The Legacy of WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles
Topic 1 – Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?
Focus points:
- What were the motives and aims of the Big Three at Versailles?
- Why did the victors not get everything they wanted?
- What was the impact of the Treaty on Germany up to the end of 1923?
- Could the Treaty be justified at the time?
Specified content:
- The roles of Wilson, Clemenceau, and Lloyd George in the peace-making
process
- The terms of the Treaty
- Social, economic, and political impact of the Treaty in Germany to the end
of 1923
- Contemporary opinions about the Treaty
Human Cost:
- 70 mil called up 9 mil died (13%)
- Gr lost 2 mil, Fr 1.4 mil, Br 1 mil, Ru only just short of Gr, USA lost 116 000
men
- Fr lost 17% of their men, 1.4 mil – carried with pain
- Casualties exceeded deaths – ¼ mil men lost leg or arm in Br, Shell shock
rendered many men unable to work.
- 2/3 of the Fr army killed or injured – 60 000 Br men lost on the first day of
the Somme alone, Fr lost 1 mil men at the Battle of Verdun
- Flu epidemic and air raids also cost the lives of many civilians
- Huge impact on civilian life talks of ‘a lost generation’ (quote by Winston
Churchill) was common.
The Political Cost:
- Death rate among Officers actually higher than ordinary soldiers – took
away a large proportion of men that would have led countries – Winston
Churchill ‘a government of second XI’
- All key countries had lost crucial future leaders
- State supreme during war i.e., labour directed, taxes raised, rationing –
had to be in order for success and countries became used to having
authoritarian leadership – Liberalism was dead.
- Gr has its own revolution – Kaiser steps down; Weimar Republic formed
vote for Hitler
- Suspicions of minority groups increased – outsiders were potentially
dangerous – gave rise to anti-Semitism – Nationalists often used as Jews
as a scapegoat for a country’s problems.
- Rise in antisemitism across Europe, not just Germany
, - Political instability across Europe as people/groups jostled for power –
Russian Revolution most extreme case of this – many in west now in fear
of Communist Revolution.
- 1917 Bolshevik Revolution founded by Vladimir Lenin Russia
Communist (government run by the people) state began – called
Soviet
- Fear of Bolshevism rises across Europe (German, British and Russia share
related royals)
- Fear of communism distracts from Germany and Hitler coming to power
The Economic Cost of War:
- Cost of war:
- US spent 22,625,253,000 $
- Br 35,334,012,000
- Fr 24,265,583,000,
- Gr 37,775,000,000
- US financed most of the war and profited
- Fr industry, particularly in the north (Somme and Verdun areas
devastated) ruined by war.
- Inflation occurs after WW1: countries gamble and print money they do not
have.
- Gr who had invested the most suffered particularly badly post war –
Inflation crisis 1923
- Not until 1927 that the economy of most countries began to settle and
show signs that the eco was back to pre-war levels of output.
The Psychological effects:
- Europe is haunted by WW1, meaning they allow Hitler to break the rules
- When they put their foot down, it’s too late
What was the Peace Settlement of Versailles?
- Napoleonic wars from 1803 – 1815; French were at fault
- Sparked a meeting called “Congress of Vienna” included all the attacked
countries, Britain, Austria, Spain, Prussia, Russia and France was invited
- Europe was fair to France, reasonable debt
- 100 years if peace, peace until 1914
- 11th Nov 1918 – guns on western front fell silent and an armistice declared
- 2 months later the leaders of the victorious powers (US, Br, Fr, and It) met
in Paris to discuss what was to be done with Gr, Au, Hu, Trk and Blg.
- Germany was not allowed to attend meetings
- Diktat (dictate) peace: peace is forced on you
- 5 separate suburbs of Paris used for different countries (5 different peace
treaties)
Palace of Versailles – Gr
St. Germain – Au.
Sevres – Trk
Neuilly – Blg
Trianon - Hu
Topic 1 – Was the Treaty of Versailles fair?
