The Treaty of Versailles, 1919 (AQA A Level History: Component 2: Depth study): Revision Note

Summary

• Many Germans hoped that the permanent peace treaty that was due to be negotiated would create conditions that would be acceptable to all sides

• However, the victorious Allies were keen to make Germany pay for the four years of death and destruction

  • France, in particular, wanted revenge and assurances that Germany would not be able to attack it again

• Germany was not allowed to take part in the peace negotiations at the Palace of Versailles

  • When the terms were announced in June 1919, they caused widespread anger and dismay in Germany

  • There were huge implications for Germany financially, militarily and territorially

    • It also forced Germany to accept guilt for starting the war

• There was anger with the Treaty across the political spectrum in Germany, but disagreement over whether it should have been signed

  • Those people on the Left believed there was no choice but to sign it and then to try to renegotiate the terms

  • Those people on the Right argued that signing the Treaty was an act of betrayal

• Internationally, the Treaty received a mixed reception

  • Many in France argued it did not punish Germany enough

  • Many in the USA thought it had gone too far

German expectations vs the reality of the peace settlement

• The German army retreated in November 1918, but it was not defeated

  • The armistice only ensured temporary peace

    • There needed to be an official peace document where the Allies agreed on the terms of the continued peace

• Many Germans believed their army had not been defeated in the field, so they thought they would be able to negotiate a fair and lasting peace

  • This failed to take into account the strength of the feelings held by leaders of the Allies, especially France

• Georges Clemenceau, France’s Prime Minister, wanted the treaty to be harsh on Germany

  • France and Germany had fought multiple times during the 19th century

  • Germany had taken key areas from France, including the region of Alsace-Lorraine

  • Clemenceau saw the Treaty of Versailles as an opportunity to gain territory back and ensure Germany could not launch future invasions into France

  • Clemenceau’s anger also stemmed from the impact of the First World War on his country

  • The majority of the Western Front was in France

  • The fighting had destroyed many roads, hospitals and factories

  • He wanted Germany to pay for the damages and take responsibility for starting the war

"The conduct of Germany is almost unexampled in human history. The terrible responsibility which lies at her doors can be seen in the fact that not less than seven million dead lie buried in Europe, while more than 20 million others carry upon them the evidence of wounds and sufferings because Germany saw fit to gratify her lust for tyranny by resort to war.

The Allied and Associated Powers believe that they will be false to those who have given their all to save the freedom of the world if they consent to treat this war on any other basis than as a crime against humanity. Justice, therefore, is the only possible basis for the settlement of the accounts of this terrible war. Justice is what the German Delegation asks for and says that Germany had been promised. Justice is what Germany shall have. But it must be justice for all. There must be justice for the dead and wounded and for those who have been orphaned and bereaved that Europe might be freed from Prussian despotism. There must be justice for the peoples who now stagger under war debts which exceed £30,000,000,000 that liberty might be saved. There must be justice for those millions whose homes and land, ships and property German savagery has spoliated and destroyed."

An extract from the Allied reply to the German counter-proposals, 16 June 1919, signed by Georges Clemenceau as President of the Peace Conference

• Woodrow Wilson, the American president, held a completely different view from Clemenceau’s

  • Wilson wanted to create a lasting peace after the First World War

  • He believed the Treaty of Versailles should embody what he called the ‘14 Points'.

  • He did not want to make Germany pay large reparations to the Allies

  • He wanted to keep Germany strong, as it could help rebuild Europe

  • He also believed Germany should join a new organisation called the League of Nations

  • This group encouraged countries to communicate their problems rather than resort to armed conflict. 

• David Lloyd George, Britain’s Prime Minister, held an opinion in between Wilson and Clemenceau’s

  • Britain had experienced high casualties like France

  • The British public hated Germany and wanted revenge

  • Lloyd George understood some of Clemenceau’s personal anger towards Germany

  • However, Britain also supported Wilson’s point that a strong Germany was better for European economies

• With such different opinions, it was clear that the terms of any treaty were going to be fiercely contested and negotiated

  • However, it soon became clear that Germany would not be involved in the negotiations when it was announced that they were banned from attending the talks.

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles

• Discussions began in January 1919 in Paris

• After fierce negotiations, the Allies eventually agreed on their terms for peace and signed the treaty on 28th June 1919

• As no German representatives had been allowed to attend the peace talks, the treaty became known as a ‘diktat’ in Germany

  • This reflected the belief that the terms of peace had been imposed or dictated to them

• Germany was given 15 days to ask the Allies to change sections of the treaty

  • The Allies denied almost every concession the Germans requested

The military terms of the Treaty of Versailles

The territorial terms of the Treaty of Versailles

• Germany lost about:

  • 13% of its territory

  • 75% of its iron ore

  • 15% of its arable land

• This made the wartime debt far harder to repay.

The diplomatic and economic terms of the Treaty of Versailles

“A capacity of £38,000 million or even of £35,000 million is not within the limits of reasonable possibility. It is for those who believe that Germany can make an annual payment amounting to hundreds of millions sterling to say in what specific commodities they intend this payment to be made, and in what markets the goods are to be sold. Until they proceed to some degree of detail and are able to produce some tangible argument in favour of their conclusions, they do not deserve to be believed."

Part of an analysis of the Treaty of Versailles by the British economist John Maynard Keynes, written in 1919. Like many others, Keynes doubted it would be possible for Germany to pay such enormous reparations.

The political impact of the Treaty in Germany

• The Treaty caused great anger in Germany, and its signing by Germany's leaders opened up enormous political divisions

• Most Germans agreed:

  • That the treaty was humiliating

  • That the 'war guilt clause' was inaccurate and unfair

  • That the Treaty would destroy Germany’s economy

  • That, unlike the Poles and the Czechs, Germany's right to self-determination had been denied

• However, it was the decision by Germany's leaders to sign the Treaty that caused the division

Political parties on the left and in the centre

• Most people in these parties saw the signing of the treaty as inevitable and believed the leaders had no choice

  • They believed that the Allied armies would invade Germany and occupy its cities if they had refused to sign

• They argued that the pragmatic approach was to sign the treaty and then follow a policy of 'fulfilment'

  • This involved appearing to agree to comply with the terms, but in reality, finding ways to nullify them or renegotiate them individually

Political parties on the right

• People in these parties saw the signing of the Treaty of Versailles as the latest and greatest act of betrayal in a series of betrayals that went back to November 1918

  • They viewed the republican politicians who had signed it as traitors who had stabbed Germany in the back

  • They held the Republic responsible for the humiliation and were dedicated to overthrowing it

Attitudes to the Treaty within Germany and abroad

• In Germany, the Treaty was viewed with anger across the political spectrum

• Abroad, there were a variety of different views

  • In France, the Treaty was widely welcomed, with most critics complaining it was not harsh enough on Germany

  • In Britain, many were pleased that their military enemy and economic rival had been weakened, but many questioned how fair or wise the terms were

  • In the USA, many saw the treaty as being overly harsh and humiliating for Germany

    • This led to many Americans becoming determined to stay out of European affairs

How damaging was the Treaty of Versailles to Weimar Germany?

The impact of the Treaty of Versailles has been interpreted in different ways by historians

• Some historians focus on the outrage, anger and humiliation felt by the Treaty of Versailles and argue that it made another war inevitable

  • These historians argue that by humiliating and crippling Germany both militarily and economically, the Treaty meant that many Germans were determined to overthrow it

• Others argue that its impact has been exaggerated

  • They claim that, as much of the Treaty was not enforced, its impact was not as damaging as many feared