PAPER 1 SECTION A: CORE CONTENT INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SINCE 1919
The Treaty of Versailles
Paris Peace Conference 1919-1920
Lasted for 12 months
Five treaties were drawn up, the main being the Treaty of Versailles which dealt with
Germany
The Treaty of Sevres was amended later in 1923 at Lausanne
Motives and Aims of the ‘Big 3’ at Versailles
France
Led by Georges Clemenceau
Wanted to achieve a treaty that would ensure the future security of France
Felt threatened as they had been invaded twice in 50 years by Germany and had lost
Alsace-Lorraine
Wanted revenge as when the German army retreated they caused deliberate
damage across France
Clemenceau’s specific demands:
- Permanent disarmament involving disbanding most of Germany’s army navy and
air force
- A very high level of reparations with a definite figure to be named in the treaty
- The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France
- A significant portion of Germany’s colonies to be handed over to France
- The Rhineland area to be formed into an independent state so Germany no
longer shared a common border with France
- The Saar Basin to be transferred to France
Britain
Led by David Lloyd George
Britain shared their views on a harsh treaty with France
Wanted a harsh treaty as they had sustained heavy casualties during the war, their
economy had been severely disrupted, had suffered from Zeppelin raids between
1915-19 and they understood if France was invaded Britain would be directly
threatened, so they wanted France’s eastern frontier to be secure.
Lloyd George’s aims in 1919:
- He realised that the future economic wellbeing depended on the economic
revival of Europe as Germany was Britain’s most important customer prior to
1914
- If there was no Rhineland lots of German industry would be lost so it would not
be able to afford many British goods
- High reparations would mean Germany’s economic recovery was slowed so there
would be less money for investment
- A weak Germany = weaker barrier against the spread of Communism, which was
a larger threat to Europe than the revival of German military power
, - Lloyd George thought if the treaty was excessively harsh the Germans would
attempt to abolish the treaty so he forced Clemenceau to moderate his views.
- Britain wanted to maintain control of the seas and maintain the strong British
Empire, this meant it pushed for a reduction in German sea power and a transfer
of German colonies to British control.
USA
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
The USA were not fully involved in the war until much later, their territory was never
invaded and there were less than 800 civilian fatalities
The war also had profitable trading and business opportunities for American
manufacturers, merchants and financiers
Wilson’s aims:
- To avoid future wars, and especially to avoid USA having to deal with European
wars again (ISOLATIONISM)
- To strengthen democracy in Germany to prevent future war
- Universal co-operation to avoid war and aggression (LEAGUE OF NATIONS)
- NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION – countries should rule themselves, rather than
be ruled by other countries as part of Empires. This especially applied to the
Eastern European countries ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
1. No more secret treaties
2. Freedom of the seas
3. An end to customs duties
4. All countries to reduce armaments
5. Freedom for colonies
6. The German Army must leave Russia
7. Belgium must be independent
8. France should be fully liberated and should get back Alsace-Lorraine
9. Self-determination for Italians
10. Self-determination for all peoples in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
11. Self-determination and independence for the Balkan nations
12. Self-determination for Turkey, and for all the peoples in the Turkish empire
13. An independent Poland with access to the sea
14. A League of Nations
Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
War Guilt Clause -Germany and her allies had to accept total
responsibility for starting the war
-This was crucial as it justified the other terms of the
treaties
-Germany did not agree with this as they did not
believe they solely started the war
Reparations -Germany had to accept liability for reparations, the
amount of which would be decided by a Reparations
Commission
, -France wanted a high sum, USA and Britain didn’t
want to ask for too much
Disarmament -Restricted Germany’s ability to wage war in the
future
-Army was capped to 100,000 with no conscription
-No tanks, armoury or heavy artillery
-No military or naval air force
-Navy = 6 battleships, 12 destroyers, 6 lightboats, 12
torpedoes, no submarines
-Rhineland = demilitarised with an Allied army
occupying the west bank for 15 year
-This would be humiliating for Germany
Territory -Alsace Lorraine = France
-Eupen, Malmédy, Moresnet = Belgium
-North Schleswig = Denmark
-West Prussia and Posen = Polan
-Hultschin = Czechoslovakia
-Saar Basin = to be administered by the LoN when a
plebiscite would decide whether it should be French
or German
-Mermel = Lithuania
-Danzig to become a free city
-Lose all colonies in Africa and Far East
-Treaty of Brest Litovsk to be cancelled
-Union between Germany and Austria forbidden
