Were the Peace Treaties of 1919-23 Fair?

What were the motives and aims of the Big Three at Versailles?
The leaders Lloyd George (Britain), Clemenceau (France) and Wilson (USA) met in the Paris
Peace Conference in January 1919 to draw up a peace treaty (Treaty of Versailles).
David Lloyd George (Britain)

Wanted Germany to be punished but not too harshly

Wanted Germany to lose its navy and its colonies as they pose as a threat towards the
British Empire.

Did not want Germany to seek revenge in the future and possibly start another war.

Keen for Britain and Germany to begin trading with each other again. Germany was
Britains second largest trading partner.

Woodrow Wilson (USA)

Was an idealist aim was to build a better and more peaceful world. Yet he believed that
Germany should be punished.

Believed the treaty shouldnt be as harsh; if Germany was treated harshly, as soon as it
recovers Germany wanted revenge.

Wanted to strengthen democracy in the defeated nation so that people would not let their
leader cause another war.

Propose to set up the League of Nations

Self-determination the idea that nations should rule themselves rather than be ruled by
others

Georges Clemenceau (France)

Germany was a threat towards France.

France suffered badly after the war: damages to its land, industry people, and selfconfidence. Two-thirds of the men who served in the French army has been killed or
injured.

Wanted to cripple Germany so that it could not attack France again. They say the treaty as
an opportunity to do so.

German lands were not as badly damaged as the French.

Frances population was in decline.

Knew he would need to compromise with Wilson and Lloyd George.

Verdict of the Treaty of Versailles

Clemenceau problem: it wasnt harsh enough. Also both Clemenceau and Lloyd George did not
support all of the Fourteen Points. The future of colonies should be reviewed and the wishes of
local people taken into consideration France and Britain both had large colonies overseas that
they wished to keep regardless of the feelings of the locals, there should not be secret deals or
treaties between states both had made secret treaties before and during WWI such as the Treaty
of London in 1915 and the level of armaments should be reduced in each country the British
navy was the strongest navy in the world.
Lloyd George: described it as a great pity and believed that another war would abrupt
Wilson: disappointed with the treaty. Went along with it as he thought the treaty could be sorted
out at a later date.
Terms of the Treaty of Versailles:
War guilt Germany had to accept the blame for starting the war
Reparations Germany had to pay reparation to the Allies for the damages caused. 6600 million
euros
German territories/colonies Germanys overseas empire was taken away. These colonies
became mandates controlled by the League of Nations (basically means that Britain and France
controlled them).

Togoland & Cameroon run by Britain and France

German South West Africa to South Africa

German East Africa to Britain

New Guinea to Australia

Samoa to New Zealand

The Marshall, Mariana and Caroline Islands to Japan

Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia became independent states

West Prussia and Posen to Poland

Danzig, run by the League of Nations, became a sea port for Poland

The Rhineland became a demilitarized zone

Alsace-Lorraine to France

Saarland, run by the League of Nation, and then a plebiscite to be held after 15 years.

North Schleswig to Denmark after a plebiscite

Germanys Armed Forces the German army became a threat to all powers, therefore the
Treaty degraded German armed forces to a weak level

Army was limited to 100,000 men

Soldiers had to be volunteers

No armored vehicles, submarines or aircrafts are allowed

Could only have 6 battleships

No German troops were permitted into the Rhineland as it bordered between Germany
and France

League of Nations set up as an international police force. Germany was not permitted to join
until it has shown to be a peace-loving country.
Impact of the Peace Treaty on Germany up to 1923
Economic Problems

bankruptcy all reserved gold has been used in WWI. Also had to pay reparation

occupation in the Ruhr French troops invaded the industrial region of Germany, the
Ruhr, and took all of its resources. Passive resistance was ineffective and the German
troops were unmatched by the French troops (750,000 soldiers). 80% of German coal and
iron were based there. This event increased Germanys debt, unemployment and the
shortage of goods

hyperinflation the German government constantly printed out more money to pay off
debts. However as prices increase more money gets printed out which then increased
prices again. Everyone found it difficult to buy necessities as people had to carry a
bundle of money to buy goods which made it inconvenient. There were a lot of shortages
as value of German marks starts to become worthless. Foreign supplier did not accept
German marks so imports and shortages of food started to decrease. People with saving
found their money to become worthless. Those affected were mostly middle class.
Despite this, farmers were better off as they get to charge their goods for a higher price as
well as businesses that have loans as money starts to lose value which means loans are
cheaper.

