The notes go through the aims of the Big Four, Treaty of Versailles, reactions to the treaty, other treaties and successor states, changing relations 1920-29, organisation and covenant of the League of Nations, successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses.
BIG 4 Aims: Bolshevik Russia = excluded due to civil war
Georges Clemenceau (France): aka. ‘the Tiger’
• high reparations
• return of Alsace-Lorraine
• Rhineland —> independent state (Lloyd George ≠ want this)
• Saar basin —> France to compensate for destroyed pits in North (Lloyd George ≠ want
this)
• German disarmament
• high reparations
• break up Germany into smaller states
• French security by preventing G recovery
• strong, independent Polish, Czechoslovak & Yugoslav states
• alliance w/Br + USA
**cripple Germany + revenge** esp. after 1 million dead + 3 million wounded
Woodrow Wilson (USA):
**fair peace, not revenge** —> based off 14 Points “peace w/o victory”
14 POINTS:
1. no secret treaties
Wilson = idealist +
2. free access to sea (in war & peace) impractical w/little
3. free trade
understanding of
European problems
4. disarmament
5. colonies have say in future Supported ceding G land
to Pol/Fr/Bel where there
6. German troops leave Russia was a majority population
7. Belgium = independent of occupying forces of that nation
8. Alsace Lorraine —> France
9. frontier change —> Italy + Austria-Hungary
10. self determination for Eastern Europe
11. Serbian access to sea
12. self determination for Turkish Empire
13. Poland = independent state w/access to sea
14. League of Nations
1
,David Lloyd George (Britain):
• please voters - ‘make Germany pay’
• German economic recovery (despite anti-G public opinion)
• ability to trade w/Germany
• high reparations (Dominions also wanted share)
• barrier against Communism
• Germany not to seek future revenge
Orlando (Italy):
despite being part of Big Four,
• please voters (show Italy ≠ weak + couldn’t be dictated to) decisions mainly made by Big 3
• fulfil promises made by Entente in 1915 (Treaty of London) to receive Tyrol + Dalmatia
+ Fiume (Adriatic)
Japan:
• recognition of territorial gains made during war
• racial equality in Covenant of LoN
Treaty of Versailles
- 28 Jun 1919
Terms:
L - land + LoN
A - armaments + anschluss
G - guilt
E - empire
R - reparations
1. TERRITORY
Germany lost
• Alsace Lorrain —> France 13% land
• Eupen + Moresnet + Malmedy —> Belgium
6.5 million Germans
• West Prussia + Posen —> Poland (Polish corridor) under foreign rule
• Northern Schleswig —> Denmark
Rhineland = industry
• Estonia + Latvia + Lithuania —> Independent
Saar = coal
Danzig = trade
2
, • Danzig —> LoN (free city)
• Saarland —> LoN (profits to France for 15 yrs while Fr coal mines being restored -
plebiscite after 15yrs)
• Marienwerder + Allenstein —> plebiscite (voted to stay in G)
• Grand Duchy of Luxembourg = neutral
• Rhineland = divided into 3 occupied zones for 15yrs (each zone evacuated after 5yr)
2. MILITARY
• 100,000 men + no general staff
Germany = humiliated +
• navy: 6 battleships + 30 smaller ships + 15,000 men vulnerable
• no submarines + no airforce
• Rhineland = demilitarised
• weapons/aircraft/ships destroyed
• conscription banned
USA + Br wanted small professional G army BUT General Foch (commander of all Allied
forces in WW1) claimed it would be tightly organised + capable of quick expansion
Foch = overruled —> Inter-Allied commissions to monitor disarmament
3. GUILT (Clause 231)
• provided moral justification + legal basis for reparation clause
• held G + allies responsible for causing WW1 ∴ should pay compensation for damage
Shandong
4. COLONIAL Japan wanted to keep ex-German territory in Shandong
China claimed it should return to them (despite
• German East Africa —> Britain
recognising Japanese rights there in 1915: 21
• Cameroon + Togoland —> France Demands)
China = 2 seats at PPC vs. Japan = 5
• German Samoa —> New Zealand USA wanted to block Japan growth in Pacific ∴
supported China but Br+Fr wanted to protect their own
• German South West Africa —> South Africa rights in China ∴ supported Japan
COMPROMISE: Japan verbally agrees to restore
• Pacific islands —> Japan Chinese control by 1922
China = outraged + doesn’t sign ToV
• Juba Valley —> Italy
Turned US Senate against ToV
3
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