The Treaty of Versailles
- Created by: Hollie Wickens
- Created on: 29-03-14 09:07
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- The Treaty of Versailles
- The Big Three
- Georges Clemenceau (France)
- Wanted France to be secure from future German attacks by weakening Germany and reducing its military strength
- Wanted harsh reparations for war damage from Germany
- Wanted a buffer zone - land between Germany and France taken from German control so that they would know if Germany were planning on attacking again
- The French wanted revenge on Germany for the destruction the war had caused
- Wanted France to be secure from future German attacks by weakening Germany and reducing its military strength
- David Lloyd George (UK)
- Wanted to protect British interests but was aware that treating Germany too harshly would store up trouble for the future
- Did not want harsh reparations, because they would prevent German recovery
- Britain was a trading nation, and German recovery was essential to European trade
- Did not want harsh reparations, because they would prevent German recovery
- Before the peace conference he had promised Britain that he would 'squeeze the German lemon until the pips squeak'
- Wanted to protect British interests but was aware that treating Germany too harshly would store up trouble for the future
- Woodrow Wilson (USA)
- Wanted his 'Fourteen Points' that he had come up with in January 1918 to be the basis for peace
- Was forced to compromise at Versailles as other nations were less idealistic
- Was weakened by lack of support back home
- Georges Clemenceau (France)
- The state of Europe in 1919
- France
- Around 60% of French young men had been killed or injured
- About 250,000 buildings had been destroyed
- About 8 000 square miles of farm land had been devastated
- Britain
- Lots of the country's young men had been killed
- Some land had been damaged
- People were unable to easily feed their families due to rationing caused by the war
- France
- The terms of the treaty
- Guilt
- Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war and all the damage
- War Guilt Clause
- Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war and all the damage
- Armed forces (military restrictions)
- No air force
- No tanks
- No submarines
- Army limited to 100 000 men
- No conscription
- Size and number of naval ships limited
- Navy imited to 15 000 men
- Reparations
- Payment the damage caused
- Fixed at £6,600 million in 1921
- League of Nations
- German Territory
- Danzig was made a free city under League of Nations control
- Poland could use the port for its external trade
- The Polish Corridor gave Poland access to the sea
- It also split East Prussia from the rest of Germany
- The Saar was put under League of Nations control for fifteen years
- France was given the products of the Saar coalfields as part of reparations payments
- The Rhineland was to be permanently de-militarised by Germany
- It would be occupied by the Allies for fiteen years
- Anschluss between Germany and Austria was forbidden
- Danzig was made a free city under League of Nations control
- Guilt
- Reactions to the treaty
- Germany hated the treaty
- They didn't accept guilt for starting the war
- They couldn't afford the reparations after spending money on the war
- They had not been present at the peace negotiations
- They were forced to sign the treaty, because the alternative was the resumption of war (it was a diktat)
- They felt vulnerable, as other countries did not reduce their armed forces
- They lost pride without armed forces
- Germany hated the treaty
- The Big Three
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