The Covenant of the League of Nations -Germany had to accept the constitution of the LoN
even though it was excluded from the original
membership
Other Treaties
Each of the treaties shared the following in common with the Treaty of Versailles:
- A war guilt clause
- Obligation to pay reparations
- Reduction in armaments
- Acceptance of the Covenant of the League of Nations
Treaty of Saint Germain, 1919
Austria
The new republic had to accept the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
They had to recognise the independence of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and
Poland
Territory from the former empire was transferred to Czechoslovakia, Poland,
Yugoslavia, Italy and Romania
Union between Austria and Germany was forbidden
Army limited to 300,000 men
, Many of the new states created contained large minority groups – such as the
Sudeten Germans that were now in Czechoslovakia. This angered the Austrians and
the Germans
They lost access to their seaports and became a landlocked country
Treaty of Trianon, 1920
Hungary
They had to accept the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
They had to recognise the independence of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia
Territory from the former Empire was transferred to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and
Romania
Hungary were dismayed by the terms as they lost 70% of their territory and 1/3 of its
population (3m people)
Hungary also lost access to seaports and became a landlocked country
Treaty of Neuilly, 1919
Bulgaria
They had to recognise the independence of Yugoslavia
They lost territory to Greece, Yugoslavia and Romania
Bulgarians regarded the treaty as a national tragedy – it brought to an end a 40 year
struggle for unification of the Bulgarian populated territories
They also lost their Mediterranean ports
Treaty of Sèvres, 1920
Turkey
They had to recognise the independence of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Armenia
Turkey lost its provinces in the Middle East to Britain and France
Turkey lost territory to Greece and Italy
The Dardanelles Strait was to become an international waterway
Armed force limited to 50,000 men; no air force, navy very restricted
Turkish outrage as the treaty led to a nationalist movement led by Mustafa Kemal
Kemal stopped the Turkish govt. signing the treaty and started using violence to
chance the terms of the treaty – they drove the Greeks out of Smyrna (west coast of
Turkey)
As a result the Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1923
Treaty of Lausanne, 1923
Turkey
Turkey confirmed the loss of its provinces in the Middle East
Turkey received back most of its European territory
The Dardanelles Strait was returned to Turkish sovereignty
Restrictions on armed forces were removed
Turkey was to no longer pay reparations
Did the victors get everything they wanted?
France
YES NO
The Treaty of Versailles
Paris Peace Conference 1919-1920
Lasted for 12 months
Five treaties were drawn up, the main being the Treaty of Versailles which dealt with
Germany
The Treaty of Sevres was amended later in 1923 at Lausanne
Motives and Aims of the ‘Big 3’ at Versailles
France
Led by Georges Clemenceau
Wanted to achieve a treaty that would ensure the future security of France
Felt threatened as they had been invaded twice in 50 years by Germany and had lost
Alsace-Lorraine
Wanted revenge as when the German army retreated they caused deliberate
damage across France
Clemenceau’s specific demands:
- Permanent disarmament involving disbanding most of Germany’s army navy and
air force
- A very high level of reparations with a definite figure to be named in the treaty
- The return of Alsace-Lorraine to France
- A significant portion of Germany’s colonies to be handed over to France
- The Rhineland area to be formed into an independent state so Germany no
longer shared a common border with France
- The Saar Basin to be transferred to France
Britain
Led by David Lloyd George
Britain shared their views on a harsh treaty with France
Wanted a harsh treaty as they had sustained heavy casualties during the war, their
economy had been severely disrupted, had suffered from Zeppelin raids between
1915-19 and they understood if France was invaded Britain would be directly
threatened, so they wanted France’s eastern frontier to be secure.
Lloyd George’s aims in 1919:
- He realised that the future economic wellbeing depended on the economic
revival of Europe as Germany was Britain’s most important customer prior to
1914
- If there was no Rhineland lots of German industry would be lost so it would not
be able to afford many British goods
- High reparations would mean Germany’s economic recovery was slowed so there
would be less money for investment
- A weak Germany = weaker barrier against the spread of Communism, which was
a larger threat to Europe than the revival of German military power
, - Lloyd George thought if the treaty was excessively harsh the Germans would
attempt to abolish the treaty so he forced Clemenceau to moderate his views.
- Britain wanted to maintain control of the seas and maintain the strong British
Empire, this meant it pushed for a reduction in German sea power and a transfer
of German colonies to British control.