Other Peace Settlements

Treaty of St. Germain, 1919 dealt with Austria

Restricted to 30,000 and forbidden to reunite with Germany

Land given to Poland and Italy

Suffered severe economic problem, as much of the industry has gone to Czechoslovakia

New state called Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia

Treaty of Neuilly, 1919 dealt with Bulgaria

Lost land to Greece, Romania and Yugoslavia, and its access to the Mediterranean.

Limit its armed forces to 20,000

Pay 100 million euro

Treaty of Trianon, 1920 dealt with Hungary

Numerous of territories went to Romania

Lost substantial amount of its territory and its population

Suffered from lost of population and resources

Was due to pay reparation but the economy was so weak it never did

Treaty of Sevres, 1920 dealt with Turkey

Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco were turned into independent state or were run under French
or British protection.

Treaty of Brest-Litvosk 1918, dealt with USSR

Forced to accept treaty by the Germans

Lost 34% of its population, 32% of its agricultural land, 54% of its industry, 26% of its
railways, and 89% of its coalmines.

Had to pay 300 million gold rubbles

https://claudiawinarko.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/1-1-were-the-peace-treaties-of1919-23-fair/
http://www.johndclare.net/peace_treaties1.htm
http://www.johndclare.net/peace_treaties1_Answer.htm
http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/were-the-peace-treaties-of-19191923-fair.html#

A poets work is to name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start
arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep. ~Salman Rushdie

Words on Words, Words on Poems.

IGCSE REVISION ZONE HISTORY
Posted on March 25, 2011 by Lenny

REVISION POINT #1: Were the peace treaties of 191923

fair?
A) Study the extract, and then answer the questions which follow.
We want a peace which will be just. We want a stern peace because the occasion demands it, but
the severity must not be for vengeance, but for justice. Above all we want to protect the future
against a repetition of the horrors of this war.
Lloyd George speaking about the Paris Peace Conference.
(a) Describe what Clemenceau and Lloyd George each wanted to achieve in the peace settlement
of 191920.
Clemenceau: He was part of the Big Three, he represented France. He wanted to cripple
Germany, so that it never recovered and it wouldnt have the chance to take revenge. France was
devastated after de war, more than Germany, Clemenceau wanted to take all the colonies and
Alsace-Lorraine (to recover it). France was really angry, it wanted to punish Germany extremely
harshly. But Clemenceau knew that he would have to accept some issues to have what he
wanted. France was really threatened by Germany because it was a broader country and it would
be the first that Germany would attack.
Lloyd George: He was also part of the Big Three, he represented Great Britain. What he wanted
from the peace treaty was to punish Germany but not harshly. He wanted to punish it JUSTLY. In
the elections he had promised that he would make justice, he won so, he had to do it. He also
wanted to take German army, navy and colonies. It was a big threaten for the British. But
Germany was also a trading partner of Britain, and it wanted to continue trading with it. That is
another reason why he didnt want to punish Germany very much.
LUCILA LAFUENTE S3
(b) Why did the Treaty of Versailles cause problems for Germany in the years up to 1923?
The treaty of Versailles caused problems to Germany in the years up to 1923 because after the
war Germany was very weak. And they were very angry and ashamed, besides they were not
invited to join the League of Nations until the Locarno Treaty was signed (in 1925), so this
angered the Germans even more. Also there was a huge gap between the living standards of the
rich and the poor, there were a lot of widows, politicians were weak and they were blamed
because they had accepted the war guilt, the payment of reparations, giving up colonies and their

