Topic 2: Peace making 1918-19 and the LoN

The Paris Peace Conference and what the 'Big Three

January 1919: The 'Big Three' meet in Paris for the Paris Peace Conference to reach a peaceful settlement over Europe's troubles
Woodrow Wilson wanted:
- 14 Points which included a LoN
- A better world 'safe for democracy'
- Self-determination of countries
Georges Clemenceau wanted:
- Revenge and 'hard justice' directed at Germany
- Reparations from Germany
- Independent Rhineland
- Regain Alsace-Lorraine
Lloyd George wanted:
- Promised at 1918 election to 'make Germany pay' but didn't want revenge like France
- Protect British empire and navy- disagreed with Wilson as he wanted free access for all countries to the seas
- Trade- so didn't want to cripple Germany too much

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28th June 1919: Germany signed Treaty. They rejected it as 'Diktat'- dictated peace
Territorial changes:
- Alsace-Lorraine returned to France, Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium, West Prussia, Posen and a part of Upper Silesia to Poland
- LoN to control the Saar for 15 years but France controlled the coalfields, Danzig made a free city under LoN control
- Lost all land they took from Russia, lost all colonies
- Forbidden to unite w/ Austria
Military restrictions:
- Conscription banned and 100,000 solider limit. No submarines, military aircraft or tanks. Only 6 battleships for navy.
- Demilitarised Rhineland (area in west Germany on border with France)
- Allies to keep army of occupation on the west bank for 15 years
War guilt: Clause 231, the 'war guilt clause' made Germany accept total war responsibility
Forced to pay £6.6bn in reparations

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Strengths:
- Signed by 45 countries as a worldwide agreement to end a World War
- Re-organised world map in which A.H, Turkish and Russian empires had collapsed
- Was accepted as a genuine attempt to create a better war-free world
Weaknesses:
- Deeply unpopular: French general Foch attacked it at Paris Peace Conference
- Japan and Italy resentful. They felt the Treaty didn't acknowledge their support enough
- Many American delegates went home to try and persuade Congress to reject it
- British economist John Keynes said reparations would damage world trade
- British people saw it as harsh. Even Lloyd George said it would cause war

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Germany labelled it as Diktat.
Germans outraged that they weren't represented at the Paris Peace Conference and thought they weren't to blame for the war as it was under a dictator (who had fled the country).
Felt stabbed in the back by 'November criminals' (those who chose in 1918 to end fighting)
Territorial losses resulted in millions of Germans living under foreign rule whilst other nations were given self-determination.
Accused Britian of France of trying to expand their empires when redistributing German colonies among themselves.
Angry that disarmament only really applied to Germany.

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42 countries initially. Rose to 60 in 1930s
Leading members: Britain, Japan, Italy, France
May 1920: US Senate voted against Treaty so US didn't join. Germany banned. USSR didn't join either
1933: Japan left over Manchurian crisis
1937: Italy left after making anti-comintern pact with Germany and Japan
Britain and France stayed as members the whole time but abandoned the idea of collective security after 1936. Hoare-Laval pact betrayed LoN.
1946: Formally disbanded by UN

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Wanted to stop war, improve lives and jobs and disarmament
Secretariat: carried out decisions made by Council. Failed due to communication difficulties (language)
Assembly: Met once a year. All member nations had 1 vote.
Council of the League: Major nations (big 4) that took major decisions
Int. Labour Organisation: Each nation sent 2 people- worker and employer. Discussed working conditions and possible improvements
Permament Court of Justice: 15 judges met in Netherlands to settle international disputes e.g fishing rights, frontiers
Special commisions: slavery, health, help for underdeveloped nations, minorities, women

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Japan ruled by the army. Wanted to create an empire after Depression for raw materials. Army controlled railway in Manchuria
September 1931: Japan claimed corrupt China sabotaged railway. Japan invaded and set up independent state 'Manchukuo'
Dec. 1931: League appointed Lord Lytton to investigate after China appealed
Oct. 1932: Lytton report after nearly 1 year saying Japan was the aggressor and to leave
24th Feb. 1933: Assembly voted that Japan return Manchuria but stayed in and invaded Jehol (next to Manchuria)
League couldn't agree economic sanctions or armed sales ban

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Italy wanted empire after Depression
Dec. 1934: incident at Wal-Wal regarding Abyssinian/Italian Somaliland border being disputed. Mussolini demanded apology from Haile Selassie (Abyssinian leader)
Feb. 1935: League set up commision. Didn't blame Abyssinia for Wal-Wal but proposed giving some of it to Italy. Mussolini rejected in Oct. the same year and invaded with tanks and flamethrowers. He even destroyed red cross hospitals.
League banned weapon sales and sanctioned rubber/metal (but this hurt Abyssinia more than Italy). They didn't ban oil sale or close the Suez Canal though which would have stopped invasion
Dec. 1935: Hoare-Laval pact leaked
Mar. 1936: Hitler marched into Rhineland and everyone forgot Abyssinia
May 1936: Mussolini completed conquest for Abyssinia
June 1936: Selassie went to LoN to appeal but was ignored

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