USA
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
The USA were not fully involved in the war until much later, their territory was never
invaded and there were less than 800 civilian fatalities
The war also had profitable trading and business opportunities for American
manufacturers, merchants and financiers
Wilson’s aims:
- To avoid future wars, and especially to avoid USA having to deal with European
wars again (ISOLATIONISM)
- To strengthen democracy in Germany to prevent future war
- Universal co-operation to avoid war and aggression (LEAGUE OF NATIONS)
- NATIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION – countries should rule themselves, rather than
be ruled by other countries as part of Empires. This especially applied to the
Eastern European countries ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
1. No more secret treaties
2. Freedom of the seas
3. An end to customs duties
4. All countries to reduce armaments
5. Freedom for colonies
6. The German Army must leave Russia
7. Belgium must be independent
8. France should be fully liberated and should get back Alsace-Lorraine
9. Self-determination for Italians
10. Self-determination for all peoples in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
11. Self-determination and independence for the Balkan nations
12. Self-determination for Turkey, and for all the peoples in the Turkish empire
13. An independent Poland with access to the sea
14. A League of Nations
Terms of the Treaty of Versailles
War Guilt Clause -Germany and her allies had to accept total
responsibility for starting the war
-This was crucial as it justified the other terms of the
treaties
-Germany did not agree with this as they did not
believe they solely started the war
Reparations -Germany had to accept liability for reparations, the
amount of which would be decided by a Reparations
Commission
, -France wanted a high sum, USA and Britain didn’t
want to ask for too much
Disarmament -Restricted Germany’s ability to wage war in the
future
-Army was capped to 100,000 with no conscription
-No tanks, armoury or heavy artillery
-No military or naval air force
-Navy = 6 battleships, 12 destroyers, 6 lightboats, 12
torpedoes, no submarines
-Rhineland = demilitarised with an Allied army
occupying the west bank for 15 year
-This would be humiliating for Germany
Territory -Alsace Lorraine = France
-Eupen, Malmédy, Moresnet = Belgium
-North Schleswig = Denmark
-West Prussia and Posen = Polan
-Hultschin = Czechoslovakia
-Saar Basin = to be administered by the LoN when a
plebiscite would decide whether it should be French
or German
-Mermel = Lithuania
-Danzig to become a free city
-Lose all colonies in Africa and Far East
-Treaty of Brest Litovsk to be cancelled
-Union between Germany and Austria forbidden
The Covenant of the League of Nations -Germany had to accept the constitution of the LoN
even though it was excluded from the original
membership
Other Treaties
Each of the treaties shared the following in common with the Treaty of Versailles:
- A war guilt clause
- Obligation to pay reparations
- Reduction in armaments
- Acceptance of the Covenant of the League of Nations
Treaty of Saint Germain, 1919
Austria
The new republic had to accept the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
They had to recognise the independence of Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and
Poland
Territory from the former empire was transferred to Czechoslovakia, Poland,
Yugoslavia, Italy and Romania
Union between Austria and Germany was forbidden
Army limited to 300,000 men
, Many of the new states created contained large minority groups – such as the
Sudeten Germans that were now in Czechoslovakia. This angered the Austrians and
the Germans
They lost access to their seaports and became a landlocked country
Treaty of Trianon, 1920
Hungary
They had to accept the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
They had to recognise the independence of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia
Territory from the former Empire was transferred to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and
Romania
Hungary were dismayed by the terms as they lost 70% of their territory and 1/3 of its
population (3m people)
Hungary also lost access to seaports and became a landlocked country
Treaty of Neuilly, 1919
Bulgaria
They had to recognise the independence of Yugoslavia
They lost territory to Greece, Yugoslavia and Romania
Bulgarians regarded the treaty as a national tragedy – it brought to an end a 40 year
struggle for unification of the Bulgarian populated territories
They also lost their Mediterranean ports
Treaty of Sèvres, 1920
Turkey
They had to recognise the independence of the Kingdom of Hejaz and Armenia
Turkey lost its provinces in the Middle East to Britain and France
Turkey lost territory to Greece and Italy
The Dardanelles Strait was to become an international waterway
Armed force limited to 50,000 men; no air force, navy very restricted
Turkish outrage as the treaty led to a nationalist movement led by Mustafa Kemal
Kemal stopped the Turkish govt. signing the treaty and started using violence to
chance the terms of the treaty – they drove the Greeks out of Smyrna (west coast of
Turkey)
As a result the Treaty of Lausanne was signed in 1923
Treaty of Lausanne, 1923
Turkey
Turkey confirmed the loss of its provinces in the Middle East
Turkey received back most of its European territory
The Dardanelles Strait was returned to Turkish sovereignty
Restrictions on armed forces were removed
Turkey was to no longer pay reparations
Did the victors get everything they wanted?
France
YES NO
