In depth notes about the treaty of versailles and the weimar republic. Both of which lead to the rise of Hitler. The events during this era are thoroughly explained such as the peace settlements. All of the events to do with the rise of Hitler are also explained such as the Beer Hall Putsch and muc...
Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar Republic Review
The Peace Settlement pages 95-101
● January 1919, 32 country leaders assembled in Paris to create peace
● The main decisions were taken by a council of ten prime ministers from
○ USA (Woodrow Wilson)
○ Britain (Llloyd George)
○ France (Georges clemenceau)
○ Japan (played a minor role, just wanted to gain territory in Asia and didn't care
about other negotiations)
○ Italy (Vittorio Orlando)
● Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Wilson were the key men
● Problems of the peacemaking
○ There was already political and economic chaos across most of eastern and
central Europe. The task to create peace was highly difficult.
○ The Habsburg emperor stopped being emperor and self-determination took
place. Nationalities lived uneasily and there were no clear boundaries between
them
○ The fear of bolshevism (communism) spreading westwards from Russia.
○ Commitments added to the complexity of the negotiations. They conflicted with
each other like Italy's promise was at odds to Wilson's principle of
self-determination.
○ The Big Four were under a lot of pressure.
○ Lloyd George, Clemenceau, and Wilson had different views about how to achieve
peace.
● Aims
○ Clemenceau's aims
■ Wanted Germany's power reduced so it would never threaten France
again.
○ Wilson's aims
■ Wanted to set up an international body (league of nations) to reach
peace. Also wanted an extension of democracy and application of
self-determination.
■ The League of nations was weak because:
● The USA didn't join
● Didn't have an army
● Criticism of Versailles
○ The problems Europe was facing in 1919 were so grave, even if the big three had
agreed upon everything, there would still be problems
● Contemporary views
○ 1919 Lloyd put too much faith in an organization that lacked enforcement powers
, ○ The USA did not sign the treaty, thus did not join the league of nations(America
had suffered civilian casualties in the war, and many people in the USA wanted to
keep America out of European affairs. This policy was called isolationism and
was probably the main reason that America didn't join the League.)
○ The treaty was well received in Britain
○ Britain gained what it wanted from the treaty (german naval power was
destroyed)
○ Germans believed the treaty was punitive (intended as punishment)
○ The German's opinion eventually reached GB and critiques were written about
the treaty
○ “Economic consequences of the peace”
○ Many said the treaty was too harsh, but the French said it was too soft
● Historians views
○ Believe the treaty was the worst to ever exist
○ It was too severe toward the germans
○ Created possibilities for future trouble
○ But it was difficult to create possible solutions at the time
● Settlement of south and eastern Europe
○ Once the treaty was signed, the big three had a difficult time
○ With the disintegration of the Habsburg Empire and Russia was in a civil war
(Empires nationalities had declared independence. Nationalities within lived
uneasily side by side)
○ Most allied statesmen wanted self-determination
○ Eastern treaties and various settlements against Russian borders created new
states from Finland to Yugoslavia
○ Few were happy with their new settlements (especially Bulgaria, Hungary, and
Austria)
10 principles of Nazi ideology
1. Authoritarianism
2. Totalitarianism
3. Nationalism
4. Militarism
5. Expansionism
6. A ‘third way’- Nazism and fascism considered themselves ‘third-way’ ideologies, or
alternatives to both democracy and socialism.
7. Economic sovereignty- Economic power, prosperity and self-sufficiency were priorities
for the NSDAP ( Nazi Party, byname of National Socialist German Workers' Party,
German Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), political party of the
mass movement known as National Socialism)
8. Traditional values
9. Racial theories
10. Volksgemeinschaft- unite and work together to reduce differences in class, wealth
and standards of living. In reality, the Nazis had no interest in this kind of leveling or
social unity – yet volksgemeinschaft figured heavily in NSDAP propaganda.
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