End of WWI

End of WWI• Remember:• Foreign armies never entered Germany• Fighting had stopped with an armistice: a truce to

discuss peace – Germany thought they would be dealt with fairly – had created a republic in good faith after the abdication of the Kaiser – believed Wilson’s 14 points would be applied to their treatment

• Germany had conquered vast tracks of land to the east – saw themselves as having achieved many of their war aims

• German leaders, until the armistice, told civilians that Germany was winning

Essential Questions:1). How did the views of the "Big Three" influence

the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?

2). To what extent did these terms negatively affect Germany and contribute to future conflict?

3). How was the League of Nations a positive step toward achieving a lasting peace, and to what extent was it doomed from its conception?

Paris Peace Conferences (1919-1921)

i) Treaty of Versailles (Allies- Germany)ii) Treaty of St. Germain (Allies - Austria)iii) Treaty of Sevres (Allies - Turkey)iiii) Treaty of Trianon (Allies - Hungary

Paris Peace Conferences cont.

While many nations attended the Paris Peace Conferences, the ultimate decisions ended up being made by the “Big Three”:

- Georges Clemenceau – Prime Minister of France - Woodrow Wilson – President of USA-David Lloyd George – Prime Minister of England

The victorious allies needed to make sure that WWI was “the war to end all wars”, but they had differences of opinion on how to do this.

Key Participants & Views:

Georges Clemenceau (FRANCE):

- Revenge

- Compensation

- Security > guarantees that a similar war would never happen again

> only safe Germany is a crippled Germany – destroy it.

Woodrow Wilson (USA):

- wanted 14 points applied

- wants a Europe whose nationalities would rule themselves as open, democratic societies“Make the World Safe for Democracy”

- fair treatment of Germany

David Lloyd George (Britain):

- Wanted limited revenge

- HOWEVER: Germany should not be humiliated or made bankrupt b/c she would be unable to help get European industry and trade moving again; needed market for British goods

- feared the growth of Communism

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles:1. Territorial Losses:• Alsace, Lorraine returned to France

• Poland (re-created - supports right to self-determination) from German territory, in order for Poland to have sea access (called the “Polish Corridor”)

> puts Germans living there under control of Poles > against principle of self-determination

• League of Nations take control of Saar and the port city of Danzig

• Germany loses all colonies in Africa and the Pacific – the colonies are made into “mandates” controlled by Britain & France

2. Military Clauses:

• German army limited to 100 000 volunteers. No conscription.

• Existing navy handed over to Britain. New navy could have no more than 6 battleships.

• Germany not allowed to build U-boats, planes, or tanks.

• Rhineland demilitarized – no German troops allowed there. Allied troops stationed there instead.

3. Reparations (Compensation in money/goods)

• Germany to pay 6 600 million pounds in gold and goods

• All coal produced in Saar for 5 years to go to France.

• Was forced to give up entire merchant fleet

Effect: Economically devastating to Germany

• Most Important:

Article 231 – "War Guilt Clause“

Germany forced to accept full responsibility for the war - and therefore, responsible for all damage

Note: exceptions were made in the application of self-determination:

1. Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia2. Germans in the Polish corridor3. Germans in Alsace/Lorraine4. Union between Austria and Germany (called

Anchluss) was forbidden

German Perspective:

- Treaty was "Diktat" no choice - either sign or starve

- It was unfair, unjust, based on assumption that Germany was 100% to blame

- Terms left Germans feeling humiliated and bitter – many felt that the new republican government had “stabbed them in the back”

“Stab in the back” theory: Many Germans believed that Germany lost the war and signed a humiliating peace because of the following groups inside Germany:

1. Jews2. Bolsheviks (Communists)3. Democratic politicians (Liberals)4. Bankers (Jews)

- They did not blame:

1. German army2. German generals

Mass demonstration in front of the Reichstag against the Treaty of Versailles ("the brutal

peace")

Allied Perspective:

- Wanted compensation- wanted an end to war- wanted Germany crippled

*NOTE: connection with WWII > Hitler used T of V to argue that Germany had been abused, used it to appeal to German nationalism

League of Nations:•Purpose:

- To act as a guarantee against all wars

- to prevent war > idealistic, naive, unattainable

• Based on:

1. Internationalism: occurs when nations give up some of their sovereignty for the good of other nations

*2. Collective Security: the principle that nations

should work together to prevent aggressor states from taking over other nation - An attack on one = attack on all. But . . .

> League did not have an army: hoped that war could be prevented by economic weapons (called economic sanctions).

3. -Wilson's 14 points

•Membership:

• Open to “any fully self-governing state, dominion, or colony.”

