were the aims of the Big Three at Versailles?

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1 were the aims of the Big Three at Versailles? In January 1919, representatives from 32 countries gathered at the Paris Peace Conference to decide how to deal with Germany and the other defeated nations. But in reality, the Big Three, the leaders of France, Britain and the USA, were by far the most important men at Versailles. However, each one had different aims and motives and so they found it very difficult to agree on what to do. Georges Clemenceau the French Prime Minister Revenge: Clemenceau was a fiery politician, nicknamed the Tiger, and he knew what the French public wanted. France had suffered huge casualties during the war and the French expected Germany to take the blame and be treated harshly. Reparations: Much of northeastern France had been destroyed by the fighting and the war had left France in huge debt. As a result, Clemenceau wanted Germany to have to pay huge sums of money, called reparations, to pay for the cost of war. Weaken Germany: When Germany had attacked France in 1914 it was the second time they had done so in recent years, having already invaded France in 1870 during the FrancoPrussian War. He wanted the German army to be weakened so that it could not threaten France again. He also wanted the territory of AlsaceLorraine, which Germany had captured from France in 1871, to be returned. Some French politicians even wanted Germany to be broken up into smaller countries. David Lloyd George the British Prime Minister Revenge: The British public were also demanding Germany be punished severely. Lloyd George knew this and during the 1918 election he promised the British people he would Make Germany Pay. However, Lloyd George also worried that if the treaty was too harsh on Germany they may seek revenge in the future and cause another war. Protect the British Empire: He also wanted Germany to lose its navy and all the colonies it owned overseas so it could not threaten the British Empire and Britain would remain the strongest naval power in the world. Trade: Before the war, Germany had been an important country for trade which created jobs in Britain. Lloyd George wanted this trade to return after the war, and knew this would be impossible if Germany had to pay large reparations. Woodrow Wilson the American President A lasting peace: President Wilson had kept the USA out of the war until 1917 and his main aim was to create a treaty which would guarantee peace so that the USA was not dragged into a future conflict. He knew that Germany would have to be punished, but believed it should not be too harsh so that Germany could recover and would not seek revenge in the future. 14 Points: Wilson published a list of 14 Points which he believed should be included in the treaty if it was to create a lasting peace. These included disarmament (countries reducing their weapons) and selfdetermination (giving people from different national groups the right to rule themselves instead of being part of large empires). League of Nations: Another of Wilson s 14 points was the creation of a League of Nations. This would be an international organisation where countries could meet to discuss problems so that another war could be avoided.

2 WILSONS FOURTEEN POINTS 1. No secret treaties between countries. 2. All countries to have access to the sea. 3. Free trade between countries. 4. All countries to work towards disarmament (getting rid of weapons). 5. Colonies (places that were part of large Empires) to have a say in their own future. 6. German troops to leave Russia. 7. Independence for Belgium. 8. France to regain AlsaceLorraine from Germany. 9. Border between Austria and Italy to be adjusted. 10. Selfdetermination for the people of Eastern Europe. 11. Serbia to have access to the sea. 12. Selfdetermination for the people of the Turkish empire. 13. An independent Poland to be set up. 14. League of Nations to be set up.

3 Did the Big Three get everything they wanted? Disagreements between the Big Three It soon became clear that the different aims of the 3 leaders could not all be met and there were many disagreements: Clemenceau and Wilson: France had suffered much more than the USA during the war and so Clemenceau resented Wilson s more generous attitude. They disagreed about what to do about the Rhineland and Germany s coalfields in the Saar region. Clemenceau and Lloyd George: Clemenceau was also angered by Lloyd George s desire not to treat Germany too harshly. He felt that Lloyd George wanted to treat Germany fairly in Europe, where Germany was more of a threat to France, but harshly when it came to the German navy and overseas colonies, which threatened the British Empire. Lloyd George and Wilson: They did not always agree either. Lloyd George was also concerned about Wilson s idea of giving people selfdetermination because the British Empire ruled millions of people across the world directly from London. The Terms of the Treaty of Versailles: After months of negotiation and compromise, agreement was finally reached. None of the Big Three was satisfied with the treaty. The main terms can be divided into 5 areas: 1. War Guilt Article 231 of the treaty said: Germany accepts responsibility for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied governments have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by Germany. 2. Reparations The major powers agreed that Germany had to pay reparations to the Allies for the damage caused by the war. A commission was set up to decide on the figure and in 1921 this was set at 6,600 million (or 6.6 billion). Under this plan Germany was set to pay reparations until 1989! 3. Military Restrictions Germany s armed forces were hugely reduced: Army limited to 100,000 men Conscription was banned Only 6 battleships No air force No tanks No submarines Rhineland was demilitarised

4 4. German territory 5. League of Nations This organisation would be set up to keep the peace in future, but Germany would not be allowed to join at first.

