty
o Note 1: The reparations were progressively reduced by the
Dawes (1924) and Young (1929) Plans. In 1932 they were
forgiven completely. By that time the damage had been
done:
1. Destruction of the German currency and economy -
what was left after the war anyway -, and
2. Destruction of the nation's political stability that
allowed major riots and street battles between
Communists, Nazis and others, leading to the successful
grab for power by Adolf Hitler.
Things to Consider about the
Treaty
• Note 2: The terms imposed on Germany at
Versailles were much more mild than those
Germany had imposed on Russia (the Brest-Litovsk
treaty, summer 1918), or those that Germany
planned to impose on the Western Allies if she had
won the war - including, among other things, the
subjugation of Belgium, innocent victim of German
aggression in 1914.
Things to Consider about the
Treaty
• Note 3: Had the Versailles Treaty been applied as
envisioned, Germany would not have been
rearming in 1932.
– 1. The fact that Germany did rearm was not a
problem brought about by the Treaty.
– 2. In the end, Versailles became a dog's dinner. It
neither crushed Germany enough to stop her rise
again, yet it was still able to humiliate her.
1914--------------------1919
Newly Formed Countries
• Yugoslavia
• Czechoslovakia
• Poland
• East Prussia
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Estonia
• Turkey
• Finland
• Separate Austria and
Hungary
Redrawn Boundaries After Treaty
• Here are the newly
formed countries out
of the old Austria-
Hungary, German,
and Ottoman
Empires.
Old Countries with New Borders
• Italy
• Greece
• Bulgaria
• Romania
• Belgium
• Denmark
• France
A German nationalist responds to the terms of the treaty:
• “People and government have,
during the most recent days, • Do this on your Left
unambiguously made clear that Side:
we cannot sign the document
which our enemies call a peace. • What is his view of
One thing is certain, that any the Treaty of
government, which, by its
signature, would confer upon this Versailles?
work of the devil…the halo of
right, would, sooner or later be
• What is he
driven out…Nothing is left but to threatening?
remain cold-blooded, offer
passive resistance wherever
• Why does this not
possible, and show contempt and bode well for a lasting
pride”
peace?
• ---Alfred von Wegerer
• May 28, 1919
Shows Germany as beaten
but still big and solid enough
to be dangerous
British and
French police
Devastation
caused by war
Deliberately shown as
civilians (not army) GIVING HIM ROPE?
German criminal (to Allied Police): Here, I say,
stop! You’re hurting me!
Suggests cartoonist
thinks Germany will try [Aside] If I only whine enough I may be able to
to worm out of wriggle out of this yet!
responsibility for war
1. Describe the scene
shown, what is the
storyline? ‘Punch’ was
2. Then, assess the Britain’s main
individual features political
in the cartoon.
magazine of
3. Then, identify the the period.
political message
intended by the
cartoonist. Why the candle
‘snuffer’? What
political
message does
it represent?
What does
the ‘Angel’ What does
represent? the candle
represent?
Only fools, liars and criminals could hope for mercy from
the enemy. In these nights hatred grew in me, hatred for
those responsible for the dead.
By Adolf Hitler, who had served in the army and became a future leader
of Germany
• Gave rise to Hitler
who used the
Treaty of Versailles
as a rallying cry for
nationalism and
revenge.
• Dictated Peace of
Versailles
Film Clip
Film Clip
What was the League of Nations?
• An idea of American President Woodrow
Wilson following the first world war
• An international police force made up of
representatives of many countries
• An organisation that would allow disputes to
be settled without resorting to war, based in
Geneva (neutral).
Differing views on how the
League should operate:
America Britain France
Encourage
co-operation Stop aggression
AIMS
Improve
Disarmament social conditions
Aims of the League
1. Discourage aggression from any country
3. Encourage disarmament
Permanent court of
International Justice The Secretariat
Based at The Hague Kept records - civil service
Settle disputes peacefully
No power of enforcement
Powers of the League
• If a country ignored the ruling of the
League it could:
– Put pressure on
– Refuse to trade - sanctions
– Send in troops - member countries
join together
Powers of the League
The Covenant of the League set out three
ways the League could settle disputes:
*The League was anxious to keep Italy on side. Italy was their
best ally against Hitler.
• And Britain and France were making secret plans behind the League’s
back, offering Mussolini more of Abyssinia in return for stopping his
invasion
The League watched helplessly. Mussolini annexed the whole country. The
League had failed.
What were the reasons for the League of
Nations’ failures during the 1930s?
Self-interest Absence of Lack of Troops
important
We have
our own countries
problems!
There is Hitler
in the crowd.
Beginning of
his rise and
plans for
Germany.
Political Effects After WWI - Stab
In the Back & Hitler’s Rise
• The German and Austrian populaces, with their censored
presses, had been kept in the dark about the recent
military defeats of their armies, so that the surrender came
as a complete, nasty surprise
• As Germany itself had not been militarily conquered, its
citizens expected a mild, negotiated settlement, and were
stunned by the harsh peace treaty that their new leaders
eventually agreed to
• In the years after the war, conspiracy theories grew up in
which Germany had been defeated not on the battlefield,
but by treacherous politicians at home. Adolf Hitler would
later use these theories to great effect in rallying opposition
to German democrats, socialists and communists
Political Effects After WWI –
Stab in the Back & Hitler’s Rise
• Adolf Hitler, a veteran of the War's
worst firestorms, desperately
sought a reason for defeat
• Imbued with a burning hatred of
Jews, Bolsheviks and even
Democrats, the solution was
simple - the country had been
stabbed in the back by the
November Criminals, or in Hitler's
words: "a gang of despicable and
depraved criminals!"