Focus points:
- What were the motives and aims of the Big Three at Versailles?
- Why did the victors not get everything they wanted?
- What was the impact of the Treaty on Germany up to the end of 1923?
- Could the Treaty be justified at the time?
Specified content:
- The roles of Wilson, Clemenceau, and Lloyd George in the peace-making
process
- The terms of the Treaty
- Social, economic, and political impact of the Treaty in Germany to the end
of 1923
- Contemporary opinions about the Treaty
Human Cost:
- 70 mil called up 9 mil died (13%)
- Gr lost 2 mil, Fr 1.4 mil, Br 1 mil, Ru only just short of Gr, USA lost 116 000
men
- Fr lost 17% of their men, 1.4 mil – carried with pain
- Casualties exceeded deaths – ¼ mil men lost leg or arm in Br, Shell shock
rendered many men unable to work.
- 2/3 of the Fr army killed or injured – 60 000 Br men lost on the first day of
the Somme alone, Fr lost 1 mil men at the Battle of Verdun
- Flu epidemic and air raids also cost the lives of many civilians
- Huge impact on civilian life talks of ‘a lost generation’ (quote by Winston
Churchill) was common.
The Political Cost:
- Death rate among Officers actually higher than ordinary soldiers – took
away a large proportion of men that would have led countries – Winston
Churchill ‘a government of second XI’
- All key countries had lost crucial future leaders
- State supreme during war i.e., labour directed, taxes raised, rationing –
had to be in order for success and countries became used to having
authoritarian leadership – Liberalism was dead.
- Gr has its own revolution – Kaiser steps down; Weimar Republic formed
vote for Hitler
- Suspicions of minority groups increased – outsiders were potentially
dangerous – gave rise to anti-Semitism – Nationalists often used as Jews
as a scapegoat for a country’s problems.
- Rise in antisemitism across Europe, not just Germany
, - Political instability across Europe as people/groups jostled for power –
Russian Revolution most extreme case of this – many in west now in fear
of Communist Revolution.
- 1917 Bolshevik Revolution founded by Vladimir Lenin Russia
Communist (government run by the people) state began – called
Soviet
- Fear of Bolshevism rises across Europe (German, British and Russia share
related royals)
- Fear of communism distracts from Germany and Hitler coming to power
The Economic Cost of War:
- Cost of war:
- US spent 22,625,253,000 $
- Br 35,334,012,000
- Fr 24,265,583,000,
- Gr 37,775,000,000
- US financed most of the war and profited
- Fr industry, particularly in the north (Somme and Verdun areas
devastated) ruined by war.
- Inflation occurs after WW1: countries gamble and print money they do not
have.
- Gr who had invested the most suffered particularly badly post war –
Inflation crisis 1923
- Not until 1927 that the economy of most countries began to settle and
show signs that the eco was back to pre-war levels of output.
The Psychological effects:
- Europe is haunted by WW1, meaning they allow Hitler to break the rules
- When they put their foot down, it’s too late
What was the Peace Settlement of Versailles?
- Napoleonic wars from 1803 – 1815; French were at fault
- Sparked a meeting called “Congress of Vienna” included all the attacked
countries, Britain, Austria, Spain, Prussia, Russia and France was invited
- Europe was fair to France, reasonable debt
- 100 years if peace, peace until 1914
- 11th Nov 1918 – guns on western front fell silent and an armistice declared
- 2 months later the leaders of the victorious powers (US, Br, Fr, and It) met
in Paris to discuss what was to be done with Gr, Au, Hu, Trk and Blg.
- Germany was not allowed to attend meetings
- Diktat (dictate) peace: peace is forced on you
- 5 separate suburbs of Paris used for different countries (5 different peace
treaties)
Palace of Versailles – Gr
St. Germain – Au.
Sevres – Trk
Neuilly – Blg
Trianon - Hu
