Summary Explained: GCSE AQA Conflict & Tension - the inter-war years
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Course
History
Institution
GCSE
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Conflict and tension: the inter-war years, 1918–1939.
Part one: Peace-making
1) The armistice: aims of the peacemakers; Wilson and the Fourteen Points; Clemenceau and Lloyd George; the
extent to which they achieved their aims.
a) Aims of the peacemakers
unanimous aims of the Big Three:
i. War cost 20 million lives- all wanted to stop future wars from happening
Purpose of the meeting:
i. Decide what would happen to Europe now war ended
ii. Sign lasting peace treaty
iii. Agree how to punish Germany + other countries at fault
Peace agreement called the Paris Peace Conference took place in 1919 in palace of Versailles
Germany not invited to the conference
b) Wilsons + 14 points
Wilson wanted a fair settlement based on his 14 points
Wanted settlement to allow development of a more peaceful world
Wilson’s 14 points published in January 1918 to guide the future peace making that took place in
1919
America did not suffer as bad as Britain or France
Fourteen points included:
i. Self-determination: principle that nationalities should be able to rule themselves – against
the idea of empires
ii. Disarmament of all countries
iii. League of nations to ensure peace in the future
Wilson was seen as an idealist- seeing hope for the future ignoring some of the harsh realities of the
time
Wanted to be fair towards Germany to help keep peace in Europe
c) Clemenceau:
Wanted a harsh peace treaty that would cripple Germany
French prime Minister – was 77 years old in 1919
He had seen France invaded twice by Germans in 1870 and 1914
He had seen the grate suffering caused by the war- 2/3 of solider that fought in the 1914-18 had
been killed or injured
Clemenceau wanted:
i. harsh treaty to weaken Germany – so could not attack again
ii. Punish Germany as France had suffered + lost huge amounts of raw materials
His views reflected French public opinion
d) Lloyd Gorge:
Middle ground
British Prime Minister David Lloyd George knew British public opinion was hostile to Germany. He
had won the election by stating he would ‘make Germany pay’
However, he wanted to not punish Germany to an extent that they wanted revenge
He wanted things that would help Britain e.g. Germany lose its colonies + its navy because these
threatened the British Empire
Lloyd Gorge wanted Germany to be able to recover internally as Germany had been on of Britain’s
main trading partners. prospering German industries would provide jobs for those involved in British
trade
2)The Versailles Settlement: Diktat; territorial changes; military restrictions; war guilt and reparations.
a) What was the Treaty of Versailles?
Agreed in the Paris peace conference in 1919
Was the treaty which punished Germany for WW1
b) Terms of the treaty of Versailles: GARGLE
Guilt:
, Under clause 231 Germany had to accept 100% of the blame for WW1
Army Reductions:
Germany army reduced- only allowed 100,000 men
Conscription was banned
Only allowed 6 battle ship- no submarines or air force
Germany forced to demilitarise the Rhineland
Reparations:
Germany had to pay £6.6 billion
This price was fixed by 1921 but they were allowed till 1984 to pay it back
Germany loss land:
Germany lost 10% of it land
Germany lost 12.5% of its population
16% of coal industry
50% of steel industry
100% of its overseas Empire
League of Nations:
League of Nations set up
Germany not allowed to be a part
Set up to encourage countries to settle their dispute by talking rather than war
Ended alliances:
Traditional union between Germany and Austria banned
c) Diktat
Treaty of Versailles punished Germany more than Germans expected they had assumed the terms
would have been guided by Wilsons 14 points
Germany = defeated country so was not invited to the conference. Despite this German gov believed
had reason to except fair treaty as Germany had changed:
The Kaiser: leader who had taken Germany into war had gone
Democrat: Germany had a new democratic constitution + new leaders
Government: new gov needed all help it could get to stabilise Germany + prevent
communist revolution
The Germans thought the treaty was extremally harsh and they were not allowed to negotiate so
they referred to it as a diktat- they were forced to publicly sign the treaty in June 1919 humiliating
3)Impact of the treaty and wider settlement: reactions of the Allies; German objections; strengths and weaknesses of
the settlement, including the problems faced by new states.
a) Extent to which the aims of the Big three were achieved:
Clemenceau:
i. Liked: military restrictions on Germany, gaining Alsace-Lorraine, reparations
ii. Disliked: League of Nations, Saar only gained for 15 years
Lloyd Gorge:
i. Liked: punishment of Germany, Mandated for ex-German colonies, naval restrictions
ii. Disliked: not enough recognition that Britain + Germany needed to re-establish trade links
Woodrow Wilson:
i. Liked: Creation of the league of nation
ii. Disliked: reparation payments, Failure to agree on disarmament, Failure to implement
principle of self determination
b) Reaction of Britain France America
France:
i. Clemenceau criticised because many thought treaty not harsh enough
ii. In 1920 he was voted out of office
Britain:
i. Lloyd Gorge was greeted as a hero in Britain
ii. But he feared German anger lead to future conflict
America:
i. Woodrow Wilson disappointed most of his 14 points ignored
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