army and navy were limited. For the Germans accepting the blame for starting the war was very
harsh because they thought that all countries should share the blame. Besides they didnt realize
how bad Germanys army was until they lost the war- What is more they had to pay reparations,
which was a difficult task to do considering the poverty the war left. Later the lack of money led
to hyperinflation. But when Stressman won the elections and became president, he managed to
improve Germanys situation.
AGUSTINA SUBIR S3
(c) Was the Treaty of Versailles fair? Explain your answer.
The treaty was partly fair, these are some of the reasons.
When Russia left the war in 1917, Germany made a treaty with Russia which was harsher than
the treaty of Versailles. People thought that Germans had no rights to complain as the Treaty of
Brest-Litousk had been meaner.
Germany had to accept all the guilt for the war so they had to pay for all the reparations. The
total amount of money was really high and accepting the blame for something that should be
shared was very mean and unfair for the Germans.
The only country that disarmed was Germany because they were forced by the Treaty. It was
unfair for Germany to disarm when the 14 points and the League of Nations discouraged
countries from staying armed.
Another fact that was unfair from the Treaty of Versailles was that the winning countries wanted
to use the treaty to make lots of profits and benefits for themselves other than making justice or
making Germany and the other countries pay for what they had done.
The treaty was partly fair on German, they deserved some of the points but not all of them.

B) Study the extract, and then answer the questions which follow.
In my opinion, it is not possible to lay the entire responsibility for the war on any single nation.
By aiming at the destruction of the economic life of Germany this treaty threatens the health and
prosperity of the Allies themselves. By making impossible demands it leaves Europe more
unsettled than it found it.
John Maynard Keynes writing in 1920. Keynes was a British official in Paris at the Peace
Conference but left early, disgusted at the treatment of Germany.
(a) What did Clemenceau want to achieve from the peace settlement of 191920?

(b) Why did the terms of the Treaty of Versailles cause so much bitterness in Germany? [7]
The Treaty of Versailles caused so much bitterness in Germany because they thought that the
treaty was harsh. One of the reasons was because they didnt feel that they had all the blame for
starting the war and they had to accept, they lost lots of territories and colonies, this was a major
blow to Germanys pride and to its economy. Germany economy was so bad and paying
reparations made the economy worse than it was. She was furious because the army was reduced
too much for a country of Germanys size. Also she wasnt invited to join the League of Nations,
which made her furious.

(c) The peacemakers of 191923 coped successfully with the problems they faced. How far
do you agree with this statement on the treaties made with the defeated powers? Explain
your answer. [8]
In the next essay I will explain how far the peacemakers of 1919-23 coped with the problems
they faced.
After the war, a number of treaties were established, such as St. Germain, Neuilly, Trianon,
Sevres and last but not least, the most memorable one, The Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of
Versailles aim was to make Germany pay because of all the damage she had caused in many
countries such as France. The thing about it was how harsh it was. German reactions to it were
horrifying; they were being forced to accept a harsh treaty without any choice or even a
comment. They were being forced to accept war guilt, reparations and to lose army and territory.
Moreover, the Treaty of St Germain in 1919 dealt with Austria which was really out sorting out a
chaotic jumble of territories into new states rather than punishing Austria. This Treaty left many
countries, like Italy, willing to get more land than what they got. Concerning the Treaty of
Neuilly in 1919 which dealt with Bulgaria, she did well compared to Germany, Austria and
Hungary. However, it lost lands, paid reparations, etc. In the Treaty of Trianon in 1920 Hungary
which lost a substantial amount of territory, its economy was so weak that it couldnt even pay
the reparations the Treaty established. Thats a sign of how badly the Treaty was thought, it is
ridiculous to ask money to a country that is so weak that it wont be able to pay. Finally, the
Treaty of Sevres in 1920-dealt with Turkey. Turkey lost many territories, although it was not a
successful treaty. Turks were outraged by it. Moreover, the motives of Britain and France in
taking control of former Turkish lands were suspect. The Arabs who had helped the British in the
war gained little. Palestine was also a controversial area.
So, as overall, we can easily see the peacemakers didnt totally cope with the problems they
faced. Countries didnt agree or they ended up not respecting the treaties, because they were
hard, or the countries finished taking revenge years later.