5 d the Big Three not get everything they wanted? The Big Three soon realised that their different aims and objectives could not all be met and that compromise would be necessary. They frequently and strongly disagreed. All leaders got their way on some issues, but failed to do so on others. Clemenceau clashed with Wilson over many issues. The USA had not suffered nearly so badly as France during the war and so Clemenceau resented Wilson s more generous attitude towards Germany. They disagreed about what to do about the Rhineland and Germany s valuable Saar region where many coal mines were situated. When Clemenceau insisted that the Rhineland should be separated from Germany, Wilson threatened to quit the conference and return home. In the end, the French had to be satisfied with a demilitarised Rhineland. Clemenceau was prepared to give Wilson what he wanted in Eastern Europe, where Wilson wanted the different peoples such as Poles, Czechs and Slovaks to rule themselves (selfdetermination). However, this mainly affected the peace treaties with the other defeated nations not the Treaty of Versailles which only applied to Germany. There were also disagreements between Clemenceau and Lloyd George, particularly over Lloyd George s desire not to treat Germany too harshly. For example, Clemenceau said; If the British are so anxious to appease (give way to) Germany they should look overseas and make colonial, naval or commercial concessions. Clemenceau felt that the British were quite happy to treat Germany fairly in Europe, where France was most under threat (having been invaded by Germany in 1870 and 1914). However, they were less keen to allow Germany to keep it s navy and colonies, which would be more of a threat to the British Empire. Wilson and Lloyd George did not always agree either. Lloyd George was particularly unhappy with point 2 of the Fourteen Points, allowing all nations access to the sea. The dominant position of the Royal Navy was of crucial importance to Britain. Wilson s views on selfdetermination were also threatening to Britain because the British Empire ruled millions of people all over the world from London.

6 What was the reaction to the Treaty? Were the Allies satisfied with the treaty? Clemenceau s problem was that it was not harsh enough for the French people who wanted to punish Germany for the huge damage and casualties France had suffered. He was voted out in a General Election in In Britain, Lloyd George received a hero s welcome when he returned from Versailles. However, he later described the treaty as a great pity and predicted another war would happen because of it. Wilson was very disappointed with the treaty, and said if he were German he would not have signed it. Meanwhile, many people in the USA disagreed with Wilson s idea that the USA should play a leading role in keeping the peace in future through the League of Nations. They feared that the USA would again be dragged into a foreign war and so the US Congress (Parliament) voted against the treaty and joining the League of Nations. The USA never became a member! Why did the Germans hate the treaty? The Germans had hoped that the Allies would treat them mercifully at Versailles. The Kaiser, the former ruler of Germany who many had blamed for the war, had abdicated and had been replaced by a new, democratic government. They also assumed the treaty would be based on Wilson s 14 Points. Many ordinary Germans did not accept that Germany had lost the war and believed the German government was at Versailles to negotiate peace not be treated as a defeated nation. So when the terms of the treaty were revealed the Germans were horrified. The new German leader, Ebert, was in an impossible position. If he refused to sign the treaty war might break out again and Germany would face certain defeat. Reluctantly, he agreed to accept the treaty and signed on 28 June From the start, the German people did not accept the treaty as fair. They described it as a diktat a dictated peace. Many believed they had been stabbed in the back by their own politicians, who were nicknamed the November Criminals for signing the armistice in War Guilt: This was particularly hated because the German people did not believe they were to blame for causing the war. Although this did not physically harm Germany, it was humiliating. Reparations: The German economy was already in tatters after the war and many people had little food. They said the Allies were trying to starve their children to death by demanding 6 billion in reparations. Disarmament: An army of 100,000 was very small for a country of Germany s size and this was seen as a humiliation. It also left Germany feeling weak against future attack. The German navy, which had been brought to Scapa Flow off the coast of Scotland after Germany surrendered, sank all their ships in protest rather than hand them over! German territory: Germany lost 10% of its land, which included 12.5% of its coalfields and almost half its iron and steel industry. This was both a blow to national pride and the economy. Meanwhile, German people found themselves living in new countries such as Czechoslovakia ruled by nongermans. This went against Wilson s idea of selfdetermination.