Except: Germany, Russia/USSR not allowed

• First Assembly held in Geneva, 1920 – 42 nations were members

• Weaknesses: A. Membership Problems:

1) Russia not allowed to join > Communist

2) Germany not allowed because (according to Allies) Germany responsible for the war

Membership problems cont.

3) USA did not join b/c of ISOLATIONISM (Senate not approve membership)

> American public opinion shifting back to isolationism: did not want to be involved in foreign conflicts/disputes.

> Felt membership in the League would turn temporary involvement in Europe into permanent responsibility.

Membership problems cont.

4) France and Britain reluctantly joined because they thought US would be involved. Both nations paid little attention to the League

B. Lack of power by L of N:

1) Moral persuasion ineffective

2) No armed forces.

3) Economic Sanctions (embargo / blockade) were ineffective (eg. Italy 1935)(USA not involved, L of N countries not willing to sanction important trade goods).

C. League was linked too closely to 1919 peace treaties.

A country like Germany viewed the league as simply an instrument to uphold an unjust peace.

D. Nationalism too strong for Internationalism to work

Large countries unwilling to be told what to do by

smaller countries

The Search for Security in Europe post-WWI

A. French Efforts to Build Security in Europe:• France after 1919: felt alone and vulnerable in Europe. • US had not joined the League of Nations, meaning

France didn’t get treaty it wanted + now had no support from US in Europe.

1. Reparations

- France wanted high reparation payments not

just for retaliation, but to keep Germany weak.

The Ruhr Crisis:

• According to T of V: If Germany failed to pay reparations, the Allies could occupy the Ruhr Valley - heart of German industry (80% of coal/steel industry)

• 1923: French/Belgian troops occupy Ruhr b/c Germany fell behind on payments.

• In response, German government orders

people in Ruhr to stop working – passive resistance

• Led to hyperinflation - value of German Mark plummeted as more was printed until it became worthless

• Inflation causes German government to fall

• Inflation is an economic condition that results from an increase in the money supply. It causes the value of things to fall and the price of things to rise. At its most basic level, inflation boosts the cost of goods and services.

“When I was your age, I could buy a bag of candy for a penny!”

Over time, it takes more money to buy things.

• hyperinflation occurs when a country experiences very high and usually accelerating rates of inflation, causing the population to minimize their holdings of money. Under such conditions, the general price level within an economy increases rapidly as the official currency quickly loses real value

A 1000 Mark banknote, over-stamped in red with "Eine Milliarde Mark" i.e.

1,000,000,000 mark, issued in Germany during the hyperinflation of 1923

• New government formed under Gustav Stresemann

- Announced Germany would pay reparations.- New currency- Germany would cooperate and participate in

int'l affairs.- Led to Locarno Treaty (see notes to follow)

Reorganizing Reparations:• Dawes Plan (1924): International committee

headed by American banker, Charles G. Dawes, comes up with economic plan to help Germany pay reparations.- Result: Germany loaned $200 million to revive economy. Reparations enforced; French leave Ruhr

• Young Plan (1930): Reparations cut to $29 billion. Allies consent to end occupation of the Rhineland.

2. The Maginot Line: - A line of forts and tunnels along France’s

border with Germany.

- French military claimed it could withstand anything

2. The Maginot Line

The Maginot Line cont.

Problems: 1) Not built along border with Belgium

2) Outdated – based on static (defensive) WWI warfare

3. Treaties of Mutual Assistance- France sought out other European countries

threatened by Germany.

- Between 1920-1927: Treaties signed with Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia.

*Important: French did not trust League of Nations for security.

B. Other Moves Towards European Security:

i) Locarno Pact (1925 Series of treaties b/w Belg. France, UK and Germany which established the following:

• Fr./Germany/Belg. agreed not to make war on each other

• Germany accepted its western borders as agreed in T of V with France, Belgium

• Germany become member of League of Nations• Guaranteed by Britain (but Britain refused to guarantee

countries to the east of Germany.

- Result:

- Brought security in the West ,but left new Eastern states on their own (Poland)

- leads Germany to believe that it could change its eastern borders with little objection from Allies

ii) Kellogg-Briand Pact or Pact of Paris (1928)

- Not a formal treaty, but a declaration of 15 nations (including USA, Germany, USSR) denouncing war as a method of solving disputes.

iii) Washington Conference (1921) – Disarmament

• Conference hosted by United States, and conducted outside the auspices of the League of Nations

• treaties signed by gov'ts of US, UK, Japan, France and Italy

• Agree to reduce navies - naval arms limitations

• by mid- 1930s, Japan and Italy renounced the treaties.