Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Compromise

• In the end the Treaty of Versailles was a compromise because

• 1. Pressure of Time

  They had to work quickly as the Austro-Hungarian Empire had started to break up as new states declared their independence and fought over borders

• The Armistice of 11th November was only a truce and so the Allied blockade continued, thousands of German civilians were starving

• The Allies feared that if a settlement was not reached quickly then Germany would succumb to a communist revolution.

The once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire was made up of hundreds of smaller nationalities and ethnicities. Revolutions and uprisings in late 1918 broke up the Empire as the war turned bad for the nation. Austria and Hungary would sign seperate peace deals with the Allies as independent nations.

• 2. Conflicting Interests

• All twenty seven countries made their own demands

• The Big Three disagreed on many points

• The peacemakers had to do a lot of work in a very short space of time

• To achieve a settlement quickly everyone had to compromise.

Multiple Choice

What did Clemenceau want?

• Peace without victory

• Revenge

• Nothing too harsh but appropriate punishment

Multiple Choice

What did Wilson want?

• Peace without victory

• Revenge

• Nothing too harsh but appropriate punishment

Multiple Choice

What did Lloyd George want?

• Peace without victory

• Revenge

• Nothing too harsh but appropriate punishment

The Terms

• The Treaty was signed on the 28th June in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles, just outside Paris.

• The Terms of the Treaty can be split into three categories:

• 1. Territorial

• 2. Military

• 3. Financial

Territorial Terms

• Rhineland to become a demilitarised zone (no German troops allowed)

• Coal rich Saar region to be held by France on behalf of League of Nations, plebiscite (vote) held after 15 years to decide to return to Germany or France

• Anschluss (union) with Austria forbidden

  Polish corridor to be given to Poland along with the city of Danzig to grant Poland access to the sea

• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France

• North Schleswig given to Denmark

Territorial Terms (cont.)

• German colonies were taken away and held as mandates by the League of Nations, governed by France and Britain

• Eupen and Malmedy were given to Belgium

• Upper Silesia was split between Germany and Poland

Military Terms

• German armed forces reduced to 100 000 volunteers

• German navy reduced to 6 battleships

• No submarines allowed

• No air-force allowed

• No armoured vehicles allowed

• German troops not allowed in Rhineland

The once proud German Imperial Army, who had fought both Russia and the British and French at the same time, and nearly won, was absolutely gutted by the Treaty of Versailles. The most powerful armed force in the world, it was the German peoples greatest pride, now shattered and reduced to nothing.

Financial Terms

• Germany forced to accept Article 231, the so called “War Guilt Clause”. Germany had to accept full blame for starting the war and were liable to pay for all damages

• Bill for reparations was set at 6.6 billion pounds (2.5 percent of German GDP, about USD$768 billion today). The last payment was made in 2010.

Who was was more satisfied with the Treaty?

• Clemenceau liked the harsh terms:

  –Reparations

  –Tiny German army

  –Return of Alsace-Lorraine, German colonies taken away

• •Wilson got:

  –Self determination for Eastern Europe

  –League of Nations

  –But he hated the treaty:

  •Few of his 14 Points were included

  •When he returned to USA the Senate voted against America joining the League and voted against signing the ToV.

Cont.

• •Lloyd George hated the Treaty for being too harsh, but he liked:

  –Britain getting German colonies

  –Small German navy

Poll

Now that you have seen the Terms of the Treaty, do you believe it was fair on Germany?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

Why do you think that?

Poll

Who do you think got what they wanted from the Treaty?

• Clemenceau

• Lloyd-George

• Wilson

• No one really

Open Ended

Why do you think that?