7 Most upsetting Least upsetting 1. Germany had to pay 6.6 billion reparations 2. Germany s armed forces were dramatically reduced. 3. Germany lost Alsace & Lorraine back to France. 4. Germany was split in two by giving West Prussia to Poland. 5. Germany could not join the League of Nations. 6. Germany could never unite with Austria. 7. The Rhineland was demilitarised. 8. Germany had to accept blame for starting the war. 9. Coalfields in the Saar were given to France for 15 years.

8 Source A: Source A: When we have paid one hundred billion marks I can give you something to eat A German cartoon published in 1919 When we have paid one hundred billion marks I can give you something to eat A German cartoon published in 1919

9 hat was the impact of the other peace treaties? The Treaty of St Germain, 1919 Country: Austria Terms: Austria accepted the break up of the AustroHungarian Empire. They lost land to countries including Italy, Poland and Czechoslovakia. They had to pay reparations and were limited to an army of 30,000 men. Impact: Millions of people in Europe were given selfdetermination, but several small, weak states now existed where there had previously been one large one. The Treaty of Neuilly, 1919 Country: Bulgaria Terms: Bulgaria lost land to Greece, Yugoslavia and Romania, but gained land from Turkey. They had to pay 100 million reparations and were limited to an army of 20,000 men. Impact: Bulgaria had played a smaller part in the war and so was treated less harshly by the Allies, but many Bulgarians still found themselves ruled by foreign countries. The Treaty of Trianon, 1920 Country: Hungary Terms: Along with the Treaty of St Germain, it marked the end of the AustroHungarian Empire. Hungarian land was lost to countries including Czechoslovakia and Romania. They had to pay reparations and were limited to an army of 35,000 men. Impact: 3 million Hungarians were living under foreign rule. The Treaty of Sevres, 1920 & The Treaty of Lausanne, 1923 Country: Turkey Terms: The Treaty of Sevres said that land from the old Turkish Empire such as Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco was to be given independence or put under the control of Britain and France. Impact: The Turks were so angry that the government of Turkey was overthrown in an uprising. Rather than fight the Turks, the Allies agreed the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 which returned some land to Turkey,

10 d the peace treaties be justified at the time? No the peace treaties were unjustified! Diktat German resentment : The German people did not feel they had lost the war and so expected to be able to negotiate peace at Versailles, not be treated as a defeated nation. The fact that Germany was forced to accept the harsh terms created a lasting bitterness and desire for revenge. War Guilt: Germany was not the only country to blame for the outbreak of war in 1914 and so the war guilt clause was humiliating. Because they had to accept the blame for the war they also had to pay for the damage through reparations, which could cripple the German economy. Selfdetermination: Whilst millions of people were given selfdetermination by the peace treaties this did not seem to apply to Germany. East Prussia was cut off from the rest of Germany by the Polish Corridor and Germany was forbidden to unite with Austria. Furthermore, much of the land Germany lost was very valuable for industry or agriculture (such as the Saar coalfields) which made it harder for the German economy to recover. Second World War: In the long term, the Treaty of Versailles can be seen as a reason for the outbreak of the Second World War. As time passed, the feeling grew that Germany had been treated too harshly. This meant that in the 1930s when Hitler began to break the terms of the treaty, such as increasing the size of the German army, no action was taken to stop him. Yes the peace treaties could be justified at the time! Armistice terms: When Germany signed the armistice in November 1918, they accepted that they would have to pay reparations, lose land including AlsaceLorraine and reduce their armed forces. It should have been no surprise these were included in the peace treaty. Treaty of BrestLitovsk: When Russia had pulled out of the war in March 1918, Germany had forced them to accept a harsh peace treaty. Russia had to give up large areas of valuable land and pay reparations. Any German complaints about the Treaty of Versailles could therefore be seen as hypocrisy. Selfinflicted problems: It can be argued that Germany caused their own economic problems, not the reparations. Other countries had raised taxes to pay for the war effort. In Germany, the Kaiser had planned to cover the cost of the war by forcing other countries to pay reparations after they had been defeated. A difficult situation: The Paris Peace Conference took place after the most terrible war in history and the Allied leaders were determined to make sure it could not happen again. They also faced huge pressure from public opinion in their countries. Large areas of Europe had been devastated by the war and the economy was in tatters. This meant there was a need to quickly bring stability to Europe so that it could begin to recover.

11 Source A THE RECKONING German: Monstrous I call it. Why, its fully a quarter of what we should have made them pay if we d won! A cartoon published in the British satirical magazine Punch in 1919

12 Source B A cartoon published in a British newspaper in May 1919, showing the Big 4 leaving Versailles.

13 A British cartoon published in 1919