TOPIC 1 – PEACE TREATIES (C QUESTIONS)
, WINTER 2021
5 The Versailles Settlement had mixed consequences.
0470_s21_qp_11 2021 WINTER Paper 1 Variant 1
(a) What were Clemenceau’s aims at Versailles? [4]
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 (b) Why was Wilson’s belief in self-determination important? [6]
1/0470_w21_qp_11.pdf
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 (c) ‘Loss of territory was the most serious consequence of the Versailles
1/0470_w21_ms_11.pdf Settlement for Germany.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer. [10]
Point E/E/L
YES – Loss • Germany lost many industrial areas → lead to economic problems
of territory • 16% of coalfields gone, 48% of iron industry gone.
meant loss • Saar – administrated by the League of Nations.
of industry • The lack of industrial areas meant less revenue, and less money to pay for the massive reparations.
YES - • Not only did it lead to economic problems for Germany, it also angered the German people, especially nationalists
Humiliation and the German public.
• Angry because German-speakers were living in foreign places – unification of German speakers became a term in
Hitler’s foreign policy.
• They felt weak, defenseless – France gained Alsace-Lorraine (returned to France)
NO – • 100,000 men • 15,000 sailors • 6 battleships • no conscription
Military • Military restrictions → loss of pride
Restrictions • Military restrictions → loss of jobs
• Many people turned to extremism, especially because of the military restrictions. Ex-soldiers joined the Freikorps
who took part in the Kapp Putsch of 1920. 5000 Freikorps marched into Berlin alongside Dr. Wolfgang Kapp, and the
army refused to open fire so the government had to call for a public strike.
• Also meant that Germany was defenseless – a small army for such a large nation.
• Defenseless → Ruhr crisis 1923
NO - • 6,600 million pounds (announced April 1921)
Reparations • A large amount of a country that just came out of a war
• Germany couldn’t afford this much, especially because of lack of land.
• 1921 → First instalment of 50 million pounds
• 1922 → Nothing
• Led to invasion of the Ruhr by Belgian and French troops in 1923. Government called for passive resistance (strike).
100,000 protesters exiled and around 100 killed. Led to hyperinflation because the government just kept printing
money since nothing was being produced to sell/trade.
,0470_w21_qp_12 2021 WINTER Paper 1 Variant 2 5 Agreeing a peace settlement at the end of the First World War was
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 challenging.
1/0470_w21_qp_12.pdf
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 (a) Describe how Austria was treated in the peace settlement.
1/0470_w21_ms_12.pdf (b) Why was Danzig important in the negotiations for a peace settlement?
(c) Who had the harder task in achieving their aims for the peace
settlement, Lloyd George or Wilson? Explain your answer
Point E/E/L
LLOYD • British Public wanted to crush Germany, while Lloyd George wanted a “just and firm” peace to avoid Germany
GEORGE – from seeking revenge.
Public • Lloyd George had promised to “make Germany pay” during his speech in the 1918 General elections – It was
Opinion clear that the public wanted to cripple Germany, and make them “pay”.
• It was difficult to create harsh terms to satisfy the British public and also make sure that the Germans did not
seek revenge.
• To add to this, Lloyd George also wanted Germany to help reduce the threat of communism from Russia.
• Lloyd George wanted Germany as a future trading partner.
LLOYD • Lloyd George wanted to maintain the strength and power of the British navy and to protect the British Colonies.
GEORGE – • Lloyd George wanted a share of Germany’s colonies
Britain’s self • This was hard to achieve because Wilson wanted freedom of the seas as part of his 14 points.
interest • This was also made difficult because of the public’s desire for a harsh treaty.
• To add to this, Britain wanted Germany as a future trading partner (to strengthen British economy, trades).
WILSON – • Wilson wanted a “fair and lasting peace”, and didn’t want to cripple Germany at all – he wanted to prevent
CLEMENCEAU future wars.
• This clashed with Clemenceau’s aims – Clemenceau wanted to cripple Germany completely (split into smaller
states, large reparations, regain Alsace-Lorraine, etc. Clemenceau wanted such a harsh treaty because he wanted
to ensure France’s safety as it had been invaded by Germany twice).
WILSON - 14 • Wilson was an idealist, and put forward his “14 points” which included freedom of the seas, self-determination,
points were and a League of Nations.
not met. • Britain disliked the idea of “Freedom of the seas” → it would lose naval power. Britain had increased its control
of the seas by reducing Germany’s navy.
• “Self-determination” was difficult to achieve. Self-determination was only achieved in a few countries in eastern
Europe such as Lithuania and Latvia.
, 0470_s21_qp_13 2021 WINTER Paper 1 Variant 3 5 Agreeing a peace settlement at the end of the First World War was
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 challenging.
1/0470_w21_qp_13.pdf
https://papers.gceguide.com/Cambridge%20IGCSE/History%20(0470)/202 (a) Describe how Bulgaria was treated in the peace settlement. [4]
1/0470_w21_ms_13.pdf (b) Why did negotiations at Versailles present difficulties for Lloyd George?
(c) Which was punished more harshly, Germany or Turkey? Explain your
answer.
Point E/E/L
Germany – • 6,600 million pounds (announced April 1921)
ECONOMICAL • A large amount of a country that just came out of a war
• Germany couldn’t afford this much, especially because of lack of land.
• 1921 → First instalment of 50 million pounds
• 1922 → Nothing
• Led to invasion of the Ruhr by Belgian and French troops in 1923. Government called for passive resistance
(strike). 100,000 protesters exiled and around 100 killed. Led to hyperinflation because the government just
kept printing money since nothing was being produced to sell/trade.
Germany – • 100,000 men • 15,000 sailors • 6 battleships • no conscription
MILITARY LOSS • Military restrictions → loss of pride
• Military restrictions → loss of jobs
• Many people turned to extremism, especially because of the military restrictions. Ex-soldiers joined the
Freikorps who took part in the Kapp Putsch of 1920. 5000 Freikorps marched into Berlin alongside Dr. Wolfgang
Kapp, and the army refused to open fire so the government had to call for a public strike.
• Also meant that Germany was defenseless – a small army for such a large nation.
• Defenseless → Ruhr crisis 1923
Turkey - • Turkey lost many territories e.g. Iraq, Palestine, Transjordan as part of the Treaty of Sevrés in 1920.
TERRITORIES • Included Smyrna to Greece.
• This was harsh, as Smyrna was treasured by Turkish nationalists. The loss of Smyrna to Greece outraged the
Turkish Nationalists, and even led to a national movement, led by Mustapha Kemal. He challenged the peace
treaty by using force to drive the Greeks out of Smyrna, forcing the treaty to be renegotiated and ignited the
Turkish War of Independence – the renegotiated Treaty was called the Treaty of Lausanne, 1923.
Turkey – • Turkey’s Financial system was controlled by the Allies → e.g. tax system, finances, control of imports,
FINANCIAL exports, even debt repayments.
CONTROL • This reduced the Turks’ freedom.
• Property owned by the ‘Central Powers’ → given to the Reparations Commission
• Reduced control over their own nation, also undermined the idea of “self determination”.