REVISION POINT #2: To what extent was the League of Nations a

success?
(a) Describe the humanitarian work of the League of Nations in the 1920s.
(b) Why was the League able to achieve some successes in the 1920s in dealing with
international disputes?
The League was able to achieve some successes in the 1920s in dealing with international
disputes because the atmosphere in Europe was very calm and peaceful. Even though USA had
become isolationist, they gave loans to the European countries. For example, as the USA gave
loans to Germany they could pay France, and at the same time, with that money France repaid
the loans that the US had given them during the war. As the economies were reactivating the
general mood was improving, because of this, everyone was more cooperative when they had
disputes and resolved it in a friendlier way and without causing many problems.
(c) How far can the World Depression be blamed for the failure of the League? Explain
your answer.
In the next essay I will explain how far the World Depression can be blamed for the failure of the
League.
On the one hand, the World Depression can be blamed for the failure of the League, since there
had been a crash in world trade, which damaged the trade and industry of all countries and it
affected relations between countries. Also, it led to important political changes within countries.
On the other hand, there were other causes such as decisions which were slow, when the League
was supposed to act quickly and with determination.
Furthermore, the economic sanctions didnt work, because the league didnt impose them, since
they were worried that without the USA they wouldnt work. What is more, when they imposed
them, they were easily broken.
Moreover, Britain and France that were the leading members, werent prepared to abandon their
own self-interest to support the League.
In addition, the League had no armed forces of its own and it was bound to uphold the peace
treaties which had created it.
Last but not least, at any one time important countries were not members such as Germany, the
USSR, and the USA that was never a member, so without such major powers, the League lacked
authority.
In conclusion, the World Depression can be blamed for the failure of the League, but there are
many other causes which helped for the failure.

Study the extract, and then answer the questions which follow.

Article 16: Should any member of the League resort to war, it shall be regarded as having
committed an act of war against all other members of the League, and this will end immediately
all trade and financial relations with that member.
From the Covenant of the League of Nations.
(a) How did the League of Nations hope to prevent future wars between nations? [5]
One of the aims of the League of Nations was to discourage aggression, preventing war was part
of this aim. They hoped to prevent future wars between countries by, first apply economic
sanctions, for example, stop trading with the aggressor or stop any financial relations; If this
wouldnt function they would send troops to the place to defend the country that was being
attacked. One very important method that the League tried to apply was disarmament. They
encouraged disarmament, but any country applied it. any of them were prepared for being the
first in disarm. Germany was forced to do it, so it disarmed, but this caused a lot of problems.
(b) Why did the League of Nations fail to restrict the aggression of Japan in the 1930s?
(c) How far was the League of Nations a failure? Explain your answer.
The League of Nations was not a complete failure as a lot people say. But why?
On the one hand, they could solve many disputes and achieve some objectives. Such as, the
dispute for Upper Silesia, in which Germany and Poland wanted to control it. The Aaland
Islands; and the conflict in Bulgaria. Also, the League improved the living and working
conditions around the world. These issues could be solved quickly and effectively.
On the other hand, not all the disputes were solved correctly and quickly. For example the Vilna
dispute between Poland and Lithuania; the dispute in Corfu between the Greeks and Italians; the
Geneva Protocol could not be solve; but the disputes unsolved were not the only things that made
the League partly a failure. At the beginning, most of the countries were recovering from the war,
so everyone was interested in its own problems. In addition, disarmament was a complete failure,
neither of the countries disarmed. Also, a lot of decisions to different disputes were too slow and
when they took the final decision, the country did not accept it. The economic sanctions did not
work. As the League did not have an army, none of the countries wanted to set their army as the
League of Nations army. The economic crash of 1929 affected the whole world, consequently
the League was really affected by it, as the countries were only interested in recovering their
economy.
In conclusion, the League of Nations was not a complete failure, but had more failures than
successes.
http://lambrosini.cumbresblogs.com/2011/03/25/igcse-revision-zone-history/

http://gcsehistory.wikifoundry.com/page/Peace+Treaties+of+1919-23