CH1 Impact of WW1 on Europe

CH1: Impact of WWI on Europe CH 1.1: The Treaty of Versailles Pre-War: 1. Causes of WW1: ● Militarism: The production of armaments for the use of gaining or defending territory. - Major countries which were arming themselves include Britain, France and Germany. ● Alliances: Alliances formed in secret between countries to aid and defend each other ● Nationalism: Patriotism towards one’s country and desire for its independence. ● Imperialism: When one country takes over another economically and politically. ● Assassination: The assassination of Austrian-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. This caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia 2. Secret diplomacy (one of the main reasons the LON was set up) turned an assassination-based war into a World War. LON Point 3. Germany did not start war, Austria-Hungary actually caused it (Austria-Hungary broke up, related to war guilt clause) UNFAIR 4. Germany had not been invaded before the armistice was signed, Weimar Republic, new democracy wanted peace and agreed on Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points UNFAIR - This is related to the resulting nationalistic post-war disapproval of the Weimar Republic in Germany Post-War: 1. Germany was not invited to the Paris Peace Conference and was only given 2 weeks compared to the 6 months used to negotiate to make comments, which were ignored. UNFAIR 2. Goals of the Big 3: Woodrow Wilson: ● Bind all countries together in a mutual alliance towards lasting peace ● Wanted to end ‘old world’ diplomacy which had led to war ● Germany should lose all its territorial gains ● Disarmament ● Restrictions on trade should be abolished (Brit opp) Evidence (term) in TOV: ● Proposed 14 point programme to shape modern international relations ● Formation of League of Nations (LON) Terms related to German territorial losses & de-militarization (*refer to specific terms in ToV) Georges Clemenceau: ● Determined to exact vengeance ie. gain back territories lost during 1870 Franco-Prussian War (USA and Brit opp)

● Wanted compensation caused the German war machine on French ground so it will cripple the German economy and make France powerful in Europe (USA and Brit Opp) ● Wanted to weaken Germany so it could never threaten France again eg. A de-militarized zone along border where Germany invaded France (USA and Brit opp) -Germany was never to have troops in Rhineland; French troops there to prevent unwanted attack Evidence (term) in TOV: ● Reparations term ● French troops stationed in the Rhineland (DMZ) to guard against any unwanted German attack Germany to return the province of Alsace-Lorraine David Lloyd George: ● Punish Germany (British public sentiment) (USA opp) ● Continue to conduct trade with Germany (one of British bigger trade partners) ● Prevent economy from failing so Germany would not be lured towards Bolshevism / Communism ● Wanted to retain British supremacy at sea and did not want to abolish trade restrictions & to control German overseas colonies Evidence (term) in TOV: ● Article 231 (war guilt clause) + Reparations £6,600,000,000 German overseas colonies taken away and given to Britain who had mandate over them In summary: Woodrow Peace, George Revenge, David punishment yet sustainability for trade, Italy and Japan: Promised rewards. Effects of TOV on Germany: 1. War Guilt Clause: Germans to accept full blame for damage caused in the war (cause of all other clauses (link to fact that Germany was not initial aggressor, link to fact that it was for the containment of an aggressor and reparation as Germany had caused great damage through the German war machine and bombing of USA’s ships, especially at the border between Germany and France, lack of argument link to treaty of Brest-Litovsk, whereby Germany planned to impose similarly harsh clauses on Russia which was withdrawing) 2. Reparations Fee: £6600 million reparations (link to war guilt, loss of industrial region such as Saar and the Port of Danzig, self-reparation, loss of able-bodied workers, rebellion and French & Belgian occupation of Ruhr, hyper-inflation, Dawes Plan) 3. Demilitarisation: 100,000 men, 15,000 men in Navy, no submarines, no tanks, no aircraft, no conscription. Demilitarisation of Rhineland until 1934, left vulnerable to France (link to WG Clause, employment of Friekorps during communist and nationalist rebellion, failure of self-defense during invasion of Ruhr, Hitler’s rearmament scheme)

-Germany unable to start another war, significantly less able to defend itself against Allied Powers 4. Territorial Reductions: Loss of pride due to fall from colonial mastery and loss of resource rich regions such as Saar, Rhineland and the Port of Danzig (link to WG Clause, separation of German-speaking Austria to prevent further aggression, return of Alsace-Lorraine even though Germany had won it by fair means from France 5. League of Nations: International peacekeeping organisation which involved the cooperation of many countries. Germany joined in 1926. What? TLDR; War Guilt, Territorial Losses, Demilitarisation, Reparations Unfair/Harsh/Negative (Besides Point 1, 4) Fair/Not Harsh/Positive (Besides Point 2) Austria-Hungary had initiated war however could not be punished as it was broken up into separate colonies after the war. ● Germany had only entered the war as a result of her diplomatic ties with Austria-Hungary. Thus the treaty was excessively harsh due to the ● War Guilt Clause which stated that Germany would accept full blame for the war. ● Should not have been held accountable for the resultant damage. Germany had been a main aggressor during the war and should be punished. ● Sinking of the US passenger-carrying ship the Lithuania, and the colossal loss of lives at the French-German borders due to German troops and the German war machine. This led to the clause of the reparations fee which ● Therefore Germany was rightfully punished due to her acts of cruelty during the war. The terms in the TOV were geared towards the desires of the victors. ● George Clemenceau, the president of France, who sought to exact vengeance on Germany, was one of the key decision-makers behind the TOV. ● Germany was not invited to the Paris Peace Conference and given only two weeks to share their views on the TOV and even so, their comments were largely ignored. This led to terms such as the reparations fee of 6,600,000 pounds which was heavily detrimental to the already ailing German economy, and even directly opposed the principle of self-determination, whereby countries would be in control of their own fate, which was meant to be one of the core concepts to be employed in the TOV The Germans would have been equally harsh as victors. ● The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk which was planned to be imposed on the Russians which surrendered to Germany, severely plundered Russia of her resources such as her coal deposits. ● Thus the treaty was fair as clauses such as the heavy reparations fee of 6,600,000 pounds were substantiated by the similarly harsh treaty of Brest-Litovsk

● This caused certain unreasonable terms such as the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France even though Germany hand conquered it legally. It weakened Germany such that it was unable to defend herself. ● The Demilitarization Clause of the TOV maintained that Germany could only have 100,000 men, 15,000 Navy, no submarines, tanks aircraft and no conscription ● This left Germany vulnerable to attacks from other countries, especially the neighbouring France. This resulted in Germany’s failure to defend herself during the invasion of Ruhr, when French and Belgian troops occupied the area and the Germans could not retaliate ● Thus Germany was left at the mercy